Rick Scott, Kevin Jones, marijuana and climate change are in the headlines today.Welcome to WJCT First Read, your daily weekday morning round-up of stories from the First Coast, around Florida, and across the country. We'll also preview some of WJCT's upcoming news programming.
Gov. Scott kicks off reelection bid in Jacksonville: Florida Governor Rick Scott made Volkswagen of Orange Park the first stop of his reelection campaign following the end of the state's legislative session last week. (WJCT)
DCF vows transparency in child death records: The Department of Children and Families is creating a new position within the agency to improve transparency of child abuse death records. (AP)
Concert promoters surprised by JFRD racism accusation: Local concert promoter Michael Yokan says Jacksonville Fire Marshal Kevin Jones, who is being investigated for allegedly using a racial slur in reference to concert attendees, has always been a "consummate professional" in past interactions.(News4Jax)
Uber launches lower cost service in Jax: Mobile app-based Uber car service is rolling out UberX, which is cheaper than it's town car service, in Jacksonville. (Jacksonville Business Journal)
Q-Poll shows Florida voters support medical marijuana: A poll released Monday by Quinnipiac University shows widespread bi-partisan support for medical marijuana in Florida with 88 percent of polled voters in support. (Florida Times-Union)
Nelson asks for federal disaster aid: U.S. Florida Sen. Bill Nelson gave a speech on the Senate floor asking for urgency in the state's request for federal aid for recovery efforts following record rainfall and flooding in Pensacola and other Panhandle communities last week. (Pensacola News Journal)
Escambia guard paralyzed in explosion: A guard at the Escambia County Jail is paralyzed from the waist down after an explosion last week that killed two inmates and injured nearly 200 others. (WESH)
FHP officer injured while escorting fallen trooper: A Florida Highway Patrol trooper on escort duty collided with a motorist Monday while escorting the body of a trooper who was killed in a weekend crash on Interstate 75 in Marion County. (Orlando Sentinel)
White House to release climate change report highlighting Florida: President Barack Obama is slated today to release a comprehensive report on how global climate change will effect each region of the United States, including sea level rise in Florida. (Bellingham Herald)
Today on First Coast Connect, who were the big winners and losers in this year's state legislative session? We'll look at what major bills were passed with Tia Mitchell of the Tampa Bay Times and Lynn Hatter of Florida Public Radio.
You can get all the latest headlines online at WJCTNews.org, on our Facebook page, and on Twitter @WJCTJax. You can follow Patrick Donges on Twitter at @patrickhdonges.
