Democrats called on Thursday for an audit of Attorney General Bill McCollums office over his lawsuit challenging the federal health care law, after trying unsuccessfully in the Senate to block the suit.

Bowing to criticism of federal water pollution standards from state environmental officials, and business and farming industries, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will delay implementing some of the most contentious aspects of the proposal and seek a third party review of the science behind it.

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE, March 5, 2010....Gov. Charlie Crist should have been among friends when he gave his State of the State speech to a legislative joint session dominated by Republicans.
But by the time Crist finished defending his support for the federal economic stimulus and re-selling a gambling expansion already rejected once by Republican leaders, Crists best friends were House and Senate Democrats not the crowd he is courting in his campaign the GOPs U.S. Senate nomination.

Despite the Senate's seeming reluctance to lift a 20-year ban on offshore oil drilling in Florida waters, the first legislation on the subject was filed in the upper chamber.

Meanwhile, House leaders said Monday that they would not be deterred by a report last week that found that drilling in Florida waters would "have no discernible impact" on gas prices or the nation's dependence on foreign oil, even if it would pump millions into state coffers.