TAMPA, Fla. -- Gazing out on the pale continent of the Republican National Convention, it was interesting to ponder: What if Barack Obama had been a Republican?

State health officials Friday said an effort to identify and contain an outbreak of tuberculosis within Jacksonville's homeless community has so far found a single active case and 311 non-infectious cases out of more than 3,000 people tested.

Six weeks after launching an aggressive push to contain a new strain of the contagious disease that has shown up in the region, Florida Surgeon General John Armstrong said more than 150 state and local health officials have descended on the city to screen potential carriers.

The Sunshine State capitals resident law school can boast of two new additions to its already long list of honors and accolades.

On Aug. 28 Hispanic Business magazine released its 2012 list of the nations top law schools for Hispanic students. Of the 202 schools accredited by the American Bar Association, Miamis Florida International University College of Law and Tallahassees Florida State University College of Law ranked second and third best, respectively, while the University of Miami School of Law made it to ninth place.

U.S. Connie Mack, R-Fort Myers, doesnt believe he needs Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney to carry Florida for him to knock out long-serving U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson, D-Orlando.

But Mack adds that if Mitt Romney wins, I win. If I win, Mitt Romney wins.

With a blend of presidential nominee Mitt Romney's biography, a few parting shots at President Barack Obama and a surprise and surprising appearance by Clint Eastwood, the Republican National Convention in Tampa closed, even as Florida remained central to the presidential election.

It was a night studded with stars of the Florida Republican scene, a nod both to the critical role the state's 29 electoral votes will play in the November election and the Latino populations that could dictate the outcome in several other swing states.

For years, Medicare was part of the "third rail" of Florida politics the untouchable subject in a state with so many elderly voters.

For the Romney-Ryan ticket, it apparently won't be.

As several leftist civic groups crow victory over a federal judges recent suppression of a few elements of Floridas 2011 revisions to its elections laws, a source close to the Department of State (DOS) tells Sunshine State News the lions share of the ruling represents a victory for the state and greater accountability for third-party voter registrants.