Paper Ballots Rock the Vote

State has narrowed gap between rich and poor students: ProPublica

(NEWSER) - Jeb Bush has made a name for himself for education reform in Florida , and a first-of-its kind analysis by ProPublica suggests he's not just blowing smoke by at least one important measure. Florida now has the highest percentage of high school students in advanced classes and, crucially, "that holds true across rich and poor districts." In other states—including Oklahoma, Maryland, and Kansas, 60 years removed from Brown vs. the Board of Education—the rich-poor gap remains wide. Generally speaking, kids in wealthy districts in those states have plenty of AP courses to choose from, and kids in high-poverty districts have few. (The story includes an interactive feature for people to see how their own schools stack up. Click here for that.) More»

... on YouTube, no less

(NEWSER) - Former Florida Gov. Charlie Crist had to eat crow today—on YouTube. As part of a settlement with David Byrne for using a Talking Heads song without permission, Crist had to post a video with a formal apology, reports the Orlando Sentinel . "I pledge that, should there be any future election campaigns for me, I will respect and uphold the rights of artists and obtain permission or a license for the use of any copyrighted work," said Crist. His Senate campaign last year used "Road to Nowhere" in a spot against Marco Rubio. More»

Band members still insist he never showed anything

(NEWSER) - Jim Morrison was appealing his conviction for indecent exposure when he died in 1971. Nearly 40 years later, he'll finally get his wish: Florida Gov. Charlie Crist will pardon Morrison today, a day after the Doors singer would have turned 67. Surviving band members still insist Morrison never actually exposed himself at the 1969 Miami concert, though he did tease the crowd. More»

Door's open: 'anything possible' before Crist leaves office

(NEWSER) - His Senate bid may have failed, but outgoing Florida Gov. Charlie Crist may still make his mark ... on rock and roll history: He’s considering pardoning Jim Morrison for indecent exposure charges at a 1969 concert. “It's something I’m willing to look into in the time I have left,” Crist told the Hill . “Anything is possible.” Doors fans have long sought vindication for their hero. More»

Guess who's No. 1?

(NEWSER) - When it comes to the most covered candidates of the midterm elections, is it any surprise that Tea Partiers claim five of the top 10 slots? The Pew’s Project for Excellence in Journalism analyzed the election stories produced by 52 TV networks, websites, radio stations, and newspapers since Jan. 1 and added up those in which a candidate was featured in more than 50% of the story. Its results:

1. Christine O’Donnell: the lead newsmaker in 160 stories
2. Meg Whitman: 90 stories
3. Rand Paul: 88 stories
4. Joe Sestak: 85 stories
5. Sharron Angle: 80 stories