Sunshine State

(Newser) - A federal appeals court today tossed a lawsuit from a Florida Democrat who claimed the Democratic National Committee violated his rights by stripping the state of primary delegates. But the challenge might not be dead, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports: A lower court ruled the plaintiff lacked standing because he hadn't voted in a Florida primary; now that he has, he could amend the suit. More »

(Newser) - A stingray leapt out of the water and struck a 55-year-old Michigan woman who was sunbathing on the deck of a boat off the Florida Keys yesterday, CNN reports. The woman, who was with her husband and children, was knocked to the ground and pronounced dead at a local hospital. No word on the specific cause of death yet, but local reports say she was impaled through the neck by the 75 lb. ray's barb. More »

(Newser) - The Obama and Clinton campaigns rejected a compromise plan for seating Florida’s delegates—half according to its illicit January primary and the other half based on national vote totals or delegate counts. Sunshine State lawmakers are demanding their state get some sort of say in the tight Dem race; one suggested the candidates “get in a room together and work this thing out.” More »

(Newser) - Michigan officials are close to a deal on how to stage a primary do-over for Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama, the AP reports. No date has been set, but details may be released tomorrow. It likely will be a regular primary, and it must be staged sometime before June 10. In Florida, meanwhile, plans for a re-vote hit a brick wall today as opposition surfaced to the idea of conducting it by mail. More »

(Newser) - Seven Cuban soccer players defected from the national team over the last two days—five on Tuesday and two last night—slipping from their Tampa hotel after a game to seek asylum in the US, the Miami Herald reports. The first five have contacted a lawyer and are in discussions with a second-tier soccer team, Miami FC; they may start training as soon as today, Reuters reports. The loss of seven players could be the team’s downfall in Olympic trials. More »

(Newser) - Florida Democrats will announce plans for a new June 3 mail-in primary, despite opposition from the state's congressional delegation and concern from both candidates,  USA Today reports. Opponents are concerned ballots may fail to reach low-income voters who tend to change addresses frequently. Hillary Clinton wants the results of the original primary, which she won, to stand. More »

(Newser) - Americans need a vacation—badly—with fewer than two-thirds of workers using their allotted time last year, reports Forbes . But not everyone's idea of fun is vegging out . Here are top-notch US getaways for those who like active travel: Kapalua Resort, Maui, Hawaii: Golf, bird-watching and a marine-life preserves. Golden Door Resort, Escondido, California: Feel revived at the nation's top stand-alone spa. Walden Country Inn and Stables, Aurora, Ohio: Ride horseback on 32 acres of trails. More »

(Newser) - Florida Gov. Charlie Crist wants to redo his state’s Democratic primary, and DNC chair Howard Dean is “very willing to listen to the people of Florida.” Crist, a Republican, isn't committing any funding, however, and officials have said the state won’t pay for a $4 million caucus or a more expensive primary, the Orlando Sentinel reports. More »

(Newser) - Apparently, Florida Governor Charlie Crist has the golden touch. John McCain rose 3 points overnight in Florida after Crist endorsed him Saturday, pulling ahead of Mitt Romney in the latest Reuters/Zogby poll. Most significantly, McCain wiped out Romney’s 6-point edge amongst conservatives. “One day doesn’t make a trend, but to gain three points in a day could be significant,” said pollster John Zogby. "McCain went from losing big among conservatives to a tie." More »

(Newser) - Florida's popular governor endorsed John McCain tonight, giving a major boost to the Arizona senator as his tight race with Mitt Romney took a nasty turn. Gov. Charlie Crist called McCain a "true American hero" three days ahead of the state's primary, the Miami Herald reports. The endorsement came as McCain and Romney dropped the polite act and traded serious barbs over Iraq, the Washington Post notes. More »

(Newser) - Pharmacies in Publix supermarkets across five Southern states will distribute seven antibiotics free to patients with prescriptions, the chain said today. The CEO allows that one goal is to drive customer traffic, but it's also an example of the private sector assisting access to affordable health care, the AP reports. Wal-Mart and Kmart recently started selling uber-cheap meds. More »

(Newser) - Florida governor Charlie Crist is taking the green revolution farther down the road traveled in California, with an executive order setting the nation's toughest emission standards. Highly vulnerable to climate change, the fourth largest state will catalyze legal, business and attitude shifts throughout the country, says the Economist . More »