Vice President Joe Biden ended weeks of speculation on Wednesday and announced he will not run for the Democratic presidential nomination. Biden appeared with President Barack Obama in the Rose Garden on Wednesday and noted there was a window for running for president. “I’ve concluded that it has closed,” Biden said, explaining his family is doing better after the death of his son, Delaware Attorney General Beau Biden. “Beau was our inspiration.”

With 2016 around the corner, the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) will be hosting the Sunshine Summit in Orlando from Nov. 12-14 and the stakes will be high. The presidential hopefuls will take most of the spotlight but there’s another important race already taking shape as Rubio has said he will not run for a second Senate term. Florida Republicans Ron DeSantis, David Jolly, Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Todd Wilcox are already off and running and they will be at the Sunshine Summit trying to win support for their Senate bids.

Republican presidential hopeful U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio of Florida is calling for more evaluation of foreign aid programs and supporting posting more information about it online. Rubio, who sits on the Foreign Affairs Committee, teamed up with U.S. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., to unveil the  “Foreign Aid Transparency and Accountability Act of 2015” on Tuesday. The bill sets guidelines, metrics and monitoring of federal foreign aid and puts more data online. Last year, the federal government spent $23 billion in nonmilitary foreign aid. 

Former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., ended his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination on Tuesday but kept the door open to continuing as a third-party candidate. 

Former Gov. Charlie Crist launched a bid for Congress on Tuesday, setting his eyes on a seat which is expected to contain much of Pinellas County. 

A composer with ties to the Sunshine State will get long overdue recognition this week. 

When classical music buffs think of Florida, they generally focus on Frederick Delius who spent time outside of Jacksonville in a failed attempt to raise oranges. Delius’ time in the Sunshine State eventually led to the “Florida Suite” which evokes the sunrise, the St. Johns River, African-American workers and a quiet evening.

With 2016 around the corner, the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) will be hosting the Sunshine Summit in Orlando from Nov. 12-14 and the stakes will be high. The presidential hopefuls will take most of the spotlight but there’s another important race already taking shape as Rubio has said he will not run for a second Senate term. Florida Republicans Ron DeSantis, David Jolly, Carlos Lopez-Cantera and Todd Wilcox are already off and running and they will be at the Sunshine Summit trying to win support for their Senate bids.

With violence increasing in the Middle East, members of the Florida congressional delegation are standing with Israel in the face of attacks from Palestinians.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who is running for the Republican presidential nomination and sits on the U.S. Senate Foreign Affairs Committee, showcased his support for Israel on Friday and joined a shabbat for that nation on Saturday. 

Leading the Republican presidential field in the national polls and surveys of key states, businessman Donald Trump is headed to Florida this week. On Monday, the Trump campaign announced the candidate will be hitting the Sunshine State later in the week. Trump, who owns properties and occasionally resides in Florida, will be in Miami on Friday night for a rally at the Trump National Doral Club. On Saturday, Trump will head to the First Coast with a rally at the Jacksonville Landing at noon. 

Former Gov. Charlie Crist is expected to launch his latest comeback attempt on Tuesday as the former Republican, now Democrat, now turns his eyes to Congress -- and, despite his past defeats, he has something of a homefield advantage.