Members of South Florida's congressional delegation were quick to criticize President Obama for claiming that Venezuelan strongman Hugo Chavez poses no "serious" national security threat.
Obama, being interviewed Monday with Miami-based America Teve, downplayed the global impact of Venezuelas dictator.
House Republicans, with a handful of bipartisan support, again voted to repeal Obamacare, the 2010 Affordable Care Act, in a response to the U.S. Supreme Court decision that upheld the law.
The House Bill, Repeal of Obamacare Act, HR 6079, is now expected to languish in the Democratic-run Senate.
Following a two-day debate, the U.S. House voted 244-185 in support of the repeal effort, with five Democrats joining the GOP majority.
Floridas delegation voted strictly along party lines.
A stubborn and deadly outbreak of tuberculosis in the Jacksonville area is prompting Florida to team up with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to battle the disease, but state health officials insist the situation is under control.
The TB outbreak is linked to 13 deaths and nearly 100 illnesses since 2004, mainly among homeless people. It's estimated about 3,000 people have been exposed to the contagious disease.
Floridas top economists expect the modest growth in the economy to slow in coming years as the European crisis escalates and Congress and the White House -- almost regardless of the occupant -- remain divided on long-range fiscal plans.
For legislators in the Sunshine State, that could mean a reduction in revenue when they begin to craft the states next fiscal plan in 2013 -- with totals even lower in subsequent years.
The conservative group Americans For Prosperity-Florida has landed six current legislators to sign on to their new five-point solutions for the state as they released a list of 39 congressional, state and county candidates that have backed the plan.
An educated and trained work force, a positive business climate and the states natural amenities are the biggest lure for companies that have recently come to Florida, the majority on their own without local or state incentives, according to the research arm of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.
Still, people running those businesses expressed somewhat of a burden from areas such as payroll taxes and health care costs, the Florida Chamber Foundation reported Monday.
Before heading across the ocean this weekend, Gov. Rick Scott said talks are under way with state and local education leaders about revamping the dreaded-by-some Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, better known as the FCAT.
Without offering specifics, Scott said students may face too much testing and the tests will change.
But opponents of the test shouldnt expect the exams to go away.
Unemployment in the U.S. remained at 8.2 percent, the nation added 80,000 jobs in June, far below the number hoped-for to significantly reduce the backlog of nearly 13 million unemployed.
Gov. Rick Scott
It will be nice when we get below the national average, because 18 months ago when I took office we were the highest in the country.
U.S. Rep. Tom Rooney, R-Tequesta
Gov. Rick Scott defended his firm stance against Obamacare and the push for Floridas universities to prepare students for a more technological future in an address to editors and publishers of the still influential but struggling newspaper industry on Friday.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement didnt uncover any violation by the three state Supreme Court justices up for merit retention in using a court employee to prepare campaign documents.
However, there is still a lawsuit active seeking to keep the justices from the ballot, which Gov. Rick Scott noted in a release Thursday.
