For years, in college and in the NFL, lineman Richie Incognito behaving loutishly and unaccountably on and off the field in an NFL culture that rewards and protects brutality. Jonathan Martin is the rare whistle-blower who reveals ugly truths the league and its fans would too often prefer not to acknowledge, argues Steve Robinson.
Florida & Beyond, and All Opinions
What Government Shutdown? U.S. Economy Adds 204,000 Jobs, Beating Expectations
The three-month tally of 605,000 jobs is the best three-month total in almost two years, though the unemployment rate still went up by a decimal point, to 7.3 percent as the labor force shrank by 720,000 in October, a reflection of the government shutdown.
In Divided Ruling, Florida Supreme Court Expands Parental Rights to Lesbians
Siding with a woman who sought parental rights after separating from her lesbian partner, a divided Florida Supreme Court found Thursday that state laws about assisted-reproductive technology are unconstitutional in such cases involving same-sex couples.
Popular and Consumer-Driven Provisions Fuel Sticker Shock of Obamacare Premiums
When setting premiums for next year, insurers baked in bigger-than-usual adjustments, driven in large part by a game-changing rule: They can no longer reject people with medical problems. It’s the double-edged sword of Obamacare–a crucial provision that comes with sticker shock for some.
Report Blisters DCF Over Abused Children’s Deaths as Florida Lawmakers Vow to Act
Florida’s recent series of child-abuse deaths took center stage at the Capitol on Tuesday, as a report blasted the state child-welfare system and as both chambers of the Legislature signaled they would craft bills to address the system’s shortcomings.
The Other Disastrous Government Website: Florida’s Unemployment Portal Still Kicking Users
The state’s new, but troubled $68 million unemployment website, intended to provide a more modern, user-friendly method of access for people who receive benefits, has instead been a nightmare for many of its 200,000 users and may have a few months to go before it’s fixed.
A Modest Crime-Prevention Proposal: If You Want to Raise a Child, First, Get a License
Jim McClellan has an idea that will reduce all types of crime and violence without explicitly infringing on the Constitution in the process. What I propose are some tough new restrictions on people in this country who want to have and rear kids.
Crist Opens Campaign for Governor Against Scott as Both Duel in Ridicule
If Crist’s first day on the campaign trail is a harbinger of things to come, voters are in for a nasty year: Crist accused Scott of being a tea party politician who is rewarding cronies with lucrative contracts and is out of touch with middle-class Floridians. A political committee backing Scott unleashed a $500,000 television ad buy attacking Crist for being an opportunist who abandoned the state to further his own political career.
1963’s Familiar Bloodstains: Far Right Politics from JFK to Barack Obama
John F. Kennedy was called treasonous and was the target of a relentless far-right campaign to vilify and demolish his presidency by demagogues and media barons whose ideological descendants have unleashed the same tactics on Barack Obama, writes Steve Robinson.
Charlie Crist Completes Conversion: He Will Run for Governor as a Democrat Against Rick Scott
Former Gov. Charlie Crist made it official Friday: He will run for his old job again in 2014, setting up a potential battle with Republican Gov. Rick Scott for the state’s highest office.