Gov. Rick Scott has ordered state flags at half-staff outside the Clay County Sheriffs Office, Green Cove Springs City Hall and Clay County Courthouse on Feb. 20 for Clay County Sheriffs Office Detective David White, who was killed during a gunfight Thursday night in Middleburg. The order is from sunrise to sunset.

This is unintentionally funny. A USA Today article Friday profiles the Obama administration's solicitor general who will argue the government's side in the upcoming Supreme Court case over Obamacare. Donald Verrilli is a career lawyer who spent 30 years in private practice -- though he took some time to do pro bono work defending death row inmates -- before having a Road to Damascus moment after the 2008 election.

Civil War aficionados, sporting both the Union Blue and the Confederate Gray, will be gathering this weekend some 15 miles east of Lake City, in the middle of the Osceola National Forest and right off of I-10, to re-enact the battle of Olustee -- the largest Civil War battle in Florida. Monday marks the 148th anniversary of the battle. While there will be a parade and festival being held in Lake City the entire weekend, the highlight will be the 36th re-enactment of the battle which will be at the Olustee Battlefield Historic State Park on Sunday starting at 1:30 p.m.

Attorney General Pam Bondi has filed a 29-page brief with the Florida Supreme Court on behalf of the states congressional and legislative reappointment. The court is scheduled to hear oral arguments on the maps on Feb. 29, with a ruling expected by March 9. Briefs were due Friday at noon. The Florida Democratic Party submitted its own 58-page brief calling for the court to reject the maps for failing to follow voter-approved Fair Districts guidelines.

Newt Gingrich's faltering presidential campaign will receive another massive cash infusion from Sheldon Adelson, CBS News is reporting. The former House Speaker's Republican presidential bid has been kept alive by the Vegas king thus far.But, with Gingrich's lackluster performances in recent states, political observers and pundits have largely speculated that Adelson may have said enough's enough.

U.S. Rep. Allen West called the payroll tax cut approved by the House Friday "a backdoor tax increase." "This supposed payroll tax decrease is really a backdoor tax increase on homeowners and first-time homebuyers," said West, R-Plantation. "The deal is being paid for by added fees on FHA-backed loans. Homeowners with FHA-backed mortgages represent more than one-third of mortgages in the United States. Those middle-class Americans will be footing the bill for this political gimmick."

With all the frenzy over the shifting GOP so-called "front-runners," one thing that has remained constant is the chatter over who could be picked by the eventual nominee as the ticket's vice presidential candidate. That was clearly evident on The Fix Live Friday morning, where it didn't take long for the focus to turn to Florida's own Republican darling, Sen. Marco Rubio.

Michael Novak, a noted Catholic author and distinguished visiting professor at Ave Maria University in Naples, launches a powerful attack at National Review Online against the Obama administration's mandate -- maybe we should say diktat -- about insurance coverage of birth-control services for employees of religious institutions, particularly those run by the Catholic Church.

Gov. Rick Scott released the following statement regarding Clay County Sheriff's Office Narcotics Detective David White, who was killed during a gunfight Thursday night in Middleburg. Last night, Sheriff's Deputy David White gave the ultimate sacrifice.

The much-publicized story about school officials seizing a North Carolina girl's homemade lunch and forcing her to eat chicken nuggets instead took a new twist Friday. Hoke County Schools assistant superintendent Bob Barnes now blames it all on a teacher's "error."

A poll released on Friday from American Research Group (ARG) finds that Rick Santorum continues to rise in Michigan while Newt Gingrich is sinking in the Republican presidential primary which is scheduled for Feb. 28. Santorum takes 37 percent of the poll of likely Michigan Republicans while Mitt Romney, who carried the state presidential primary back in 2008 and whose father was governor during the 1960s, places second with 32 percent. Ron Paul comes in third with 15 percent while Gingrich takes 10 percent.

With the Arizona Republican presidential primary coming up on Feb. 28, a poll from Rasmussen Reports released on Friday finds that Mitt Romney leads over Rick Santorum in the Grand Canyon State. Romney tops the poll of likely Republican primary voters with 39 percent with Santorum in second place with 31 percent. Newt Gingrich places a distant third place with 15 percent while Ron Paul lags behind in single digits. Three percent back other candidates while 5 percent are undecided.

Marking the third anniversary of the Democrats' $1.2 trillion stimulus package, U.S. Rep. Allen West blasted President Obama Friday for tripling down on deficit spending. "Whats even more reprehensible is the president offered his budget this week asking for another $3.8 trillion from hardworking taxpayers, and from our children and grandchildren who have yet to be born. "This budget proves the president continues to focus on growing government and spending more of our money," said West, R-Plantation.

Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi issued the following release upon the unanimous passage of House Bill 227, sponsored by Rep. Kelli Stargel, R-Lakeland, which will establish a Statewide Task Force on Prescription Drug Abuse and Newborns.

Motorists may be able to voluntarily donate $1 to the homeless when paying motor vehicle registration and drivers license fees. The House voted 119-0 Thursday to support HB 531, sponsored by Rep. Betty Reed, D-Tampa, that would give the option of paying the $1 when first getting or renewing vehicle registration or a driver's license.