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A Republican Party of Florida official is filing another complaint against former Gov. Charlie Crist. Juston Johnson, executive director for the party, contends Crist violated the state’s ethics laws before he left office. The complaint alleges that Crist misused his office in December 2010 when he appointed a partner in the Morgan & Morgan law firm to a panel that nominates judges for appointment. Crist made the appointment of Joseph Linnehan shortly before he joined the firm in early 2011.…

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New unemployment numbers for Florida are coming out. The May jobless numbers are scheduled to be released on Friday. The rate was 6.2 percent in April, and it has remained the same for all but one month this year. Florida’s unemployment rate is just below the national unemployment rate. The state did gain 34,000 jobs in April. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the strong job growth helped Florida have the third-highest gains in the nation, trailing only…

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A Florida legislator and a current utility regulator are among 33 people seeking an appointment to the Public Service Commission. The five-member commission regulates investor-owned electric, natural gas and water utilities. The terms of two current PSC members expire in January. State Rep. Jimmy Patronis applied, as did current PSC member Julie Brown. Patronis is leaving the Legislature this year due to term limits. The other candidates who applied include former Rep. Dave Murzin and PSC general counsel Curt Kiser.…

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The majority of Florida residents who signed up for coverage under President Barack Obama’s health care law are paying $100 or less a month in premiums on average, the administration reported Wednesday. A report released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services found the average monthly premium is $347 a month, but a typical Florida enrollee pays $68 after tax credits across all plan types. The government pays the subsidy directly to insurers. Nearly 1 million Floridians signed…

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 Florida is expected to receive a substantial share of a national settlement to resolve allegations that SunTrust underwrote and provided faulty mortgage loans. The settlement was announced Tuesday and involves the U.S. Justice Department, federal agencies and state attorneys general. SunTrust has agreed to pay nearly $1 billion. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the settlement could result in as much as $220 million being paid to Floridians. The three-year settlement provides direct payments to Florida borrowers for past foreclosure…

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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is being sued for allegedly failing to protect a rare Florida snail under the Endangered Species Act. Center for Biological Diversity attorney Jacki Lopez says the Ichetucknee siltsnail “may not be the most charismatic animal,” but its decline serves as an indicator of poor health for a spring along the Ichetucknee River in north Florida. The tiny freshwater snail also is known as the sand grain snail. The center sued the wildlife service Tuesday…

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A former porn star is looking for a new role as a school board member. David Mech of Boca Raton has qualified for the Palm Beach County School Board’s District 3 seat. The 38-year-old was known as Dave Pounder while a performer in adult films. He began a math tutoring business a few years ago. Along with another candidate, John Michael Hartman, Mech is challenging incumbent board member Karen Brill. The Palm Beach Post reports that Brill made headlines earlier this year with…

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