Sunshine State News

might be a webpage?<div>
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</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">"paper" paid by api?</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">BS morph energy with national security</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">https://www.newstalkflorida.com/featured/api-taps-kottkamp-to-help-lead-offshore-energy-exploration-campaign-in-florida/</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">
</div><div style="">BY – <a href="http://sunshinestatenews.com/" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box;">SUNSHINE STATE NEWS</a><div class="teads-adCall" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box;">The American Petroleum Institute (API) launched its “Explore Offshore” efforts on Wednesday, calling on expanding energy exploration efforts including in the eastern part of the Gulf of Mexico.The national “Explore Offshore” campaign will be led by former U.S. Veterans Affairs Sec. Jim Nicholson, who led the Republican National Committee (RNC), and former U.S. Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va., who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination in the 2016 election cycle.Leading the “Explore Offshore” efforts in Florida are former Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp and Dr.  Miriam Ramirez who served in the Senate of Puerto Rico. Kottkamp served under then Gov. Charlie Crist who has opposed drilling in the Gulf, even calling for a special legislative session on the issue. Crist held that special session after the massive oil spill in the Gulf in 2010.  However, while Crist started drifting to the left and that and other issues to run for the U.S. Senate in 2010 with no party affiliation and eventually join the Democrats, Kottkamp has remained a conservative Republican.“As a native Puerto Rican and a volunteer to rebuild Puerto Rico from the devastation of Hurricane Maria, I know firsthand that we should not take for granted access to reliable energy,” Ramirez said on Wednesday. “The Department of the Interior took a step in the right direction by proposing to open up additional areas of the Eastern Gulf of Mexico to new exploration for oil and natural gas. Our neighbors in the Gulf of Mexico support thriving tourism industries all while developing offshore energy resources that create high-paying jobs to those states, provide much needed state revenue and economic investment, and deliver greater energy security to America.”“With over 20 million residents and 110 million annual visitors—the availability of affordable energy is critical to our quality of life in Florida,” Kottkamp said. “Access to new sources of domestic oil and natural gas is important to maintain or quality of life in the Sunshine State.  As we consider exploration for new energy sources we must also be mindful Florida’s environment.  We look forward to working with our local leaders to discuss ways to maintain our state’s natural beauty while at the same time expanding opportunities to keep our nation energy independent.”Former Okaloosa County Commissioner Wayne Harris is also co-chairing the Explore Florida Offshore campaign.“I’ve had the great honor of serving our country in the military for 27 years, and serving my county as a commissioner,” Harris said. “My focus is on ensuring that future generations get to enjoy the same opportunities that I have, in a nation that is safe and secure. A key to making that possible is putting in place energy policies that support the constant, reliable and affordable supply of energy our families and businesses will always need to grow and thrive. The more of that energy that comes from our own borders the better. It’s time we used recent advances in technology and science to find out exactly what energy resources lay in our waters, and how we can produce that energy in a responsible manner in the years ahead. That’s how we will make Florida and America more energy secure.”Noting that oil and natural gas make up most electricity use at the state and national levels, Explore Offshore insisted that energy exploration in the Gulf and off the coast of Florida could lead to more than 56,000 new jobs by 2035 and added $1 billion annually to the state revenue and $2.6 billion in private development.</div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><div>=</div><div>seems to be key in api explore offshore BS</div><div><div class="elementor-element elementor-element-4d1f077 elementor-widget elementor-widget-post-info" data-id="4d1f077" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="post-info.default" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 777.323px; margin-bottom: 8px;"><div class="elementor-widget-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: background 0.3s ease 0s, border 0.3s ease 0s, border-radius 0.3s ease 0s, box-shadow 0.3s ease 0s, -webkit-border-radius 0.3s ease 0s, -webkit-box-shadow 0.3s ease 0s;"><ul class="elementor-inline-items elementor-icon-list-items elementor-post-info" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px -8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; list-style-type: none; padding: 0px; display: flex; flex-wrap: wrap;"><li class="elementor-icon-list-item elementor-repeater-item-660ada4 elementor-inline-item" itemprop="datePublished" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 8px; border: 0px; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; background: transparent; padding: 0px; position: relative; display: flex; -webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; word-break: break-word;">june 11, 2018</li></ul></div></div><div class="elementor-element elementor-element-04d7332 elementor-widget elementor-widget-theme-post-content" data-id="04d7332" data-element_type="widget" data-widget_type="theme-post-content.default" style="box-sizing: border-box; position: relative; width: 777.323px;"><div class="elementor-widget-container" style="box-sizing: border-box; transition: background 0.3s ease 0s, border 0.3s ease 0s, border-radius 0.3s ease 0s, box-shadow 0.3s ease 0s, -webkit-border-radius 0.3s ease 0s, -webkit-box-shadow 0.3s ease 0s;"><h2 class="p1" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-top: 0.5rem; margin-bottom: 1rem; font-weight: 300; line-height: 1.2em; clear: both;">The Other Side: Explore Offshore, Big Oil Front Group</h2>Since the push to open the Atlantic Coast to offshore oil and gas drilling has run into serious opposition from the real grassroots America, Big Oil has decided to launch another artificial turf group: “Explore Offshore.”This front group was <a href="http://www.oceannews.com/news/energy/api-launches-new-coalition-explore-offshore" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; box-shadow: none;">just rolled out last week</a> by its creator, the American Petroleum Institute (API). It’s <a href="https://www.opensecrets.org/pacs/indexpend.php?cycle=2016&cmte=C00496505" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; box-shadow: none;">billed by its industry parent</a> as a “diverse” coalition of more than a hundred groups, businesses, and individuals in the South Atlantic states from Virginia to Florida. In fact, it’s populated by right-leaning political entities such as the Conservative Action Fund; business entities like <a href="https://www.envstd.com/about/affiliations/" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; box-shadow: none;">Environmental Standards</a> (a services firm with ties to the oil, gas, coal, and utilities industries); and other entities like North Carolina’s own notorious <a href="https://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php/Civitas_Institute" target="blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="text-decoration-line: none; font-weight: bold; outline: none; box-sizing: border-box; box-shadow: none;">Civitas Institute</a> (anti-regulatory “think tank” and regular critic of efforts to address climate change).The North Carolina chair of Explore Offshore is Nat Robertson, who was defeated in his re-election bid for mayor of Fayetteville by almost 20 percentage points last November. Robertson is the title author of an article pitching the group and pumping for offshore drilling. It ran in June 9’s Winston-Salem Journal and is likely being flogged to other outlets around the state. Curiously, the article makes no mention of the group’s creation by the oil and gas industry itself. That’s surely because they’re well aware that revealing the connection would implode any public credibility for its message. Conservationists shouldn’t let our communities be fooled.</div></div></div><div>=</div></div></div></div><div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"></div><div style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">API: Explore Offshore [vs steyer CA mobilization on prop 23?]</div>The American Petroleum Institute launched its Explore Offshore project in June 2018 “seeking to convince Hispanic and black communities to support the Trump administration’s proposed expansion of offshore drilling,” Reuters reported. [72]“We want to build support in minority communities because the message that increasing the supply of affordable energy and good paying jobs will resonate,” said Erik Milito, API’s director of Upstream and Industry Operations. [72]Explore Offshore describes itself as a “national coalition that supports offshore energy exploration and production to help supply affordable energy for American consumers, small businesses, and manufacturers.”“Explore Offshore’s mission is to unite supporters of offshore energy development and promote its benefits and its importance to our nation’s economy and energy security,” its website claims.Coalition members include representatives from Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Virginia. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and a range of local affiliates are listed on its coalition page. [68], [70]According to Reuters, Explore Offshore has partnered with a number of black and Hispanic business groups including the Virginia, Florida and North Carolina Hispanic Chambers of Commerce and the Florida Black Chamber of Commerce and South Carolina African American Chamber of Commerce. [72]Only one African-American man, South Carolina African American Chamber of Commerce chairman Stephen Gilchrist, was involved in the group. Gilchrist reportedly “counts [Steve] Bannon as a friend.” While the group identifies itself as a “bipartisan coalition,” its sole Democrat is Jim Webb, who has praised “gallantry” of Confederate soldiers and defended “the venerable Robert E. Lee” according to a Politico story on Webb’s roots. [75], [73], [74]July 24, 2018Representatives from API and API‘s “Explore Offshore South Carolina” attended a luncheon hosted by the SC African American Chamber of Commerce to discuss “the Economic impacts and safety of Offshore Energy.” [71]May 16, 2018Explore Offshore, a “project of the American Petroleum Institute” ran an ad campaign on Facebook promoting offshore drilling in Florida. According to Facebook’s political ad archive, the ads were removed because they lacked a “Paid for by” label while including political content. [68], [69]The ad text read as follows:“Contrary to what the opposition wants you to believe, offshore energy exploration has occurred safely alongside marine life, commercial fishing, military activities, and tourism for decades in the Gulf.‘Not only have these industries co-existed with energy production, but in many cases energy development has stimulated and bolstered investments, increased higher-paying jobs, and supported retail and tourism in coastal towns along the Gulf,’ Cornelia Horner, a spokeswoman with the American Petroleum Institute.The choice is simple when you have the facts. Say yes to exploring our offshore resources in Florida.”</div><div>
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</div><div>duck? suggested soros</div><div>
</div><div>http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/story/billionaire-george-soros-bought-and-paid-americas-media</div><div>
</div><div><h1 class="" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2rem 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 2rem; clear: right; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">billionaire Leftist George Soros Bought America's Media. Why Hasn't Anybody Noticed?</h1><article class="" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="byline" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">By <div class="name" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 1em 0px 0px; padding: 0px; display: inline; line-height: 1.2em;"><a href="http://www.sunshinestatenews.com/source/nancy-smith" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit; text-transform: uppercase;">NANCY SMITH</a></div></div><div class="pubDate" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 2em; padding: 0px;">October 17, 2019 </div><div class="story-image" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px 1em 0.25em 0px; float: left;">
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</figcaption></div><div class="body" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Clenched-teeth presidential debaters unloaded Tuesday night on Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big-Almost-Everything -- any industry that pours Big Bucks into influencing American politics. Yet, they skimmed right over the scariest and most sinister big sell-out of all: Big Media.Where during the CNN/New York Times Democratic debate was the crumbling Fourth Estate, whose downhill slide in the 21st Century has sent it on a desperate treasure hunt for sugar daddies to prop it up?Why didn't the name George Soros pop up?Democrats don't talk about Big Media's influence because they're the ones who benefit from it. With the exception of FOX, every one of the most influential national news outlets are campaigning -- I mean really flagrantly campaigning -- for far-left liberal candidates and causes.Early in the 21st Century, George Soros, <a href="https://networthpost.org/george-soros-net-worth/" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">net worth $26 billion</a> and No. 46 on Forbes' list of the World's Richest Men, discovered he had enough money and the know-how to buy opinion from ethics-challenged or foundering publishers and individual reporters, outfits large and small. Soros never owned a single media outlet. In a tangled web of lofty-sounding foundations he created to "give to causes he wanted to influence," Big Media in all its evil glory was born. It grew like Jack's beanstalk. Soros, 89, who made his fortune in investing and currency trading, is pretty much done with bringing money in. Now he makes his name for  handing it out -- in the area of politics and policy. Since the 2004 election, when he spent $27 million trying in vain to defeat George W. Bush, the controversial financier has used his influence and billions to push a laundry list of left-wing causes. Says the Reston, Va.-based media watchdog organization <a href="https://www.mrc.org/special-reports/george-soros-media-mogul" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">Media Research Center</a>, "Pick an issue and (Soros') Open Society Foundations (OSF) likely fund the liberal position -- pro-abortion, pro-illegal immigration, pro-national health care, pro-drug legalization, pro-Big Government, anti-Israel and, ultimately, anti-America."The $27 million "was a drop in the bucket compared to the $8 billion he has donated just to his Open Society Foundations," says the report. Soros followed that presidential failure by earning the well-deserved reputation as one of the top liberal contributors. Soon after the election, "Soros headlined a meeting of 70 millionaires and billionaires in Scottsdale, Ariz., to discuss how to grow the left's ideological assets," explained the Aug. 18, 2005, Christian Science Monitor.<a href="https://www.mrc.org/special-reports/george-soros-media-mogul" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">Read the executive summary</a> of Media Research's mind-boggling report, "George Soros: Media Mogul." The Hungarian-born billionaire "has managed to insinuate himself and his money into the media culture, making connections with the nation's top publishing organizations. He has direct ties to more than 30 mainstream news outlets -- including The New York Times, Washington Post, the Associated Press, CNN and ABC. Each one of those operations has employees, often high-level ones, on the boards of Soros-funded media operations."Soros' "gift" of $1.8 million to National Public Radio became part of the firestorm of controversy that jeopardized NPR’s federal funding. But that gift only hints at the widespread influence the controversial billionaire has on the mainstream media.The investigative reporting start-up ProPublica is a prime example of Soros' targeted media campaigns. ProPublica, winner of two Pulitzer Prizes, initially was given millions of dollars from the Sandler Foundation to "strengthen the progressive infrastructure" -- "progressive" the code for very liberal. In 2010, it also received a two-year contribution of $125,000 each year from the Open Society Foundations. In case you wonder where that money comes from, the OSF website is <a href="http://www.soros.org/" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">www.soros.org</a>. It is a network of more than 30 international foundations, mostly funded by Soros, that have contributed more than $8 billion to those efforts.ProPublica's stories are thoroughly researched by very good professionals who formerly worked at some of the biggest news outlets in the nation. "But the topics are almost laughably left-wing," says Media Research. "The site's proud list of 'Our Investigations' includes attacks on oil companies, gas companies, the health care industry, for-profit schools and more. More than 100 stories on the latest lefty cause: opposition to drilling for natural gas by hydraulic fracking. Another 100 on the evils of the foreclosure industry."Throw in a couple investigations making the military look bad and another about prisoners at Guantanamo Bay and you have almost the perfect journalism fantasy -- a huge budget, lots of major media partners and a liberal agenda unconstrained by advertising."One more thing: a 14-person Journalism Advisory Board in 2011 was stacked with CNN's David Gergen and representatives from top newspapers, a former publisher of The Wall Street Journal and the editor-in-chief of Simon & Schuster. Several were and are today working journalists, including:<ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem 1.1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-position: outside;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Alberto Ibargüen, the former publisher of The Miami Herald, on the board of directors. He's also president and CEO of journalism's prestigious John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Jill Abramson, a managing editor of The New York Times;</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Martin D. Baron, the editor of The Boston Globe;</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">David Boardman, the executive editor of the Seattle Times;</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Kerry Smith, the senior vice president for editorial quality of ABC News;</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Cynthia A. Tucker, the editor of the editorial page of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.</li></ul>ProPublica is a newer and more prominent example of Soros' opinion buying, but it's far from the only organization the billionaire stacked with members of the supposedly neutral press. There's also the Center for Public Integrity. Its board of directors is filled with working journalists like Christine Amanpour from ABC, right along side blatant liberal media types like Arianna Huffington, of the Huffington Post and now AOL."Like ProPublica, the CPI board is a veritable Who's Who of journalism and top media organizations," says Media Research, including:<ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem 1.1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-position: outside;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">As mentioned, "Amanpour -- Anchor of ABC's Sunday morning political affairs program, 'This Week with Christiane Amanpour.' A reliable lefty, she has called tax cuts 'giveaways,' the Tea Party 'extreme,' and Obama 'very Reaganesque.'</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">"Also as mentioned, Huffington -- Co-founder of the popular left-wing website named after her, The Huffington Post, a nationally syndicated columnist, and thanks to a recent $315 million sale, the person in charge of AOL's news divisions.</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">"Paula Madison -- Executive vice president and chief diversity officer for NBC Universal, who leads NBC Universal's corporate diversity initiatives, spanning all broadcast television, cable, digital, and film properties.</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">"Matt Thompson - Editorial product manager at National Public Radio and, at least in 2011, an adjunct faculty member at the prominent Poynter Institute, owner of the Tampa Bay Times."</li></ul>The well-known Center for Investigative Reporting follows the same template -- important journalists on the board and a liberal editorial agenda. Both the board of directors and the advisory board contain journalists from major news outlets. The board features:<ul style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem 1.1rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.4; list-style-position: outside;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Phil Bronstein (President), San Francisco Chronicle;</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">David Boardman, The Seattle Times;</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Len Downie, former Executive Editor of the Washington Post, now VP;</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">George Osterkamp, CBS News producer.</li><li style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">The Advisory Board features prominent liberal journalists like Bill Moyers, Seymour Hersh of The New Yorker, former '60 Minutes' host Mike Wallace, and representatives of both PBS and NPR.</li></ul>Why does it all matter? Says Dan Gainor, Media Research's vice president for Business and Culture and author of the report, "Journalists, we are constantly told, are neutral in their reporting. In almost the same breath, many bemoan the influence of money in politics. It is a maxim of both the left and many in the media that conservatives are bought and paid for by business interests. Yet where are the concerns about where their money comes from?"This is personal to me. I've reached the end of the line in a business I have loved, leaving it in real trouble. I long for the days when reporters began their investigations with questions, not statements. When they set out to find the answers, not prove some assumed, deliberately trumped-up conclusion. If I learned nothing else in 50 years, I learned that nothing is black or white. The life we live and report on is somewhere in the middle.But, as Media Research's Gainor points out, "George Soros is teaching journalists that their industry has a future as long as he opens his wallet."The American people may not know all they're missing, but they've sensed for a very long time that the mainstream media have failed them in a society in which "Freedom of the Press" used to mean something. Now they know their instincts were right and they know why.  Reach Nancy Smith at <a href="mailto:nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com" style="box-sizing: border-box; line-height: inherit;">nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com</a> or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith=<h1 style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2rem 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 1.2em; clear: right; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The Sunshine Way</h1><div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; clear: right;"><div class="field-items" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><div class="field-item even" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Sunshine State News was born from a desire to cover a side of issues and stories that was absent in the news landscape, to fill the vacuum.At Sunshine State News, we believe this is the right time to focus on the inextricable relationship between politics and business in Florida and how it affects the success of our state. To that end, we strive to cut through the jargon and speak in a fresh, no-nonsense way to an audience of lawmakers, lobbyists and strategists, to Florida’s job creators and economy protectors, in fact to all Floridians who expect their leaders to make common-sense decisions and set lofty, yet attainable, goals.Sunshine State News fills a void – and that is our principal reason for being. We are the only news organization in Florida with an editorial board that believes free-market, less-government solutions will prove successful in addressing the problems challenging our state. Our news stories deal with facts, but we are more than happy to espouse our opinion in columns. We make it our job to tell the side of the stories that other outlets choose to ignore. We cover news statewide, putting the right amount of emphasis on untold stories and up-to-the-minute blogs, the ones that illuminate a rapidly changing economy, the clash of ideas and relationships at the state Capitol and political strategies playing out in all corners of Tallahassee and beyond. We aim to present our stories in a bright, attractive, reader-friendly package. And, we strive to avoid the stuffy conventions of traditional newspaper storytelling, instead writing compellingly in everyday language, using as much wit, personality and insight as we can muster.Sunshine State News welcomes reader participation. In fact, we encourage it by calling for comments on each story and blog and by inviting letters to the editor and op-ed articles. Sunshine State News is always evolving, always adding features, looking for ways to make ourselves not just content, but a community for Floridians who care deeply about how and what our leaders are doing to improve our lives. Join our conversation on Twitter: @SSNAlertsCORRECTIONS POLICY: Sunshine State News is anxious to correct errors promptly and transparently. We encourage readers who find an error of fact to report it promptly to Executive Editor Nancy Smith at 228-282-2423. Corrections will be printed in bold where the error occurred, so the story will reflect in all editions exactly what is being corrected. In addition, for three consecutive days the correction will be appear prominently on the upper righthand side of the Home page, with a link to the story.<h2 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2rem 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 1.4;">Meet Our Team</h2><h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2rem 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 1.4;">Nancy Smith - Executive Editor</h3><img alt="Nancy Smith" title="Nancy Smith" height="100" width="100" class="media-element left file-preview" data-delta="1" src="https://sunshinestatenews.com/sites/default/files/styles/media_thumbnail/public/story_images/nancy_smith.jpg?itok=aGgpaduE" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; height: auto; display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; float: left !important; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;" />A Connecticut native, Nancy Smith began her journalism career at The Daily Mirror and The Observer newspapers, both in London, England. She served as city editor, managing editor and associate editor at The Stuart News/Port St. Lucie News for 28 years, retiring from Scripps Treasure Coast Newspapers in 2005. She was president of the Florida Society of Newspaper Editors in 1993-1994. More impressive than her wall of awards, she found a way to be stepmother to seven children and still write one of the most compelling and controversial columns on the Treasure Coast. She brought her long-suffering husband Mick and the children back from England in 1974. "Some people go to London and bring back an ashtray," she says. "I came home with something a whole lot better." Contact Nancy Smith at <a href="mailto:nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit;">nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com</a> or (228) 282-2423.When not working, I... play blackjack, find any kind of live sports on television, or work on my novel and pretend people will actually read it.In a previous life, I must've been... a cabaret singer, a suffragette or a criminal.My favorite thing about SSN is... I have the freedom to say what I want to people who frame/decide policy for the greatest state in the U.S.The strangest experience I've had in an interview/as a journalist... in England in my 20s, I walked into a room for my interview, the editor helped me off with my coat and my dress was unzipped clear down the back.You'll find me cheering in the stands for... women and animals above all; then the Patriots, Red Sox, Braves, Arsenal, the Williams sisters -- and yes, even Tiger.<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2rem 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 1.4;">Follow Nancy on Twitter: @NancyLBSmith </h3> <h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2rem 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 1.4;">Ed Dean - Senior Editor</h3><img height="117" width="80" class="media-element file-default" data-delta="1" src="https://sunshinestatenews.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_370w/public/ed-dean-headshot.jpg?itok=KvKiFhRU" alt="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; height: auto; display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; float: left;" />As the top-rated radio show host focusing on Florida, Dean is no stranger to the Sunshine State’s politics. Dean is a regular financial and political commentator on Newsmax TV and a contributor to Fox News 35 in Orlando. In addition, he is a senior media analyst for the Taxpayers Protection Alliance, a Washington D.C. taxpayers advocacy group.  Dean’s work has appeared in the Space Coast Daily and Sunshine State News. Before that, he covered politics for Straight Talk, the Brevard Reporter and WMEL Radio where he won awards for his coverage of the 2004 hurricane season. With his uncle John Buckley, a former Reagan consultant, Dean helped run BTV, a media and polling firm. In 2010, Dean was the featured MC for the “Spending Revolt” bus tour of Florida launched by Americans for Prosperity (AFP). Dean has also worked as a media consultant to politicians, campaigns and businesses groups at the state and national levels and sits on the media advisory board for the American Media Institute. Dean is the owner of the Florida Radio Network. The Ed Dean Radio Show is featured Monday through Friday, 6 to 8 a.m. and 5 to 7 p.m. around the state. Dean is a native Floridian, born on the east coast in Melbourne.When not working, I... Spend time golfing & fishing.In a previous life, I must've been... Calvin Coolidge.My favorite thing about SSN is... Up to date breaking news and the credibility and reputation the publication has.The strangest experience I've had in an interview/as a journalist... There are so many, but one that comes quick to my mind was just a few years ago. In 2011, I was interviewing America's most popular Sheriff, Joe Arpaio of Maricopa County Arizona. He was speaking at an event in Orlando Florida where I was the emcee. On stage, I was conducting a interview with the Sheriff. Earlier, we had gotten word to be prepared for protesters outside the building. But instead of protesting outside, they disguised themselves as paid audience members and sneaked in the auditorium. And of course, they decided to wait till my interview was being conducted; they proceeded to protest, yell and toss verbal profanity at the sheriff. Security jumped in, things started to get physical and I thought World War 3 was starting to break out. But quickly, things calmed down.You'll find me cheering in the stands for... Florida State Seminoles football team and Florida Gators basketball Team.<h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2rem 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 1.4;">Follow Ed on Twitter: @eddeanradio</h3> <h3 dir="ltr" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2rem 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 1.4;">Lane Wright - Education Contributor </h3><img height="117" width="120" class="media-element file-story-image-left" data-delta="2" src="https://sunshinestatenews.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_220w/public/story_images/lanewright-sunshinestatenews.jpg?itok=XxFseg2i" alt="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; height: auto; display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; float: left;" />Lane’s a former journalist and former press secretary to Governor Rick Scott. Now he works for a national education non-profit, <a href="http://educationpost.org/" rel="nofollow" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit;">Education Post</a>, trying to foster better conversations around improving public schools through his writing and <a href="http://educationpost.org/conversation/podcast/" rel="nofollow" target="blank" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; line-height: inherit;">podcasting</a>. His colleagues call him the Jargon Slayer and he has a knack for breaking down complex education reform policy issues into easy-to-understand concepts. He won’t hesitate to call out nonsense, praise success, and admit when things aren’t so black and white.His school advocacy work has appeared in traditional newspapers across the country and in national education publications like The 74. As a father of three children (the oldest of which just started public school), and as a Tallahassee resident, he also contributes to Florida based outlets in Tampa, Jacksonville, and Tallahassee, as well as statewide political shops like Sunshine State News.When not working, I... watch too much Netflix and feel guilty for not reading more books.In a previous life, I must've been... an actor. If I didn’t have to worry about making a living, I’d just do impressions and star in movies.My favorite thing about SSN is... Nancy Smith.The strangest experience I've had in an interview/as a journalist... is asking people who’ve been victims of severe trauma or violence how they feel.You'll find me cheering in the stands for… Truth-tellers, inspiring teachers, and all things BYU. <h3 id="m_1974984569275319780yui_3_16_0_1_1488125120049_5440" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2rem 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 1.4;">Leslie Wimes - Contributing Writer</h3><p id="m_1974984569275319780yui_3_16_0_1_1488125120049_5440" style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; line-height: 1.4; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><img height="122" width="120" class="media-element file-story-image-left" data-delta="1" src="https://sunshinestatenews.com/sites/default/files/styles/article_220w/public/story_images/lesliewimesmug-sunshinestatenews.jpg?itok=NjkrNTQ6" alt="" style="box-sizing: border-box; border: 0px; max-width: 100%; height: auto; display: inline-block; vertical-align: middle; float: left;" />Originally from Indiana, Leslie has called Florida home since 1996. Professionally, she has worked as an ICU Registered Nurse for more than 27 years. In 2008 she jumped into the world of blogging about current events and the state of affairs in Black America for her own site, Women On The Move. Leslie started contributing to Sunshine State News in 2014. Since then, she has appeared on major networks such as CNN, MSNBC, FOX News, BBC, and has been heard on NPR, giving her opinion on presidential elections and Florida politics.When not working, I ... relax at home, read a good book, watch television.In a previous life, I must've been ... a rabble rouser, because one never changes, they only get better!My favorite thing about SSN is ... I love having the different perspectives. There isn't an echo chamber here. We all see things differently, and yet we respect each other's right to do so.The strangest experience I've had in an interview/as a journalist ... I'm an opinion writer, which is different from a journalist, thank God! I get to write what I believe. I suppose it's strange that I'm allowed to do that.You'll find me cheering in the stands for ... My daughter Alexa, always, no matter what she does in life, and the Williams sisters, although I'm not sure how much longer we will have them.Also follow Leslie  on Twitter: @Womenonthemove1 <h3 style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0.2rem 0px 0.5rem; padding: 0px; font-weight: normal; text-rendering: optimizelegibility; line-height: 1.4;">Caitlin Dreher - Copy and Web Editor</h3>A native Floridian, Caitlin Dreher attended the University of Florida where she studied Political Science and Spanish Linguistics. Since graduating Caitlin has consulted for political campaigns and public affairs firms both in and out of state.When not working, I... lift weights at the gym, volunteer, and consume large amounts of literatureIn a previous life, I must've been... a large catMy favorite thing about SSN is... staying up to date on what's happening in politicsYou'll find me cheering in the stands for... Gator Football and the Tampa Bay Lightning</div></div></div>=no lnx pix cartoon vidAfter 10 Glorious Years, Sunshine State News and I Are Passing the BatonBy NANCY SMITHNovember 1, 2019 You probably can't imagine how much fun I've had at Sunshine State News over the last 10 years. I don't think anybody could. How many 65-year-old legacy journalists, trussed in a straitjacket of newsprint, get a chance to jump into the future overnight? Before Sunshine I was clueless about online news production. Sophisticated search engines and algorithms? A foreign language. The company was taking a massive risk on me. But I'm so grateful they did. I was getting a chance to create something that had no equivalent. Nancy SmithThat was Sunshine State News -- in 2010, a queer duck in a capital city where the politics were conservative but the newspaper culture was end-to-end liberal. There was nothing like SSN in Tallahassee. We were the only news organization in Florida -- with the possible exception of Javier Manjarres' "Shark Tank" in Miami -- that professed free-market, less government solutions could fix the problems challenging our state. As the decade progressed, other sites saw the gap and developed their own conservative content -- Biz Pac Review (BPR), The Capitolist and Florida Daily, for example.Our sole reason for being was to fill that gap -- to tell the other side of the stories represented by mainstream media's single voice.Turns out this edgy, right-of-center, pioneering news site fit me like bark on a tree. I'm not exaggerating when I tell you, SSN has been the most fun and at the same time the biggest challenge I've had in an altogether colorful 50-year journalism career.But the time has come to say goodbye. Ten years at the daily rigors of publishing a complete edition are enough. It’s time to hang up my editor’s hat for the second time. I’ve returned to Stuart where I have family and friends -- it’s home, it’s where I started in Florida in 1977. I leave SSN with deep satisfaction and pride in knowing our mission is accomplished, we blazed the trail, and now it’s time to pass the baton.This is Sunshine State News' final edition.Certainly, it's a bittersweet moment for me. Sunshine came along at just the right time and that's what I'll remember most fondly.I had no idea in February 2010 that a staunchly conservative, anti-establishment revolution was about to turn Florida government upside down.We certainly fit right in -- if not in the Capitol press corps, at least in the temper and tumult of the day.From the beginning, every one of us on the Sunshine State News' seven-member staff believed we had a date with destiny, that February 2010 was an auspicious moment for a new publication -- and for thinking anew about the intersection of politics, business, conservative principles and journalism.SSN was determined to depart from the left-leaning herd and find that untold story. We had energy and enthusiasm to burn and a lot of years in a dying newspaper culture. I think of it now as Pulitzer dreams and a Podunk reality -- each of us had a lot to get used to covering the Florida Legislature from an entirely new perspective.This is where I'd like to thank the press corps for their warm and fuzzy welcoming hug. I'd like to, but can't. No smoochies from these folks.We were about as welcome among resident journalists as a set of training wheels at the Tour de France. Ostensibly, reporters for mainstream outfits like The Miami Herald and the (then) St. Petersburg Times were outraged (they said) because SSN wouldn't disclose the names of its owners -- never mind that not a one of these reporters had a clue whose money and what demands were propping up their own newspapers and salaries.When the press corps put out the call for volunteers to take part in the annual press skit, News Editor Kevin Derby and I gave up our Sunday to attend a planning meeting at Times Bureau Chief Steve Bousquet's home. Turns out we were ambushed. Apparently, a number of skit regulars -- including Pulitzer Prize winner Lucy Morgan -- hearing SSN would be attending, protested by boycotting the meeting. They said if SSN was in, they were out. So we stayed out. That was the end of skits night for us. In nine years, SSN was lampooned during at least two productions that I can recall, but not once were we asked to join the Press Center reporters on stage at The Moon.I'm convinced the mainstreamers' opposition to Sunshine had more to do with our "despicable" conservative philosophy than it did with concealing the identity of our owners. Why do I think that? Because in July 2017, when the Times procured a $12 million loan from eight investors, itsCEO and Chairman Paul Tash refused to identify four of them, and the press corps fell silent as a stone. The Press Center, our home in TallahasseeIt didn't enhance SSN's welcome among Press Center reporters that in the winter of 2010 our staff was sucking all the air out of Adams Street, having the time of our lives and drawing a lively lunchtime crowd. It was an election year, after all. What politician can resist a camera in the Silly Season? Among his many talents, Lane Wright, our broadcast journalist, was a professional photographer. Lane had created "The Sunshine Minute," a short interview with any candidate who wanted one. And who didn't? When he set up a camera, chair and umbrella virtually in front of the Governor's Club, lawmakers were lining up to get their "Minute" recorded. The feature ran on the right-hand side of the SSN Home page with huge success for most of that first year.We had a big-screen TV in an architect's office window, where a giant Home page displayed and updated copy 24/7. Admittedly, we weren't exactly recreating Times Square, but when foot traffic on Adams was at its most brisk, there it was -- our best advertisement.We quickly discovered our readers were hungry for our fresh look at topics and issues. Each week, it seemed, we got closer to where we wanted to be -- and set even greater goals for Sunshine.Ponzi schemer Scott Rothstein's birthday cake for CharlieRothstein's birthday cake for CharlieWe had Gov. Charlie Crist's number in so many ways as he lunged toward new, more liberal relationships. As early as mid-March we wrote about his antics -- what the Obama hug really meant, his reluctance to cut the chord with his long-time protege and handpicked party chairman Jim Greer (Greer was indicted on felony charges ranging from money laundering to fraud), and -- my personal favorite story probably because we've got such great photos -- his friendship with Fort Lauderdale attorney Scott Rothstein, who was serving time in a federal prison. Rothstein threw Charlie a 52nd birthday party and gave him a wrapped and ribboned $52,000 check during the singing of "Happy Birthday."The hug that costs Charlie his party membershipOver many months, Rothstein's massive Ponzi scheme parlayed ill-gotten gains into campaign contributions to dozens of Florida politicians and both political parties, including $600,000 to the RPOF. The story was huge for us. We weren't first with it -- it was around longer than Sunshine State News. But we kept the fuse lit on the Rothstein-Crist connection and readers thanked us for it.Charlie Crist's slam-bam-thank-you-ma'm treatment of the party he so professed to love a month earlier was almost as much fun to cover asSen. Mike Bennett's April 29 playtime on the Senate floor, with a Senate computer, during a discussion of the ultrasound/abortion bill. The Bradenton Repub apparently got bored, checked his personal e-mail and sneaked a peak at scantily clad, nipple-baring beach babes. And got caught by our reporter and videographer Lane Wright, who was filming in the press gallery behind him. It was a Kodak moment that went viral on YouTube, seen by half a million people around the globe, with commentary in at least five languages.The Tallahassee media (who, I'm convinced, would have killed to stumble across the video themselves) jumped to Bennett's defense, arguing what he was looking at came nowhere near pornography, and isn't it stupid SSN is getting worked up over what amounts to an old-time postcard?) Never mind the inappropriateness of a senator using his state-issued computer during an important and, frankly, delicate floor debate about respecting women. Meanwhile, change was afoot in Florida government. U.S. Senate candidate Crist was dying in the polls. One of the polls showed him 20 points behind his Republican primary opponent, Marco Rubio. Rubio, son of Cuban exiles and former speaker of the Florida House, was fully emerging. As Crist was flip-flopping his way toward the party door, Rubio grew more and more eloquent, more and more sure of his conservative principles -- the rock star of the 2010 election cycle. Rubio's ascendancy was dazzling and Sunshine State News was there to call it.It was no longer a question of, Will Charlie defect? It was, When will Charlie defect?At Sunshine, we had a pool going -- a free lunch for the staffer who came closest to the date Charlie Crist bolts. Reporter Kevin Derby nailed it.For the first year at Sunshine, I made a mini-career of writing columns about Charlie Crist. I enlisted the help of longtime Scripps Howard Newspapers cartoonist Gale Engelke, who seemed to tap a well of pent-up frustration about this populist career politician. Lawmakers were printing out and framing Gale's cartoons.A Gale Engelke cartoon favoriteAs the 2010 campaigns heated up, so did we at Sunshine State News. And so did a Republican newcomer to the gubernatorial race, Rick Scott. A millionaire. An outsider. The founder of Columbia Hospital Corp. and later CEO of Columbia/HCA, whose company became embroiled in a scandal over its business and Medicare billing practices.Scott woke Bill McCollum up.He also snubbed the media wolf pack in Tallahassee. It was as if a rabid animal had bitten the whole lot of them. They went for his throat.Throughout the entire gubernatorial campaign, Scott with his let's-get-to-workisms was the Maytag repairman, the loneliest guy in town -- when he came to town, that is. Which wasn't often. The Capitol press corps paid zero attention to the wind beneath Scott's wings -- the burgeoning tea party movement in Florida and many in the business community who believed Florida government needs to run like a business. So he returned the sentiment. He never attended a single editorial board interview.Of all the daily newspapers in Florida that make candidate endorsements, every one of them without exception recommended guber hopeful McCollum in the Republican primary, and Democrat Alex Sink in the general election.At Sunshine, we were never sure if Scott's victories in both meant that newspapers don't have the clout they once enjoyed, or that voters just knew what they wanted -- they didn't need help deciding.The most fun we had at Sunshine State News in 2010, without a doubt our greatest contribution to readers and to the election process, was the dozens of polls we commissioned. Over and over, week after week, they were either the most accurate polls taken, or very close.On Oct. 5, nearly a month before the close general election, our Sunshine State News Poll conducted by Pennsylvania-based Voter Survey Service, predicted a Rick Scott victory over Alex Sink by 2 percentage points. In fact, our poll was off the mark in only one race in both elections: We predicted a squeaker in the GOP attorney general primary, with Jeff Kottkamp beating Pam Bondi.In spite of our polls' accuracy, few of our colleagues in the press corps mentioned our results. We weren't to be trusted, apparently. We weren't one of them.It took less than a year in Tallahassee to see the beauty of our exclusion.We came to realize we live in an entrepreneurial age, not an institutional one. The web, among other forces, has crushed much of the comparative advantage that big newspapers once enjoyed. Yes, newspapers are still alive and well in Florida, and I thank God for them. But we who deliver news without paper and ink had a calling. We wanted to be part of the stable of outstanding reporters who add a distinct voice to the public conversation in a new way.Our staff at Sunshine came to realize the work itself mattered more than where they worked. In 2014 SSN moved out of The Press Center. Incidentally, SSN was alone in endorsing Scott for election in 2010. Which may have been why the Tallahassee press corps was convinced Rick Scott was our mystery owner. It's too coincidental, Lucy Morgan told me in a phone call. You come along out of nowhere, he comes along out of nowhere and you're singing his praises.One of the funniest experiences -- funny looking back -- was the night in January 2011 just after the governor was inaugurated -- when I was invited to the Governor's Mansion for dinner. Nobody else in the press corps was, just the editor of SSN. Reporters from the Times and Herald threw a tantrum that night, hovering outside the mansion in protest, their noses pressed against the gate for nearly three hours. Seemed to me, Scott was sending the old guard a subtle message. Until Scott's inauguration, they had called the shots. They had friends in Capitol offices to help them get information, gain access, trade favors. Didn't happen so much after that night. Scott was the new sheriff. He brought in a lot of new people, chased out many of the old staff, leaving the press corps at square-one to forge relationships all over again.Politicians, strategists and the media never fully fathomed Scott that first year. They never understood he already had made his mark on the world. He didn't need to become governor to be a big fish; he already was one. Scott's time at Columbia/HCA got the most attention -- certainly from his enemies -- but he also excelled as a venture capitalist, launching Solantic and other companies. His life optimized much of the American dream. Scott wanted to get Florida's economy back on track. He was pure tea party. His focus on job creation and economic growth helped him beat McCollum in the Republican primary and then Sink in the general election. Florida voters might have thought Scott cut an awkward, sometimes grating public figure, but they trusted him on economic issues like they trusted no one else.Over the years, SSN has attracted national attention from top-flight news organizations such as Drudge Report, Fox News, Politico, CNN, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and even, yes, The New York Times.We were honored in the summer of 2011 to see SSN's Chatterbox voted one of Florida's best political blogs by Washington Post readers.We've also been fortunate to have some very good people work for us -- some for a little while, others -- mercifully -- for much longer. Here are a few of them:Kevin Derby, graduate of Trinity College, was my first hire, first to walk through the door at The Press Center. Kevin, who lives in Tallahassee, knows more about state political history than anybody I know -- in fact, more about everything, come to that (he's right now waiting to be called as a "Jeopardy" contestant). I wish him well at the growing conservative site Florida Daily, where he is managing editor and the publication's inspiration.Lane Wright. Our broadcast reporter. Rick Scott's Press Office snatched Lane up in 2011. He went from the governor to a number of education nonprofits, and on occasion, still writes for Sunshine about charter school education.Kenric Ward. A prolific writer and committed conservative who left us to become the Virginia bureau chief of Watchdog.org and then a reporter for The Texas Monitor. His work has appeared at Fox News, the Houston Chronicle, Washington Times, Washington Examiner, TownHall, Roll Call, and Human Events.Jim Turner. When Jim was covering the Florida Legislature for us, he had his hands in literally dozens of committees and poured out at least three stories a day. Unfortunately for us, the News Service of Florida wanted Jim's industry, too.Allison Nielsen. Allison, who covered the Legislature from 2014 until early 2018, started with Sunshine just a few years out of college. She left to work for Congressman Tom Rooney, R-Fla. and now for Congressman Mike Waltz, R-Fla.I knew Sunshine was a winner when the Florida Democratic Party felt the need to assign "professional commenters" to read the stories on our website daily and either trash the message or demonize the messenger. For example, I always knew whatever I wrote, "Frank" would find me "pathetic." Most of all, I want to thank you, our readers, whom we've come to think of as family. We discovered you've developed a connection. Your comments beneath stories show us how well you understand each other. Sometimes it actually strikes me as if we're all sitting around a dinner table together, having it out over another serving of mashed potatoes. I'm going to miss a lot, but perhaps that camaraderie most of all.I've appreciated your infinite patience. We didn't do everything right all of the time, God knows. We sometimes were short-handed, we could make bad calls, we missed stories you wanted to read, glitches developed in our system. And you've always sounded off about them. But you also gave us another chance to get better. You stuck with us.For nearly 10 years Sunshine State News gave a unique signature to the job of covering business and politics in the state of Florida. I'll always be very proud of that. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for all of it. You have always been the heart and soul of who we are.I think that well-worn line from Winnie the Pooh sums up what I'm feeling now: "How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard,” said Pooh.Reach Nancy Smith at nancybutlersmith@yahoo.com or at 228-282-2423. Twitter: @NancyLBSmith=random col grab?
Florida Continues to Flow Down History's RiverBy KEVIN DERBYNovember 1, 2019 - 6:00amThe Ribault MonumentSituated on the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and overlooking the St. Johns River, the view from the Ribault Monument is one of Jacksonville’s hidden gems. From that point on St.Ethics Be Damned: Tampa Bay Times Protects Its Conflict of InterestBy JIM BLEYEROctober 29, 2019 - 6:00amTim Nickens, John Hornbeck and Barry EdwardsThe continuing saga of the Tampa Bay Times’ ethics "challenges" inveigled its way into a St.Matt Gaetz Fact-Checks MSNBC and Shows the Sham by Adam SchiffBy BRAD SLAGEROctober 28, 2019 - 6:00amHallie Jackson, Matt Gaetz and Adam SchiffLast week Washington D.C. and the media complex were in a collective uproar over events in the House of Representatives. A couple of dozen GOP members, led by Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla. held an impromptu press conference and then staged a sit-in where Adam Schiff was conducting a closed-door hearing.Clarence Thomas to Teach a Course at UF ... Still in the Shadow Anita Hill CastsBy BRAD SLAGEROctober 26, 2019 - 9:00amJustice Clarence ThomasThe University of Florida Law School has risen in respect over time and that has earned the state school a high honor: The UF Levin College of Law will have a sitting Supreme Court justice teach aCOUNTERPOINT: Parental Consent Bill Fraught with Danger for Pregnant GirlsBy NANCY SMITHOctober 25, 2019 - 6:00am
Another year, another opportunity for Florida to conjure up an abortion bill to shame a woman or scare the daylights out of a girl.POINT: Parental Consent for Underage Abortions Is a NaturalBy BRAD SLAGEROctober 25, 2019 - 6:00am
Coming on the heels of a proposal filed for a heartbeat abortion bill, another abortion biThe Morality of CapitalismBy LARRY SALZMANOctober 24, 2019 - 8:00amLarry SalzmanSocialism is popular again. The rise of politicians such as Bernie Sanders and Alexandra Ocasio-Cortez shows how the promises of socialism are once again influencing our political debate.Guest Column'Brazen' Matt Gaetz Leads GOP Lawmakers on a Protest for Impeachment TransparencyBy BRAD SLAGEROctober 24, 2019 - 8:00amMatt Gaetz leads GOP charge against impeachment secrecyAs the contentious impeachment effort continues in the U.S. House of Representatives, one Florida Congressman is spearheading an effort to open up the process for public display.Identity Politics Is Shattering Democrats' 2020 HopesBy JIM BLEYEROctober 23, 2019 - 6:00am
The conventional wisdom that earlier this year projected the 2020 political demise of Donald Trump and the Democratic control of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives lies in tatters.Now for This Drama-Queen Democratic Ado about the DoralBy BRAD SLAGEROctober 19, 2019 - 6:00amTrump National DoralThe typical collective over-the-top outcry from the left -- the one that comes to anything President Trump enacts or simply announces -- was working overtime this week.Will This Be the Year the Bible Manditorily Reaches Florida Public Classrooms?By BRAD SLAGEROctober 18, 2019 In another sign that the supposed move in the country away from conservatism is more media hype than political reality, a bill in Tallahassee is back for another shot at embedding Bible courses inBillionaire Leftist George Soros Bought America's Media. Why Hasn't Anybody Noticed?By NANCY SMITHOctober 17, 2019 - 8:00amGeorge SorosClenched-teeth presidential debaters unloaded Tuesday night on Big Pharma, Big Tech, Big-Almost-Everything -- any industry that pours Big Bucks into influencing American politics.Talks Heat up around Andrew Gillum as a Running Mate, Exposing Dems' Narrow BenchBy BRAD SLAGEROctober 15, 2019 - 6:00amAndrew Gillum and Elizabeth WarrenWith the latest Democratic presidential debate taking place tonight in Ohio, there is growing focus on the leaders, and with that some forward-thinking speculation.Pocahontas Warren Fibs Her Way to a Democratic Polling LeadBy JEFFREY A. RENDALLOctober 14, 2019 - 6:00amElizabeth WarrenHow important is it for a politician to tell the truth about his or her personal history?Guest ColumnSenate Intelligence Report on 2016 Election Details Russian Misinformation Efforts in FloridaBy BRAD SLAGEROctober 11, 2019 - 6:00amVoters wait to cast ballots in Miami on Nov. 6, 2018As part of a series of reports from the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee covering the influence of Russia on the 2016 general election, the latest release has just been made public.Mounting Pre-Filed Gun Bills Are More 2020 Campaign Statements than Actionable LegislationBy JOHN HAUGHEY THE CENTER SQUAREOctober 10, 2019 - 8:00am
Florida could become the 16th state to adopt “constitutional carry,” meaning no permit would be required to publicly carry a firearm, or lawmakers could impose more restrictions on concealed and opCan Florida Become the Next State to Pass a Heartbeat Abortion Law?By BRAD SLAGEROctober 7, 2019 - 8:30am
In Tallahassee last week, in the House, Rep.Who's Getting Punished for Sex Crimes at Florida Day Spas? Here's a Hint: It's NOT the MenBy NANCY SMITHOctober 7, 2019 - 8:30amRobert Kraft, foreground, in July, his lifestyle unchangedIf raids on the Orchids of Asia Day Spa in Jupiter and other Florida massage parlors were meant to crack down on human trafficking and protect women, they have done exactly the opposite.Will Florida Democrats Be Staging Their State Convention Without Any Presidential Candidates ... Again?By BRAD SLAGEROctober 3, 2019 - 7:00amLeadership Blue Conference last June. Credit: floridapoliticsNext weekend, Oct. 11-13, the Florida Democratic Party is holding its annual state convention in Orlando.Ukrainegate Shows We Need Fred Fleitz as Director of National IntelligenceBy GEORGE RASLEYOctober 2, 2019 - 6:00am
Our friends at NewsMax recently carried a column by Scott Uehlinger, a retired CIA station chief and naval officer, explaining the dire situation within America’s intelligence community.Guest ColumnThe Iowa Caucus in Florida? It Could HappenBy BRAD SLAGEROctober 1, 2019 - 8:00am
Whether it deserves the distinction or not, the Iowa Caucus has been elevated to something just shy of virtual kingmaker of American politics.Is Joe Biden the Real Target of the Ukraine Scandal?By CONSERVATIVE HQ STAFFSeptember 27, 2019 - 6:00amJoe and Hunter BidenThe more the establishment media and the Democrats talk about the Ukraine and the president’s phone call with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, the more the spotlight falls on Joe Biden’s ne’Guest ColumnRon DeSantis Stands Tall for President TrumpBy NANCY SMITHSeptember 27, 2019 - 6:00amRon DeSantis and Donald TrumpSometimes it isn't about the money. Gov.My 'Massa' Says I Can’t Vote For Bernie SandersBy LESLIE WIMESSeptember 26, 2019 - 6:00am
For those who aren’t aware, my “Massa” is me. I control who I vote for. My reasons are my own.Why Dems Drooling over a 'Whistleblower' Impeachment Will Fail AgainBy BRAD SLAGERSeptember 25, 2019 - 9:00am
Throughout the weekend, D.C. was in a severe lather over the latest outrage/scandal/impeachable offense involving the president. In fact it continues to gather steam well into this week.On National Voter Registration Day Andrew Gillum Celebrates By Invoking ‘Voter Suppression’By BRAD SLAGERSeptember 24, 2019 - 8:00am
Today is National Voter Registration Day, and of course Andrew Gillum, who has taken up the initiative to register a slew of new voters for the upcoming 2020 election, is excited.Remembering Why Free Speech Is ImportantBy WEN FASeptember 23, 2019 - 6:00amWen FaAt a time when freedom of speech seems to be under assault, it’s worth stepping back to reconsider why it matters.Guest ColumnDems Open 2021 Door for a GOP Mayor in St. PeteBy JIM BLEYERSeptember 21, 2019 - 7:00amJeff Brandes would be a powerful opponent in a predominantly blue cityAn ordinarily innocuous St. Petersburg City Council race has roiled local politics and become a key bellwether as to who will be the next mayor of Florida’s fifth largest city.Americans Should Honor POW/MIA Recognition DayBy JOE SESTAKSeptember 20, 2019 - 10:15amJoe SestakToday is National POW/MIA Recognition Day.Guest ColumnLoad moreadvertisement
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