Florida poll roundup: Numbers on Gov. Scott, Senate race and Obama

From Quinnipiac University comes three new Florida-centric polls:

• Gov. Scott's approval rating falls to 36%
  52 percent of Florida voters disapprove of how Scott is doing his job while only 36 percent approve. [Source: TBO.com]
• Nelson opens up 8 point lead on Mack
  U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson has 44 - 36 percent lead over Connie Mack. That's up from a virtual tie in January. [Source: Tampa Bay Times Buzz Blog]
• If the Presidential election were held today...
  Obama tops Romney 49 - 42 percent;
  Obama beats Santorum 50 - 37 percent.
  Helping Obama's numbers is that women favor him, and the improving economy is also a plus factor. [Source: Quinnipiac]

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Analysis: Florida turns 'Gunshine State' after years of Republican control

In Oct. 2011, a law went into effect that permits anyone with a concealed weapon permit to bring their gun with them into the state Capitol. Because of that and the controversial "stand your ground' provision, Florida has become a national laboratory for firearm regulations. "The goal of the gun lobby is to make Florida their armed utopia and spread that mentality nationally," said Dan Gross, president of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence. "It’s the Gunshine State," said Kent Morden, manager at U.S. Pawn & Auto Inc. in Longwood. "Everybody’s got one."
More from Bloomberg.

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State justices agree to hear Florida's pension appeal

The Florida Supreme Court will hear the state's appeal of a judge's ruling that struck down a requirement for public employees to contribute to their pensions. The law says public employees contribute 3 percent of their pay to the Florida Retirement System. That includes teachers, state and county employees and some city workers. Oral arguments are set for Sept. 5. More from AP.

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Building codes in Florida rated best in hurricane protection

Florida ranks highest among 18 hurricane-region states for building codes and their enforcement, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety says. The state got 95 points out of 100. Institute President Julie Roch?man presented the findings at the National Hurricane Conference on Wednesday. More from the Palm Beach Post.

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Seniors finding way back into work force

According to U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, the number of employed people 65 and older rose from 4.3 million in 2002 to 7.2 million this year. The number of working seniors 75 and older is now 1.3 million, up 41.2 percent from a decade ago. Victoria Funes, associate state director of AARP Florida, said the economy has particularly affected the 401(k) savings of seniors. "And so they find it necessary to stay in the workplace not only for financial reasons but also to be able to continue their health care coverage," she said. [Source: Lakeland Ledger]

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Out of the Box
The latest solar-powered, submersible, self-propelled robot uses social media
From the depths of the Gulf of Mexico, a solar-powered robot is tweeting a message -- in 140 characters or less. USF marine systems engineer David Fries explains Tavros02's tweeting is more than a novelty. He envisions the messages being used to give researchers alerts about oil spills or red tides, to give fishing reports, to alert port officials about possible security breaches or to educate students. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
[Photo: University of South Florida]

Video below from ABC Action News: