The U.S. economy grew at a rate of 0.4 percent at the end of 2012. While experts expect the nationwide recovery to hasten in the first quarter of 2013, some of the revisions of last years fourth-quarter numbers signaled a decline.

The queen of the tea party is out of the gates fast for the 2014 elections. Sarah Palins SaraPAC released a new ad Wednesday touting the power of the former governor of Alaska in preparation for the midterm elections.

Gov. Rick Scott, not exactly known for his charisma, showed a playful side of his personality to the host ofCNN's "Starting Point with Soledad O'Brien," one that could take Florida voters by surprise. Appearing on the morning political and news talk show, Scott touted his jobs numbers and said he wants Florida to be "a better bragger than Texas." "Governor Perry's always bragging about how great Texas is. Well look, 230,000 people moved here last year," Scott told O'Brien.

As Florida legislators are poised to add new taxes on Floridians, in the form of an Internet sales tax, could your email be next?

The National Federation of Independent Businesses is offering a free webinar Wednesday at noon to help small businesses and self-employers survive the new taxes set to begin as part of the federal health-care law. The webinar will be presented by Kevin Kuhlman, manager of Legislative Affairs. From the NFIB:

The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform Tuesday released the next feature in its series Meet Your Oversight Watchdogs, introducing Rep. Ron DeSantis, of Floridas CD 6, to Americans. This government needs to start behaving responsibly in terms of how it spends taxpayers' money, says DeSantis. Weve seen this administration rack up trillion-dollar deficits for four consecutive years. If we continue on our current course we will have a national debt of $20 trillion when this president leaves office.

Can the buzz around university teams lift them to NCAA March Madness wins?

Progress Energy customers in Florida will begin seeing a new name and logo on their bills and service trucks starting in April.

President Barack Obama is set to appointJulia Piersonas the first female to lead the U.S. Secret Service, the Washington Post reports. The former Secret Service director,Mark Sullivan, resigned after the agency suffered a prostitution scandal involving more than 10 of its agents during a trip by Obama to Colombia.

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, environmentalists -- who had said they agreed with the states new Everglades cleanup plan that was passed unanimously by the Florida House Friday -- made a request in federal court Monday to continue to have a federal judge meddle, and have the ultimate say, in Floridas business.

Marco Rubio and Rand Paul are more than charismatic risk-takers who handle the media with skill and confidence and want to be president.

Sen. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, issued a statement Monday announcing that the Florida Senate has recommended an additional $200,000 to fund University of South Florida research at the former Dozier School for Boys. On March 12, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi filed a petition seeking a court order to exhume bodies at what has already become one of Florida's darkest shadows, the Dozier School for Boys. The Panhandle reform school closed in 2011.

After the scandal caused by Allied Veterans of the World resulted in the resignation of former Florida Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll, it will also likely mean the end of Internet gaming cafes, as Florida Senate President Don Gaetz said Monday.

While admitting that Florida Gulf Coast University had a good win against San Diego State Sunday night to become the first 15-seed team ever to make it to the Sweet 16 round of NCAA's March Madness, Florida Gov. Rick Scott wouldn't play favorites on Monday. Even as he visited Naples -- FGCU territory -- he wouldn't pick Coach Andy Enfield's Eagles in an unlikely triumph over No. 3-seed University of Florida.

Finally a suitable reaction to the nonsense from Florida's (and Washington's) Queen of Exaggeration, Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The Miami Democrat is so, so sad. It's the way those heartless, stubborn Republicans and sequestration are letting her staff starve.