At a time when fewer young Americans are finding work, hundreds of thousands of foreign students have taken jobs through a controversial U.S. visa program.

The world usually turns out to work differently from what American presidents expected when they were campaigning.

Anybody who wonders why Gov. Rick Scott mixes it up with state colleges and universities need only look at Edison State College in Fort Myers.

The depth of a budget that may have 2 billion fewer dollars than a year ago, along with the once-a-decade redistricting of political seats across the state, makes the gambling bill now before the Legislature a long shot, House Speaker Dean Cannon said.

I think its an uphill battle because of the amplitude of the budget shortfall, Cannon, R-Winter Park, said during an interview with Sunshine State News.

With the Florida primary only a month away, House Speaker Dean Cannon says his focus right now is on his final regular legislative session rather than making endorsements.

Nor is he thinking about his own long-term plans once his term expires next year.

Cannon, R-Winter Park, was among the Florida contingent that quickly jumped behind Texas Gov. Rick Perry in the Republican presidential primary.

Perry skyrocketed in the polls upon entering the race in August, but due to a series of debate gaffes, fell almost as quickly.

One cant but help love Florida, the only state that has its own tag on FARK.com, a website dedicated to tawdry, off-beat news stories.

Thus, it should come as no surprise that in a monumental year --when the Arab Spring and Occupy were said to be movements that fed on the high-tech connectivity, when Europes euro caused constant global financial uncertainty, when Japan faced nuclear peril following an earthquake and tsunami, and when Osama bin Laden was finally gunned down -- online users worldwide should be focused on something going on in Florida.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Wednesday released controversial new air-pollution standards that have been long sought by environmental and health advocates but could force expensive upgrades at some Florida power plants.

The standards will require hundreds of coal-fired power plants across the country to make improvements to curb emissions of mercury and other pollutants such as arsenic and nickel.