In a 5-2 decision along the usual ideological lines, Florida's liberal-leaning Supreme Court has denied a petition by the Florida Legislature to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the 2012 Senate redistricting map.

Speaking at a breakfast event on Thursday sponsored by the Concerned Veterans of America and The Weekly Standard, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., took aim at President Barack Obamas health care law. Repeatedly calling the law unimplementable, Rubio suggested Republicans oppose passing continuing resolutions of the federal budget unless they defund it.

Rep. Holly Merrill Raschein, R-Key Largo, has a head start in the money chase over a Democratic opponent. Raschein, who represents all of Monroe County and parts of Miami-Dade County, raised $10,575 and spent almost $2,400 in the second quarter of 2013. So far in the election, she has brought in $22,225 and spent around $3,860.

With closing arguments scheduled for Thursday afternoon in the George Zimmerman trial, another charge is being added to the second-degree murder charge Zimmerman faces for the death of teenager Trayvon Martin. Judge Debra Nelson met with both the prosecution and defense to discuss jury instructions and approved both the second-degree murder charge and a manslaughter charge. The prosecution argued for a third-degree murder charge, but defense attorneys say they only want the jury to consider the second-degree murder charge or not guilty.

The stakes are getting raised as Rep. Karen Castor Dentel, D-Maitland, looks to defend her House seat in 2014. Castor Dentel defeated Republican incumbent Scott Plakon in 2012 to represent parts of Orange and Seminole counties. While she could not raise funds in April and early May when the Legislature was in session, Castor Dentel raised almost $14,500 in the second quarter of 2013, relied on around $460 through in-kind donations and spent $4,460 in that period. So far in the contest, Castor Dentel has raised more than $37,600 and has around $33,000 on hand.

The money is flowing in to Seminole County where Rep. Mike Clelland, D-Longwood, faces a strong challenge from Republican hopeful former Rep. Scott Plakon. In 2012 Clelland defeated Republican incumbent Chris Dorworth, who had been set to become speaker of the Florida House after the 2014 elections.

After a failed bid for the U.S. Senate nomination, former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferre was one of the few prominent Democrats to endorse Rick Scott in the 2010 gubernatorial election. On Wednesday, Scott named Ferre to the Metropolitan Planning Organization of Miami-Dade County. Ferre, who is 78, replaces Maritza Gutierrez and his term ends on June 30, 2017.

In the second quarter of 2013, former Florida Senate Democratic Leader Nan Rich got more publicity for her gubernatorial bid than she had since entering the race in April 2012. Rich highlighted her liberal stances and even was the subject of a campaign from the Republican Party of Florida to get her to speak at the Democrats Jefferson-Jackson Day dinner last month.

With no opposition so far, Florida CFO Jeff Atwater has raised almost $105,000 for his re-election campaign in the second quarter of 2013. So far, since launching his campaign committee two years ago, Atwater has brought in $195,125 and spent $14,316 of that, including $180 during the second quarter of 2013. Atwater has been relying heavily on in-kind donations. In the second quarter of 2013, he relied on more than $64,650 through in-kind donations, bringing his total so far to more than $366,650 used with in-kind donations.

The Florida Department of Education will name the 2014 Macy's Teacher of the Year on Thursday in Orlando. For 25 years, Macys has honored the most exceptional educators across Florida. Five teachers became finalists for the 2014 Teacher of the Year award and were chosen from 180,000 public school teachers from across the state: Nancy Smith, Citrus High School (Citrus County).Apryl Shackelford, Northwestern Middle School (Duval County).Patricia Gair, Cypress Lake High School (Lee County).Dorina Sackman, Westridge Middle School (Orange County).

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam filed his paperwork on April 16 that he would seek a second term in office come 2014 -- and he has been busy raising funds since. Between April 16 and June 30, Putnam raised more than $591,000 in cash and relied on almost $83,000 through in-kind donations. Putnam has kept most of it in the bank, spending less than $17,200.

At the end of June, former Congressman Allen West launched an online straw poll for Republican presidential hopefuls in 2016 through his Allen West Guardian Fund PAC. While the Florida Republican did not include himself as one of the contenders, West included a host of possible presidential candidates including Marco Rubio, Jeb Bush, Rand Paul, Condi Rice, Donald Trump, Paul Ryan, Scott Walker, Rick Santorum, Ted Cruz and more.

A poll of likely voters released on Wednesday finds support for the immigration reform bill proposed by U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., and the Gang of Eight in the Senate is losing popularity. Rasmussen Reports released the national poll which finds that 50 percent of voters support the plan while 30 percent are opposed to it and 19 percent are undecided. A Rasmussen poll taken in the second half of June showed 60 percent of voters supported the plan. Since the first poll, the bill passed the Senate though its prospects in the House increasingly look dim.

The Broward County sheriff's office said it's working closely with the Sanford Police Department before the verdict is released in the George Zimmerman trial, hinting at preventing the possibility of violence as the verdict comes out. Freedom of expression is a constitutional right, the office said in a statement. While raising your voice is encouraged, using your hands is not.

On Tuesday, U.S Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., joined co-sponsors of a bill to create a commission of scientists and advocates which will examine strategies to prevent breast cancer without using new federal monies. There are more than 150 other co-sponsors in the House.