On Monday, U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota formally launched her bid to become the Republican presidential nominee in 2012. First elected to Congress in 2006, Bachmann, a favorite of the tea party, is claiming the wind is at her back and a number of recent polls have found that she seems to be gaining momentum in recent weeks.

With the state teachers' union in an uproar over Florida's new pension law, how do charter schools handle retirement? A new study reports that fewer than only about one in six charters participate in the Florida Retirement System and, thus, will be unaffected by the change in contribution requirements. Read the report here.

U.S. Rep. Connie Mack, whose father held the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Democrat Bill Nelson, endorsed state Senate President Mike Haridopolos, R-Merritt Island, to take on Nelson in 2012.

If this had happened to my mother, I would have gone so ballistic, they would have me in leg-irons. This from CNN: "The Transportation Security Administration stood by its security officers Sunday after a Florida woman complained that her cancer-stricken, 95-year-old mother was patted down and forced to remove her adult diaper while going through security. "Reports of the incident took hold in social media, with scores of comments on the topic and reposts appearing hourly on Twitter Sunday afternoon.

A Florida official told a U.S. House committee on Friday that the Environmental Protection Agency is disregarding science and good government in attempting to impose new water-quality rules on the state.

In a first step toward possibly retracting his support for SunRail, Senate President Mike Haridopolos says he needs more information on the controversial commuter train. "The conditions of the arrangement with the federal government may be different from the understanding that was originally reached in 2009," Haridopolos wrote to Gov. Rick Scott on Thursday. A copy of the letter was obtained by Sunshine State News Friday morning. Raising concerns about financial liability and cost-sharing, Haridopolos asked:

On the heels of Gov. Rick Scott's announcement of Stephen MacNamara as his new chief of staff, shifting over from Senate President Mike Haridopolos' office, Haridopolos has named Craig Meyer, the current Senate budget director, as MacNamara's replacement. Meyer has served in the post before under former Senate President Bob Crawford, and has served in state government for more than 25 years, as chief of staff in the comptroller's office, deputy commissioner in the Department of Agriculture and in the House of Representatives.

Gov. Rick Scott named Stephen MacNamara as his new chief of staff Friday. MacNamara moves over from chief of staff for Senate President Mike Haridopolos, replacing Mike Prendergast who slid over to head up the Department of Veterans' Affairs earlier this week.

Republican Party of Florida Chairman David Bitner released the following statement on Jon Huntsmans announcement that he will participate in the Presidency 5 straw poll and debate this September in Orlando:

Reportedly reversing their earlier positions, Senate President Mike Haridopolos and state Chief Financial Officer Jeff Atwater are said to be preparing to come out against the SunRail commuter train. A source close to the situation tells Sunshine State News that both Haridipolos and Atwater were preparing statements Thursday afternoon.

Florida and 37 other states have reached a $40.75 million settlement with two pharmaceutical companies over deceptive and unfair trade practices. Attorney General Pam Bondi's office said Thursday that Florida's share in the agreement with GlaxoSmithKline and SB Pharmco Puerto Rico is $2.92 million.

The U.S. Department of Education's Institute of Education Sciences has awarded Shouping Hu, a higher education professor at FSU's College of Education, a $780,000, three-year grant to study Florida's Bright Futures scholarship program.

A motion for a temporary injunction to halt Florida's pension-reform law will be heard Thursday, June 30 -- a day before the contribution requirement is set to kick in. The Florida Education Association said a hearing is set for 7:30 a.m. in Circuit Court in Tallahassee. The teachers' union is contesting the Legislature's mandate that state employees contribute 3 percent toward their retirement funds.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta,filed a bill Wednesday to limit funds for U.S. actions in Libya as part of the NATO mission there to prevent civilian casualties and aid rebels as they attempt to overthrow dictator Moammar Gadhafi.

California lawmakers' failure to come up with a viable budget halted their paychecks this week. After Gov. Jerry Brown rejected what he called a gimmick-laden spending plan, state Controller John Chiang cut off the lawmakers' pay, saving the state about $400 per legislator per day. Though both Brown and Chiang are Democrats, Democratic lawmakers -- holding majorities in both the state Assembly and state Senate -- decried the move, blamed everyone but themselves for the latest budget impasse, and threatened lawsuits to get their money.