Government affairs firm Ballard Partners announced Wednesday the addition of Brady J. Benford as a partner in its Tallahassee office.

With 15 years' experience in government relations, Benford has advocated before both legislative and executive branches on a variety of high-profile issues such as casino gaming, pari-mutuel wagering, tobacco, alcohol, retail convenience stores, telecommunications and health care.

Stuart-based Treasure Coast Newspapers -- the media group that shallacks anyone and everyone who comes within a mile of Big Sugar money -- is out there again ... need I say it? ... taking sugar money.

Many Floridians are grieving over one cut or another after Gov. Rick Scott bludgeoned the budget in a fit of revenge Tuesday. I am no different.

The cut I'm feeling as deeply as any is the failure to fund a joint project by the University of Florida and IFAS, the Institute for Food and Agricultural Sciences. 

This is an amazing, results-driven program conducted in a state-of-the-art laboratory on the edge of an orange grove in Fort Pierce. It's been funded for years. 

Congratulations are in order to Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Coral Gables, and his longtime associate/assistant Elinette Ruiz, who are expecting a baby girl in July.

It will be child No. 4 for this "Papi" DLP, 52, who has two boys in their 20s and a daughter in high school with his first wife Mari. Politicalcortadito.com says it's Ruiz's first child.

Speaker Steve Crisafulli, R- Merritt Island, today issued the following statement on the state of budget negotiations and the upcoming special session.

While significant discussions lay before us, today marks a very good day for Florida as we have reached agreement on dates for a budget special session. We look forward to working with our partners in the Senate as we make continued progress in the weeks ahead.

The House and Senate today announced the 2015 Special Session-A will take place from June 1-20.

Achtung, you folks in Gov. Rick Scott's office: Quite a story just in from the Virgin Islands.

Acting Attorney General Terri Griffiths told executives of The Virgin Islands Daily News on Thursday morning that she will prosecute the newspaper on criminal charges because of its telephone calls to obtain comment and information from her.

This photo showing Florida at night was taken by the NASA Expedition 41 crew and today it's splashed all over social media. Check out below the Everglades -- almost light-pollution free.

The Florida Association of Professional Lobbyists (FAPL) announced in a press statement Sunday the results of its election of officers for 2015-2016.

Officers elected are as follows:

No, sorry ... cool your jets, Charlie isn't standing trial.

But the former Republican governor-turned-independent-turned-Democratic governor-candidate showed up at the Pinellas County Justice Center this morning for jury duty.

Government watchdog group Integrity Florida today called on federal authorities to investigate potential violations of the civil rights conspiracy statute by state government officials in Florida.