Even as gas prices continue to drop across Florida, Republican Senate hopeful U.S. Rep. Connie Mack continues to hammer the Democrat incumbent -- U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson -- for opposing the Keystone XL Pipeline. Macks latest salvo against Nelson came late Wednesday when the congressman released a statement attacking the senator over the pipeline.

Running in a crowded Republican primary to replace U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, Florida state Rep. Gary Aubuchon, R-Cape Coral, has taken to the airwaves to launch his first commercial of the campaign. Aubuchon does not hammer one of his numerous primary opponents in the new ad. Instead, he focuses on the national debt and pledges to help rein in federal spending if he is elected to Congress.

"Pill Street Blues," the name of a yearlong, multi-agency investigation resulted in the closing of a statewide ring of pill mills, the attorney generals office and other state agencies announced Wednesday at the Indian River County sheriffs office. Attorney General Pam Bondi compared the ring to a modern-day drug cartel on her Facebook page.

As the nation awaits the Supreme Court decision on the future of President Barack Obamas health-care reform law, Florida officials behind the opposition have blocked time to respond. The court is expected to release its ruling after 10 a.m.

Gov. Rick Scott will visit areas hit by Tropical Storm Debby on Thursday afternoon. Scott will visit with residents affected by the storm and the emergency operations center in Suwannee County, according to a release from the governor's office.

Gov. Rick Scott applauded a federal judge who on Wednesday declined to impose a temporary restraining order that would block the states effort to clear noncitizens from the lists of Floridas voters. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle turned down a request by the U.S. Department of Justice to prohibit state elections officials from removing suspected noncitizens from the lists of registered voters.

This may or may not come as a surprise to you. It certainly did me: Most voters continue to believe the federal government encourages rather than discourages illegal immigration.

Maryland-based American Fidelity Services LLC has been ordered to stop selling home warranties in the Sunshine State by Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty. The cease and desist order comes as the result of a Florida Office of Insurance Regulation investigation that AFS is offering its American Fidelity Home Warranty program without a license through its online website, the state OIR reported. The program -- www.afhwarranty.com offers coverage for all common household appliances and systems. AFS has 21 days to respond to the order.

Ten Florida public schools landed in the top 100 of Newsweeks Americas Best High Schools 2012 report card. This is an incredible honor and I congratulate Floridas students, teachers, principals, superintendents and school boards for this great achievement, Florida Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson stated in a release. Floridas public education system is one of the best in the nation, and this report card bears that out.

With the second quarter of 2012 winding down -- and the important June 30 deadline looming on Saturday -- the team behind President Barack Obamas bid for a second term is turning up their fundraising efforts calling on supporters to forgo birthday and wedding gifts to back their candidate.

Gov. Rick Scott held a ceremonial signing for a pair of bills championed by Attorney General Pam Bondi. House Bill 227 outlaws more than 90 new forms of synthetic drugs and House Bill 1175 creates a 10-member statewide task force -- with Bondi as chairwoman -- that would examine the emerging problem of neonatal withdrawal syndrome as it pertains to prescription drugs.

The task force created to review the states Stand Your Ground law will hold its next meeting in the Central Florida community of Arcadia on July 10, the governors office announced. The Task Force on Citizen Safety and Protection will meet at 9 a.m. at DeSoto Middle School, 420 East Gibson St., Arcadia.

Steve MacNamara leads a charmed life. In the first place, how does the governor's ethically challenged, $189,000-a-year chief of staff get to stick around this long after he was fi... uh, after he resigned in May? I can't recall where any of the state employees MacNamara dispatched with a pink slip over the years were allowed to stay on as long after the hatchet as he has.

The Miami Heats NBA Championship victory has created some bipartisanship in Congress. On Tuesday, U.S. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, and Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, introduced a resolution congratulating the Heat on the 2012 title. Adding their names as co-sponsors were Reps. Ted Deutch, D-Boca Raton; Mario Diaz-Balart, R-Miami; David Rivera, R-Miami; Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Weston; Allen B. West, R-Plantation; and Frederica S. Wilson, D-Miami Gardens.

U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, the favorite to win the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, unveiled his team in Hillsborough County on Tuesday. Having a strong and active team representing our campaign is invaluable, Mack said in a statement. With the help of these great activists we will continue to get our campaign message out in the Tampa Bay region. I am thrilled these talented individuals are dedicating their time to retaking the U.S. Senate and defeating liberal Bill Nelson."