Many prominent Florida Democrats are retracting their presidential endorsements after the major candidates including Senators Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama pledged not to campaign in the state during the primary season. The Democratic National Committee has vowed to strip Florida of convention delegates if the state party does not push its presidential primary back to February 5th or later. John Sepulvado reports.

Florida Democrats are concerned Republicans will have an upper hand in the 2008 general election. That’s because the state Democratic Party could lose Convention delegates for holding a January 29th presidential primary. Florida Public Radio’s John Sepulvado reports that’s having an impact on Democratic campaigning in the state.

The Florida Democratic Party is urging rank and file members to demand full voting rights in the presidential nominating process. The Democratic National Committee ruled Florida delegates would not be seated during the convention unless the state party pushed their primary vote to February fifth or later. Florida Public Radio’s John Sepulvado reports.

Punta Gorda Republican Representative Paige Kreegel has been appointed to chair the House Energy Committee. The appointment comes after Republican Representative Bob Allen of Merritt Island was stripped of his leadership positions after allegedly soliciting prostitution from a male, undercover police officer. John Sepulvado has more.

Settlement negotiations are underway between Florida officials and the family of Franklin Weekley. The 18-year-old Weekley disappeared in 2002 from the state-run Sunland hospital in rural Jackson County. Skeletal remains were found in 2004 near the facility, but despite overwhelming evidence remains were his, for almost three years the state refused to acknowledge he’d even died. Now the family’s suing; the state is apologizing; and Governor Charlie Crist has told the family there will be a full investigation. Meanwhile, there has been little said about who Franklin Weekley was, and how he ended up in state care. WUSF’s John Sepulvado has that story.

This year’s 35th annual Special Olympics games were held at the University of South Florida in Tampa. They cost 350 thousand dollars. There are more than 2000 Florida athletes, competing in six events with one mission: To win.

Organizers say it was a tremendous success. And to keep the games successful and competitive in the future, state Special Olympics officials tell local chapters they better diversify their funding sources. John Sepulvado reports.