Tag Archives: Florida

Tampa’s ABC affiliate reports: Some of St. Petersburg’s most visible street art — including murals celebrating Black history and LGBTQ pride — could soon be erased under a new directive from the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT). Ahead of a city council meeting on the issue, dozens of demonstrators gathered outside City Hall, calling on council members to fight back …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: The DeSantis administration is making arrangements to hold immigrant detainees at a North Florida prison as a federal judge weighs whether to temporarily shut down Alligator Alcatraz, the makeshift immigration detention camp in the Everglades. “We are calling this the Deportation Depot,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference on Thursday. “This will be …

Florida Politics reports: Florida wildlife officials have signed off on a December black bear hunt — the state’s first in 10 years — despite public polling, protests and a pending legal challenge warning it’s unnecessary and inhumane. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted unanimously to approve rules for the state’s first black bear hunting season since 2015, …

Florida Politics reports: Sarasota County School Board member Tom Edwards just joined a nonprofit promoting diversity programs. Now, local Republicans say he should resign his public office. Project Pride SRQ last week announced that Edwards, a second-term School Board member, had taken over as Executive Director of the Sarasota organization. Edwards, who is openly gay, has faced criticism since his …

The Associated Press reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tapped Republican state Sen. Jay Collins to be his next lieutenant governor Tuesday. It’s a closely watched appointment by the two-term governor, who can’t run for reelection in 2026 and has been working to cement his legacy as his time leading the state winds down. If Collins, an Army combat veteran and …

Florida Politics reports: Leading Florida Republicans say the state deserves more U.S. House seats — as many as five of them. And Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier say the state should get them before the 2026 Midterms. That adjustment would happen with a new census, both said, but could also be done by revisiting decisions made after …

The Weather Channel reports: At least six people have reportedly been killed by intense flooding caused by heavy thunderstorms on the island of São Vicente, Cabo Verde, according to preliminary information. Local media is citing Civil Protection Councilor José Carlos who says four of the victims were children. The heavy rainfall was the result of Tropical Storm Erin, formerly Invest …

Fort Lauderdale’s ABC affiliate reports: The Florida Department of Education has identified more than 50 books it says are no longer permitted in public schools across the state, citing inappropriate and pornographic content. But some parents and advocacy groups are questioning whether the state should have the final say over what books are allowed in schools — including in Broward …

Florida Politics reports: Republican U.S. Rep. Cory Mills is blaming a prior political opponent for turning his personal relationship problems into a political scandal. A Judge declined to place a restraining order on Mills requested by Columbia County Republican Committeewoman Lindsey Langston. That came a day after news broke that Langston had called police and accused Mills of threatening to …

NBC News reports: Florida judge ruled to temporarily halt operations at “Alligator Alcatraz,” the controversial migrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades, over a lawsuit alleging the site’s construction skirted environmental laws. U.S. District Judge Kathleen M. Williams made the decision on Thursday after two days of testimony in Miami federal court. Any new construction must be halted for the …

The Associated Press reports: Florida, the third most U.S. populous state, is preparing to join a widening fight among states grappling for political advantage ahead of the 2026 elections, after Florida’s Republican House Speaker Daniel Perez announced Thursday that his chamber will take up congressional redistricting this fall. “As many of you are aware, there are national conversations ongoing in …

Florida Politics reports: Backing Trump’s denunciation of Intel Thursday morning, Rick Scott said on X, in a post rife with all caps words for emphasis, that the company “owes American taxpayers answers TODAY.”  Trump claims the Intel CEO is “highly CONFLICTED” and “must resign, immediately.” Intel got $7.86 billion during the Joe Biden administration for semiconductor manufacturing and plants in …

“Florida’s pasteurized milk supply is safe, nutritious, and closely controlled from the farm to your local grocery store. There have been no reported illnesses from pasteurized milk products in Florida, so Floridians should continue to buy and enjoy nutritious and wholesome dairy products from Florida farmers. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services are encouraging Floridians to protect their …

The Florida Phoenix reports: Attorneys for the Pulitzer Prize Board are before the Florida Supreme Court trying for a delay of a defamation lawsuit Donald Trump filed after it recognized reporting about alleged collusion between his 2016 campaign and Russia. Trump filed the defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer board, the group that decides who wins Pulitzer prizes, after it bestowed …

Orlando’s Fox affiliate reports: Florida is renewing efforts to enforce a 2023 law aimed at restricting children from attending drag shows, even as the measure continues to face legal challenges in federal court. Florida is seeking to enforce a law that restricts minors from attending “adult live performances,” including drag shows, despite a statewide injunction currently in place. The state …

Just in via press release: Attorney General James Uthmeier is taking legal action against multiple online pornography websites acting in violation of Florida law by not requiring age verification before accessing adult content. Last year, Florida enacted HB 3, requiring commercial entities that distribute sexually explicit material online that is harmful to minors to verify that individuals attempting to access …

CBS News reports: The Florida Department of Health is warning about the risks of drinking raw, unpasteurized milk after 21 people, including six children under the age of 10, were sickened by E. coli and campylobacter bacteria linked to raw milk from the same farm. Seven people have been hospitalized, and two have developed severe complications. “Sanitation practices in this …

Florida Playbook reports: Don’t say DOGE. Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia has begun raking through local government spending to look for waste — in a similar style to what Elon Musk did with DOGE in DC. But Ingoglia says it’s time for a name overhaul. He’s now calling the effort the Florida Agency for Fiscal Oversight. That’s right: FAFO. Ingoglia, …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: A culture of fear has persisted at a Florida nuclear power plant owned and operated by the state’s largest utility, according to a federal inspection report completed last fall. Workers were hesitant to report safety concerns to upper management lest they face retaliation. Inspectors came to this conclusion after interviewing more than 75 employees at …

“He’s been persecuted more than any modern politician. They probably did more than to Nixon, whether it’s the indictments, the impeachments, the investigations, now we’re realizing just how disgusting the Democrats are and how they manipulated the intelligence community just because they couldn’t take losing. In the state of Florida, we are winning. And the only way to stop winning …