Five of today’s top Florida political stories at your fingertips:

As Obama sinks in polls, Democrats turn to Debbie Wasserman Schultz for help: As Barack Obama continues to poll badly across the nation and Hillary Clinton looks ahead to 2016, Debbie Wasserman Schultz is playing a bigger role for Democrats on the campaign trail.  In her role as chairwoman of the DNC, Wasserman Schultz came to Iowa this past weekend to help Senate hopeful Bruce Braley against Republican Joni Ernst. As other races start slipping away, Democrats need to keep the seat, which is currently held by Tom Harkin, if they want to have any chance of retaining the Senate. During her time out in Iowa, Wasserman Schultz went on the attack, trying to paint Ernst as out of the mainstream. Wasserman Schultz has increasingly become a mainstay of the campaign trail. Back in July, she hit Nevada, New Hampshire, Maine and Massachusetts, stumping for Democrats and raising money for them. Read more.

Plaintiffs oppose redrawn congressional map, ask the court to draw districts: Arguing that a newly drawn District 5 will establish a benchmark district “further entrenching the Republican Party in its position of power” the voters groups that brought the lawsuit against the Legislature are asking a judge to draw new congressional districts that would take effect this elections cycle in documents filed today. Read more.

Florida Cabinet members to take part in Ice Bucket Challenge: Three members of the Florida Cabinet — Attorney General Pam Bondi, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and CFO Jeff Atwater — will be taking the “ice bucket challenge” to help raise funds to combat ALS. In recent weeks, the ALS Association has raised more than $13 million, in part due to viral videos of people dumping buckets of ice water on their head, then challenging others to do the same.The Florida Cabinet members will be taking the challenge on Tuesday at the Old Capitol in Tallahassee to help the Florida chapter of the ALS Association. Read more. 

Coca-Cola donates $1.5 million to UF for citrus greening research:
The Coca-Cola Company has donated $1.5 million to the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences to continue research work in the fight against citrus greening, a bacterial disease that is devastating to the state’s orange industry The funding will come in three annual $500,000 increments and follows a previous $1.5 million contribution from Coca Cola, UF said in a press release last week. Read more.

Rick Scott still inches ahead of Charlie Crist, new poll shows: A poll from the Florida Chamber Political Institute (FCPI) unveiled on Monday shows Gov. Rick Scott has taken a 3 percentage-point lead over former Gov. Charlie Crist — the man who spent most of his political life as a Republican, yet is the favorite to win the Democratic primary next week.  Scott takes 44 percent in the poll of likely voters against Crist’s 41 percent. When Libertarian Adrian Wyllie is added into the mix, Scott’s lead expands. In that scenario, Scott takes 41 percent, Crist gets 35 percent and Wyllie 4 percent. Read more.

BONUS: Jack’s 2014 South Palm Beach County Voter Guide

For more Florida political news, visit BPR’s FLORIDA NEWS page

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Michele Kirk

Michele Kirk is the vice president and senior managing editor for BizPac Review. Michele can be reached at [email protected]

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