Tag Archives: Florida

Politico reports: The DeSantis administration now requires events held at the Florida state Capitol to “align” with its mission, a recent change that is sparking concerns that the governor’s office is trying to censor events it doesn’t like. The Department of Management Services, the administration department that oversees state facilities, over the past few months has changed rules for groups …

Jacksonville’s CBS affiliate reports: 50-year-old Paul Mauricio will be spending the next 25 years behind bars for sex crimes involving a 12-year-old girl. As part of a plea deal, Mauricio, who was an eight-year veteran of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, pleaded guilty to four out of seven sexual assault charges. A judge sentenced him to 25 years in prison …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: State lawmakers are moving forward with a Gov. Ron DeSantis-inspired push to make it easier for prominent people to sue media outlets for defamation, setting the stage for a potential First Amendment clash in the courts. The Legislature is set to take up the measure that challenges longstanding protections for the press established by the U.S …

Pensacola’s NBC affiliate reports: The Escambia County school board voted Monday night to remove three challenged books from school libraries. The removed books below all contain LGBTQ+ characters. “All Boys Aren’t Blue” is a novel about a boy growing up Black and queer in America. It was available in all high schools. “And Tango Makes Three” is a real story …

Politico reports: The Florida Senate on Monday took its first step toward passing legislation that would remove the requirement that people have state permits to carry concealed firearms, a move that gun rights activists have long sought but for the first time appears to have political momentum. The Senate bill (SB 150), sponsored by state Sen. Jay Collins (R-Tampa), not …

Pro-DeSantis outlet The Floridian reports: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) appears to have decided not to speak at the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), The Floridian has learned. According to a source, Gov. DeSantis was invited to attend and speak but appears to have a scheduling conflict with the event, which will be held at the Gaylord National Resort …

The Wall Street Journal reports: Donald Trump and Ron DeSantis have battled in polls for months over who has a better shot at the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. This week, in one of the country’s wealthiest enclaves, they will intensify the fight for campaign cash. Mr. Trump is scheduled to appear Thursday at a fundraiser for the super political-action committee …

Inside Higher Ed reports: An English professor at Palm Beach Atlantic University said his teaching contract has been put on hold after complaints about his instruction on race and racism. The professor, Samuel Joeckel, said in an email that the dean of his department and the university’s provost waited outside the class he was teaching last week to inform him …

Florida Politics reports: Former President Donald Trump is taking a victory lap in the wake of Saturday’s vote for Republican Party of Florida Chair. Commenting on the victory of Christian Ziegler of Sarasota, the former President posted to Truth Social Sunday. “We won a big Chairmanship in Florida over the DeSantis Reps, but actually, it’s a win for ALL. That’s …

“Too much power has accumulated in DC and the result is a detached administrative state that rules over us and imposes its will on us. While there are a host of things that need to be done to re-constitutionalize government, parceling out federal agencies to other parts of the country could help reduce the negative effects of this accumulation of …

The Daily Beast reports: When Florida Governor Ron DeSantis floated the possibility of eliminating Advanced Placement classes from his state’s curriculum, he conveniently left out an important fact. DeSantis was once the “AP US History student of the year,” according to his high school yearbook, pages of which were obtained by The Daily Beast. Before turning on AP classes in …

The Miami Herald reports: As Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Republican leaders explore alternatives to the College Board’s AP classes and tests, top state officials have been meeting with the founder of an education testing company supporters say is focused on the “great classical and Christian tradition.” The Classic Learning Test, founded in 2015, is used primarily by private schools …

Axios Tampa Bay reports: Embracing Our Differences — the nonprofit behind the outdoor show that has been displayed annually in Sarasota for two decades — pulled the exhibit at the State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota campus this week after school leaders requested that three pieces of art be removed. The school found one piece, titled “Being Different Gives the World …

The New Republic reports: On paper, Christopher Rufo, the conservative activist who recently was appointed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to sit on the board of a small Sarasota liberal arts college whose curriculum the governor dislikes, presents his credentials as impeccable: Georgetown University for undergrad and “a master’s from Harvard,” according to his biographical page on the Manhattan Institute’s …

Jacksonville’s NBC affiliate reports: Brian Covey, a substitute teacher at Mandarin Middle School, posted a video on Jan. 27 showing rows of empty bookshelves in the school’s library. The jarring video quickly went viral and now has over 13 million views, it made national headlines and was even fodder on a late night talk show. On Tuesday, First Coast News …

Orlando’s NBC affiliate reports: Peter Filiberto has resigned from the Palm Bay City Council. He submitted a letter saying he was resigning from his position as a council member and that the resignation will immediately be effective. He is facing charges of DUI and possession of cocaine. Police say when they attempted to pull him over, Filiberto tried to outrun …

The New York Post reports: An ugly brawl broke out after a heated soccer game between two private high schools — one Jewish and the other Catholic — in Miami this week, with some players saying they were hit with anti-Semitic slurs. Footage of the incident between Scheck Hillel Community School and Archbishop Coleman Carroll High School shows players battling. …

From the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office: On February 9, 2023, #teamHCSO’s Human Trafficking Section began investigating a case after a mother found disturbing content on her 16-year-old’s cell phone. Through investigative means, detectives were able to learn that Moises Escoto, 36, of Temple Terrace, had made contact with the victim two years earlier on a chat and meetup app called …

NBC News reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to make a trip up to Illinois on Monday to speak before local law enforcement, according to the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police. “Chicago Lodge 7 Members: Governor Ron DeSantis would appreciate your support at an event on Monday, February 20 to Back the Blue!” says a copy of the invitation. …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: For the second time in less than five months, a federal judge has rejected a lawsuit seeking to block a Florida law that restricts classroom instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation. U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor on Wednesday issued a 21-page decision dismissing a revised lawsuit filed by students, parents and teachers, who argued the …