Page 7 - 2-13-15 Friday's Edition

Presidential News
Republican Governors Who Were Once Staunch Anti-Obamacare Now Signing On
It is possible to imagine that several decades from now, when a Democratic president sends a proposal to Congress that would require cuts in the Affordable Care Act, a right-wing activist will say: "Get your government hands off my Obamacare!"
That's almost exactly what happened in 2009 and 2010 when conservatives fought President Obama's health care proposal by warning that it would require cuts to Medicare.
But slowly this opposition has faded. In Decem- ber 2012, Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval became the first Republican chief executive to offer his sup- port for Medicaid expansion under the new law. "All in all, it makes the best sense for the state to opt in,"
he said.
Other Republican governors have followed.
There are 10 states with Republican governors who have expanded Medicaid.
The most recent battle has taken place in Ten- nessee, where Gov. Bill Haslam, one of the staunchest opponents in recent years, is now in the final stages of negotiating with the federal govern- ment over the details of moving forward.
Indiana Gov. Mike Pence has moved his state in the same direction. The same is true in Wyoming, Utah, Alaska and several other conservative states. There are 15 GOP-led states that still have not opted in.
President Sends Military Force Against Islamic State Proposal To Congress
President Barack Obama
was expected (Wednesday) to give Congress his proposal for a new authorization for the use of military force against Islamic State fighters, and it will place strict limits on the types of U.S. ground forces that can be de- ployed, according to congres- sional sources.
Almost six months after the President began using force against the Islamic State advance in Iraq and then in Syria, the White House is ready to ask Con- gress for formal permission to continue the effort. Until now, the administration has main- tained it has enough authority to wage war. If enacted, the presi- dent's AUMF could effectively constrain the next president from waging a ground war
President Obama speaking to troops recently.
group until at least 2018. Aides warned that the White House may tweak the final details be- fore releasing the document pub- licly.
The president’s AUMF for the fight against Islamic State would restrict the use of ground troops through a prohibition on “endur- ing offensive ground opera- tions," but provide several exemptions. First, all existing ground troops, including the 3,000 U.S. military personnel now on the ground in Iraq, would be explicitly excluded from the restrictions. After that, the President would be allowed to deploy new military personnel in several specific roles: advisers, special operations forces, Joint Terminal Attack Controllers to assist U.S. air strikes and Com- bat Search and Rescue person- nel.
against the
Islamic State
3 To Split Massive $564M Powerball Jackpot
Final jackpot total of $564.1 million is fifth-largest ever in USA. Three Powerball lottery tickets sold in North Car- olina, Puerto Rico, and Texas matched all the winning num- bers Wednesday night to share a $564.1 million jackpot.
The winning numbers in the Wed., Feb. 11, 2015, drawing were 11, 13, 25, 39, and 54, with Powerball number 19. The Power Play number was 3.
The $564.1 million Powerball jackpot, which is the fifth-largest of any lottery game in history, started as a $40 million prize on December 3, 2014, and contin- ued accumulating prize money for 20 consecutive drawings, until it was finally won Wednes- day night.
Major Media Outlets Suing Gov. Rick Scott
More than a dozen daily newspapers and television sta- tions across the state have joined together in a lawsuit ac- cusing Gov. Rick Scott of vio- lating the state's open meetings law.
The lawsuit was originally filed by St. Petersburg lawyer Matthew Weidner along with the Associated Press and a non- profit group called the Florida Society of News Editors and Cit- izens for Sunshine, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
The meetings in question oc- curred before Gov. Scott forced FDLE Commissioner Gerald Bailey to resign.
Verizon Has Sold Florida Service To Frontier
Verizon Communications is selling its telephone, Internet and video operations in Florida, California and Texas to Frontier Communications Corporation. Verizon and Frontier have reached a definitive agreement. After the scheduled close of the deal, in the first half of 2016, Frontier will provide wireline services to residential, commercial and wholesale customers.
Frontier is based in Stamford, Connecticut, converted 13 GTE plat- form states as part of a 2010 deal with Verizon. Frontier currently has access lines in 28 states, providing an array of voice, broadband and video services, including landline assets purchased from Verizon in 2009-2010. Frontier currently operates the bundled phone-Internet- television high-speed FiOS service in Washington, Oregon, Indiana and South Carolina. Frontier expects to hire about 11,000 Verizon employ- ees as part of the transaction.
Separately, Verizon will lease more than 11,300 wireless towers.
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2015 FLORIDA SENTINEL BULLETIN PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY PAGE 7-A