Tag Archives: Florida

Florida Politics reports: Never let it be said that the Ron DeSantis political operation lacks for creative fundraising gimmicks. The latest, rolled out just in time for the weekend, a high-stakes auction in which winners may be able to own “an authentic piece of Governor DeSantis’s boots that he wore while serving our country in the U.S. Navy.” The price? …

The Daily Beast reports: Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to ignore rumors about a potential 2024 presidential bid. Instead, he turned his ire to “woke math” at a Friday gathering in Tampa for the conservative group Moms for Liberty. He boasted that, after a recent Department of Education review, woke math books in Florida were sent back to publishers, …

Politico reports: In his pursuit of Florida’s 4th Congressional District, Erick Aguilar has used WinRed, a popular platform Republicans employ to process campaign contributions, to send a flurry of fundraising emails. But the solicitations did not mention Aguilar’s campaign or his leading competitor in the Aug. 23 primary, state Sen. Aaron Bean, who has the support of much of the …

Miami’s NBC affiliate reports: A Miami woman was arrested after authorities said she was selling phony COVID-19 test results to people who needed to test negative to travel. Melissa Stephanie Barbery, 33, was arrested Tuesday on a felony count of fraudulent use of personal identification information, an arrest report said. The results were to be presented by people traveling abroad …

The Jacksonville Today reports: Duval County Public Schools has taken down a 12-minute anti-bullying video that taught middle and high school students how to support their gay and transgender peers, the latest in a string of vanishing LGBTQ resources in the district. Besides the video, the district is planning to dramatically reduce a LGBTQ+ support guide, and the School Board …

The Christian Post reports: The Peninsular Florida District Council of The Assemblies of God, a branch of the world’s largest Pentecostal denomination, recently sued several Brave Church of Miami board members for allowing their now-former pastor to continue leading even though an investigation found “significant incidents of gross sexual misconduct and immoral actions.” The lawsuit was filed in late May …

The New York Times reports: When the Supreme Court erased the constitutional right to an abortion last month, Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida was among the many Republicans who celebrated. “The prayers of millions have been answered,” he tweeted. But while other Republican leaders vowed to charge ahead with new restrictions — or near-total bans — Mr. DeSantis offered only …

The SPLC’s Hatewatch reports: Steve King, who represented Iowa in the U.S. House of Representatives from 2003 to 2021, and Laura Loomer, a self-described “#ProudIslamophobe,” are set to address American Renaissance’s annual gathering on Nov. 18-20, according to promotional material from the group that Hatewatch obtained. Loomer is currently running for U.S. House of Representatives in Florida. The event, which …

From the editor of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune: The Herald-Tribune erred Sunday in publishing a guest column on our opinion page and website with the headline “Attacking Proud Boys does disservice to caring parents.” A guest column from June 24 had criticized the author of Sunday’s column, and an editor felt it fair to give her a chance to respond. We …

Mediaite reports: Newspaper opinion pages are often criticized for having a political bias, but one Florida paper showed the pitfalls of a poorly-executed attempt to tell both sides of the story. An op-ed published on Sunday by the Sarasota Herald-Tribune defended local school board candidates’ alleged association with the Proud Boys by claiming the group’s members were simply “caring parents” …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Three Walt Disney World workers who refused to wear masks or get vaccinated against COVID have sued the company, saying they were fired for opposing the rules because of their religious beliefs. The ex-employees, Barbara Andreas, Stephen Cribb and Adam Pajer, say they worked with Disney between seven and 20 years. They claimed Christian scripture instructed …

Sarasota’s ABC affiliate reports: Robert Craft, in his civil suit filed in Sarasota County Circuit Court July 1, alleges the school board has ignored complaints from citizens about certain books, and charges the school board is guilty of “purchasing and propagating obscene, lewd, and lascivious materials for distribution to children.” The counsel for the school board, Daniel DeLeo, told ABC7 …

Politico reports: Federal prosecutors indicated Friday they intend to present evidence that a member of the Oath Keepers likely carried grenades in an RV that he drove to the Washington, D.C., area ahead of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol. In court papers previewing evidence to be presented in the upcoming seditious conspiracy trial of Oath Keepers leaders, the …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis went to Cape Coral for a policy press conference Friday, but Florida Channel viewers were treated to some speculation about his future political possibilities as well. The Governor introduced a speaker at the event, who kicked off his remarks with a seemingly off-script prediction about the race for the presidency. “The man standing behind …

Orlando’s ABC affiliate reports: Apopka Police officer Oscar Mayorga, 25, was in full uniform when Eustis Police officers pulled him over on Monday. Body camera footage shows the interaction Mayorga has with officers during questioning. Mayorga seems visibly disoriented and his speech is slurred as he is placed on a stretcher. Mayorga denies being intoxicated and refuses a field sobriety …

Reuters reports: Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a rising Republican star, has been careful not to nurture growing speculation that he will make a presidential bid in 2024. He has brushed off questions about his political ambitions, while the party’s presumptive front-runner, Donald Trump, repeatedly hints he will run again. But there are signs that DeSantis could be preparing for a …

The Associated Press reports: A federal judge sentenced a former Trump supporter to three years of probation and a $7,000 fine for sending an email threatening to kill Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota and three other congresswomen. David George Hannon, 67, also must undergo mental and substance abuse treatment and have no contact with Omar or Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of …

Florida Playbook reports: It still remains unclear how much work — and how many investigations of voter fraud and other election law violations — the state’s newly created Office of Election Crimes and Security will actually undertake during this year’s midterm elections. After all, the office touted by Gov. Ron DeSantis didn’t get signed into law until late April and …

Tampa’s CBS affiliate reports: The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services confirms the detection of a giant African land snail in the New Port Richey area of Pasco County. If you’re wondering what harm a snail can do — it’s a lot. This species of snail is known to consume at least 500 different types of plants. Not only …

Florida Politics reports: A state circuit judge has issued his formal order stalling Florida’s 15-week abortion ban days after determining the law unconstitutional. In a 68-page order released Tuesday, Judge John Cooper followed through on his verbal ruling Thursday, a preliminary win for abortion rights advocates. Abortion providers and advocates seek to defeat the Republican-backed law (HB 5) by proving …