Florida landed more than $50 million of the $787 million that the federal government doled out Monday for bus line and transportation repair and construction projects.

The funding distribution comes on top of the $1.8 billion the feds dished out for transit projects in the prior two years.

In an election-year press release styled to cheerlead for the president, U.S. Transporation Secretary Ray LaHood said this: President Obamas support for an America built to last is putting people back to work across the country repairing and upgrading our nations public transit systems.

Martin County Sheriff Robert Crowder, one of the most popular lawmen in county history -- with a 47-year history of serving his community and the Republican Party -- looks around today at his lonely campaign for U.S. Congress, knows it's a long shot at best and admits he knows why.

He backed Democrat Alex Sink in the 2010 gubernatorial election. No -- he did more than that. He campaigned for her, on national television and in high-profile TV spots.

As Floridas unemployment mark has slowly ticked down the last year and a half, two tracks have remained in place among the counties:

Walton, Monroe, Okaloosa, and Franklin counties, predominately rural communities that have a large dependence upon government -- have held the lowest monthly marks. Why? A little because of tourism jobs, but the greater factor is that Eglin Air Force Base aids both Okaloosa and Walton.

Government jobs prop up the employment picture.

There was a hint of its about time Thursday, as Florida port leaders praised a federal announcement to speed up work at JaxPort. State officials took it as a sign the feds are joining their effort to push upgrades at Sunshine State port facilities.

U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta, is among 62 members from both sides of the aisle calling on House leadership to bring the 2012 farm bill to the floor.

Rooney, who chairs the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, Dairy and Poultry, said the bill (HR 6083, the Federal Agriculture Reform and Risk Management Act) is needed to help farmers suffering drought conditions in 29 states.

Droughts across the country, including Florida, are hurting farmers and driving up grocery prices for American families, Rooney stated in a release.

Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty told members of the Florida Health Insurance Industry Advisory Board -- meeting for the first time since June 28, when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled to uphold the Affordable Care Act -- that the ruling created ambiguity regarding the state exchanges and Medicaid expansion.

Three Florida Supreme Court justices, facing a lawsuit that claims they violated state law by using court employees for election paperwork, dont want to give depositions.

Barbara Pariente, Peggy Quince and R. Fred Lewis have filed a motion asking a Leon County judge to block the discovery phase from starting until their motion can be heard to dismiss the lawsuit. The suit seeks to prohibit Secretary of State Ken Detzner from placing the justices on the November ballot.

The states new insurance marketplace website looks remarkably similar to the webpage of travel giant Expedia.

However, instead of checking for deals on hotels, airlines and car rentals, individuals working for small businesses in Florida will have the ability to compare health benefit plans.

Floridas newest job creator opened Wednesday in Central Florida.

The world of Wawa -- or what the company calls Wawa Land.

The suburban Philadelphia-based convenience and build-to-order hoagie shop drew several hundred people, including Florida Gov. Rick Scott and Lottery Secretary Cynthia O'Connell, to celebrate the migration of the company to Orlando.

And Gov. Rick Scott later announced that another company -- Digital Risk -- has 1,000 more jobs on the way.

Floridas supervisors of elections appear ready to pick up Gov. Rick Scotts effort to remove non-U.S. citizens from the lists of registered voters, but not until after the Aug. 14 primary.