The Seminole casino compact approved by the 2010 Legislature could deliver up to $1.2 billion to the state's coffers over the next five years, but the back story on the deal makes that jackpot look like an ill-gotten gain. And some say the state got hosed.
Gulf currents could spare Florida's west coast beaches but bring muck and misery to the east coast, and possibly the Everglades, scientists said Tuesday.
"If the oil stays in the loop current, it will exit the Gulf of Mexico into the Florida Strait," said Richard Dodge of Nova Southeastern University.
From there, scientists say it's only a matter of time -- a week or two -- until the oil laps onto beaches in Miami and heads north all the way to Cape Hatteras, N.C.
Passengers riding the rails between Miami and St. Augustine last weekend enjoyed a smooth, on-time trip -- filled with hope that inter-city train service will be restored to Florida's East Coast.
The riders just wish that Tallahassee would get on board.
Where was Jay Burmer when Charlie Crist needed him?
By all accounts, the governor's announcement that he was running for U.S. Senate as an independent lacked the energy and organization that fueled Crist's campaign events in the past.
Politico.com said the lightly attended St. Petersburg rally "had the feel of the haphazard move it was."
"There are two parts to this story:
"The first one is the celebration of Marco Rubio as our party's nominee. Never in our party's history have we witnessed a 65-plus point swing in a statewide campaign involving two well-known candidates. Kudos to him. Marco has risen to become a darling of Republicans nationwide and is the heavy favorite to become a U.S. senator before the age of 40.
In what had become one of the worst-kept secrets in Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist announced Thursday that he is abandoning the Republican Party primary to pursue a U.S. Senate seat as an independent.
As an "independent" senator, Charlie Crist would be in a position to leverage his vote for Florida's greater good, political observers say.
Or, in the words of another, he would be "largely ineffective."
If Crist beats Marco Rubio and Kendrick Meek in the fall election, "neither party would be terribly happy with him as he will be perceived as denying them a win," said Roger Stone, a veteran political consultant who worked on Ronald Reagan's 1984 campaign.
Another friend of Charlie's has resurfaced at an inopportune time for the governor who would be senator.
On the eve of Charlie Crist's anticipated announcement that he will bolt the GOP to run for U.S. Senate independently, longtime Crist ally Jay Burmer grabbed headlines Wednesday with revelations of his $316,000 deal with the Republican Party of Florida.
Ford's strong first quarter and General Motors' early repayment of federal loans translated into improved sales in Florida, dealers say.
"We were up in 2009 over 2008, and so far this year were up over 2009," said Benny Robles, president of Bartow Ford.
Two bright lights shine amid the carnage of Florida's record unemployment: health care and private higher education.
The state's jobless rate hit 12.3 percent in March -- 2.6 percentage points above the national average.
