After Mitt Romney, the presumptive Republican presidential candidate, offered an address in Orlando to the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) hammering President Barack Obama on the economy and immigration, his team called on a Republican state legislator to go bat for them. State Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, praised Romney after the speech and ripped into Obama on Thursday.

On Thursday, David Barton, an evangelical leader and conservative activist who has been very active on fighting for an increased role for religion in the public square, announced that he was backing former U.S. Rep. Dave Weldon for the Republican nomination to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson.

Associated Industries of Florida political action committee has released its list of legislative endorsements.

After rejecting tuition hikes of 15 percent, 9 percent, 13.5 percent and 12 percent for the University of Central Florida, the State University System Board of Governors took a five-minute break on Thursday before agreeing to give the University of Florida its 9 percent requested tuition increase and the University of South Florida an 11 percent increase to tuition. The tuition hikes are the first of 11 that the Board of Governors is expected to approve this afternoon.

Ron DeSantis, an attorney and veteran who is running in the Republican primary for a new congressional seat stretching from the outskirts of Jacksonville to Volusia County, continues to reel in impressive endorsements from GOP leaders. On Thursday, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced he was backing DeSantis.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., weighed in on Thursday over the firestorm which U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is facing as Congress continues to press him to release documents over the Fast and Furious operation. Rubio took to Twitter and posted a simple message. It's time for Eric Holder to resign, he wrote. Despite President Barack Obama invoking executive privilege to prevent Holder from releasing documents, the attorney general faces the possibility of having a contempt vote in the House against him.

The team behind Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Allen Wests bid for a second term are looking to fire conservatives up by taking aim at television host Bill Maher. Tim Edson, Wests campaign manager, sent out a fundraising email to supporters this week attacking Maher for comments he made about his candidate.

A national poll of likely voters finds that U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-FL, is growing increasing popular at the national level. A poll from Rasmussen Reports finds that 42 percent of those surveyed have a favorable opinion of the freshman senator from the Sunshine State while 31 percent see him in an unfavorable light. Rasmussen took a similar poll in April which showed that 35 percent saw Rubio as favorable and 28 percent as unfavorable.

Larry Sabato peered into his Crystal Ball on Thursday and weighed in Mitt Romneys potential running mates. Sabato has reduced his pool of vice presidential prospects from 23 to 11 and he is putting two Floridians on the list. Marco Rubio stands at the bottom of the first tier of contenders and Jeb Bush in the second tier.

University of Central Florida student body presidentCortez Whatley has been named the student member of the states 17-member State University System Board of Governors.

Tea party members in Gilchrist County backed Ted Yoho, a large-animal doctor from Gainesville, in a straw ballot among party members in the congressional GOP primary for the new District 3 seat held by incumbent U.S. Rep. Cliff Stearns, R-Ocala. Yoho, who has also received the support of the OBrien Tea Party, picked up 69 percent of the votes in the Gilchrist polling.

The 60 Plus Association, which bills itself as the leading conservative seniors organization with more than 7.2 million supporters, is launching its Healthcare Freedom bus tour Thursday in Florida, beginning in Sarasota. The purpose of the tour is to discuss with seniors their concerns over the so-called Affordable Care Act -- Obamacare -- which 60 Plus labels the Unaffordable Care Act, based on costs that are soaring into trillions over the Obama administration's estimates.

The city of Sanford will officially announce on Thursday that embattled police chief Bill Lee has been fired, FOX 35 is reporting. Lee, who in April had his resignation rejected by the Sanford City Commission, had stepped aside from his duties as chief on March 22 after the majority of the Sanford City Council expressed no confidence" over his handling of the Feb. 26 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, 28.

A Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) investigation that Gov. Rick Scott requested himself is over -- clearing the governor and his transition team of wrongdoing in the loss of transition team documents.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continued to remain active in national politics on Wednesday as he went to bat for George Allens attempt to return to the U.S. Senate to represent Virginia. Slamming Democratic leaders who don't fully believe in the free-enterprise system that control the Senate, Rubio praised Allens political record.