12.19.14 e-messenger - Florida AFL-CIO

December 19th, 2014
E-MESSENGER
The Electronic Newsle0er of the Florida AFL-­‐CIO
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
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FRIDAY FEATURE
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Sisters and Brothers,
Many of you may have heard about the health problems of our long-time brother and Florida
AFL-CIO, Alvin Davis. After 25 years with the State Fed, Alvin is unable to come back to work
due to some very serious health issues.
Alvin is at home now but the process of applying for his disability pension and Social Security
disability benefits will be a long and arduous task. The Staff of the State Fed is assisting his
sister, Lavern, in the process and through the hurdles of taking care of his day to day needs.
With the help of our Regional United Way Representative, Josh Cazares, we found information
through the 211 system that is providing references for needed services and short term
financial assistance.
In the meantime, Alvin is in need of immediate financial assistance. We have been able to
collect some funds that will get him through the first of the month. With rent, utilities and
groceries necessary to remain in his home, compounded by the added expense needed to
care for his health needs the ITPE-OPEIU 4873 members here at the State Fed are asking each
of you to search your hearts and help.
Alvin has been family to Florida’s labor movement for over two decades. He has been here for
our highs and lows, always with a smile and sincere friendship. Anyone who knows Alvin
knows he would give anyone the shirt off his back.
Any amount that you can send will go a long way to assure that Alvin is able to remain
independent while his pension and SSI are being processed. Please make checks payable to
Alvin Davis and mail to Florida AFL-CIO, 135 S Monroe Street, Tallahassee, FL 32301, Attn:
Phyllis Garrett. She will see that the money goes into his bank account and, with his sister
Lavern’s help, his daily needs taken care of.
CLICK HERE TO DONATE
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AFL-­‐CIO Now
www.aflcio.org/blog.
7 Reasons Right to Work Is Wrong for Warren
County, Ky. (and Everywhere Else)
Dec 17, 2014 Kenneth Quinnell | In The States
In Warren County, Ky., a fiscal court has given preliminary approval to
a local "right to work" for less ordinance. The measure is worded as to
prevent any worker covered by the National Labor Relations Act from being
required to join or pay dues to a union as a condition of employment. Since
it is already illegal in the United States to require workers to join unions,
the real focus of the measure is to weaken workers in negotiations with
employers for decent wages and benefits. Instead of passing illegal
ordinances that are a big waste of time and resources for the county, those
efforts should be spent in other ways like focusing on raising wages for
Warren County residents.
If you're in Kentucky, call the fiscal court today and tell them you
oppose the right to work ordinance: 1-855-721-3304.
READ MORE AND COMMENT »
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NLRB Rules Employees Can Use Work Email for
Organizing
Dec 15, 2014 Kenneth Quinnell | Organizing/Bargaining
Workers were given a potentially significant tool when the National
Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that employees can use work email
accounts in union organizing activities, as long as they do it on their own
time. The decision reversed a 2007 decision. Workers also are allowed to
use work email to discuss wage and other workplace issues. The three
Democrats on the board voted yes on the ruling, while the two Republicans
abstained.
READ MORE AND COMMENT »
7 Reasons Fast Track Is Off Track
Dec 15, 2014 Kenneth Quinnell | Political Action/Legislation
During the secret discussion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal,
extreme corporate interests are pushing for a Fast Track process that would
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not only hurt working families in the United States, but in the other
countries involved in any final deal. Here are seven reasons why Fast Track
is off track.
READ MORE AND COMMENT »
www.huffingtonpost.com
Obama On Cuba: 'Change Is
Going To Come. It Has To.'
Posted: 12/19/2014 3:08 pm EST Updated: 49 minutes ago
WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama on Friday defended his
historic deal with Cuba and hit back at critics who said the decision
overlooked the Castro regime's record on human rights.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/19/obamacuba_n_6354872.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
Percent Of Americans Who
View Racism As Top
Problem Skyrockets
Author Information
The Huffington Post | By Igor Bobic
The number of Americans who identify racism or race relations as the
nation's top problem increased dramatically to 13 percent, according
to a new Gallup survey, a figure not seen since the Rodney King verdict
and subsequent Los Angeles riots in 1992.
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http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/19/americans-racerelations-gallup_n_6354464.html?utm_hp_ref=politics
Feds Accuse McDonald's Of
Violating Workers' Rights
Article Byline Information
Posted: 12/19/2014 1:59 pm EST Updated: 1 hour ago
Article Main Image article image/video (if applicable)
In a major blow to big franchisers, the National Labor Relations Board
issued several complaints against McDonald's on Friday, naming the
fast food giant a "joint employer" alongside its franchisees accused of
violating labor law.
The fast food industry has been fearing just such a move by the board,
since it shows federal regulators are willing to hold large corporations
responsible for the labor violations inside franchised stores. Until now,
it's generally been the franchisees operating the restaurants who've
been held responsible.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/19/mcondaldsnlrb_n_6355810.html?utm_hp_ref=business
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inthesetimes.com
FRIDAY, DEC 19, 2014, 12:30 PM
Next Up for Retired UFC
Champion: Organizing a Union
for Ultimate Fighters
BY KEVIN SOLARI
As mixed martial arts becomes more popular, and profitable, Jamie Varner wants to
ensure athletes are cared for during and after their careers. (Jamie Varner / Facebook)
Jamie Varner, a former lightweight World Extreme Cagefighting
(WEC) champion, has announced that in his recently announced
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retirement, he will be forming a union for mixed martial arts
(MMA) fighters.
http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/17464/ufc_figher_union
(Troy Page / Truthout / Flickr)
WEB ONLY / FEATURES » DECEMBER 19, 2014
Why Bernie Sanders Needs to
Run for President—As an
Independent
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The corporate capture of both parties, explosion of energy
in grassroots movements, and popular disgust with
politics as usual make this the perfect moment for Sanders
to run outside the Democratic Party.
BY DAVID GOODNER
It’s time for a new course of action—and Bernie Sanders
has the name recognition, the resume and the gravitas to
be the face of a new national democratic socialist political
party that has the potential to change the direction of U.S.
politics.
Bernie Sanders, the fiery, independent, populist U.S. Senator from
Vermont, has been mulling a presidential campaign in 2016. There
is no question about it: He should absolutely run. www.thinkprogress.org
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Government Labor Board Brings Hammer Down On
McDonald’s
BY ALAN PYKE POSTED ON DECEMBER 19, 2014
This is no country for old methods of avoiding legal culpability for worker
exploitation. New government charges could spell huge changes to how fast food
companies do business.
Why Is This City’s Democratic Mayor Threatening To Veto
A $10.10 Minimum Wage?
BY ALAN PYKE POSTED ON DECEMBER 18, 2014 UPDATED: DECEMBER 18, 2014
There's a minimum wage fight brewing in Kentucky's biggest city.
www.salon.com
Share33
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GOP gets a grip: How the righteous fury
over Obama’s immigration action cooled
down
Republicans once seemed ready to take extraordinary measures to stop Obama's action. Is the
appetite gone?
JIM NEWELL
FRIDAY, DEC 19, 2014 01:00 PM EST
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Climate change could dramatically restrict
food production by 2050
We could lose 18 percent of our food supply in 35 years
JOANNA ROTHKOPF
FRIDAY, DEC 19, 2014 01:08 PM EST
SUSTAINABILITY CLIMATE CHANGE, FOOD, AGRICULTURE
mic.com
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Here's the Real Reason
Obama Was Able to Make a
Historic Deal With Cuba
By Zeeshan Aleem December 18, 2014
In response to President Barack Obama's announcement
Wednesday that the United States is taking steps to mend its
tattered relationship with Cuba, Republican senator and potential
presidential hopeful Marco Rubio from Florida issued a
statement to alert the world to Obama's folly. He promised to do
everything in his power to combat the White House's
unprecedented gestures toward easing restrictions on trade and
travel to the country.
http://mic.com/articles/106734/here-s-the-real-reason-obamawas-able-to-make-a-historic-deal-with-cuba
One Map Reveals Just How
Hard It Is to Pay Your Rent in
America
By Zeeshan Aleem December 17, 2014
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Real estate database Zillow has published a map
with the minimum wage required to afford the
median rent in metropolitan areas across the country
without spending more than 30% of income, and the
numbers are simply staggering.
To give you a taste: In the New York area, an individual must earn $46.86 per hour
to afford median rent, or $93,720 per year.
Around San Francisco, a person needs to cough up $59.72 an
hour, or $119,440 a year. In the Los Angeles area, $48.58 hourly, or $97,160 a year,
should do the trick. Around Washington, D.C., a $41.98 hourly wage or $83,960 a
year is needed. http://mic.com/articles/106640/one-map-shows-how-muchmoney-you-need-to-pay-rent-in-major-american-cities
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WWW.LABORNOTES.ORG
Interview: What Do The New
Immigration Rules Mean?
December 18, 2014 / Julia Kann
Immigrant rights activists are assessing the new presidential executive
order and what’s next in the fight for immigrant rights. Photo: Light
Brigading, CC BY-NC 2.0.
Responding to years of pressure from immigrant activists, President
Obama took executive action on November 20 (see box below for details).
We interviewed two activists about the executive order and what’s next in
the fight for immigrant rights.
Arianna Salgado is a Chicago-based immigrant and education activist and
member of the Immigrant Youth Justice League.
Guillermo Perez is the President of the Pittsburgh Labor Council on Latin
American Advancement (LCLAA), a member activist in the steelworkers
union (USW) local 3657, and a member of the Labor Notes policy
committee.
- See more at: http://www.labornotes.org/2014/12/interview-what-do-new-immigration-rulesmean#sthash.Rz7Dz78P.dpuf
NATIONAL NEWS FROM AFL-CIO
MUST READ
Foes of Unions Try Their Luck in County Laws
New York Times
By Shaila Dewan
December 18th, 2014
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Conservative groups are opening a new front in their effort to reshape
American law, arguing that local governments have the power to write
their own rules on a key labor issue that has, up to now, been the
prerogative of states.
POLITICS
How ALEC helped undermine public unions
The Washington Post
By Alexander Hertel-Fernandez
December 17, 2014
After the elections held earlier this month, Republicans will be in control
of 23 state governments. That is likely to bode very poorly for labor
unions, especially those operating in the public sector, which have
become a target of conservative state lawmakers in the past few years.
USPS: Passports no more (VIDEO)
MSNBC
The Ed Show
December 17, 2014
New cuts to the post office could pose serious problems for Americans
trying to get issued passports. Ed Schultz and Mark Dimondstein
discuss.
RIGHT TO WORK
Coalition of companies, workers forms to fight right-to-work bill
The Journal Sentinel
By Jason Stein
December 17, 2014
Some 300 construction and contracting businesses Wednesday joined
their workers' unions in opposing so-called right-to-work legislation.
As Kentucky Counties Pass Local Right-to-Work Laws, Opinions Differ
on Their Legality
WKU FM Radio
By Lisa Autry
December 18, 2014
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Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway is expected to issue a ruling
soon on whether counties can legally pass right-to-work laws. For now,
the answer depends on who you ask.
Warren County needs local solutions
Bowling Green Daily News
By Eldon Renaud
December 18, 2014
In November, Kentuckians sent their elected officials a clear message.
They voted against deceptive “right-to-work” policies. Kentuckians
believe adopting the failed policies of other states such as Alabama
would harm economic development in the state.
Indiana Supreme Court dismisses ‘right to work’ challenge
Indianapolis Star
By Tony Cook
December 17, 2014
The Indiana Supreme Court has dismissed a second challenge to the
state’s “right to work” law. The state’s high court unanimously dismissed
the case Tuesday — a move that was expected after justices upheld the
law in a similar case last month.
TRADE
Democrats urge officials to leave out investor-state dispute provisions in
major trade deals
The Hill
By Vicki Needham
December 18, 2014
Several House and Senate Democrats are urging the Obama
administration to leave out provisions in a two major trade deals they
say could lead to changes in U.S. finanical regulations.
MINIMUM WAGE
Louisville lawmakers approve minimum wage hike
Reuters
By Steve Bittenbender
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December 19, 2014
Louisville, Kentucky officials on Thursday approved an increase to the
city's minimum wage, boosting it from the federal rate of $7.25 to $9 an
hour by 2017, becoming the 12th city to approve a hike this year.
Missouri’s minimum wage will rise in 2015, but there will be no change
in Kansas
The Kansas City Star
By Diane Stafford
December 17, 2014
Cost-of-living adjustments built into Missouri’s minimum wage law will
push the state’s wage floor up to $7.65 an hour on Jan. 1. The state’s
minimum has been $7.50 an hour in 2014.
LABOR AND THE ECONOMY
Some labor unions reluctant to back ’24 Olympics effort
The Boston Globe
By Jon Chesto
December 17, 2014
When cheerleaders for a 2024 Boston Olympics tout the ways the
Summer Games would benefit the region, they regularly mention how
the spectacle would boost universities, rail service, and middle-class
housing.
Paid Maternity Leave Is Good for Business
The Wall Street Journal
By Susan Wojcicki
December 16, 2014
I was Google’s first employee to go on maternity leave. In 1999, I joined
the startup that founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin had recently started
in my garage. I was four months pregnant.
WAGE THEFT
The Case Of The Missing Wage Thief
Buzzfeed
By David Noriega
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December 18, 2014
Cao’s story is both strange and ordinary. Not many restaurant workers
have bosses who claim to be agents of a foreign government, yet
countless immigrants in the restaurant industry work long hours for
illegal wages. And even when, like Cao, they get a court of law to rule in
their favor, they very rarely see a penny of the money that was taken
from them.
LITIGATION
Wal-Mart faces new pregnancy discrimination charges
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
By Brigid Schulte
December 17, 2014
Last March, after months of very public pressure from shareholders and
a class-action complaint by advocates for women and workers' rights,
Wal-Mart quietly changed its policy to begin to provide reasonable
accommodations to pregnant workers so they could stay on the job
rather than be forced into taking unpaid leave.
ORGANIZING
Temple's adjunct faculty looking to unionize
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Kristen A. Graham
December 17, 2014
Adjunct faculty at Temple University want to form a union. They filed
authorization cards on Wednesday with the Pennsylvania Labor
Relations Board seeking to be represented by the United Academics of
Philadelphia and the Temple Association of University Professionals,
officials said.
EDUCATION DEBT
The Most Terrifying Stat About Student Loan Debt Isn’t What You
Think
Time
By Christine DiGangi
December 17, 2014
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It seems some college students need to work on their reading
comprehension. Or their vocabulary. Whatever the problem is, some
students aren’t grasping the concept of loans: 17% of first-year students
who have federal student loans responded to a survey saying they had no
student debt, according to a Brookings Institution report.
INTERNATIONAL
Two-speed labor system in Qatar for 2022 World Cup
Associated Press
By Rob Harris and John Leicester
December 18, 2014
As Qatar employs legions of migrants to build stadiums and other works
for the football showcase, widespread labor abuses documented
by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and other critics have
blackened its name and $160 billion preparations.
Florida News from our allies at Progress Florida
(Some of the news stories below may require a subscription to read.)
PROGRESS FLORIDA IN THE NEWS
State should block drilling
By Mark Ferrulo
Daytona Beach News-Journal
Excerpt: Those that would reap financial profit from exploiting Florida’s
coastline and marine waters claim that offshore drilling is a safe, clean
process that causes no harm to the environment. This is a fallacy, and one
only needs to look at recent news for proof.
FEATURED STORIES
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Rubio takes aggressive turn as face of opposition to President Obama's
Cuba decision
By Alex Leary
Tampa Bay Times
Related: U.S. to restore diplomatic relations with Cuba, open Havana
embassy
Related: Florida reaction to Cuba news
Related: 7 key elements of the U.S. policy shift toward Cuba
Related: Timeline: key dates in US relations with Cuba
As President Barack Obama dropped the bombshell about Cuba on
Wednesday, Sen. Marco Rubio was hurrying to the Capitol where a packed
room of reporters awaited.The Florida Republican stood outside for a
moment, reviewing notes then stepped to the podium and unloaded.
Congressional Republicans look to block Cuba policy changes
By David Lightman
Miami Herald
Related: Miami, heart of Cuban exile community, stunned by U.S. policy
shift
The shift in U.S. policy toward Cuba triggered fierce partisan warfare
Wednesday in Congress, as some Republicans vowed to take strong steps
to block the changes.
Change in Policy, Like Shift in Demographics, Could Alter Florida’s Political
Map
By Ashley Parker and Jonathan Martin
New York Times
Related: Why the Cuba Issue No Longer Cuts Against Democrats in Florida
The surprise announcement by President Obama on Wednesday that the
United States and Cuba will move to restore full diplomatic relations could
complicate one of the most enduring fault lines in American politics and
reshape the fight to win the presidential battleground state of Florida.
Senate may consider health coverage for low-income Floridians
By Margie Menzel
News Service of Florida
Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, left open the possibility
Wednesday that his chamber will consider an expansion of health coverage
for low-income Floridians.
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Scott, state workers still at odds over drug testing
By Matt Dixon
Scripps-Tribune Capital Bureau
After racking up more than $650,000 in legal fees, Florida Gov. Rick Scott
is refusing to back down from his drug-testing crusade, most recently
objecting to an attempt to close a drawn-out legal battle over requiring state
workers to submit to urinalysis.
How ALEC helped undermine public unions
By Alexander Hertel-Fernandez
Washington Post
After the elections held earlier this month, Republicans will be in control of
23 state governments.
FLORIDA POLITICS
Gardiner lays out session priorities and weighs in on broad issues
By Mary Ellen Klas
Herald/Times Tallahassee Bureau
Related: Gardiner says first Senate bill will be greyhound injury reporting
Senate President Andy Gardiner laid out his priorities in an information
meeting with reportersWednesday and said he will be focused on
implementing Amendment 1, bringing more tax relief to Floridians and
finding ways to help special needs students get broader employment
opportunities.
Softer Cuba stance no longer a Florida death knell
By Jeremy Wallace
Sarasota Herald-Tribune
What President Barack Obama proposed on Wednesday would have been
inconceivable to Florida politicians just a decade ago.
POLITICAL RACES
Jeb Bush Paid By Bank That Violated Cuba Sanctions
By Andrew Kaczynski
BuzzFeed
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush blasted the Obama administration’s decision
to normalize relations with Cuba in a Facebook post Wednesday, but in an
example of why Bush’s ties to private equity and Barclays could provide
fodder for opponents and critics, Barclays (which reportedly pays Bush
more than a million dollars a year) had to settle criminal charges for
violating sanctions that included Cuba.
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Jeb Bush Wants a Tougher Cuban Embargo
By Patrick Caldwell
Mother Jones
Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush—the first Republican to declare an official
interest in becoming his party's next presidential nominee—was quick to
pounce on President Barack Obama's decision to normalize relations with
Cuba.
Did Barack Obama Just Win Florida for the 2016 Democratic Nominee?
By Greg Grandin
The Nation
That was pretty impressive! In a coordinated set of press conferences,
Barack Obama and Raúl Castro came as close to complete normalization
of relations between Cuba and the United States as is possible short of
repealing Helms-Burton.
Gardiner says Bush’s biggest asset is executive experience
By Matt Dixon
Scripps-Tribune Capital Bureau
Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, says he disagrees with a
growing narrative among some members of the national media that former
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush is a moderate, not a solid conservative.
ENVIRONMENT AND ENERGY
FPL defends fracking plan before state regulators meet
By James L. Rosica
Scripps-Tribune Capital Bureau
With the state’s utility regulators meeting Thursday to consider Florida
Power & Light Co.’s request to charge customers for the costs of
exploratory fracking, the utility is pushing back against what it calls
misleading claims.
'Silver Springs is dying,' activist Robert Knight says
By Andy Fillmore
Ocala Star-Banner
Environmental scientist and springs researcher Robert Knight told a
capacity crowd at the IHMC evening lecture Tuesday that unless current
trends are reversed, Silver Springs could be reduced to a dried up algae
bowl in as little as 15 years.
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DEP adopts plan to reduce phosphorus entering Lake Okeechobee
ByTyler Treadway
TC Palm
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection has adopted a 10year, $750 million plan to reduce phosphorus entering Lake Okeechobee
by 33 percent.
LGBT
Broward judge invalidates Florida’s gay-marriage ban, grants divorce to
lesbian and same-sex partner
By Steve Rothaus
Miami Herald
In exactly four minutes, Broward County Circuit Judge Dale Cohen on
Wednesday matter-of-factly granted a divorce to Lake Worth art dealer
Heather Brassner.
Fla. ACLU will argue against extending ban on gay marriage
By James L. Rosica
Scripps-Tribune Capital Bureau
The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida says it will file arguments by 5
p.m. Thursday against Attorney General Pam Bondi’s request before the
U.S. Supreme Court to keep in place the state’s ban on same-sex
marriages.
What is Pam Bondi's problem?
By Chan Lowe
Sun Sentinel
You have to give Florida’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, points for
perseverance.
EDUCATION
Florida high school grades, grad rates due out Thursday
Staff Writer
Tampa Bay Times
The Florida Department of Education has announced that it will release
2013-14 high school grades and graduation rates on Thursday morning.
Pasco School Board opts for letter to state officials, detailing testing
concerns
By Jeffrey S. Solochek
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Tampa Bay Times
The Pasco County School Board won't be sending a resolution to state
leaders calling for a delay of the consequences associated with Florida's
accountability testing.
Palm Beach County School Board to take legal action against closed
charter school
By Karen Yi
Sun Sentinel
The Palm Beach County school district will seek legal action against a
charter school that closed this year owing $387,286 in public dollars.
JOBS, BUDGET, AND ECONOMY
Congress guaranteed to favor the wealthy
By Jac Wilder VerSteeg
Context Florida
In passing the $1.1 trillion budget bill to avoid a government shutdown,
Congress has shown that the word “guarantee” means different things for
different interest groups.
Report finds ways to tighten the state government’s belt
By John Kennedy
Palm Beach Post
A report on how state government can belt-tighten through policy changes
and general efficiencies is slated to be released today by Florida TaxWatch,
the business-backed oversight organization.
Jeff Vinik's $1 billion plan for downtown Tampa finally revealed
By Jamal Thalji
Tampa Bay Times
Roads that don't meet. An incomplete skyline. An empty crater at the heart
of the city.
HEALTH AND SENIORS
Florida silent on children’s health insurance program future
By Daniel Chang
Miami Herald
A bipartisan group of governors from 39 states is supporting extended
federal funding of the Children's Health Insurance Program, or CHIP, which
covers more than 8 million kids and their families nationwide, including
about 400,000 children in Florida.
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Nearly 2.5M In FL, 36 Other States Pick Plans on HealthCare.gov
By Mary Agnes Carey
Kaiser Health News
Related: Florida Matters: Year 2 of Enrollment on HealthCare.gov
More than 1 million people selected a health plan during the fourth week of
the health law’s open enrollment and nearly 2.5 million have done so since
it began Nov. 15, federal officials saidTuesday.
Enrollment Targets Uninsured Hispanics
By Mary Shedden
Health News Florida
Luis Alejandro Larrorte has lived the past two decades in the United States
-- all of it without health insurance.
Sen. Pres Gardiner: Senate has obligation to “see where we are” on
Charlotte’s Web
By James Call
Politics of Pot
Forty-five seconds is how long it took. Kevin Bist’s update on the Office of
Compassionate Use took all of 45 seconds from the time he said Office to
the report’s conclusion.
Florida for Care conference goers told to stay focused – marijuana is not
going to legalize itself
By James Call
Politics of Pot
It takes work to change regulations and Florida for Care is trying to
jumpstart a renewed effort to change medicinal marijuana regulations.
IMMIGRATION, CIVIL RIGHTS AND SOCIAL ISSUES
Immigrants Prepare to Apply for DAPA Program
By Stephanie Carson
Public News Service Florida
Today (Thursday) is International Migrants Day, and for thousands of
Florida's undocumented workers, the threat of deportation is, at least
temporarily, behind them.
Immigration move boosts Obama among Latinos
By Justin Sink
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The Hill
President Obama’s approval rating has spiked 10 percentage points with
Latino voters in the wake of his new executive action on immigration.
The lunacy of torture
By Rick Outzen
Context Florida
We have known for the past 10 years that our government tortured
prisoners in our war against terrorism.
JUSTICE AND THE COURTS
Obama-appointed federal judges make the courts a lot less pale and male
By Laura Clawson
Daily Kos
President Obama has not only had 305 district and circuit court judges
confirmed over the past six years, he has added significant diversity to the
courts through his choices:
Florida’s Houdini Closer to Parole
By Mike Vasilinda
Capitol News Service
One of the strangest cases in Florida prison history was before the board
responsible for parole today at the state Capitol.
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