Gov. Rick Scott has ordered state flags to be lowered to half-staff on state and local grounds for Sen. Daniel Inouye of Hawaii, who died Monday. The order comes pursuant to President Obamas proclamation to lower national flags for Inouye, 88, a World War II hero and Medal of Honor winner who lost an arm to a German hand grenade during a battle in Italy and has been a U.S. senator since 1963. The order is in place until sunset on the day of Inouyes interment.

Catch Sunshine State News' exclusive story on how libertarian-leaning conservative supporters of 2012 presidential candidate Ron Paul almost took control of the Miami-Dade County Republican Party Tuesday night -- losing the chairmanship by just two votes.

Prosecutors today disclosed more details of the terror charges being brought against two Oakland Park brothers: "A Pakistan-born man wanted to avenge the deaths of U.S. drone attacks in Afghanistan by blowing up a New York City landmark but lacked the money and materials to carry out the plan, a federal prosecutor said Tuesday.

Gov. Rick Scott and first lady Ann Scott will help distribute Christmas baskets to needy families in Miami on Wednesday, the governors office announced. The Scotts will be at the CAMACOL Tower, 1401 W. Flagler St., from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m.

For the convenience of anyone who hasn't been paying attention, National Review has compiled 10 of the popular Republican-turned-Independent-turned-Democrat former Florida governor's "most conservative moments." Some highlights: "You might have heard that Charlie Crist, former governor of Florida, former Republican, and former independent, is now a Democrat. Prepping for a possible new run for the governorship, he has switched parties. He posted a proud picture of his registration form onto his Twitter feed ...

Gregory W. Coleman, an attorney from West Palm Beach, is now in line to be president of The Florida Bar in 2014, as he was the only candidate to seek the post of president-elect for the next term. Coleman will be sworn in as president-elect in June, when Fort Lauderdale attorney Eugene K. Pettis becomes president.

The state Department of Education released the following list of comments on the selection of Tony Bennett, the outgoing education chief in Indiana, to be Florida's next commissioner of education.Florida State Board of Education Chairman Gary Chartrand

Florida Democrats, meeting Monday to cast their Electoral College votes for President Obama in the Florida Senate chamber, held a moment of silence for Fridays victims at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. As great a day as this is, it is a day of our national tragedy, said Florida Democratic Party Chairman Rod Smith. Smith was one of 29 Democrats casting ballots Monday as electors in the Capitol.

Reason magazine's Damon W. Root shines a national spotlight on a Florida case that will soon be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court. It implicates citizens' private property rights:

Former Agriculture Commissioner Doyle Conner, who passed away on Dec.16, in Monticello, will lie in state at Floridas Historic Capitol on Thursday. Conner, a former House speaker who spent nearly 30 years as agriculture commissioner, will lie in state from noon to 2 p.m. in the Historic Capitol before a 3:30 p.m. funeral service at First Baptist Church of Tallahassee, 108 West College Ave.

The Daily Caller's got the scoop on the IRS conveniently discontinuing its study showing the detrimental effects of high taxes on local and state economies: "The Internal Revenue Service has quietly ended a program that analyzes important economic information about taxpayer migration patterns, The Daily Caller News Foundation has learned.

Florida motorists traveling across the Sunshine State heading into the Christmas holiday will find gas prices on average down 7 cents from a month ago, with prices forecast to dip a little more through the week. The average pump price of $3.27 in Florida, which has been on the decline since early November, is also a little more than a penny below what motorists were paying the week before Christmas in 2011.

Gov. Rick Scott issued a statement Sunday night, on the death of former Commissioner of Agriculture Doyle Conner. Conner, who held the position for 30 years, died earlier Sunday atCross Landing Nursing Home in Monticello. It was his 84th birthday.

The Republican Party of Sarasota County has released a statement disavowing any knowledge that former party chairman Bob Waechter allegedly made donations in the name of a rival to a Democratic congressional candidate. We do not and will not abide any actions that contravene the law in an attempt to advance personal or partisan political goals, stated Sarasota Republican Party Chairman Joe Gruters in an email Saturday.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam called the late Doyle Conner, who spent nearly 30 years as the states agriculture commissioner, a mentor who defined' the office. Conner, 83, also served as a Florida House speaker.