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Spencer Slate, garbed as Santa Claus, dives with yellowtail snapper and an angelfish on Christmas Eve in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary off Key Largo, Fla. Florida's population is on track to surpass New York's very soon, The New York Times reports.

(AP Photo/Florida Keys News Bureau, Bob Care)

Syracuse, N.Y. -- It's Friday, it's Game Day, and it's Snowing. It's the perfect hat trick for me, and for you, I hope. Happy almost weekend. Ski and snowmobile safely, y'all.

"Florida's on a roll," Gov. Rick Scott of Florida, told The New York Times, which wrote about how the Sunshine State is about to eclipse the Empire State's population. New York is growing, just not at the same rate as Florida.

Jesse McKinley writes: "New York's population is declining in upstate cities like Buffalo, which has lost more than 10 percent of its population since 2000, as well as places like Syracuse and Rochester, where population is largely stagnant. Turning around upstate has been a major focus of Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo, a Democrat, who has tried to revive its fortunes through a variety of economic development programs, including the legalization of more casinos and a program that allows businesses to start or relocate on or near college campuses and pay no state taxes for 10 years."

Cuomo used messages of necessity -- a legal way to vote on a proposed bill the same day it's printed -- much less than his recent predecessors. But when he deploys the speedy voting mechanism, it's for key pieces of his agenda: the NY Safe Act, expanding casino gaming, and Start-Up NY.

When tax breaks go prime time: Look what Connecticut created for ESPN to keep the sports network in its borders.

State Sen. Greg Ball is trying to convince Assembly leaders to pass a bill that would give contracting preferences to businesses owned by disabled veterans.

Sen. Jeff Klein, D-Bronx, meanwhile, is calling for expanded maternity leave pay.

Cuomo announced $14.5 million will be spent on bringing broadband service to rural parts of the state, including to Oswego County.

In Houston, the feds took over the prosecution in a "knockout game" case, charging a 27-year-old for sucker punching a 79-year-old under federal hate crimes.

It's still 2013, but candidates are getting in line for #NY24 in their attempt to unseat U.S. Rep. Dan Maffei, D-Syracuse.

Don't forget: If you want to go to Cuomo's 2014 State of the State speech on Jan. 8, register for the chance to win free tickets here. And if you win, please let me know. I'll be there, too.

Contact Teri Weaver at tweaver@syracuse.com, 315-470-2274 or on Twitter at @TeriKWeaver.