Environmental advocacy groups has filed a legal challenge against Florida's Department of Environmental Protection claiming the state has failed to protect state waterways from toxic algae outbreaks.

Longtime Tallahassee operative Barney Bishop, best known for leading the Associated Industries of Florida for almost seven years, announced on Friday that he will be launching a new venture -- Barney Bishop Consulting LLC. The new company will be involved in government relations and focused on business operations and possibly political campaigns.

Unemployment dropped to 8.6 percent nationally in November, down 0.4 percentage points from October, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Payroll employment rose by 120,000, with the gains in retail trade, leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and health care. The national numbers do not break down unemployment by state. Two weeks ago, Floridas unemployment rate came in at 10.3 percent for October, down from 10.6 percent in September, according to the Department of Economic Opportunity.

While officials point fingers over who or what's to blame for a delay in $300 million in road improvements for Central Florida, they're missing an obvious culprit: SunRail. The state Department of Transportation said the postponements in roadwork are the result of dwindling gas taxes and fees. Local leaders blame the $1.8 billion Wekiva Parkway. But Beth Dillaha says it's a railroad job. "Dont you think the CSX/SunRail deal has anything to do with this?" she asks.

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Ander Crenshaw took to the House floor on Thursday afternoon to introduce a resolution declaring this the start of Crohns and Colitis Awareness Week. Crenshaw teamed up with U.S. Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., D-Ill., to introduce the measure.

A national poll released on Thursday found that former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich holds a commanding lead in the fluid race to see which Republican candidate will emerge to challenge President Barack Obama in 2012. A Rasmussen Reports poll of likely Republican primary voters has Gingrich way out in front with 38 percent followed by former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts in second with 17 percent.

Florida Republican U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio teamed up with U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., to introduce a resolution on Thursday urging the Obama administration to back democracy in Nicaragua, condemning electoral violence in that Central American nation and calling for investigation from the Organization of American States on Daniel Ortegas electoral win.

If the Justice Department has nothing to hide, how come the Obama administration abruptly sealed court records that deliver the goods -- I'm talking about full details here -- of how Mexican drug smugglers murdered a U.S. Border Patrol agent. And it all happened with a gun connected to a failed federal experiment that allowed firearms to be smuggled into Mexico. Who can blame the members of Congress who are calling for Attorney General Eric Holder's resignation?

One of the leading conservatives in Congress, U.S. Rep. Trent Franks, R-Ariz., announced he is endorsing U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota for the Republican presidential nomination. "I know Michele is right on the issues that are important to conservatives across the country and I know she won't back off," Franks said in a statement on Thursday. "I have seen her at work in Washington, standing firm on key issues like Obamacare, the debt ceiling, and TARP.

Leading in the polls in New Hampshire, which holds the first presidential primary, Republican presidential hopeful former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts announced on Thursday that he had won the support of Peter Bragdon, the president of the New Hampshire state Senate.

U.S. Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, R-Miami, is concerned about the message Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is sending by meeting with the oppressive regime in Myanmar, the country formerly known as Burma. I am concerned that the visit of the secretary of state sends the wrong signal to the Burmese military thugs," said Ros-Lehtinen, who chairs the House Foreign Affairs Committee, according to MSNBC.

Restaurant executive Craig Miller, now running in a crowded Republican primary field to challenge Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, unveiled two additions to his campaign team as he looks to turn around low poll numbers. On Thursday, Miller announced that veteran Republican operative and political strategist Kevin Doyle would join his team based out of Jacksonville and that political consultant Brock Mikosky would work on the campaign out of Tampa.

Former Gov. Buddy Roemer of Louisiana announced late on Wednesday that he will seek the nomination of Americans Elect, a group working to obtain ballot access in the presidential race, while continuing his bid for the Republican nomination. Roemer, who has been an active supporter of the Occupy Wall Street movement, weighed in on the matter in a statement.

U.S. Rep. Ron Paul of Texas, now making his third bid for the White House and his second attempt at the Republican presidential nomination, is taking the gloves off and ripping into primary rival former U.S. House Speaker Newt Gingrich.

Former U.S. Sen. George LeMieux is taking new aim at Republican primary rival U.S. Rep. Connie Mack. In a statement, LeMieux, who is looking to topple Democrat incumbent U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson in 2012, slammed Mack on spending.