The first of 11 meetings begins Friday in Tallahassee, with Agency for Health Care Administration officials giving a brief overview of the coming changes to Medicaid before taking questions and comments.

The law moves most of the nearly 3 million Medicaid beneficiaries in Florida from a fee-for-service model of health-care delivery to a managed-care system in which companies vie for contracts in 11 different regions in the state. Even though the law officially becomes effective July 1, the transition into managed care won't begin until 2012.

John Winn, who previously served as Florida Education Commissioner, was once again tapped to head up the state's education system Wednesday, this time on an interim basis.

The state Board of Education voted unanimously to appoint Winn, who served as commissioner from 2004 to 2007. Winn also served as an education adviser to former Gov. Jeb Bush prior to his initial term as education commissioner. He has resigned his position as chief program officer for the National Math and Science Initiative, and will begin work Monday.

President Barack Obama has some explaining to do.

Thats what members of the U.S. House of Representatives think, voting 268-145 Friday on a nonbinding resolution asking Obama to provide justification for not seeking authorization by Congress for the use of military force in Libya.

Obama tasked U.S. forces with aiding the imposition of a no-fly zone in Libya in March, with the goal of protecting civilians there after a rebellion against dictator Moammar Gadhafi threatened to be overrun by his forces.

During the 2011 legislative session, Florida lawmakers had to contend with plenty of the heavy stuff -- a comprehensive Medicaid reform package, a teacher merit pay bill, state worker pension reform and far more -- all while cutting spending by nearly $4 billion in order to balance the budget.

Yet, as they do in almost every session, legislators somehow found the time and the will to move their oddball agenda -- this year in the form of a trio of bills that each attracted national attention for a different reason: