The two nations will open embassies in Havana and Washington, D.C., 53 years and 10 presidents after Dwight Eisenhower, citing “self-respect,” closed the American Embassy in the Cuban capital on Jan. 3, 1961.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
Drawing Mixed Response, Jeb Bush Says He Will “Actively Explore” Running For President in 2016
Bush, 61, made the announcement a day after giving a commencement address at the University of South Carolina — a state that plays a major role in Republican primaries. If he ultimately decides to run, Bush would seek to follow his father and brother into the White House.
With 22 Days To Go Before Gay Wedding Bells, Pam Bondi Asks Court To Object
Bondi’s request to the U.S. Supreme Court comes less than two weeks after a federal appeals court rejected her effort to at least temporarily extend the gay-marriage prohibition in Florida.
With 800,000 Floridians in Health Insurance Limbo, Hopes Return for Medicaid Expansion
A coalition of businesses groups, local officials and healthcare industry representatives has rolled out a plan to insure nearly one million low-income Floridians who fall in the so-called Medicaid coverage gap.
Craft Beer Growlers’ Day Finally Approaching in Florida, But Small Brewers Are Leery
Proposals to end the state’s prohibition on 64-ounce containers known as “growlers” have been blocked in recent years by large beer distributors claiming a need to protect the state’s Depression-era three-tier regulation system.
Yes, We’re Cops. And We’re Human Beings. But We Won’t Be Your Victims.
In an impassioned response to acute criticism leveled at police after events in Ferguson and Staten Island, Jonathan Dopp, a sheriff’s deputy in Flagler County, presents law enforcement’s unapologetic perspective.
Ferguson Events and FSU Shooting Trigger Florida’s Third-Busiest Gun Shopping Day Ever
The Nov. 28 purchases trailed only the sales for two days in December 2012, which came after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn.
Florida’s Minimum Wage Going Up to $8.05 as Obama’s Push For $10.10 Remains Elusive
A Democratic bill in the Florida Legislature would seek the $10,10 threshold, but its chances of passing are slim to none. Business groups like the Florida Chamber of Commerce have argued against such proposals.
Taxpayers’ Bill for Rick Scott’s Losing Battle to Drug-Test Welfare Recipients: $307,000 and Rising
ACLU of Florida Executive Director Howard Simon, who blamed the governor and the Legislature for the cost to taxpayers, blasted Scott for refusing to back down as the governor mulls appealing the latest decision calling his ploy unconstitutional.
Cops Get Away With Murder Because They Know They Can. It’s America In Black and White.
Resisting arrest is a cop’s license to kill: In retrospect there was little doubt that grand juries in Missouri and New York would let off the cops responsible for the killing of two unarmed black men.
Judge Rules Parents Can Join Lawsuit Over Florida’s School-Voucher Program
Parents and their lawyers said they should be allowed the full-party status because their children would lose access to what is known as the Florida Tax Credit Scholarship program if the court finds it unconstitutional.
Satanic Temple Display Approved for State Capitol, With Festivus Beer Pole and Nativity
The Florida Department of Management Services this week approved the proposed holiday display from the Satanic Temple, which a year ago was rejected because the agency said its proposal was “grossly offensive.”
Job Creation Surges to 321,000 as Year’s Totals Approach Best Showing Since 1999
The national economy added 321,000 in October, the best showing since February 2012, when it added 332,000 jobs, and job-creation figures for September and October were revised upward, adding 44,000 jobs to the tally, for a total of 835,000 in the last three months. But the unemployment rate, calculated from a different survey, held at last month’s 5.8 percent.
Cue That Processional: Gay Marriage Could Be Legal in Florida Starting Jan. 6
A federal appeals court Wednesday rejected Attorney General Pam Bondi’s request to at least temporarily extend Florida’s ban on gay marriage — possibly setting the stage for same-sex marriages to start in January.
Fifth Court Decision in a Row Calls Rick Scott’s Drug-Testing Scheme Illegal
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals rejected a Florida law pushed by Gov. Rick Scott requiring welfare applicants to submit to drug tests before they can receive benefits.
Obamacare Snags: He Wants To Be Insured But Still Can’t Afford It.
The law requires all Americans to carry health insurance, but despite subsidies, it isn;t a given that some workers can afford their portion of premium costs. One of those people is Leaburn Alexander
Why Voters Don’t Give a Damn Anymore: Government Of the Few, By the Few, For the Fewest
Barely a third of the eligible voting-age population — 36.4 percent — voted in the midterms this month. The major reason people don’t vote is that they don’t think it will make a difference, argues Martin Dyckman.
Should Brandishing a Gun at Someone Who Cuts You Off in Traffic Be Considered Self-Defense?
The Florida Supreme Court is considering a “stand your ground” case in which a man was charged with aggravated assault after brandishing a gun at a trucker during a confrontation on a state highway.
Hurricane-Free For 9th Consecutive Season, Florida’s Property Insurers Now Better Braced for Catastrophe
A single Andrew-like Hurricane could wipe out in a day what Florida has taken almost a decade to recoup, but those nine years of calm have also placed the state in a stronger position to face an eventual and inevitable catastrophic storm.
As Large Businesses Look to Dump Employees on Obamacare, Smaller Firms Snub Subsidies
Few employers are embracing a temporary Obamacare subsidy for small businesses while large businesses are hiring brokers to help them shift employees to government-subsidized plans, which the Obama administration says is illegal.
Florida’s Pot Legalization Forces Open 2-Front Offensive: Legislature and 2016 Ballot
After falling just 2 points short of victory in November, medical-marijuana advocates will take their battle to the Florida Legislature, and failing that, will place the initiative on the ballot again in 2016.
Scott Signs 21st Death Warrant 3 Days After UN Vote Calling for Capital Punishment Moratorium
The warrant is for the execution of Johnny Shane Kormondy, 42, accused of murdering Gary McAdams and participating in the gang rape of his wife Cecilia during a robbery in Pensacola in 1991, when Kormondy was 21.
Florida Republican and Democratic Legislators Renew Attempt to Protect Against Gay Bias
The bill would add protections for more than 536,000 gays, lesbian and transgender adults living in Florida by expanding the law that forbids discrimination based on religion, race, color, ethnicity, age, gender, handicap or marital status.
After “Doubling Down on Stupid,” Lakeland Is Forced to Pay $160,000 in Public Record Settlement
A Lakeland resident filed the lawsuit against the city’s Police Department because the department insisted on illegally charging a flat $23.50 fee for routine requests instead of charging per page or for time worked.
Let the Hunting Begin:
Florida Lifts Ban on Silencers
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission on Friday agreed, with little comment, to issue an order that immediately removes a prohibition on the use of noise-suppressors, or silencers, with rifles and pistols.
Feed Flagler’s 364-Day Blinders: Why Isn’t a Portion of Old Courthouse Considered as Homeless Shelter?
It must be Thanksgiving because as with the first Thanksgiving, the pilgrims seem more interested in clobbering the poor than feeding them.
FSU Shooter Myron May, an Attorney, Said to Have Been in a “State of Crisis”
Myron May was an FSU student senator in 2002 and had been practicing law since 2009 before he shot and injured students at FSU’s Strozier Library.
Today’s The Day to Support the Florida Center for Investigative Reporting
The Miami-based Florida Center for Investigative Reporting is one of the state’s leading non-profit news source, whose work frequently appears in FlaglerLive.
Said to Have Been Framed For Tampa Murder, Deaf Convict Felix Garcia Is Denied Release
Felix Garcia’s supporters had hoped he would be released with time served, arguing that he’d been unable to understand the evidence against him during the murder trial and wasn’t given an interpreter.
Growing Concern at Supervisor of Elections Offices Across Florida: Aging Equipment
Secretary of State Ken Detzner said he will meet next month with local supervisors of election in Orlando to determine which counties are most in need of new equipment before the 2016 elections. Flagler is likely to be among those.
Obamacare 2.0: Open Enrollment Starts With Few Glitches as Floridians Sign Up Over the Weekend
Sharply contrasting with last year’s roll-out, enrollment for the Affordable Care Act, which started Saturday, has gone smoothly, as the federal government expects nearly 10 million insured by the time the window closes in February.
Don’t Tell Us How You’re Feeling: Facebook and the Mirage of Positive Posting
After a steady onslaught of social media, is it any wonder we sometimes feel numb to the suffering—or joy—of others? Laurie Uttich rethinks the one-sided nature of Facebook declamations.
Judge Throws Out Florida’s Medical Marijuana Rules, Calling Them Vague and “Unbridled”
Administrative Law Judge W. David Watkins sided with Miami-based Costa Farms and others that objected to the Department of Health’s use of a lottery to pick five licensees that will grow, process and distribute strains of non-euphoric marijuana authorized by the Legislature and approved by Gov. Rick Scott earlier this year.
Florida Supreme Court Orders GOP Consultant to Release Redistricting Records
The documents were requested by voting-rights organizations challenging the state’s congressional districts as Republican political consultant Pat Bainter refused to disclose them. Several media organizations also filed a “friend of the court” brief arguing for the documents’ release.
When Government Manipulates Press and Public, and the Press Plays Along
From Flagler County to Washington, government’s attempts to control stories come down to the same manipulative ploys for the same specious reasons, but the press too often plays along.
Despite Big Election Losses, LGBT Floridians Hope for Progress on Ending Workplace Discrimination
The Florida Competitive Workforce Act would ban discrimination in the workplace based on sexual orientation. It was sponsored by one of only two openly gal legislators, who lost. It will now be sponsored by a Republican lawmaker, Rep. Holly Raschein of Key Largo.
Times Investigation of Attorney General Pam Bondi Uncovers More Dubious Ties
Bondi’s questionable relationship with Lori Kalani, a lobbyist and lawyer, was reported about two weeks ago as part of an investigation by the Times into Bondi’s work with the Republican Attorneys General Association.
The Only Mandate From This Election: Protect Florida’s Environment
Earmarking 33 percent of the documentary stamp tax for buying critical habitat, wetlands and other environmentally sensitive properties, got 1.4 million more voters than Rick Scott.
First Day on the Job for Thrasher at FSU: Facing Confrontational Students
John Thrasher spent the first hour in his new position engaging with a group of about 25 confrontational students that had vocally opposed his recent appointment and now refuse to recognize him as the school’s new president.
For 1 Million Floridians, Health Insurance Again in the Balance as Supreme Court Rethinks Subsidies
Enrollment and subsidies, along with provisions such as the prohibition on excluding people with pre-existing conditions, are now at risk, because once again, the Supreme Court will decide whether the Affordable Care Act lives or dies.
Jeb Bush Could Win in 2016, But He’ll Have To Rely on The United States of Amnesia
Jeb Bush left too much fodder for his detractors, argues Stephen Goldstein, to be a viable candidate for very long in 2016–assuming voters can remember the damaging milestones of his governorship.
Backroom Briefing: The Best and Worst of Election 2014
The 2014 campaign had no shortage of drama, gaffes, mistakes and other attention-grabbing moments. It ended Tuesday with confetti for some and losses for others, but here are some of the highlights and lowlights for the always interesting annals of Florida elections.
Elections 2014 R.I.P.
Why Democrats Keep Failing in Florida
For all its fear-based tactics, the Florida GOP focuses on understanding their base voters, and making them feel respected and protected. Democrats in comparison have no clue.
Cruel and Unusual: 2 Inmates Who Murdered as Juveniles Challenge Their Life Sentences
Two inmates serving life in prison for murders committed as juveniles are challenging their sentences based on a 2012 US Supreme Court ruling that bans mandatory life sentences for juveniles.
U.S. Unemployment Drops to 5.8% as Economy Adds 214,000 Jobs, Maintaining Average
The nation’s unemployment rate dropped to 5.8 percent in October, a level last seen in July 2008, when the rate was rapidly rising, and the economy added 214,000 jobs, continuing a steady if somewhat slow recovery.
“Personhood” Amendment Crushed Even in the Reddest State, Dealing Blow to Abortion Foes
Two proposed constitutional amendments that would have declared life starting at conception were overwhelmingly defeated in North Dakota and Colorado, with two-thirds of voters opposed.
As GOP Surges Over the Nation, Party Grabs Supermajority in Florida House
The party retained two Republican-held seats where it faced serious challenges, while flipping six Democrat-held seats that were heavily contested in the Interstate 4 corridor.
“I’m On Your Side,” Charlie Crist Says on Final Push With Bill Clinton in Tow
Crist offered his final pitch as an advocate for middle-class Floridians to blacks, Hispanics, seniors and union workers before heading to Orlando for a final pre-election event headlined by former President Bill Clinton.
In Final Swing Along I-4 Corridor, Rick Scott Promises to “Kick Charlie’s Rear”
Two other Republican governors, Rick Perry of Texas and Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, both prospective presidential contenders in 2016, joined Scott in what has become one of the most expensive, nastiest and closest governor’s races in the country.
Escaped Convict Ronald McCoy Caught by West Palm Beach Police
Ronald McCoy, an inmate with a very violent past who was serving two life terms on armed robbery convictions at a prison in Miami-Dade County, remains at large after his escape on Oct. 31.