Fla.'s Crist Works Across the Eco-Lines

Governor's strength in Fla. an important asset

(NEWSER) - Florida’s importance in the general election can hardly be overstated, and his presumed ability to deliver it for the Republicans is at the heart of the case for popular governor Charlie Crist in the veepstakes, writes Chris Cillizza for the Washington Post. McCain may select a VP with more conservative bona fides, assuming he’ll take Florida with or without Crist, but that could be a mistake. More»

State will acquire 175,000 acrose

(NEWSER) - Florida plans to buy 187,000 acres of land from the nation's biggest sugar company in what both state officials and environmentalists are hailing as a landmark deal to save the Everglades, the St. Petersburg Times reports. Under the deal, which may not be finalized until November, Florida will pay $1.75 billion to acquire the land from US Sugar Corp. in six years. More»

Use of Talking Heads song 'Road to Nowhere' at issue

(NEWSER) - David Byrne has sued Charlie Crist for $1 million, saying the Florida governor used the Talking Heads song "Road to Nowhere" in an ad without permission. Crist, who was then running in the Republican Senate primary, used the song in an attack ad targeting Marco Rubio. "I was pretty upset by that," Byrne tells Billboard . More»

Health care reform law opposition becomes Republican litmus test

(NEWSER) - The push to repeal health care reform has become a rallying cry for GOP candidates pushing for big congressional victories this year and eager to show their willingness to take on the Democratic agenda. In Florida, Gov. Charlie Crist and conservative upstart Marco Rubio agreed on little else in a weekend debate, during which Crist used the issue to appear just as ready as Rubio to fight President Obama. John McCain and Sarah Palin delivered a similar message while stumping for his re-election. More»

(NEWSER) - With Florida’s python population exploding, state wildlife officials are going on the offensive, hiring a team of trained hunters to track down the alarmingly large snakes and take them out, the Miami Herald reports. “There’s one way to do this: kill the snakes,” says Florida Sen. Bill Nelson, who yesterday called for a hunt in the federally protected Everglades National Park, said to be home to 100,000 of them, each up to 20 feet long. More»