Gov. Rick Scott on Monday called Hurricane Michael a “monstrous” and potentially “deadly” storm that is barreling toward the state’s Panhandle and Big Bend region.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam would like the renegotiated and rebranded North American Free Trade Agreement to do more to help the state’s farmers.

With slightly more than a month to go before the November election, Florida statewide candidates have topped a matching-funds record from the 2010 election.

The contestants in the Florida chief financial officer battle waded into the guilt-by-association game in full force this week.

Incumbent Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis on Monday rolled out a website attacking Democratic challenger Jeremy Ring’s contributors. But the hit also opened Patronis’ own donors to public scrutiny.

In announcing the new webpage attacking Ring, Patronis’ campaign declared its intent was to show his opponent’s “connections to criminals and scandalous donors.”

A restriction on fishing for red drum and snook was extended to next spring and will stretch north to Pasco County, as the state continues trying to limit impacts from a red-tide outbreak along the Gulf Coast.

Citizens Property Insurance has incurred $1.81 billion in losses from Hurricane Irma and handled an estimated 70,800 claims, which has led the state-backed insurer to go outside to cover nearly one-third of its storm-related costs.

Republican Cabinet candidates outpaced their Democratic opponents in fundraising during the second week of September, even as their political committees lag in posting some big-dollar contributions.

Gov. Rick Scott wants state wildlife commissioners to seek funding for a red-tide research center and to restart a long-dormant task force, as waters along Florida’s Gulf Coast continue to face an expanding red-tide outbreak that began last year.

Incoming Senate President Bill Galvano is not backing down after finding himself in the crosshairs of the National Rifle Association for receiving a sizable political contribution from a group that backs gun restrictions and has ties to former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg.

With Rick Scott leaving the governor’s office in January, Enterprise Florida is preparing for life without its biggest supporter.