Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty released the following statement on the 20th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew hitting South Florida: Today marks the anniversary of Hurricane Andrew, a tropical hurricane that reached landfall in Florida on Aug. 24, 1992, and caused unprecedented economic damage in the Bahamas, Louisiana, and most notably Florida. Total damage in the United States was estimated to be in excess of $20 billion, making Andrew the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history at that time.

Charlie Crist, former Florida governor turned independent Senate candidate turned ambulance-chasing billboard lawyer, is now rumored to be trying his hand as a thunder stealer. They say, metaphorically speaking, he's going to crash the Republican National Convention next week by officially switching to join the Democratic Party so he can run for governor in 2014. The long-anticipated switch is hardly a surprise. At present the Dems have a gubernatorial-candidate shortlist so stunted it's barely a tweet.

The Florida Chamber of Commerce has endorsed John Couriel for the Florida Senate District 35 seat held long-serving South Florida legislator Sen. Gwen Margolis, D-Miami. John Couriel understands that to secure Floridas future, businesses need the ability to grow and all Floridians deserve a cost-effective, market-minded and fiscally responsible government, David Hart, executive vice president for the Florida Chamber of Commerce, stated in a release.

On Thursday, Florida Gov. Rick Scott, Secretary of State Ken Detzner, Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater and Attorney General Pam Bondi, sitting as the Elections Canvassing Commission, approved the Aug. 14 primary results. Scott, Detzner and Atwater were in the Cabinet meeting room in the Capitol. Bondi attended by phone.

Traditionally, the national parties have eased off when the opposition holds its national convention. This year is not going to be a traditional year. Democrats are planning a full-scale assault on the Republican National Convention, with Vice President Joe Biden leading the way into Tampa, the Hill reports.

Photos of Gov. Rick Scotts latest Lets Get to Work" Day, this time as a shrimp boat striker, have been posted on his Facebook page. Scott spent Wednesday on Captain Mikes shrimp boat in Nassau County, promoting the seafood industry for his 12th work day.

Here's the statement Gov. Rick Scott issued early Wednesday afternoon on Tropical Storm Isaac:

Two executives from a Tampa health insurance company have been accused of intentionally filing misleading information with the state to cover the firms fiscal instability. Sabiha Haider Khan, 37, and Nazeer Haider Khan, 40, executives of Tampa-based Quality Health Plans Inc., were arrested in Leon County, having filed the paperwork with the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Both face 13 counts of felony charges.

Looks like there will be a good chance of rain during the Republican National Convention in Tampa next week. The storm models from the National Hurricane Center in Miami at 11 p.m. Tuesday for Tropical Storm Isaac show the potential cone of destruction -- indicating where the storm may be headed -- rolling toward South Florida this weekend.

Changes, potentially including legalized gambling, may not be idle talk for the future of Daytona Speedway. The speedway has requested rezoning changes that would allow 2 million square feet of retail space, 1,785 hotel rooms and 1,600 multifamily residential units on its land straddling International Speedway Boulevard, the Daytona Beach News Journal is reporting.

The increase in gas prices doesnt appear to be deterring Floridians from making travel plans for the upcoming Labor Day weekend. AAA Travel projects that 1.6 million Floridians will be taking to the roads, air, and even the sea for trips of more than 50 miles during the early September weekend, an increase of 2.6 percent from a year ago. Although overall economic growth continues to move at a sluggish pace, it is encouraging to see so many Americans value and prioritize travel, Brent Hubele, vice president, AAA Travel, stated in a release.

Gov. Rick Scott appointed Judge Wendy W. Berger of St. Augustine to the 5th District Court of Appeal. Berger, 43, who served as assistant general counsel in the governors office under former Gov. Jeb Bush, has served on the 7th Judicial Circuit Court since 2005. Judge Bergers varied experience and abiding commitment to judicial restraint make her exceptionally well-qualified for the appellate bench, Scott stated in a release. I am confident that she will administer justice with wisdom and impartiality for years to come.

Gov. Rick Scott has reappointed Anne Sandy Batchelor-Robjohns to the governing board of the South Florida Water Management District. Batchelor-Robjohns, 59, of Miami Beach, has been chairman and co-CEO of The Batchelor Foundation Inc. since 2007. The reappointment, subject to Florida Senate confirmation, is until March 1, 2016.

First lady Ann Scott, with assistance from Gov. Rick Scott, read If You Give a Mouse a Cookie to children at the LeRoy Collins Public Library in Tallahassee aspart of a kick-off of an early literacy initiative aimed at getting children to read to their grade level by the third grade.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office has just released a statement on the state's application of new early voting laws: