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Democratic gubernatorial hopeful Charlie Crist turned to voter-rich South Florida Thursday to tap a running mate. Crist's campaign announced he had picked Annette Taddeo-Goldstein, a Colombian-American and chair of the Miami-Dade Democratic Party, to be his lieutenant governor nominee -- provided he wins the primary

A mysterious Nigerian businessman whose empire is under scrutiny for its ties to a jailed, corrupt African politician has emerged as one of Democratic candidate for governor Charlie Crist‘s biggest campaign donors, Gossip Extra has learned exclusively. Onajite Okoloko, an oil executive turned fertilizer manufacturer with a sprawling property in Boca Raton, has donated $100,000 to Democrat Crist’s campaign so far this year, according to state campaign records.

Lawmakers and top military officials on Wednesday expressed fears that friction with Russia could someday leave the United States without the power to launch rockets into space. Reliance on a single Russian engine to launch many critical military satellites could come back to haunt the U.S., officials said, if tensions between the two nations continue to rise. “If you consider space a national security priority, then you absolutely have to consider assured access to space a national security priority,” Gen. William Shelton, commander of the Air Force’s space command, testified in a joint Senate committee hearing on Wednesday. “Given that...

Florida's Republicans legislative leaders pledged on Tuesday to redraw congressional districts that were found unconstitutional last week, but they warned that doing so before the November election would create "chaos and confusion." Senate President Don Gaetz and House Speaker Will Weatherford said they wouldn't appeal Circuit Judge Terry Lewis' ruling that Florida's congressional districts were drawn to benefit the Republican Party. But attorneys for the Legislature filed a lengthy motion asking Lewis to let this year's election proceed with the existing districts because changing boundaries now would cause problems. Nearly 1.4 million absentee ballots, including ballots headed overseas, have been...

At least 35 Disney employees in Florida have been arrested for alleged child sex offences in the last eight years, according to an investigation by CNN. None of the offences involved children or teenagers visiting Walt Disney World in Orlando but were allegedly committed by men who worked there. The crimes involved offences including trying to meet a minor for sex and possession of child pornography. Five employees at a Universal Studios theme park in Florida, and two at Sea World in Florida, have also been arrested during that time, CNN reported after examining police and court records. Of the...

GOP leaders say they won't appeal ruling that found Florida congressional map unconstitutional.

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Police are investigating battery claims made from a South Florida man who alleges twin brothers and NFL Pro Bowl centers, Mike and Maurkice Pouncey, assaulted him during their annual birthday party. No police report is available yet for the alleged incident, which took place at Cameo Night club around 4:20 a.m. on Saturday. But according to Miami Beach Police Sgt. Bobby Hernandez, the department's detectives have taken a statement from the alleged victim, Ricky Vasquez, and are gathering all the facts involving the battery claims centering around the pair.

After being without health insurance for two years, Miranda Childe of Hallandale Beach found a plan she could afford with financial aid from the government using the Affordable Care Act’s exchange. Childe, 60, bought an HMO plan from Humana, one of the nation’s largest health insurance companies, and received a membership card in time for her coverage to kick in on May 1st. But instead of being able to pick a primary care physician to coordinate her healthcare, Childe says she repeatedly ran into closed doors from South Florida doctors who are listed in her plan’s provider network but refused...

Dr. Lisa Rosenberg, a physician from New York, was returning home from vacation boarding a flight from PBIA to John F. Kennedy International Airport. She said she had just finished a phone conversation with a colleague when a woman said she was offended by Rosenberg’s remarks. “I was saying how it was good Israel found the students that killed the Palestinian teenager and how it was exemplary not making them into heroes, but seeking to publicly try them,” Rosenberg said. “I said any other country would have made these students out to be martyrs and celebrating them.” Rosenberg added that...

On Thursday, Crist recalled the acquittal of George Zimmerman without using his name, saying "the instigator of an event has no punishment for taking a life. There's something wrong with that."

Bail was set at $150,000 for the release of Curtis Reeves, 71, accused of second-degree murder in the shooting death of Chad Oulson, 43 Appeals court ruled that a district judge may have made an error by failing to set bail for Reeves Reeves shot and killed Oulson at a movie theater in January after a dispute over text messaging The former police captain must stay home, wear an ankle monitor, surrender his guns and avoid contact with victim's widow 'We are flooded, we are devastated,' said lawyer representing Nicole Oulson after news of Reeves' impending release

Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) believes he can beat Hillary Clinton in the race for the 2016 presidency. "Multiple people can beat her. Hillary Clinton is not unbeatable," the GOP presidential hopeful told radio host Hugh Hewitt in an interview Friday.

Last night a circuit court judge in Florida voided the state's congressional map, citing a "secret, organized campaign" by Republican operatives that "made a mockery of the Legislature's transparent and open process of redistricting." The ruling concluded that District 5, held by Democrat Corrine Brown, and District 10, held by Republican Dan Webster, will need to be redrawn. From a purely practical standpoint, this means redrawing any surrounding districts as well, and possibly many of the state's 27 districts overall. "If one or more districts do not meet constitutional muster, then the entire act is unconstitutional," Judge Terry Lewis wrote....

An Arab-American visiting the disputed (West Bank) territories is brutalized by the police–yet the Obama administration, the United Nations, and the international community are all silent. Say what? No, we’re not talking about Tariq Abu Khdeir, the 15-year-old from Florida who threw firebombs at Israeli policemen last week and received, in return, a black eye and a fat lip. Tariq’s injuries have of course received enormous international attention, including a huge photo on the front page of The New York Times (top of the fold). The Obama administration has announced that it is “profoundly troubled” that Tariq was roughed up,...

"If the mayor’s not going to provide security....get yourself some firearms because you’re going to have to protect yourselves" . John Rivera, president of the Miami-Dade Police Benevolent Association, has warned Florida residents to arm themselves because the police are not coming. Speaking to WSVN News, Rivera said, “If the mayor’s not going to provide security, then my recommendation, as an experienced law enforcement officer for nearly 40 years, is either buy yourself an attack dog, put bars on your windows and doors and get yourself some firearms because you’re going to have to protect yourselves.”

The situation unfolding at our southern border is beyond disturbing – but border security is not only a problem for Texas and Arizona. It even reaches here to Florida — and it’s not new. Mike Fimiani, a fellow Floridian, shared with me his personal story from 2013 when his boat was stolen, taken to Cuba, and most likely taken to Mexico with a cargo of illegal immigrants. Mike writes, “When I hear President Obama and other Democrat leaders claim our border is secure it infuriates me. I have attached a Homeland Security photograph of my boat cruising off the...

"Probable cause" has long been one of those terms that made the jump from legal jargon to household term, especially with regards to drivers who get pulled over. The struggle over what that allows on American roads — and what it doesn't — took a new turn last week with a Florida ruling that threw out a conviction stemming from a police officer who found something wrong with the color of a car. In 2010, a deputy in Florida's Escambia County saw one Kendrick Van Teamer drive by in a bright green Chevrolet. The deputy ran his plates, and found...

Two Broward County assistant public defenders were fired Tuesday for Facebook comments calling Palestinians "cockroaches" and "filthy swine." Bruce Raticoff and Gary Sheres both lost their jobs, as outrage built after the Sun Sentinel published an article including the Facebook comments a week ago, Public Defender Howard Finkelstein said. The remarks from the two mens' personal Facebook accounts last week were posted under an item about Palestinians allegedly celebrating the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teen boys. The killings were blamed on the Islamic militant group Hamas. "They are the filthy swine they don't eat. Their ignorance to the...

MIAMI, Florida—once again is getting a hefty bonus from the feds “saving” taxpayer’s money. This year, the state’s Department of Children and Families managed to misspent only $47,829,887 in food stamp benefits. That’s out of almost $6 billion the state received from the federal government. Nevertheless, Florida’s error rate of .81 percent the second lowest in the nation, and only a slight dip from the previous year when the state received $8 million for having the lowest in the nation at 0.7 percent. Vermont had the highest waste rate at 9.66 percent, while the national average was 3.2 percent. “We...