Former Florida Senate Minority Leader Al Lawson is back for a third try at Congress. The question is, who will he face in the Democratic primary?

In the aftermath of the Florida Supreme Court decision on congressional redistricting earlier this month, Lawson announced his intention to file in which heads west from Jacksonville, taking in all of Baker, Gadsden, Hamilton and Madison counties, most of  Jefferson and Leon counties and almost half of Duval County. Lawson plans to file next month. 

Pointing to reports that Cubans residing in that nation are abusing the federal Refugee Resettlement Program, on Tuesday, U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo, R-Fla. proposed a bill to end that loophole. 

Foreign policy and terrorism were front and center as Republican presidential hopefuls clashed in their fifth debate in Las Vegas -- last before the new year. Even without Michael Buffer bellowing “let’s get ready to rumble,” the debate had a big-fight feel, as some of the candidates tried to get back in the race while the frontrunners looked to keep their leads intact. 

Florida’s high school graduation rate continues to rise ever so slightly, but it still remains well below the national rate. 

Pointing to the Legislature's efforts to address a "crisis," Attorney General Pam Bondi's office is urging the Florida Supreme Court to uphold a key part of a controversial 2003 medical-malpractice law.

A friend-of-the-court brief filed by Bondi's office signals the potential high stakes of a pending Supreme Court case that could further eliminate limits on damages in medical-malpractice cases.

Republican debate candidates love the grandeur and largesse of their host, Venetian Resort owner Sheldon Adelson. But they are mighty worried about his brand of crowd control at tonight's CNN debate -- and have been since it first was planned. 

Robin Safley is leaving the state Division of Food, Nutrition and Wellness to take over as executive director of the  Florida Association of Food Banks (FAFB).

At her new post, Safley will oversee 14 regional food banks and work with 2,500 groups across the state with more than 31,500 volunteers feeding 3.6 million people including 1.1 million children. 

Safley has been active at the state Agriculture Department, including working with the state Department of Education on school lunch programs. 

On Tuesday, a Florida congressman called for the federal government to keep tabs of the social media of every immigrant in the U.S. on a visa. 

Nurseries have filed more than a dozen challenges to the medical-marijuana licenses granted by Florida health officials, with some asking that the licensing process be put on hold until their petitions are heard in court.

As of Monday's 5 p.m. deadline to challenge the licenses, the Department of Health had received 13 petitions, according to agency spokeswoman Mara Gambineri.

Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri caused an uproar with gun rights activists last week for comments about concealed carry permit holders, prompting the Florida Sheriffs Association to contend Gualtieri’s remarks were taken out of context