MaryEllen Elia, the superintendent of Hillsborough County representing the states school superintendents, asked the state Board of Education for a moratorium on Florida's high-stakes testing accountability system.
After 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the Baton
You probably can't imagine how much fun I've had at Sunshine State News over the last 10 years. I don't think anybody could.
November 1, 2019 - 6:00am
Politics
Columns
The London Daily Mail reportsAmazon.comnow issues a content warning to viewers before they live-stream the second volume of classic "Tom and Jerry" cartoons. Viewers are lectured the cartoons "may depict some ethnic and racial prejudices that were once commonplace in American society. Such depictions were wrong then and are wrong today."
Recently, a column of mine drew heavy response from an excited group of Hispanics far to the left who disagreed substantially with the points I made.
Republicans seem to be pulling away in the race to win a majority in the U.S. Senate. At least this week.In mid-September, several polls seemed to be going the other way. The well-informed Washington Post analyst Chris Cillizza wrote that for the first time in this election cycle, odds favored the Democrats keeping their majority.
WASHINGTON -- You can win midterm elections without a positive agenda. You can't win presidential elections that way. It is therefore vitally important for Republicans to win the Senate in 2014. Here's why.
"The legislative department is everywhere ... drawing all power into its impetuous vortex." -- James Madison, Federalist 48
WASHINGTON -- Unfortunately, Congress's vortex now spins the other way, throwing off powers that the executive scoops up. Hence this autumn's spectacle: Feverish House and Senate candidates waging ferocious campaigns to win or retain offices that are of rapidly diminishing significance.
WASHINGTON -- It has long been accepted by the conventionally wise that the Republican Party is waging a "war on women."
Let's be clear. The war on women is based on just one thing -- abortion rights. While it is true that access to abortion has been restricted in several states owing to Republican efforts, it is not true that women as a whole care only or mostly about abortion.
The median American household saw its net worth decline by 36 percent during the Great Recession. That is a hard reality. A Republican held the White House when the crash hit, and voters, in no mood to be charitable, blamed the GOP. Besides, Democrats were ready with an explanation that slid right into an existing groove of American thinking: The financial crisis was caused by Republicans going easy on their big banker friends.
Putting aside, for the moment, the incident in Ferguson, Mo., there is evidence that police work has changed dramatically and not always for the better.
By now, everyone knows that there's a revolving door between Democratic politics and the "objective" news media. But does it have to spin so fast? On Sept. 10, CNN announced it hired former White House press secretary Jay Carney as a commentator, citing his "invaluable voice for the network" after his five years inside the Obama administration.
Trending Now
By Kevin Derby
With former Gov. Charlie Crist, the favorite for the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Rick Scott in November, calling for raising the minimum wage, Republicans pushed back against him on Tuesday.
Earlier this week, Crists campaign launched a television ad in which the former governor says he would raise the state's minimum wage if elected.
Scotts team sent out Lt. Gov. Carlos Lopez-Cantera on Tuesday to hit Crist not only on the minimum wage, but the economy as well.
By Kevin Derby
The National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) unveiled its third and last round of Young Guns on Tuesday. Launched by U.S. Rep. Eric Cantor, R-Va., U.S. Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., and U.S. Rep. Paul Ryan, R-Wis., in the 2008 election cycle, the NRCC classifies Young Guns as top contenders to defeat incumbent Democrats or pick up open congressional seats.
By Kevin Derby
The Florida Police Chiefs Association (FPCA) endorsed Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi for a second term on Tuesday, pointing to her record on public safety, fights against human trafficking, efforts against drugs and leading efforts to crack down on pill mills.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has always demonstrated her commitment to law enforcement and the safety of our citizens, said Jupiter Police Chief Frank Kitzerow, the president of the FPCA. We look forward to her continued leadership and support.
By Kevin Derby
One of Florida Senate President Don Gaetzs, R-Destin, top staffers will be joining the Florida Medical Association (FMA). On Tuesday, FMA Executive Vice President Timothy Stapleton announced that Chris Clark, who has been a staffer for Gaetz for eight years rising to chief of staff, will start as senior vice president of public affairs for the FMA on July 21. Clark also worked as an aide to former Gov. Jeb Bush.
By Kevin Derby
Florida Sen. John Thrasher, R-St. Augustine, the chairman of Gov. Rick Scott's re-election committee, came out swinging at former Gov. Crist on Monday. Crist, the favorite for the Democratic nomination despite spending most of his political life with the GOP, released his first television ad on Monday.
By
Congressional hopeful Gwen Graham drew criticism from the National Republican Congressional Committee on Monday for her connection to House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Graham recently released two new TV ads in North Florida -- one of which says "this messed up Congress" needed to start doing business the "North Florida way." Both ads played off of a "squabbling" partisan Washington, D.C.
By
Former governor Charlie Crist released his first television ad for his campaign to return to the governor's mansion on Monday.
In the ad, Crist vows to raise the minimum wage, demand equal pay for women and restore funding to Florida schools.
View the ad below:
By
Gov. Rick Scott kicked off the "Let's Keep Florida Safe" tour in Tampa on Monday. As part of the tour, Scott will be traveling around the state highlighting his "Let's Keep Florida Safe" plan.
According to a press release, some elements of the plan include maintaining an 85 percent mandatory minimum sentencing, developing programs that identify "early signs of risk" and working to help "troubled youth" become successful adults, and working with law enforcement to combat cyber crimes in the Sunshine State.
By Kevin Derby
The Florida Lottery announced record high sales in its last fiscal year. During that time, the lottery generated $5.36 billion in sales and almost $1.5 billion of that went to help Florida schools.
By Kevin Derby
Libertarian candidate Adrian Wyllie is steamed that he has been excluded from a gubernatorial forum being held later this week in Coral Gables. Wyllie sent a letter to the Florida Press Association (FPA) and the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors (FSNE) over the weekend demanding to be included in the forum, adding he would attend the event on Thursday.
You may either allow me to participate in the forum, or you may have me arrested, Wyllie wrote.
The letter is as follows:
Live streaming of WBOB Talk Radio, a Sunshine State News Radio Partner.