9/11 Judge Orders End to Outside Government Censors – NYTimes.com – The military judge overseeing the prosecution of five detainees accused of aiding in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks ordered on Thursday that the government disconnect technology that allows censoring to block a public feed of the proceedings of the courtroom at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba. The order followed an interruption of a feed from the pretrial motion hearing of the case on Monday.

Hagel Offers Endorsement of U.S. Military Might – NYTimes.com – Senator John McCain engaged in sharp questioning of Chuck Hagel, President Obama’s nominee for secretary of defense, at his confirmation hearing on Thursday. McCain pressed Hagel to answer for his opposition of the surge of American forces in Iraq in 2007.

Judge sentences man to Death Row in South Beach rape and murder – Miami-Dade – MiamiHerald.com – A judge ruled on Thursday to send Joel Lebron to Death Row for his execution-style shooting of a South Miami High teen after she was kidnapped and gang-raped. Lebron confessed the details to investigators and the jury ruled 9-3 for the death penalty.

Gov. Rick Scott proposes largest budget in Florida history at $74.2 billion – Tampa Bay Times – Gov. Rick Scott proposed a $74.2 billion budget Thursday, the largest in Florida history. Scott proposes a $4 billion statewide spending increase, more than a quarter of it toward education.

Homosassa man charged in murder of Brooksville teen | Hernando Today – Byron Lee Boutin was charged with the murder of 18-year-old DeAnna Lee Stires. Stires went missing two days before Christmas and her body was found by a hunter off of State Road 24 in Otter Creek, Levy County.