While most higher education headlines focused on the U.S. News and World Reports rankings of colleges and universities, on Tuesday, a school in Florida was honored for its nursing program. The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) named the the University of North Floridas (UNF) School of Nursing as a best practice program.

On Tuesday, Gov. Rick Scott named Judge Kelly Jo McKibben, who served in the Department of Children and Families and as a Brevard County judge since 2006, to the 18th Judicial Circuit Court. With a decade of able service to Floridas children at the Department of Children and Families, as well as years as a knowledgeable and fair county court judge, Judge McKibben has proved to be a capable advocate for the families of our state, Scott said. I am confident that she will continue her meaningful service on the 18th Judicial Circuit bench.

From his perch on the U.S. House Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw, R-Fla., announced on Monday that he would vote against authorizing military force against Syria. I have carefully reviewed data from our governments highest levels, analyzed facts from our top military leaders, and listened to my constituents, who overwhelmingly oppose action in Syria, Crenshaw said in a statement. I have decided that military intervention is not in the best interest of America and will vote against authorizing the use of military force in Syria.

Dan McCarthy, a Navy veteran who served as a legal adviser to the Navy secretary, will take over as executive director of Florida TaxWatchs Center for Smart Justice. McCarthy has been the chief assistant state attorney for the 4th Circuit and was with Holland & Knight. McCarthy has also been active in Jacksonville on veterans issues including working with the Wounded Warrior Project.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is doubling down on its commitment to new technology as Commissioner Adam Putnam unveiled a new program on Monday.

Tensions are running high as the U.S. prepares to decide whether or not it will follow through with military action against Syria, but Syrian President Bashar al-Assad is still denying that he ever used chemical weapons against his own people. In an interview with CBS's Charlie Rose, Assad said there is "not a single shred of evidence" that the Syrian government used chemical weapons, despite what the White House and other officials have said.

On Monday morning, Gov. Rick Scott teamed with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to announce four new license-free fishing days.

On top of its email and phone call surveillance, the National Security Agency also has access to data on all major smartphones like the iPhone, Blackberry and Android devices, according to a new report from German news weekly Der Spiegel.

Two universities and almost a dozen colleges in the Florida College System have received $7.2 million from a federal grant to offer Common Core State Standards training to public school teachers. Indian River State College was penciled in as the lead institution as the Florida Common Core State Standards Professional Development Consortium launches the new training efforts.

Lenny Curry, the chairman of the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF), sent a memo to the Progressive Democratic Caucus of Florida on Monday morning on the 2014 gubernatorial election. In the memo, Curry swatted at former Gov. Charlie Crist who left the GOP and is expected to run for the Democratic nomination in 2014.

U.S. Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y, announced over the weekend that he is running for the Republican presidential nomination. The Long Island congressman turned up on the radio in New Hampshire, home of the first presidential primary, and said he was running for president in 2016. King has been a vocal supporter of an active foreign policy, a theme he is expected to pursue during his presidential campaign.

Wednesday marks the one-year anniversary of the attack on the American embassy in Benghazi and former U.S. Rep. Allen West, who has opened the door to a political comeback in 2016, is launching an effort to mobilize voters angry with President Barack Obamas reaction to it. West posted on Facebook late on Sunday asking supporters to melt down Obamas social media accounts on Benghazi.

After learning he had created his own fundraising committee for Florida House races, Florida Democrats are calling for Rep. Darryl Rouson, D-St. Petersburg, to step down as caucus leader. If Rouson doesn't opt to leave voluntarily, party leaders are suggesting they have enough votes to force him out. According to the Tampa Bay Times, State Rep. David Richardson, D-Miami Beach, sent out the following message on Saturday: Members,

Former Gov. Charlie Crist has spent the last few days in South Florida renewing ties and meeting with old pals, ultimately raising suspicions he's gearing up for the 2014 gubernatorial race. Democrats will need a high turnout in Broward and Palm Beach counties if they want to win the election against Gov. Rick Scott, which is why re-establishing ties with old allies could be beneficial for Crist.

The grade change of an Indiana charter school that caused controversy at the Florida Department of Education and ultimately led to former Commissioner of Education Tony Bennett's resignation has been found to be "plausible" and "consistently applied" to all schools, according to an Indiana report.