Algae Crisis: Rick Scott issues emergency order over Lake O releases

Florida Governor Rick Scott issued an emergency order Monday after touring the Caloosahatchee River and taking in the site of algae blooms caused by water releases from Lake Okeechobee. The emergency order allowed the Department of Environmental Protection and the South Florida Water Management District to waive various restrictions and regulations that kept water from being stored in areas south of Lake O. "Our state is once again facing a crisis from water releases controlled by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers," said Scott.

Parkland Congressman: – YouShouldn’t Be Able to Fire a Gun’Without Fingerprint Recognition

Rep. Ted Deutch said the development of smart guns should be part of the gun-control conversation, arguing that a gun owner should not be able to fire a gun without some sort of verification like a thumbprint that's needed to unlock a smartphone. Deutch also said that there are efforts underway to require gun manufacturers to incorporate smart technology in firearms but that the NRA is standing in the way.

Marc Molinaro confronts Trump, abortion, NRA in taking on Cuomo

As the race for governor accelerates, Republican nominee Marc Molinaro says the campaign of Democratic Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo is trying falsely to define him as an ultraconservative out of step with most New Yorkers on social issues. "If they think that diminishing and demeaning people is the way to win an election, God bless them," Molinaro said in an interview.

New Study Warns of Deepwater Horizon Disaster Long-Lasting Impact on Ocean’s “Building Blocks”

U.S. Coast Guard crews work to put out a fire during the Deepwater Horizon disaster in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010. Following President Donald Trump's " reckless " decision last week to repeal an ocean protection policy enacted by his predecessor, a study published Friday in the journal Nature details the long-term impact of BP's 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill , outlining how "lingering oil residues have altered the basic building blocks of life in the ocean."

Out and About: Sea Lion Bill Passes U.S. House

On June 26 The United States House of Representatives approved HR-2083, a bill sponsored by Washington Representative Jaime Herrera-Beutler . The bill amends Section 120 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 to authorize the NOAA to issue permits to the states of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho, as well as the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission and other tribal entities to kill problem sea lions in the Columbia River or its tributaries.

The Latest: Legal pimp defeats Nevada lawmaker in GOP race

In this May 8, 2018, file photo, Clark County Commission member Steve Sisolak meets with people during a forum for Nevada gubernatorial candidates organized by Nevada faith groups. The fiercest primary election battle in Nevada this year is a race between two Democrats vying to become the swing state's first Democratic governor in almost two decades.

Florida Stopped Doing Gun Permit Checks For Over A Year

For more than a year, Florida failed to do national background checks that could have disqualified people from gaining a permit to carry a concealed weapon. The lapse, revealed in an internal report that was not widely known about until Friday, occurred during a time period when there was a significant surge in the number of people seeking permission to legally carry a concealed weapon.