The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super-PAC, waded into North Florida on Tuesday, announcing plans to spend $600,000 against Democrat Gwen Graham who is running against U.S. Rep. Steve Southerland, R-Fla.

The American Farm Bureau presented U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney with its Friend of Agriculture Award at a meeting this week in Wauchula.

The Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce (JAX Chamber) announced on Tuesday it opposes Amendment 2, a proposal to expand medical marijuana in Florida.

Passage of Amendment 2 will produce uncertainty for small businesses at a time when we are coming out of one of the biggest recessions in decades, said Ed Burr, the chair of government affairs for the JAX Chamber. Businesses, especially small businesses, need a climate that increases productivity and limits risks and Amendment 2 does the opposite.

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio, R-Fla., a member of the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, said on Monday he will introduce a bill imposing a temporary travel ban on Liberia, Guinea and Sierra Leone nationals due to those nations being impacted by Ebola, shutting down any new visas. Rubio plans to bring up the bill in November when the Senate reconvenes. The measure would end the ban until the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) clears those nations.

Florida TaxWatch released a study on Tuesday looking at the important role intermodal centers play in developing the Sunshine States economy.

"Florida is uniquely poised to move goods more efficiently than our neighboring states and other competitors," said Dominic Calabro, the president and CEO of Florida TaxWatch. "Expanding Florida's intermodal points will allow the state to more efficiently transfer goods and even people between seas, roads, rails, air, and space."

Former Florida state Sen. Tom Slade, best known for leading the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF), throughout much of the 1990s when the GOP surged to take control of the state, passed away on Monday at age 78. Slade had suffered heart failure last week and was being hospitalized at Orange Park Medical Center.

A new poll shows the Florida gubernatorial contest is a dead heat.

On Monday, Rasmussen Reports released a poll of likely voters which shows Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist deadlocked with 47 percent each. Only 2 percent back other candidates while 4 percent remain undecided. Libertarian Adrian Wyllie was not included in the poll.

The poll of 1,114 likely Florida voters was taken from Oct. 15-17 and had a margin of error of +/- 3 percent.

After its board of governors met over the weekend in Tampa, the Florida Medical Association (FMA) issued a statement on Monday, praising Gov. Rick Scott and the Florida Department of Health for its Ebola readiness efforts.

The Florida Medical Association wishes to acknowledge the high level of engagement by the elected officials of Florida, especially Gov. Rick Scott, said Dr. Alan Pillersdorf, the president of the FMA. We are also grateful for the leadership of the Florida Department of Health and State Surgeon General John Armstrong, M.D.

Sunshine State News hit the national airwaves on Monday. Your humble blogger appeared on Midpoint with Ed Berliner on NewsmaxTV to talk about the U.S. Senate races as Republicans look to wrest control of that chamber from the Democrats.

Former Gov. Luis Fortu, R-Puerto Rico, and former Miami Mayor Maurice Ferrappeared in a new Spanish language TV ad for Gov. Rick Scott. The Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) launched the new ad on Monday.

Hes a Republican," Ferrsays in the ad via a translation provided by the RPOF.

And hes a Democrat, Fortu replies.

Agreeing on anything isnt easy, Ferrsays.