Appearing on Hugh Hewitts radio show on Thursday, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., said he is looking to give conservative cover to Republicans who are considering voting for his immigration reform bill -- and that ramping up border security was the way to sell this bill to his fellow Republicans.

U.S. Rep.Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., weighed in on Thursday on the House granting more seniors protection when they use the Federal Housing Administrations (FHA) Reverse Mortgage loan protection program. The bill will cut down on seniors overborrowing. Ros-Lehtinen stressed that Republicans and Democrats from both chambers supported the bill and that it had the White Houses backing.

According to a new state poll released Thursday by Public Policy Polling, the majority of Floridians overwhelmingly support a bipartisan immigration bill. The poll showed a great deal of support for the Gang of Eight as well.

Former Gov. Charlie Crist will be hitting the road this August when the new Democrat will be speaking in New Orleans at the Louisiana Democratic Partys Jefferson-Jackson Day event.

University of South Florida associate professor Erin Kimmerle will be holding media availability regarding her research and the possible exhumations at the Arthur G. Dozier School for Boys at 1 p.m. on Friday in the Galleria at the USF Research Park on the Tampa campus.

Appearing on Americas News Room on Fox News Thursday morning, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., called for President Barack Obama to suspend implementation of the federal health-care law.

Citing his efforts on behalf of legal reform, the Florida Chamber of Commerce has named state Rep. Larry Metz, R-Yalaha, its annual "Most Valuable Legislator" in 2013. Metz received the Chamber's premier legislative award for his ultimately successful three-year effort to get Florida to strengthen its expert witness standards, despite fierce opposition from the state'splaintiff trial lawyer lobby. More to come ...

As he continues to push immigration reform, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues to draw heavy fire from the right.

On Thursday, the Department of Children and Families announced its new legislative affairs team. Timothy Parson will serve as DCF's legislative affairs director and Nicole Stookey will serve as deputy legislative affairs director.

Gov. Rick Scott has been spending recent days naming Great Floridians and that trend continued on Thursday with the latest honoree being Dr. Charlotte Maguire, a longtime pediatrician who served as assistant secretary of health and scientific affairs in the Nixon administration. Maguire helped create the Florida Department of Health and Rehabilitative Services which has become the Department of Health and the Department of Children and Families.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues to hit the cable talk-show circuit to talk about the immigration reform bill that he is sponsoring in the Senate. On Wednesday night, Rubio appeared on Bill OReillys show on Fox News.

On Thursday, Florida TaxWatch unveiled a briefing on implementing Common Core Standards. Florida TaxWatch promises this briefing, entitled The Importance of Getting It Right, will be the first in a series on the issue. "The Common Core State Standards are the future of our state's educational system, said Dominic Calabro, the president and CEO of Florida TaxWatch in a statement on Thursday. In order to best serve our students, all of Florida's communities need to support the transformation of teaching and learning in schools."

On Wednesday, Gov. Rick Scott vetoed a bill creating an ad valorem tax exemption regarding federal lands and military housing. The Senate bill was sponsored by Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, while the House version was sponsored by Rep. Jimmy Patronis, R-Panama City.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues to look to amend his immigration reform bill and, on Wednesday, he turned to one of the chambers long serving Republicans for help. U.S. Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah teamed with Rubio to offer amendments ensuring newly legalized immigrants will have paid outstanding taxes and prevents them from using tax credits and subsidies related from the federal health-care law for five years after becoming a citizen. The amendments also ensure that unauthorized workers do not receive Social Security benefits.

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the first Hispanic woman ever elected to Congress, announced on Wednesday that she would support a bill awarding the Congressional Gold Medal to the 65th Infantry Regiment. This regiment of soldiers from Puerto Rico, which was popularly known as the Borinqueneers, was one of the most decorated units during the Korean War.