MiamiHerald.com: Florida
Lots of new laws — about 150 in all — take effect Sunday in Florida.
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Saturday, June 30, 2012
State’s loser lawsuits waste taxpayer money
Friday, June 29, 2012
DOJ won't prosecute Holder
The White House and the Justice Department made clear Friday what had been expected all along: Attorney General Eric Holder will not face criminal prosecution under the contempt of Congress citation passed by the U.S. House. 
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Thursday, June 28, 2012
Supreme Court strikes down Stolen Valor Act
The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a federal law called the Stolen Valor Act which prohibits a person from falsely claiming that he has been awarded a military honor.
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Reverse mortgages confuse elderly, report finds
More Americans are getting reverse mortgages — and that's not a good thing, according the government's consumer finance watchdog. It warned that the program could cost some seniors extra cash or even their homes.
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Mayor Signs Economic Development Legislation
City of Jacksonville - News RSS
Plan streamlines process to make Jacksonville more competitiveMayor Alvin Brown's plan to streamline city job-creating functions by transforming the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission into an executive-run Office of Economic Development is now official.
Mayor Brown signed his economic development legislation (2012-212) today at 9:30 a.m. while commending City Council for the unanimous vote on June 26, 2012, backing the mayor's vision for Jacksonville's future.
"This is more than policy and it's more than structure," said the mayor. "It's the unanimous opinion of our elected City Council to do what's right for the taxpayers. It's the conversation-starter with business leaders wondering where to expand or relocate. And it's a solution for the nearly 38,000 people in our city who remain out of work and deserve a chance to rebuild themselves."
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Massive new courthouse with only one handicap parking spot?
Firstcoastnews.com Local News
Jacksonville, Fla -- Hundreds of people come to the Duval County courthouse Monday through Friday, but outside there is only one handicap parking space. Sent with Reeder
Dinosaurs May Have Been Warm-Blooded
Discovery News - Top Stories
How warm an animal is has an impact on their metabolism -- and how quickly they can grow and have babies. Sent with Reeder
What the Health Care Ruling Means
Discovery News - Top Stories
The Supreme Court left standing the basic provisions of President Obama's health care overhaul. Here's what it means for you. Sent with Reeder
Smile gets defendant six more months in prison &8212; and Eighth Circuit affirms
National Law Journal
A district court has the discretion to boost a prison sentence because the defendant smiled at the sentencing, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit has ruled. Sent with Reeder
Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Jacksonville will need to contribute an additional $47 million for police and fire pensions
Jacksonville Local News – Jacksonville.com and The Florida Times-Union
Jacksonville is facing an 61.3 percent increase in how much it will have to contribute to the Police and Fire Pension Fund, with the amount projected to top $122 million for each of the next three yeas.
That means the city's contribution will be equal to just over 80 percent of its unionized public safety payroll.
Last fiscal year, the police and fire fund received $75.6 million from the city.
The increase stems from a new actuarial valuation report that requires the fund to change several of the assumptions that help determine how much money it needs.
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Monday, June 25, 2012
Nearly 3 in 10 have no emergency savings
A new survey from Bankrate.com finds that 28 percent of Americans haven't saved any money at all to cover their bills in case of a job loss or other disaster.
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Supreme Court partially strikes down Arizona immigration law but upholds controversial section
JURIST - Paper Chase
[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website] on Monday ruled 5-3 [opinion, PDF] that three provisions of Arizona's controversial immigration law [SB 1070 materials; JURIST news archive] are preempted by federal law but upheld the most controversial provision. In Arizona v. United States [SCOTUSblog backgrounder], four specific provisions of the law were at issue: Section 2(B), which requires police officers to check the immigration status of anyone whom they arrest and allows police to stop and arrest anyone whom they... Sent with Reeder
Supreme Court rules mandatory life sentences for juveniles unconstitutional
JURIST - Paper Chase
[JURIST] The US Supreme Court on Monday ruled 5-4 [opinion, PDF] in two combined cases that mandatory life sentences for juveniles violate the Eighth Amendment [text] prohibition against cruel and unusual punishment. In Miller v. Alabama and Jackson v. Hobbs [SCOTUSblog backgrounders], the court was asked to consider the life sentences of two 14-year-old boys who, after being convicted of murder, were sentenced to life in prison based on a statutory mandate. The sentencing judge had no authority to give... Sent with Reeder
Supreme Court strikes down Montana campaign finance law
JURIST - Paper Chase
[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website] on Monday issued a per curiam opinion [text, PDF], striking down a century-old campaign finance law in Montana that restricts the amount of money corporations can spend on campaigns. In American Tradition Partnership, Inc. v. Bullock [SCOTUSblog backgrounder], the court found that the restrictions imposed by Montana's 1912 Corrupt Practices Act [PPL backgrounder] were already rejected by the 2010 Supreme Court ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission [opinion, PDF; JURIST report],... Sent with Reeder
Sunday, June 24, 2012
U.S. Lags In Halting Preventable Death
Most Popular Stories: CBSNews.com
Of 19 Industrialized Countries, U.S. Has Highest Rate Of Preventable Deaths Before Age 75, Researchers Report
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Friday, June 22, 2012
Florida board approves university tuition hike
Jacksonville Local News – Jacksonville.com and The Florida Times-Union
ORLANDO - Ignoring the will of Gov. Rick Scott, the Board of Governors for the state's university system approved 15 percent tuition increases for four of the 11 universities Thursday. The University of North Florida was not one of them.
UNF had asked for 15 percent but instead got 13 percent, which President John Delaney said isn't enough.
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Thursday, June 21, 2012
Federal report shows little progress in Everglades
MiamiHerald.com: Florida
Little progress has been made in restoring the Everglades and the fragile ecosystem continues to be degraded as projects with the greatest potential benefits are put off, a congressionally mandated report released Thursday found.
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Justices order electronic filing for Fla. courts
Supreme Court rules on extent of criminal fines
JURIST - Paper Chase
[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website] ruled 6-3 [opinion, PDF] Thursday that any fact other than a prior conviction which leads to a sentence greater than the statutory maximum must be submitted to the jury. In Southern Union Co. v. United States [SCOTUSblog backgrounder], the defendant was convicted under a criminal statute which imposed per diem fines for violations. The jury was not asked to determine the number of days that Southern Union Co. engaged in the violation and... Sent with Reeder
Supreme Court rules union must allow nonmembers to object to political contributions
JURIST - Paper Chase
[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website] ruled 6-2 [opinion, PDF] Thursday that unions cannot increase mandatory fees of nonmembers for political expenditures without providing adequate notice and opportunity to object. In Knox v. Service Employees Int'l Union [SCOTUSblog backgrounder] a group of nonunion, public employees in California sued their union, Service Employees International Union (SEIU), for imposing a fee increase for political expenditures halfway through the year without providing an opportunity to object. Under California Law, public employees are... Sent with Reeder
Supreme Court expands application of Fair Sentencing Act
JURIST - Paper Chase
[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website] ruled 5-4 [decision, PDF] Thursday that the Fair Sentencing Act (FSA) [materials; JURIST report], which reduces minimum sentences for crack-cocaine convictions, applies to defendants who were sentenced after the act was in place, even if they were arrested before the act took effect. In the combined cases of Dorsey v. United States and Hill v. United States [SCOTUSblog backgrounders], the court considered which sentencing guidelines should be applied. In Dorsey, the defendant was... Sent with Reeder
Supreme Court rules FCC indecency guidelines too vague
JURIST - Paper Chase
[JURIST] The US Supreme Court [official website] on Thursday ruled unanimously [decision, PDF] that the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) [official website] indecency guidelines were too vague to be properly enforced. The case, Federal Communications Commission v. Fox Television Stations, Inc. [SCOTUSblog backgrounder], hinges on indecency issues raised in two separate broadcasts: one in which a deliberate nudity scene appeared in a television crime show during prime-time hours, and the other involving celebrities using expletives during live broadcasting events. The FCC's... Sent with Reeder
Video shows Zimmerman's account of fatal fight
MiamiHerald.com: Florida
A newly-released video shows Florida neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman at the scene of Trayvon Martin's fatal shooting a day later giving police a blow-by-blow account of his fight with the teen.
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Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Delaney calls UNF grad rate an 'Achilles heel'
Jacksonville Local News – Jacksonville.com and The Florida Times-Union
TALLAHASSEE | University of North Florida President John Delaney said Wednesday that the school's lagging graduation rate was its "Achilles heel" as he presented of the school's 2012-13 work plan to the state's Board of Governors.
A set of committees are considering plans from every state university, with final votes by the board set for this afternoon. Its strategic planning committee gave the non-financial portions of UNF's plans an initial green-light Wednesday but didn't vote the on proposed 15 percent tuition hike or fee hikes, which will be addressed today.
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