The New York Post reports: John Schnatter, the founder of Papa John’s Pizza who was forced to step down as CEO after uttering a racial slur during a conference call, was slammed on Tuesday for telling a cable news channel that he had “lost a home” in Florida as a result of Hurricane Ian. Schnatter, whose net worth was pegged …
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Florida Candidate Donates Water With Her Face On It
First, some backstory via the Orlando Sentinel: Democratic state House candidate Allie Braswell is criticizing his Republican opponent Carolina Amesty for living and registering to vote in a Windermere home owned by a nonprofit religious organization, Central Christian University, where Amesty is vice president. “How can you represent me if you’re not facing the same responsibilities that I have, paying …
Read More »DeSantis Crows About Pre-Election Gas Tax Holiday Paid For By Federal “Rescue Plan” All Republicans Opposed
The Tallahassee Democrat reports: The $200 million tax holiday, which DeSantis boasts about on his reelection campaign website, is being paid for through the American Rescue Plan, a federal law pushed through by President Biden that got no Republican congressional support. Nor did it get support from Florida’s governor, who continually derides federal funds but still uses them to promote …
Read More »DeSantis: The Media Was Hoping For The Hurricane To Hit Tampa Because “It Would Have Been Worse For FL”
Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis, during an exclusive interview with the right-of-center Florida’s Voice website, was asked if there would be any “accountability in the media” for reporting that the storm had been forecast to strike the Tampa Bay area. “Quite frankly, you have national regime media that wanted to see Tampa, because they thought that would be worse …
Read More »Trump Judge Rejects Challenge To “Don’t Say Gay” Law
The Tampa Bay Times reports: A federal judge has rejected — at least for now — a lawsuit challenging a controversial new law that restricts instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation in public schools. U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor issued a 25-page order dismissing the case, finding that plaintiffs did not show they had legal standing. Winsor, however, said …
Read More »Hurricane Ian’s Death Toll In Florida Now At Least 100
CNN reports: The number of people killed in Florida by Hurricane Ian rose to at least 100 on Monday, days after the storm made landfall at Category 4 strength, decimating coastal towns and leaving rescue crews searching for survivors while communities face the daunting task of rebuilding. At least 54 people died in Lee County alone, Sheriff Carmine Marceno said …
Read More »NYC Migrants Recruited For Florida Hurricane Cleanup
The New York Post reports: Scores of Venezuelan migrants in New York City are hopping on vans to head down to Florida for Hurricane Ian clean-up, they told The Post. The migrants had scant information about whom they would be working for, but they still piled into vans in Queens that they said were headed to the Sunshine State over …
Read More »Gaetz Begs For FEMA Aid Days After Voting Against It
The Hill reports: Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) says he wants Congress to approve additional funds to help his state recover from Hurricane Ian after voting against a government funding measure last week that freed up $18.8 billion in federal disaster aid. Gaetz joined 15 other Florida lawmakers in voting against the continuing resolution, which allows the government to remain funded …
Read More »Power May Be Out For Months In Some Florida Areas
The Naples Daily News reports: It may be months before some Southwest Florida coastal areas hammered by Hurricane Ian have their power restored, according to Florida Power & Light Co. “We are repairing in most places outside of, right along the barrier islands and the beaches and the immediate coast line of Southwest Florida,” FPL CEO Eric Silagy said Sunday …
Read More »NYT Identifies Woman Who Lured Migrants Onto Flight
The New York Times reports: Until now, little has been known about the woman whom migrants said identified herself only by her first name, “Perla,” when she solicited them to join the flights. A person briefed on the San Antonio sheriff’s office investigation into the matter told The New York Times that the person being looked at in connection with …
Read More »Rubio Defends Voting Against Hurricane Sandy Relief
“What I didn’t vote for in Sandy is because they included a roof for a museum in Washington, D.C., for fisheries in Alaska. It had been loaded up with things that had nothing to do with disaster relief. I voted for every disaster relief package, especially that’s clean, and I’ll continue to do so. When it comes to Florida, we’ll …
Read More »Socialism: DeSantis Waives Unemployment Assistance Requirements In Counties Affected By Hurricane Ian
Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis has waived several requirements to receive unemployment assistance for Floridians affected by Hurricane Ian, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity announced Sunday. Now, Hurricane Ian survivors will temporarily be able to bypass the work search reporting, waiting week and Employ Florida registration requirements for reemployment assistance claims. The waiver applies to those in FEMA …
Read More »Biden To Tour Hurricane Damage In Florida, Puerto Rico
The Hill reports: President Biden will travel in the coming days to Puerto Rico and Florida to tour damage from Hurricane Fiona and Hurricane Ian, respectively, the White House announced late Saturday. The president and first lady will travel to Puerto Rico on Monday, followed by a trip Wednesday to Florida. The White House did not disclose where the president …
Read More »Scott Seeks FEMA Aid One Day After Voting Against It
The Tallahassee Democrat reports: Sen. Marco Rubio and Sen. Rick Scott sent a joint letter on Friday to the Senate Appropriations Committee chairs to secure funding “provide much needed assistance to Florida.” The Senate passed a short-term spending bill on Thursday that includes an additional $18.8 billion for FEMA to respond to Hurricane Ian and future disasters. The vote was …
Read More »New Flooding Closes 14 Miles Of Florida Interstate
Florida Politics reports: Because of rising water, a section of Interstate 75 between Venice and North Port has been closed in both directions. The closures affect I-75 and Florida State Road 93 in both directions, according to a news release from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). FDOT also says to expect major delays and for the detours to continue …
Read More »Hurricane Ian Death Toll Rises To At Least 30 [VIDEO]
The Associated Press reports: Rescuers searched for survivors among the ruins of Florida’s flooded homes from Hurricane Ian as the remnants of one of the strongest and costliest hurricanes to ever hit the U.S. continued to push north. The powerful storm terrorized millions of people for most of the week, battering western Cuba before raking across Florida from the warm …
Read More »Florida Officials Under Fire For Delaying Evacuation
The New York Times reports: As Hurricane Ian charged toward the western coast of Florida this week, the warnings from forecasters were growing more urgent. Life-threatening storm surge threatened to deluge the region from Tampa all the way to Fort Myers. But while officials along much of that coastline responded with orders to evacuate on Monday, emergency managers in Lee …
Read More »LIVE VIDEO: DeSantis Speaks On Hurricane Response
The New York Times reports: As a freshman congressman in 2013, Ron DeSantis was unambiguous: A federal bailout for the New York region after Hurricane Sandy was an irresponsible boondoggle, a symbol of the “put it on the credit card mentality” he had come to Washington to oppose. “I sympathize with the victims,” he said. But his answer was no. …
Read More »Two Million Without Electricity As Florida Power Official Says System Must Be “Rebuilt, Not Restored” [VIDEO]
The Associated Press reports: More than 2 million Floridians remained without power Friday morning as they emerged from the flooding and wreckage left by Hurricane Ian and began to plot a recovery from the storm’s devastation. In Lee County, where Fort Myers and Cape Coral took direct hits from the storm, more than 80% of customers were without power Friday …
Read More »Florida Beach Town “Decimated” By Hurricane [VIDEO]
ABC News reports: Fort Myers Beach, Florida, has been decimated by Hurricane Ian. Video shared by Bobby Pratt from the town on Estero Island in Lee County shows debris littered everywhere and buildings reduced to piles of rubble. Boats are slammed on shore, and a huge chunk of a pier is missing. Governor Ron DeSantis said Thursday that the electric …
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