Tag Archives: Florida

The Miami Herald reports: When Florida rejected a new Advanced Placement course on African American Studies, state officials said they objected to the study of several concepts — like reparations, the Black Lives Matter movement and “queer theory.” But the state did not say that in many instances, its reviewers also made objections in the state’s attempt to sanitize aspects …

The Miami Herald reports: After laying low for a week, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said on Tuesday that he has suspended his presidential campaign. Suarez, an attorney and private equity executive, announced his decision on social media. Suarez, who was the only Hispanic candidate seeking the GOP nomination, launched his campaign on June 14 after teasing a run for months. …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: “If this storm hits at high tide, storm surge could and would reach 8 to 12 feet in some areas and so that would be life threatening storm surge,” DeSantis said Tuesday morning. “I know all those areas are under evacuation notices in the low lying and coastal areas. You run from the water and you …

The Associated Press reports: Idalia became a hurricane on Tuesday as it intensified on a path toward Florida’s Gulf coast, with the National Hurricane Center warning of an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds in Florida in the next two days. It’s projected to have sustained winds of up to 120 mph (193 kph) as it …

Axios reports: GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign on Monday dismissed former President Trump’s suggestion that he had plans to drop out of the 2024 race. “Clearly, Donald Trump and his army of consultants are panicked about Ron DeSantis’ winning debate performance and the strong momentum that has followed,” Bryan Griffin, a press secretary for DeSantis’ campaign, said in a …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: Tropical Storm Idalia is anticipated to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane as it enters the Gulf of Mexico, Florida’s emergency chief said on Monday morning as he urged Floridians to prepare for impacts. “People need to expect, even though they are well off outside of the cone, that we are going to have power …

Tampa’s NBC affiliate reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis and other officials gave an update on Tropical Storm Idalia on Sunday at the state’s emergency operations center. As of this report, the storm is 80 miles off the coast of Cozumel with 35 mph winds. It will become a hurricane by late Tuesday afternoon. The storm could arrive as strong as a …

NBC News reports: A white gunman killed three Black people in what the sheriff called a hate-motivated shooting at a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Florida, on Saturday.  Authorities identified the shooter as Ryan Christopher Palmeter, a 21-year-old from Orange Park, Florida. They also confirmed he died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters earlier described the gunman …

The Miami Herald reports: As a tropical system continues to march toward Florida, with a high chance of becoming a depression or something stronger in the coming days, a state of emergency was declared Saturday for most counties on the Gulf Coast. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed an executive order that declared the state of emergency for 33 counties, including Manatee, …

The New York Times reports: A white gunman wearing a tactical vest barged into a Dollar General store in Jacksonville, Fla., on Saturday and fatally shot three Black people in an attack that the authorities said they were investigating as a hate crime. The gunman, who has not been publicly identified and was described as being in his early 20s, …

Florida Politics reports: During an event in Iowa, Ron DeSantis reiterated his opposition to legalized cannabis Saturday. The Governor worries that young children would be able to access the herb, and that it possibly could be adulterated with fentanyl. “Yeah, I would not legalize,” DeSantis said. “I think what’s happened is this stuff is very potent now. “I think it’s …

Mediaite reports: The firefighters who protect Walt Disney World made headlines when they controversially backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ (R) takeover of the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID), the special taxing district on Disney property. But now that alliance seems to be turning sour. At the CFTOD board meeting this week, a budget proposal was presented that would eliminate the …

The Miami Herald reports: At Wednesday’s Republican candidates debate, during a discussion of late-term abortion, Gov. Ron DeSantis told a horrific but puzzling story. “I know a lady in Florida named Penny,” the GOP presidential candidate said. “She survived multiple abortion attempts. She was left discarded in a pan. Fortunately, her grandmother saved her and brought her to another hospital.” …

Florida Politics reports: A group spotlighting positive college environments for LGBTQ students just dropped two Florida universities from its rankings. Campus Pride excluded the University of Central Florida (UCF) and the University of North Florida (UNF) from its Best of the Best LGBTQ-Friendly Colleges & Universities list. That’s despite both colleges earning high marks in prior years. Instead, the college …

CBS News reports: Wild monkeys spotted in parts of Florida have prompted authorities to issue warnings about the primates, urging people to not feed or attempt to capture the animals. One photo, shared by the Orange City Police Department on Wednesday, shows a monkey sitting on a green chainlink fence. The monkey was identified as a wild Rhesus Macaques monkey, …

Florida Politics reports: In a new email entitled “Hi, I’m Ron DeSantis. This is who I am,” the Governor’s campaign juxtaposes biographical triumphs with various dog whistles designed to remind potential donors that he hasn’t forgotten about the war on “woke.” “Failing leftist policies across the country are shoving a radical ideology down your throat,” DeSantis wrote. The leftists want …

“Why are we in this mess? Part of it and a major reason is because how this federal government handled COVID-19 by locking down this economy. It was a mistake. It should have never happened, and in Florida, we led the country out of lockdown. We kept our state free and open. “And I can tell you this, as your …

The Huffington Post reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appearance at Wednesday night’s Republican presidential debate might be best remembered not for what he said, but what he did. Or rather, what he tried to do. DeSantis seemed to attempt a smile at the end of an applause line, then either thought better of it or simply failed to pull it …

Politico reports: The state board that controls the land housing Walt Disney World expects to more than triple what it spends in legal fees next year following a high-profile battle between the entertainment giant and Gov. Ron DeSantis. New figures released Wednesday find the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District anticipates it’ll spend $4.5 million in legal fees in 2024, after …

Fortune reports: Already involved in two lawsuits with Disney, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees to a board that oversees Disney World’s governing district on Monday launched a battle against the company on a new front — free passes and discounts for district employees. Board members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District submitted a complaint to the state Inspector General, claiming …