Florida's deepening drought is raising red flags, and fires.
State Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam said the long-burning 168,000-acre fire in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge straddling the Florida-Georgia border could spread to 300,000 acres or more if rainfall isn't forthcoming.
Erupting in late April, the Honey Prairie Fire was declared 80 percent contained on Friday, but it has already consumed roughly half of the refuge, and tinder-dry conditions have hampered firefighters' efforts.
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Florida's water-management districts are facing big revenue cuts, but the new leader of the state's largest system isn't sweating.
"There are a lot of inefficiencies," Melissa Meeker, executive director of the South Florida Water Management District, told the second annual Florida Water Forum in Orlando on Friday.
Friday greeted President Barack Obama with some bad news in the form of anemic job growth in May, with 54,000 jobs added last month and the national unemployment rate ticking up to 9.1 percent. Analysts had expected some 125,000 jobs to be added in May.
But the numbers only tell half the story. If you're working at one of the new jobs created last month, there's a better than 50 percent chance you're working at McDonald's. That's because the fast food chain went on a hiring spree in April, adding 62,000 positions, with some spilling over into May.
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It's been nearly five years since the once high-flying John Edwards' life was entirely seamless. Finally -- on Friday morning -- the former presidential candidate was indicted on criminal charges by a federal grand jury in Raleigh, N.C. The charges involve an elaborate and secret scheme to misuse more than $900,000 in campaign funds from wealthy donors to cover up his extramarital affair.
Edwards faces six counts --four of illegal campaign contributions, one of conspiracy, and one of false statements. He is set to appear in court in Winston-Salem on Friday afternoon.
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Pointing to a report released Friday showing the national unemployment rate rose to 9.1 percent, Florida Republican Congressman Dennis Ross came out swinging at the White House, calling for House Republicans to play hardball with the Obama administration to get free-trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea.
With the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) hosting the Presidency 5 conference and straw poll in September, all eyes will be on the candidates aiming for the Republican nomination to take on Barack Obama. The event will be in held in Orlando from September 22 through September 24.
With the Republican Party of Florida (RPOF) hosting the Presidency 5 conference and straw poll in September, all eyes will be on the candidates aiming for the Republican nomination to take on Barack Obama. The event will be in held in Orlando from September 22 through September 24.
Gov. Rick Scott signed legislation imposing tougher restrictions and penalties on pain clinics and unscrupulous doctors Friday, commonly known as the "pill mill" bill.
I am proud to sign this bill which cracks down on the criminal abuse of prescription drugs. This legislation will save lives in our state and it marks the beginning of the end of Floridas infamous role as the nations pill mill capital," Scott said.
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