Via Ghost in the Machine: “‘We’re pretty excited about it,’ admits Steve Vogt, of the University of California, Santa Cruz, a member of the team, in a masterpiece of understatement. ‘I think this is what everyone’s been after for the past 15 years.’” And then some! Apparently, astronomers have discovered the most Earth-like planet yet [...]

Senate President-designate Mike Haridopolos sent the following e-mail to fellow Senators this afternoon: Fellow Members, With just 47 days to go before our organization session, I wanted to update you on some personnel moves I am planning in the Florida Senate.  I’m pleased today to announce four new hires and two promotions that will further [...]

Citing concerns over the “confusing and contradictory standards” in Amendments 5 and 6, the nonpartisan Florida-based James Madison Institute recently released recommendations in opposition to Amendments 5 and 6 as part of their “2010 Voter Guide for the State Ballot Proposals.” “Florida simply cannot afford to add these unrealistic and unworkable requirements to our elections [...]

Here is the letter the NFL sent out to the local establishments believed to have shown the Bucs-Steelers game last Sunday: The National Football League (“NFL”) and its various entities own the copyrights in and to all television broadcasts and footage of NFL games (“NFL Game Telecasts”), including those played by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers [...]

Tampa mayoral candidate Bob Buckhorn will be canvassing on Saturday beginning at 9:00 a.m., meeting at Farrell’s on Davis Island.  For more information, please visit this Facebook page. Florida senate candidate Jack Latvala will be canvassing on Saturday beginning at 9:00 a.m., meeting at Einstein Brothers at 2519 N. McMullen Booth Road in Safety Harbor.  For [...]

I’ve been screaming it from the rooftop for months: Bill Heller is in big trouble in House District 52.  Now, no less of an authority than the St. Petersburg Times’ Adam Smith just Tweeted: Just askin: Anybody see any sign of Bill Heller FL House campaign? Keep an eye on Jeff Brandes for potential upset

Don’t even know what to say about this picture, sent to me anonymously, of Democratic state House candidate Tom McKone:

Time’s up, people. Check out Joy Reid’s column in today’s Miami Herald, in which she presents the case for each candidate, and ask, nicely, that Democrats, independents and moderate Republicans who aren’t voting for Marco Rubio (or Alex Snitker) to get off the dime. Read it here.

Via The Ghost in the Machine: “‘I confess to a feeling that I can only describe as a vague sense of shame,’ says Simon…’It was exacerbated when I went online and looked at the people who’d gotten fellowships in the past…I definitely felt a little sheepish after looking at the list.‘” Take that, Pulitzer people. Wire mastermind David [...]

While not complete, Equality Florida has announced a bunch of endorsements (h/t to Ken Quinnell: *Amendment 5, YES *Amendment 6, YES *Governor, Alex Sink (DEM) *Attorney General, Dan Gelber (DEM) *Chief Financial Officer, Loranne Ausley (DEM) *Agricultural Commissioner, Scott Maddox (DEM) *Senate District 25, (parts of Broward & Palm Beach Counties), Kelly Skidmore (DEM) *Senate [...]