Below, you will find Wednesday’s Florida Five – our picks from the day’s hottest political stories. Check back each morning for a look at the top stories in one of the nation’s key political states.

Protest over Islamic chapter in textbook; School Board cancels meeting:  Dozens gathered outside the Volusia County School Board offices on Tuesday to voice their concerns about a history book, specifically a chapter dedicated to Islam. Others stood in support of the religion, including the very high school students that are learning from the book. Protesters had planned to voice their concerns at the school board meeting, but it was abruptly canceled in the interest of public safety…Read more.

Oh Crist! Charlie gets it from both sides: A day after former Gov. Charlie Crist announced he was running again for governor, Republicans and his chief Democratic primary rival are turning up the heat on the new candidate. Rubio ripped into his old rival on Monday afternoon, hours after Crist announced he was running for the Democratic nomination to challenge Gov. Rick Scott in 2014. Republicans continued to pound Crist on a host of fronts on Tuesday. Florida Senate Majority Leader Lizbeth Benacquisto, R-Wellington, took aim at Crist, bashing him for his ambitions, insisting he was always in campaign mode…Read more.

Dems skeptical over Fla. voter roll purge: Florida election officials working to keep voting rolls accurate had Rep. Dennis Baxley on their side Tuesday. The Ocala Republican took issue with skeptical questioning by Democrats as Secretary of State  Ken Detzner and Division of Elections Director Maria Matthews updated the House Subcommittee on Ethics and Elections on Project Integrity, the Department of State’s  initiative with county election supervisors to make sure only eligible citizens are on Florida’s voting rolls…Read more.

Scott announcement from Japan: United Services Automobile Association (USAA), a leading provider of insurance, banking, investment and retirement products and services for the military community and their families, will expand its presence in Hillsborough County, creating up to 1,215 new jobs and $164.3 million in capital investment by 2019…Read more.

Mums the word on Common Core costs: Florida Education Commissioner Pam Stewart in a Friday interview decided not to follow up on a controversial prior claim that her plans to implement Common Core national education standards in Florida will not cost Floridians any money. Common Core supporters and opponents alike, along with the PolitiFact Florida website, expressed agreement that Stewart was not telling the whole truth when she made her Common Core claim…Read more.

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Janeen Capizola

"And though she be but little, she is fierce." And fun! This conservative-minded political junkie, mom of three, dancer and one-time NFL cheerleader holds a bachelor of arts degree in political science. [email protected]. Twitter: @JaneenBPR

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