Tag Archives: Florida

Florida Politics reports: Florida’s Governor says he is still flummoxed by a long-standing nickname Donald Trump gave him. During an interview conducted by supporter and surrogate Josh Kimbrell of South Carolina, Ron DeSantis said he still didn’t know what Trump means when he refers to him as “Ron DeSanctimonious.” “I still haven’t figured out what it actually means,” DeSantis said …

The Des Moines Register reports: Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis is hitting the Iowa campaign trail next week on behalf of her husband, presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. She’ll launch the “Mamas for DeSantis” grassroots organization alongside Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds July 6 in Johnston. “As the mom and dad of young children, Gov. DeSantis and First Lady …

The Miami Herald reports: In his first term as mayor of Miami, Francis Suarez increased his personal net worth five-fold as he used his public office to court technology and real estate companies eyeing business opportunities in the Magic City. Financial disclosures filed annually with the city and state show Suarez’s net worth increased from $245,015 to $1,338,551 between mid-2017 …

Jacksonville’s CBS affiliate reports: The first official class of the newly established Florida State Guard graduated from boot camp at Camp Blanding Friday morning. A total of 120 men and women earned their patches and certificate of completion, joining the ranks of the Florida State Guard in the first graduation ceremony. Among them, guardsman and State Representative Tom Fabricio (R-Miami), …

Reuters reports: Mexico’s government on Saturday slammed a tough new state immigration law in Florida spearheaded by Republican Governor and U.S. presidential contender Ron DeSantis, and the country vowed to help protect undocumented Mexicans in that state. Mexico’s Foreign Ministry in a statement said the provisions could prompt discrimination and racial profiling, and give rise to hostile environments, intimidation and …

Florida Politics reports: Fort Lauderdale will be the main stage for a multi-city event demonstrating against what advocates are calling “the slate of hate” they see Gov. Ron DeSantis chiefly promoting and importing to legislative bodies across the country. Among the well-known faces expected to be marching into that battleground of the nation’s soul: David Hogg, gun rights activist and …

A recap of what’s legal as of today in DeSantis’s Florida: In public facilities, including prisons and schools, a new requirement will go into place requiring designated bathrooms for men and women, and individuals will be required to utilize facilities based on their gender as assigned at birth. It has no exceptions even for those who have fully transitioned through …

The Miami Herald reports: Multiple federal court decisions have frozen key portions of Ron DeSantis’ campaign against LGBTQ rights in recent weeks, complicating the Florida governor’s efforts to present himself as a conservative champion with a track record of winning cultural battles over LGBTQ causes. In the last week alone, the DeSantis administration faced setbacks in three legal battles over …

The Florida Phoenix reports: Florida’s sweeping anti-immigration bill is set to go into effect this Saturday, and critics of the law warned Wednesday that it will impact far more than the undocumented immigrant population. “Floridians will see higher costs for our groceries due to worker shortages, longer waits at restaurants, struggles to keep employees, less housing options as construction workforces …

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: Former School Resource Officer Scot Peterson, the only person other than the gunman to face charges in the 2018 Parkland massacre when he was accused of failing to rush into the building to confront the mass shooter, has been found not guilty on all charges. After the first not guilty verdict was read, Peterson placed …

Florida Politics reports: Voters will soon have little say in how the areas around them change through construction large and small, due to legislation Gov. Ron DeSantis just approved. The measure (SB 718), which goes into effect Saturday, prohibits voter referendums or ballot initiatives on land development regulation. That means all decisions over zoning, building approval, annexations and various other …

From the editorial board of the Orlando Sentinel: Orlando’s first gay nightclub, The Palace Club, opened the same year as the Stonewall riots. When Disney’s Magic Kingdom opened its gates, the City Beautiful took on added allure as a safer — though still not safe — space for non-heterosexual Americans to love and live their lives. It still took decades …

The Washington Post reports: The administration of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) steered $92 million last year in leftover federal coronavirus stimulus money to a controversial highway interchange project that directly benefits a top political donor, according to state records. The decision by the Florida Department of Transportation to use money from the 2021 American Rescue Plan for the I-95 …

The Hill reports: Ron DeSantis suggested that he would eliminate a number of government agencies during an interview on Wednesday. “Are you in favor of eliminating any agencies? I know conservatives in the past have talked about closing the Department of Education, would you do that?” Fox News’s Martha MacCallum asked. DeSantis responded with a list of federal departments he …

Florida Politics reports: Attorneys for Gov. Ron DeSantis are asking a federal judge to wait more than two years to start a trial in the administration’s long-running legal fight with Disney, a time frame that would have them in court after the 2024 presidential election. The lawyers for DeSantis, who is running for president, said that the discovery process in …

CNN reports: On the campaign trail, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has attacked Donald Trump’s signature prison reform bill, calling it a “jailbreak bill” and claiming it “allowed dangerous people out of prison who have now reoffended and really, really hurt a number of people.” But as a congressman, DeSantis voted for a House version of the bill in May 2018 …

CNN reports: Miami mayor and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Francis Suarez indicated in an interview on Tuesday that he was unfamiliar with the plight of Uyghur Muslims, a predominantly Muslim ethnic minority in China whose treatment has been the subject of worldwide condemnation for years. In an interview on Hugh Hewitt’s radio show, the Republican presidential candidate was asked, “Will …

Florida Politics reports: The Governor told supporters in Hollis, New Hampshire, about the gaps between what Donald Trump promised as a candidate in 2016 and what he delivered, including on a vow to deal with then-opponent Hillary Clinton. “I remember these rallies in 2016. It was exciting. ‘Drain the swamp,’” DeSantis said, seemingly quoting Trump before pivoting to another unfulfilled …

The Messenger reports: Republican Sen. Rick Scott has issued another travel advisory, cautioning communists and socialists against visiting the state. In a video posted on Twitter on Tuesday, Scott reiterated his previous remarks, stating, “I’m warning socialists and communists not to travel to Florida. They are not welcome in the Sunshine State.” Scott initially issued a “travel advisory” in May, …

From the Centers for Disease Control: CDC is collaborating with two U.S. state health departments with ongoing investigations of locally acquired mosquito-transmitted Plasmodium vivax malaria cases. There is no evidence to suggest the cases in the two states (Florida and Texas) are related. In Florida, four cases within close geographic proximity have been identified, and active surveillance for additional cases …