A 62-year-old West Palm Beach woman was charged with defrauding the Florida Medicaid program of more than $28,000, the office of Attorney General Pam Bondi announced. Bondis Medicaid Fraud Control Unit and the Palm Beach County Sheriffs Office arrested Edna Iris Torres on a felony warrant on charges of grand theft and Medicaid fraud, both second-degree felonies.

Education Commissioner Gerard Robinson will deliver the commencement address to graduates of Hillsborough Community College in Tampa today, May 4. The 43rd Annual Commencement Exercise of the community college is set for 2 p.m. at the Florida State Fairgrounds Expo Hall.

Oral arguments in the states appeal of Circuit Judge Jackie Fulfords ruling that the Legislature violated the state Constitution by placing prison privatization in the 2011-2012 state budget have been set for June 13.

The launch of an Atlas 5 communications satellite was moved to Friday after being scrubbed Thursday due to technical reasons."The launch of an Atlas 5 carrying the United States Air Force's Advanced Extremely High Frequency 2 (AEHF 2) payload was scrubbed today due to lack of helium flow from the ground support equipment to the interstage adapter compartment on the launch vehicle, according to a statement from United Launch Alliance.

Gov. Rick Scott appointed Wayne C. Wooten, of Apopka, to replaced N. James Turner on the 9th Judicial Circuit Court. Wooten, 45, has served as an assistant state attorney for the 9th Judicial Circuit since 1995. For the past 17 years, Wayne has focused on serving the people of the 9th Circuit with integrity, and I am confident he will continue to do so from the bench, Scott stated in a release. He has demonstrated a commitment to upholding the law and refraining from allowing his personal beliefs and preferences to influence his legal judgment.

Gov. Rick Scott has suspended a town councilman in Jackson County who has been accused of selling the cars of two town residents without their knowledge. Fred Lee Jones, 65, of Malone, was removed from his elected seat after being charged with two counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle on April 24.

On Thursday, former state Rep. Aaron Bean unveiled two major endorsements as he continues his battle for a seat in the Florida Senate, winning the backing of Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, and Sen. Steve Wise, R-Jacksonville. Bean had stepped aside for Thrasher when he ran for the Florida Senate back in 2009.

Freshman U.S. Rep. Rich Nugent announced on Thursday that he was backing fellow Florida Republican Karen Harrington, abusinesswoman who is running for the GOP nomination to challenge U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, the chairwoman of the Democratic National Committee.

Lt. Gov. Jennifer Carroll focused on head injuries to football players and military personnel during the National Day of Prayer ceremony held midday Thursday on the 22nd floor of the state Capitol. Carroll, whose son Nolan Carroll II plays in the defensive secondary for the Miami Dolphins, said the apparent suicide of former San Diego Charger and Dolphin Junior Seau on Wednesday should raise concerns about "the multiple head injuries (Seau) may have received."

Florida Carry Inc., a grassroots organization defending the Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms, backed the decision of Florida Gov. Rick Scott to reject a request from Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn to suspend the states gun law fordowntown Tampa when the Republican National Convention comes to town this August.

With Newt Gingrich headed to the sidelines, former rival Ron Paul praised his bid for the Republican presidential nomination. Paul has certainly had his share of differences with Gingrich on foreign policy and a host of other measures but the Texas congressman offered kind words for his former speaker.

On Thursday, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota announced that she was backing former rival Mitt Romney for the Republican presidential nomination.

Former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana has made political reform the chief issue of his dark-horse presidential bid and not international affairs, but he weighed in on foreign policy this week when he ripped into President Barack Obamas handling of relations with China. While Roemer, who served in the U.S. House before his term as governor, has pulled out of running for the Republican presidential nomination, he is still in the mix for the Reform Partys nomination and that of Americans Elect.

A poll released by Quinnipiac University on Thursday offers a snapshot of whom voters in the pivotal battleground of Florida hope Mitt Romney, the overwhelming favorite to win the Republican presidential nomination, chooses as his running mate -- and a plurality of voters want favorite son U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio on the ticket.

Central Florida residents close to Cape Canaveral have a chance to catch the launch of an Atlas 5 Thursday afternoon. A two-hour window is set between 2:46 p.m. and 4:46 p.m. EDT for the rocket carrying the Air Force's second Advanced AEHF communications satellite. Weather conditions are 80 percent in favor of a launch, according to meteorologists at the Air Force 45th Space Wing Weather Squadron.