The place to be for an insider's look at the GOP presidential debate Monday night was the Media Filing Center & Spin Zone at the University of South Florida in Tampa.

More than 500 reporters, photographers, TV crewmen -- all registered media -- set up shop on the second floor of the Marshall Student Center in the USF ballroom. Caffeine-starved, deadline-minded reporters from all over the country -- all over the globe, in fact -- crowded in together, popping open soda cans, working their stories.

As in our nations capital, there has been much talk about the value of higher education degrees here in Florida.In order to attract and grow business, there must be a well-trained work force and an ever-emerging intelligent populace.

An advocacy group raised questions Monday about a wide-ranging settlement agreement that includes Progress Energy Florida continuing to charge customers for a proposed Levy County nuclear-power project.

The Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, which said last month that it would challenge such nuclear charges in the Florida Supreme Court, declined to enter the settlement agreement announced Friday by Progress and consumer and business representatives.

With opposition announced from members of both parties, a proposal to change the August primary date -- closer to the Republican National Convention in Tampa and the start of the school year -- has been postponed in the Senate.

Sen. Miguel Diaz de la Portilla, R-Miami, announced he would withdraw the bill, SB 1596, so he could address concerns about the one-week change in primary election date.