A group of corrections officers and their union have sued to block the states effort to privatize 18 Florida prisons, saying the law allowing the privatization was illegally added to the state budget during the waning days of the 2011 session.

A lawsuit filed last week in circuit court in Tallahassee says lawmakers overstepped their bounds by including budget proviso language that requires the Department of Corrections to explore the private prison option --a controversial issue that has been simmering in Tallahassee for years.

"Special interests" vs. "grass roots." That's the narrative emerging in the Republican race for U.S. Senate.

Adam Hasner appeared to win a public-relations skirmish after Mike Haridopolos' withdrawal from the contest Monday. Hasner's camp quickly claimed endorsements from the national tea party organization FreedomWorks, along with a nod from American Future Fund PAC and Concerned Women for America.

But George LeMieux is sitting on a growing pile of cash, and that $950,000 counts for a lot. It led the GOP field in the second quarter.

As I have watched this tabloid phone-hacking scandal unfold, I have been reminded about how delicate our privacy is, and how vulnerable we are to government intrusion into our lives.

"... (Agriculture Commissioner) Adam Putnam has brought a strong vision to the department and a desire to make government better. It was a great honor to join his management team ..."

A national poll unveiled by Public Policy Polling (PPP), a firm with connections to many prominent Democrats, shows that U.S. Rep. Michele Bachmann of Minnesota has overtaken former Gov. Mitt Romney of Massachusetts as the leader in the contest for the Republican presidential nomination.

While his focus has been on the Iowa Republicans' straw poll next month, Gov. Tim Pawlenty of Minnesota turned his eyes to the Sunshine State as he continued to build his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.

U.S. students grasp of geography has improved among fourth-graders, but flat-lined or fell with eighth- and 12th-graders, the National Assessment of Educational Progress reported Tuesday.

Overall, fewer than one-third of students scored at or above proficiency level in the subject a rate that mirrored previous dismal showings on civics and history exams.

With utilities using massive amounts of water to cool power plants, the Florida Public Service Commission is concerned about proposed federal regulations aimed at protecting fish and other aquatic life.

The commission Friday sent documents to the Environmental Protection Agency and congressional members indicating that the proposal could drive up costs for utilities that suck in ocean or river water -- and, as a result, kill many fish and other sea organisms.