With violence increasing in the Middle East, members of the Florida congressional delegation are standing with Israel in the face of attacks from Palestinians.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who is running for the Republican presidential nomination and sits on the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, showcased his support for Israel on Friday and joined a shabbat for that nation on Saturday. 

Leading the Republican presidential field in the national polls and surveys of key states, businessman Donald Trump is headed to Florida this week. On Monday, the Trump campaign announced the candidate will be hitting the Sunshine State later in the week. Trump, who owns properties and occasionally resides in Florida, will be in Miami on Friday night for a rally at the Trump National Doral Club. On Saturday, Trump will head to the First Coast with a rally at the Jacksonville Landing at noon. 

Former Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to launch his latest comeback attempt on Tuesday as the former Republican, now Democrat, now turns his eyes to Congress -- and, despite his past defeats, he has something of a homefield advantage. 

Technically, the past week was intended to be a sort of pause between the second and third committee weeks held in advance of the 2016 Legislative session.

But the Capitol's sausage-making machine showed little sign of slowing down in what has been a great year for cartographers.

Overlapping with the legislative committee meetings, lawmakers on Monday will also begin the third special session of the year, this time dealing with Senate districts. The Legislature agreed to craft the new lines as part of a deal to settle a lawsuit challenging the existing districts.

On Friday, Gov. Rick Scott announced Florida’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.2 percent in September as 8,700 new jobs in the private-sector were created. 

Connie de Haan said she is sorry that Gov.

Energy and natural gas were the hot topics in Jacksonville this week. Christopher Guith, senior vice president for policy for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Energy Institute, spoke in front of hundreds during the 2015 Florida Energy Summit held in Jacksonville Thursday.

The money chase is on in the Democratic primary to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., in 2016. Currently running for the Republican presidential nomination, Rubio has said he will not seek a second term in the Senate next year. 

Two former governors said this week they are open to running for president on the Libertarian Party line.