Florida’s House speaker wants to review Citizens Property Insurance Corp. after the approval of a “unique” deal that gave a relatively new but politically connected company up to $52 million to take out as many as 60,000 policies from the state-backed insurer, via Jim Turner of the News Service of Florida.

James Surowiecki rejects the stock market bears who argue that the recent stock boom and high corporate profits are based on a speculative bubble created by the Federal Reserve.

Maureen O’Connor passes along results from a recent survey on Netflix adultery:

Hey weekenders, put down your cold one and check out some perplexing pearls of political insight from two recent studies; or on second thought, keep that beer nearby.

A federal judge denied a request Friday from state officials to pause a legal challenge to Florida’s performance-pay law for teachers. But U.S. District Judge Mark Walker did give lawyers for Education Commissioner Tony Bennett and the State Board of Education more time to respond to the lawsuit, which has been spearheaded by the Florida Education Association.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott must have faith in Glenn Gilzean. After all, he appointed Gilzean trustee of Florida A&M University twice.

Gilzean, a 30-year-old St. Petersburg resident and vice president of Step Up For Students, was one of 42 reappointments to state boards and committees, which failed confirmation by the Florida Senate. The listing includes Dr. John Armstrong as State Surgeon General and Michael D. Crews for Secretary of the Florida Department of Corrections.

The FCC recently proposed expanding in-flight Wi-Fi:

Gov. Rick Scott underscored his veto this week of a 3 percent tuition hike by sending letters Friday to administrators at the
state’s 12 public universities, calling a tuition hike, “a tax increase on our families that must be stopped.”

With assurances already in hand from most schools that they won’t seek an increase from the State University System’s Board of Governors, Scott’s letter is aimed chiefly at blunting an automatic, 1.7 percent cost-of-living boost.

Gov. Rick Scott is ready to make Florida the nation’s 40th state to smackdown smartphones — saying he will sign legislation next week to ban texting while driving.

U.S. Reps. Connie Mack IV and Mary Bono Mack shared both a marriage and a political defeat last fall, when the Florida congressman lost a bid to unseat Democratic U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson and the California congresswoman failed to win re-election.

On Friday, the couple announced they are getting divorced after six years of marriage.

The Republican Party of Florida came to Gov.

The list of lawmakers criticizing Citizens Property Insurance Corp. for a $52 million takeout deal continues to grow, as House Speaker Will Weatherford said Friday that he had "serious concerns" about the plan.

Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, said Citizens did not provide sufficient notice to the Legislature before quickly approving the $52 million deal that was unveiled and voted on this week.

In a series of letters to the chairs of each state university’s board of trustees, Gov. Rick Scott on Friday reiterated his opposition to any tuition increase for the coming school year, reports the News Service of Florida.

Gov. Rick Scott is signing the texting while driving bill (SB 52) at 1 p.m. Tuesday at the Alonzo and Tracy Mourning High School in Miami, but the state law doesn't take effect until Oct. 1.

@Mdixon55

In a preemptive strike, Gov. Rick Scott has sent letters to university officials reiterating that he will “fight” against any tuition increase.