Former Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to announce next week that he will run for governor in 2014. After running for statewide office five times as a Republican, Crist left the GOP in 2010 to continue his bid for the U.S. Senate as an independent. After endorsing President Barack Obama in 2012, Crist joined the Democrats at the end of last year.

On Thursday, Gov. Rick Scott announced Bank of America and Merrill Lynch are expanding in Jacksonville bringing $13 million to the First Coast and 200 new jobs by 2015.

On Thursday, a jury found Nicholas Finch not guilty of misconduct and tampering with public records. Gov. Rick Scott reinstated Finch as sheriff of Liberty County.

With the mediocre performance on the gridiron this season, a frustrated Gator Nation has started turning its sights to Billy Ball for relief, and Thursday some good news came as Billy Donovans men's basketball team landed in the AP polls preseason top 10.

The Twittersphere in Florida is buzzing about what appears to be the logo for former Gov. Charlie Crists upcoming gubernatorial campaign.

Oct. 31 marks the last day for members of the public to submit their comments on Common Core State Standards. The standards have drawn controversy over the last several months as the Florida Department of Education works at warp-speed to have the national standards implemented by the 2014-2015 school year.

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection finished a more than $12.5 million land acquisition deal in the Florida Panhandle, the agency announced Thursday. The 20,800-acre conservation easement will also be a buffer zone for Eglin Air Force Base. It is the second largest conservation easement, behind Fisheating Creek, in Florida.

U.S. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., highlighted an event the Campaign for Liberty, which is chaired by his father and former U.S. Rep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, will be putting on in Osprey next month. The Campaign for Liberty will be holding a political training event at the Sarasota County GOPs headquarters in Osprey on Saturday, Nov. 16.

Former U.S. Rep. Allen West, R-Fla., went to bat for U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., on Thursday. Cotton is taking on U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., in 2014 and, with Arkansas trending Republican, the GOP has high hopes of winning the race.

The Federal Aviation Administration announced Thursday a rule that could mean passengers soon will not have to put down their riveting kindle books as they wait for takeoff and landing.

A new poll of Florida voters showsnearly two-thirds support the Florida Legislature establishing a limited number of "high-quality destination resort casinos" in the state to create new jobs and boost economic development. The survey of 601 likely Florida voters, conducted by The Tarrance Group, also found that respondents have a negative view (67 percent) of Internet gambling in the state.

A day after former state CFO Alex Sink announced she was running for the Democratic nomination for the congressional seat left vacant by the death of Bill Young, liberal group Emilys List announced they were backing her, withdrawing their support from Jessica Ehrlich.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., took to the airwaves after the Senate shot down his call for unanimous consent to approve his bill to delay the individual mandate included in President Barack Obamas federal health-care law due to the continued problems with Healthcare.gov. Rubio appeared on Greta Van Sustrens program on Fox News on Wednesday night to weigh in on the health care law.

The Hess Corp. unanimously selected the Florida Lottery as one of five supplier partners to receive the 2013Above and Beyond the Call of DutyAward for supporting their business initiatives and long-term growth strategies, making the Florida Lottery the first lottery nationwide to be nominated for the award.

All eyes focused on Alex Sink after she announced she would be running for former U.S. Rep. Bill Young's seat in Congress, but don't count Jessica Ehrlich out just yet. Ehrlich nabbed the support of the American Postal Workers Union on Wednesday, making the APWU the seventh union to show its support for the House representative hopeful.