Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Jim RosicaJuly 5, 2018

In a rare move in today’s media climate, a new online state-news website — “The Florida Phoenix” — launches Thursday in Florida’s capital. “We don’t pay attention to the media bashers,” the site’s prelaunch splash page said earlier this week. The nonprofit Phoenix “will cover state government and politics with a staff of four journalists located at the […]

Scott PowersJune 20, 2018

Responding to press reports that his holdings include large investments in fossil fuel companies, the Florida Democratic Party is launching a petition drive demanding that Gov. Rick Scott acknowledge the harmful effects of climate change on Florida. “Rick Scott has denied climate change and the effects it has on Florida families, despite mounting scientific evidence. […]

Jim RosicaJune 13, 2018

Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, whose department handles concealed weapon licenses, didn’t directly answer questions about why he didn’t sooner divulge problems with applicants’ background checks. Putnam, also a Republican candidate for governor, spoke with reporters Wednesday after a Florida Cabinet meeting. The Tampa Bay Times reported last Friday that Putnam’s Division of Licensing stopped using a […]

Staff ReportsJune 8, 2018

After a newspaper report published Friday revealed that the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services for more than a yearlong period stopped using a federal background check database in its concealed carry permits approval process, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam released a statement explaining his department took key steps to correct the issue once it was discovered, […]

Scott PowersJune 8, 2018

A Tampa Bay Times investigation into an apparent yearlong lapse in national background checks for Florida concealed weapons permits has started a wave of Democrats calling for Republican Agriculture Commissioner and gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam to drop out of the Governor’s race or resign. They were responding to a new report from the Times “Buzz blog” Friday afternoon that said […]

Phil AmmannApril 27, 2018

Newspaper editors are certainly entitled to hold an opinion; that is why there are Op-Ed pages. In the case of the Tampa Bay Times, the lines between content and its bottom line begin to blur after an online editorial featured a prominent banner ad which takes the exact same position as the op-ed. While it […]

Peter SchorschApril 23, 2018

This has been a difficult week for the Tampa Bay Times. Last Monday, the newspaper was shut out of the Pulitzer Prizes. The recipient of 12 previous Pulitzers, the Times newsroom measures itself, in part, by winning these awards. So it’s never a good day when the champagne isn’t flowing at 3 p.m. on Pulitzer […]

Peter SchorschApril 20, 2018

If you were expecting to read SUNBURN as you usually do on a weekday morning, this isn’t it. Nor will Takeaways from Tallahassee, our weekend newsletter, appear in your inbox Saturday. Both of those products are “going dark,” as they say, today and tomorrow as a message to the four leading Democratic candidates for Florida […]

Phil AmmannApril 10, 2018

One day after news broke of the alternative weekly Creative Loafing Tampa sale, the Tampa Bay Times is making some changes to its own free newspaper. Beginning June 7, tbt* – the Times’ free daily tabloid – will “return to its roots” as a weekly publication. According to a statement Tuesday, the change will help […]

Drew WilsonApril 6, 2018

U.S. Reps. Gus Bilirakis and Kathy Castor are sponsoring a bipartisan bill to close the campaign finance loopholes highlighted in “Zombie Campaigns,” an investigative report from the Tampa Bay Times and 10News WTSP. Bilirakis, a Tarpon Springs Republican, and Castor, a Tampa Democrat, told the Times they were sponsoring the “Honest Elections and Campaign, No […]

Tag: Tampa Bay Times

‘Florida Phoenix’ news operation soars into Tallahassee

Florida Democrats petition Rick Scott to acknowledge climate change harm

Adam Putnam sidesteps timing question about background check investigation

Adam Putnam sheds light on report of missed background checks

Democrats call for Adam Putnam to drop out, resign after report of missed background checks

Tampa Bay Times criticizes constitutional panel, while running dark money ad criticizing CRC

5 reasons you should not feel bad about Tampa Bay Times layoffs

#TheDaySunburnWentDark

CL sale, rising costs forcing tbt* to ‘return to roots’ as a weekly

Gus Bilirakis, Kathy Castor set sights on ‘zombie campaigns’