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Pam Bondi Jets Off to Israel While Obama Takes Heat From Jews

Submitted by Anonymous on May 20, 2011 - 12:06pm

The timing of Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi's visit to Israel is, no doubt, a coincidence. But it is a convenient one.

A day after President Barack Obama angered Jewish voters with a call for a Palestinian state in the larger pre-1967 borders, Bondi joined other AGs for a trip to Israel.

A statement released by Bondi's office Friday morning said:

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Calm Down, Democrats, Here's What Really Happened in Jacksonville

Submitted by Anonymous on May 20, 2011 - 11:27am

Touting what they see as twin victories, Democratic activists hailed this week's election of Alvin Brown in Jacksonville's mayoral race and the supposed decline in Gov. Rick Scott's political fortunes.

But consider these points:

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Vern Buchanan Hits Obama on Israel Borders

Submitted by Kevin Derby on May 20, 2011 - 10:40am

Florida Republican U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan attacked President Barack Obamas call to return Israel to its 1967 borders.

"The borders of any Palestinian state should be determined through negotiations with Israel at the table, not announced in a presidential edict that gives away Israeli land as Palestinians continue to call for the destruction of Israel," Buchanan said on Friday. "In these days of danger and change, we must reaffirm the unbreakable bond we have forged with our most trusted ally in the Middle East.

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Florida's Unemployment Rate Drops to 10.8 Percent in April

Submitted by Kevin Derby on May 20, 2011 - 10:11am

The jobless rate in the Sunshine State continued to fall in April, coming in at 10.8 percent, down 0.3 percent from March.

The numbers, released Friday by the Agency for Workforce Innovation, reveal Florida's lowest unemployment rate since September 2009. There are also 996,000 unemployed workers in the state, the first time that number has dipped below 1 million since October 2009.

The news is bound to please Gov. Rick Scott, who has seen the unemployment rate drop 1.1 percent since taking office in January.

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DHS Removes Jacksonville From Counterterrorism Funding List

Submitted by Anonymous on May 20, 2011 - 9:36am

Citing budget cuts -- not necessarily a reduced threat -- the U.S. Department of Homeland Security removed Jacksonville from the list of cities receiving counterterrorism funds this year.

Jacksonville was one of 33 cities cut from the list, leaving 31 metropolitan areas on the list. Florida's remaining recipients are Miami-Fort Lauderdale, Tampa and Orlando.

In 2011, Congress cut DHS state and local preparedness grants by $780 million compared to the FY 2010 enacted level, nearly a quarter of DHS grant funding," said DHS spokesman Chris Ortman.

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Chinese Army Shoots at U.S. Troops ... in Beijing's New Computer Warfare Game

Submitted by Anonymous on May 20, 2011 - 8:22am

While President Obama is making nice with the Arab Street, his Chinese pals have the United States in the crosshairs.

According to the U.K.'s Daily Mail, the Chinese army has developed a computer game that sees their troops shooting at "enemy" U.S. forces.

Glorious Revolution, which is used as a training tool for People's Liberation Army soldiers, pits the Chinese army against the U.S. military in a "Call of Duty"-style first-person shooter, the Mail related.

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Cliff Stearns and Jim Matheson Want NFL to Crack Down on Steroids

Kevin Derby

May 19, 2011 - 6:00pm

Florida Republican Congressman Cliff Stearns and Congressman Jim Matheson, D-Utah, want to know what the National Football League and the League's Players Association are doing to combat human growth hormones (HGH) in their sport.

The pair teamed up to send a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and Players Association Director DeMaurice Smith demanding an answer. The representatives also insisted that Congress should keep out over continued negotiations between NFL owners and players -- a boiling pot that threatens to impact the 2011-12 football season.

Israel in a Post-American Era

Pat Buchanan

May 19, 2011 - 6:00pm

In 1918, the United States proved militarily decisive in the defeat of the Kaiser's Germany and emerged as first power on earth.

Regulators Question Insurers About Payouts on Life Policies

Jim Saunders News Service of Florida

May 19, 2011 - 6:00pm

Regulators from Florida and other states hammered insurance executives Thursday with questions about whether companies are trying hard enough to pay life-insurance claims.

Florida Insurance Commissioner Kevin McCarty is leading a multistate probe that he said could involve more than $1 billion in money owed. Executives from MetLife and Nationwide insurance companies testified under oath during a hearing Thursday -- but McCarty said the probe involves all of the nations largest life insurers.

SunRail Pushed Onto Rick Scott by GOP Lawmakers

Kenric Ward

May 18, 2011 - 6:00pm

While Gov. Rick Scott looks to trim the $69.7 billion state budget through line-item vetoes, lawmakers put him -- and Florida taxpayers -- in a fiscal box with one big-ticket item: SunRail.

Scott has been weighing a decision on the $1.2 billion commuter train project for months. Having rejected $2.4 billion in federal funds for a proposed high-speed rail venture earlier this year, SunRail appeared ripe for derailment as well.

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