THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010
GULF OF MEXICO
Expedition Sets off to Try to Contain Oil Leak
ON THE GULF OF MEXICO -- A 100-ton concrete-and-steel contraption designed to siphon off the oil fouling the Gulf of Mexico was being hauled to the spot in the sea where a blown-out well is spewing hundreds of thousands of gallons of petroleum a day. Engineers hope it will be the best short-term solution to controlling the leak that has only worsened since it began two weeks ago. A boat hauling the specially built containment box and dome structure pushed off Wednesday evening from the Louisiana coast and was expected to arrive at the site of the disaster sometime Thursday. [Source: AP / St. Petersburg Times]
More: Full coverage from Florida's front line
More: Oil spill imperils fragile world
More: South Florida companies ready to help
SPACE COAST
Obama's NASA Plan May be in Jeopardy
President Obama's grand plans for NASA appear in big trouble. Three weeks after Obama told an audience at Kennedy Space Center that he wants to land astronauts on an asteroid by 2025, Congress remains unconvinced, largely because Obama's proposal also puts commercial rocket companies in charge of getting astronauts to the International Space Station after the space shuttle is retired this year. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
TAMPA
WellCare May Pursue Cash From Former CEO
WellCare Health Plans Inc., the Florida-based health insurer, may try to recover money from former Chief Executive Officer Todd S. Farha after finding claims of financial misstatements "have merit." Claims against Farha, who also had been chairman, and former Chief Financial Officer Paul L. Behrens, may be pursued as part of a proposed lawsuit settlement, Tampa-based WellCare said in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. [Source: Bloomberg]
Also: WellCare unveils partial settlement in shareholders suit
TALLAHASSEE
Crist Feeling Pressure on Abortion Bill
Facing an intense public outcry, Charlie Crist confronts possibly the toughest decision of his term as governor: whether to sign or veto a bill anti-abortion advocates call the "most significant pro-life measure that's ever happened in Florida's history." The high-stakes verdict holds political implications for Crist's U.S. Senate campaign and highlights a polarizing issue that the candidate would rather avoid, given his mixed record on abortion. [Source: Times / Herald]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Broward School Board Seeks Tax Hike
After six hours of debate, the Broward School Board agreed to seek a property tax increase, eliminate some employee benefits and further reduce administrative costs as part of its plan to plug a $130 million budget hole.
› Economy Stifles New Golf Courses
Golf course architect Gordon Lewis of Naples has carved out a nice career as the designer of nearly 50 courses in Lee and Collier counties alone.
But after churning out a handful of designs and renovations every year for much of the past three decades, Lewis and others have seen a once-thriving business sector in Southwest Florida decimated by the global economy and an oversupply of courses locally.
› West Palm Beach Shopping Mecca in Trouble
To all appearances, CityPlace, the retail jewel in the crown of West Palm Beach, shines as brightly as ever. Finances are another story. Fitch Ratings Service has categorized the outdoor shopping mecca's owner as in "imminent default" on a $150 million loan. Also uncertain is how CityPlace's loan trouble could affect one of the county's most pressing economic needs: construction of a convention center hotel across the street.
› Oil Spill Command Center Opens in St. Petersburg
A command post to respond to any spilled oil that touches Florida's west coast is open for business. Sector St. Petersburg, the Coast Guard's local base, will house the officials and scientists whose job it is to help track the oil, plan a response and coordinate any cleanup from the Fenholloway River in Taylor County south to Everglades City in Collier County.
› Cities, Counties Eye Red-Light-Camera Cash
Millions of dollars already have been made by red-light cameras, and even more money appears to be on the way for governments and private companies that operate the systems at intersections throughout Florida.
› Investors Can't Ignore Greek Crisis
The stock market remained volatile on Wednesday. It has posted a two-day loss of 285 points. The trigger is Greece, whose debt troubles threaten the pace of a global economic recovery. It is a growing concern even though the country's population is less than one-third of California's. The overriding issue is the financial health of Europe, and of an economic alliance on a continent that still matters despite faster growth in places like China and India.
› TV, Web Sales Have St. Pete-based HSN Clicking
In the past few years, HSN has revamped nearly every corner of its operations, including new high-definition TV sets, new high-fashion designers, celebrity chefs and massive investments in multimedia operations online and on cell phones. The changes showed up in sales, which grew 9 percent.
› Firm Envisions Winter Wonderland in North Miami
If Solar Mountain turns into a reality, the team behind the entertainment park project says it can generate $356.7 million a year in economic impact for North Miami and Miami-Dade County. The Solar Mountain team is trying to convince the city to greenlight its plans for an indoor ski mountain and winter wonderland.
› Haitians Face Deadline for Protected Status
Illegal immigrants have a chance to stay here until July 2011. Of the tens of thousands who have applied nationwide, nearly 31,000 are from Florida, including more than 6,300 in Palm Beach County.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Big GOP Donors to Crist: Return Our Money
Some of Florida’s most influential and deep-pocketed Republican donors — including several heavyweights from Jacksonville — are asking Gov. Charlie Crist for a refund. A letter condemning Crist for leaving the Republican Party in his campaign for U.S. Senate was released by the Marco Rubio campaign on Wednesday.
› Seminole Tribe Extends Warm Welcome to Crist
If the Seminole Tribe of Florida included millions of members -- as opposed to its actual 3,200 or so members -- Gov. Charlie Crist might well be a shoo-in for U.S. Senate.
› Study Gives Florida an 'F' in Pre-K
While Florida ranked second in the country for the percentage of 4-year-olds enrolled in pre-Kindergarten, it ranked next-to-last on total funding and last for meeting quality standards, according to the report from the National Institute for Early Education Research at Rutgers University.
› Drilling Becomes Issue in Senate Race
Rep. Kendrick Meek Wednesday backed two tough anti-oil industry bills, as the spill in the Gulf of Mexico began to emerge as a political dividing line in the U.S. Senate race. Meek, the likely Democratic nominee for the Senate seat, and U.S. Sen Bill Nelson teamed up on legislation to block the Obama administration from carrying out plans to expand offshore drilling -- at least until the cause of the Gulf spill is uncovered.
› Some Help for Struggling Orlando-area Homeowners
SunTrust mortgage customers facing foreclosure will soon start getting phone calls, e-mails and regular mail from Consumer Credit Counseling Service of Central Florida. Fannie Mae, announced Wednesday that it has signed up the counseling service to contact SunTrust mortgage customers in the Orlando area — one of the country's hardest-hit cities for foreclosures.
Also: Chase opens mortgage-modification center in Tampa area
› Another Monkey Sighting in Pinellas
That wily monkey is at it again and appears to be heading north. This time, his flashy appearance on a pool deck left a terrified Coquina Key homeowner shuttered in her home for hours. "I stayed inside all day," said Rosalie Broten, 59. "I didn't know what to do."