The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) is turning up the heat on former state CFO Alex Sink, the Democratic candidate running in the special election for the congressional seat vacated by the death of U.S. Rep. Bill Young, R-Fla.

At a candidate forum on Friday night, Sink called the launch of President Barack Obamas federal health-care law a disaster and insisted the Obama administration has failed us. Despite those harsh words, Sink insisted Americans deserve the right to health insurance and affordable health care.

With the World Trade Organization (WTO) holding a meeting in Bali last week to push global free-trade agreements, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., praised the efforts.

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott ordered U.S. and state flags to be flown at half-mast to mark the passing of the iconic Nelson Mandela, the former South African president who passed away on Thursday. Flags will remain at half-mast until the end of Monday.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., continues to go to bat for U.S. Rep. Tom Cotton, R-Ark, who is challenging U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, R-Ark., in one of the nations most competitive U.S. Senate races in the 2014 election cycle.

Reclaim America, a PAC with ties to Rubio, is running a television ad praising Cotton, highlighting his military service.

With the holiday shopping season now into its second week, retailers in Florida say sales are off to a strong start.

On Friday, the Florida Retail Federation (FRF) said retailers were on track to meet their projections which show an increase between 3.5-to-4.5 percent over last years numbers.

During their meetings in St. Petersburg this week, the Manufacturers Association of Florida (MAF) recognized Gov. Rick Scott and several legislators for their efforts in Tallahassee.

All our award recipients demonstrated a commitment to improving the Florida economy and improving the manufacturing business climate in our state, said Nancy Stephens, the executive director of MAF, on Friday.

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott showcased PortMiamis dredging project as Florida continues to prepare for the Panama Canal expansion which is expected to be finished in 2015. When the canal expansion is complete, larger vessels will be able to dock at PortMiami once the dredging is finished.

Scott toured the site on Friday and said the dredging will lead to economic growth and tens of thousands of jobs.

On Friday, the Florida Lottery announced it had generated $26 billion for education since being launched back in 1988.

Former Gov. Gary Johnson of New Mexico, the Libertarian Partys presidential candidate in 2012, ripped into President Barack Obamas health-care law on Thursday.

Conservative leader Ken Connor, former head of the Family Research Council and a candidate in the Republican gubernatorial primary back in 1994, announced on Friday that the Center for a Just Society, which he has led in recent years, will be enfolded into the John Jay Institute, a religious and social conservative group.