Florida Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey, is calling for Marshall Goodman to be permanently removed as University of South Florida Polytechnics regional chancellor. The call by Fasano, who has opposed the school becoming an independent state university, comes after an internal investigation found problems involving leases, purchases and financial statements at the school in Lakeland, according to the Lakeland Ledger.

If Mitt Romney, who looks almost certain to emerge as the Republican presidential nominee, chooses Marco Rubio as his running mate, the junior senator from Florida would be the first politician in the Sunshine States history to be on a major partys ticket -- but a prominent former congressman from Florida said on Thursday that Rubio is not ready for the position.

Random drug testing of state employees is unconstitutional, U.S. District Judge Ursula Ungaro has ruled. Ungaro, in the 37-page order signed Wednesday, declared Gov. Rick Scotts executive order calling forrandom drug-testing violated employees' Fourth Amendment rights under the U.S. Constitution.

Continued employment gains should help consumer confidence in Florida, but future optimism may be hindered by the 2012 elections, according to a University of Florida report. The monthly consumer confidence numbers from UFs survey research center at the Bureau of Economic and Business Research indicated that Floridians are a little more pessimistic about the future than they were in March.

Not buying the "financial disclosure" rationale presented by the legal counsel for three state Supreme Court justices, a Republican lawmaker wants the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to investigate whether public employees and resources were used to assist them in electioneering.

Floridians didnt wait long to get on the Do Not Call list once the service was made free. As of 4 p.m. Wednesday, 82,243 people had registered since Monday when the state Division of Consumer Services announced that the $10 fee for new subscriptions and $5 renewal would be lifted.The fee for subscription was removed as a result of a measure passed by the Florida Legislature, House Bill 749, sponsored by Rep. Dana Young, R-Tampa, and Sen. Anitere Flores, R-Miami, during the 2012 session.

Sanford Commissioner Patty Mahany defended her rejection of the resignation of Police Chief Bill Lee on FOX News on Wednesday. The commission declined, in a 3-2 vote, to accept Lees permanent resignation on Monday over his handling of the Feb. 26 shooting death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watchman George Zimmerman, 28.

Attorney General Pam Bondi, along with Gov. Rick Scott and Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, recognized four law enforcement officers and three advocates to commemorate National Crime Victims Rights Week in a ceremony Wednesday in the Cabinet meeting room in the Capitol. Over the past three decades, we have made significant progress in promoting victims rights, said Attorney General Pam Bondi. The men and women we recognized today have selflessly helped crime victims on their paths to recovery.

Gov. Rick Scott appointed John W. Alter to the Apalachicola-Chipola-Lower Chattahoochee River Basin seat on the governing board of the Northwest Florida Water Management District. Alter, 75, of Malone, is a retired public relations executive and manages Alter-Bevis Farms, which was designated as a Florida Stewardship Forest in 2000, according to the governors office. His public relations experience includes The Boeing Co. from 1983 to 1997, EDO Corp. from 1982 to 1983, Fairchild Industries from 1980 to 1981 and

Police in West Miami and Washington, D.C., are under special alert after an unspecified threat was issued against Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio, Fox News Latino is reporting. The news outlet said U.S. Capitol police have confirmed there is an open and joint investigation with local police over the threat but would not provide details about the threats potential severity.

It was the lowest self-imposed presidential moment since the Bill Clinton "boxers or briefs" question. A sitting president, standing on a stage, hawking -- badly to my ears -- a transparently pandering policy with a group of the best and brightest minds of our country who referred to him in song as things like the "POTUS with the mostest."

Florida Gov. Rick Scott appointed Ariana Fajardo, of Miami Springs, to the 11th Judicial Circuit Court. Ariana is committed to the rule of law and well understands the proper role of the courts within our system of government, Scott stated in a release. As a prosecuting attorney, and as a leader in the Bar, she has demonstrated integrity and a dedication to hard work. Fajardo, 41, has practiced with Orshan and Fajardo since 2003. Previously, she was an assistant state attorney with the 11th Judicial Circuit from 1996 to 2002.

Gov. Rick Scott has appointed Rodolfo Rudy A. Ruiz II, of Coral Gables, to the Miami-Dade County Court. Rudy has built a reputation as a smart, diligent and committed attorney at both the trial and appellate levels, Scott stated in a release. He will bring these qualities to the bench as he continues a career of public service.

GOP congressional candidate Trey Radel, accused of being a "cybersquatter," said Wednesday that he is shutting down websites that carried the names of three rival candidates in District 19. Radel's campaign also said it would surrender the rights to some 23 domain names of his opponents. "We will be working on removing the content from the live websites today," Radel spokesman Matt Pusateri said Wednesday morning.

Billionaire Paul Tudor Jones, founder and chairman of the Everglades Foundation and major proponent of former Gov. Charlie Crist's failed 2008 land deal with U.S. Sugar Corp., kept his Crist-friendly foundation close to the vest and in the family Wednesday, announcing that Eric Eikenberg has become its new CEO. Eikenberg is Crist's former chief of staff and campaign manager.