On Wednesday, former Gov. Jeb Bush waded into one of the most competitive legislative primaries in Florida when he backed Rep. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, over Rep. Jim Frische, R-St. Petersburg, for the GOP nod for an open state Senate seat. "Jeff Brandes has the right stuff to lead in the Florida Senate," Bush said. "Jeff has the courage and real-world experience to tackle the complex issues facing the state of Florida. Having Jeff in the Florida Senate will ensure the residents of the bay area have strong, principled leadership in Tallahassee."

A disaster recovery center will open in Steinhatchee at noon on Thursday for those whose homes and businesses were impacted by Tropical Storm Debby. The center, at Steinhatchee Elementary School, will remain open between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. on both Friday and Saturday. Representatives from the Florida Division of Emergency Management, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, the U.S. Small Business Administration and other agencies will be at the center.

U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis, R-Palm Harbor, and Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, were part of a bipartisan effort with Kurt Schrader, D-Ore., and Ron Barber, D-Ariz., behind a bill aimed to fight fiscal scams directed at retired veterans. The Protecting Veterans Pensions Act, also known as the Rooney-Schrader bill, is focused on closing a loophole that has allowed scam artists to divert assets of elderly and disabled veterans, under the promise of helping them qualify for VA pension benefits, into trusts and annuities that only pay off for the firms.

On Wednesday, national political group Concerned Women for America (CWA) announced that it would launch a She Votes 2012 campaign to bring out conservatives to vote in Florida.

Conservative activist John Stemberger, best known for leading the Florida Family Policy Council, announced on Tuesday that he is backing U.S. Rep. Sandy Adams over U.S. Rep. John Mica in their Republican primary battle for a congressional seat in Central Florida. I am proud to endorse Sandy Adams, said Stemberger. She is a principled conservative and exactly the type of leadership that social conservatives and the tea party supporters are looking for.

On Monday, the Florida Chamber of Commerce unveiled its second round of endorsements for state legislative candidates. Marion Johnson, the senior vice president of political operation for the Florida Chamber, said that her organization weighed candidates commitments to free-market solutions and creating jobs and economic growth in the Sunshine State.

Mitt Romneys presidential campaign continues to turn to leading Republicans from Florida to unload on President Barack Obama. Late Monday, the Romney team called upon U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Fla., the chairwoman of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, to bash Obama for not visiting Israel as president.

Individuals and businesses impacted by Tropical Storm Debby in Citrus, Gilchrist, Lafayette, Polk and Sarasota counties can now apply for federal disaster aid, the state announced Monday night. For information, contact FEMA: Call 800-621-FEMA (3362). Assistance is available in most languages and lines are open 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week. If you are deaf or hard of hearing and use a TTY, call 800-462-7585. Go online to www.DisasterAssistance.gov. By smartphone or tablet, use the FEMA app or go to m.fema.gov.

Palm Beach County commissioners are expected to vote Tuesday on pairing a $1.4 million incentives package with $3 million from Gov. Rick Scotts discretionary deal-closing fund in order to keep 1,000 Pratt & Whitney jobs and create another 200, the Sun-Sentinel is reporting.

Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, has died of cancer, her organization, Sally Ride Science, has announced. Ride, 61, joined NASA in 1978, helped develop the space shuttles robotic arm and flew a total of 343 hours in space as a crew member on space shuttle Challenger missions, launched in June 1983 and October 1984.

Big difference between how lobbyists in Florida and how their muscular equivalent in Washington are reacting to Election 2012 and the matter of the atrophic economy. In volatile Florida -- alive with issues percolating for the next legislative session -- lobbyists are throwing money around like Abu Dhabi sheiks at a Kentucky Derby after-party -- albeit under the cover of super-PAC darkness.

A delegation of officials from Colombia, an end-of-the-year trade mission destination for Gov. Rick Scott, visited the Port of Port St. Joe last week.

Gov. Rick Scott, following President Obamas proclamation, has ordered state and national flags outside local, state and federal buildings, installations and grounds in Florida to be lowered to half-staff through sunset Wednesday in honor of the victims of the July 20 movie theater mass shooting in Aurora, Colo. Obama ordered American flags to be flown at half-staff at all public buildings, as well as embassies and military bases overseas and naval vessels.

A 35-year-old Fort Myers man fed an extravagant lifestyle, including international travel, through state money directed for disabled individuals in Southwest Florida, the states Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater announced Monday.

While he is an underdog to defeat U.S. Rep. Connie Mack for the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in November, former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon unveiled the support ofone of the leading conservatives in the Florida Legislature on Monday -- Rep. Dennis Baxley. R-Ocala. Baxley, who had been in charge of the state chapter of the Christian Coalition, praised Weldon on Monday as he endorsed him, pointing to his record on guns and social issues.