For 14 months, from November 2014 through January 2016, casino interests plowed more than $3.2 million into political parties and the campaign war chests of leading Florida legislators, starting with Joe Negron, president designate of the Senate -- but including dozens of others. All in the hope they would get bills passed to expand gambling in Florida.

The war of words is heating up in the Democratic primary to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., after President Barack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden threw their support to U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, D-Fla. 

After Obama and Biden backed Murphy on Wednesday, U.S. Rep. Alan Grayson, D-Fla., fired back, with his campaign spokesman slamming the "Democratic politburo” in an email to the Associated Press .

After a poll came out earlier this week showing most Florida Republicans remain in the dark about their candidates, the GOP’s party hopefuls looking to replace U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., took to the airwaves to introduce themselves. 

Pointing to a high rate of new HIV cases in South Florida, the House on Wednesday gave final approval to a bill that would create a pilot needle-exchange program in Miami-Dade County.

The 95-20 vote came after repeated attempts in recent years to approve such a program, which supporters say would help prevent the spread of infectious diseases among intravenous drug users. Senators voted 37-2 last week to approve the bill (SB 242), and it is now ready to go to Gov. Rick Scott.