Tag Archives: Florida

Orlando’s NBC News affiliate reports: Two Florida women face felony charges after being accused of lacing food with marijuana at a wedding. Seminole County Sheriff’s Office deputies were called to a wedding around 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 19 at The Springs Clubhouse in Longwood. There, Danya “Shea” Glenny, 42, was getting married with about 30 to 40 guests in attendance. …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: The Republican-controlled Florida Senate quickly voted Wednesday to dissolve Disney World’s Reedy Creek Improvement District. The Senate voted 23-16 to dissolve Reedy Creek, with Sen. Jeff Brandes the only Republican to vote against Sen. Jennifer Bradley’s bill. The Senate voted along party lines to approve Bradley’s bill retracting the Disney carveout. Democrats assailed their Republican colleagues …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a bill that makes it harder for faculty at state universities to retain tenure, framing the legislation as another way that he and the Legislature are working to prevent educators from bringing their political views into the classroom. In a wide-ranging news conference at The Villages that took swings …

Inside The Magic reports:  The Reedy Creek Improvement Act essentially allows Walt Disney World to reside in Florida unregulated, acting as its own “government” in a way. The act involved creating a special taxing district that acts with the same authority as a county government. This situation, while complex, seemed fairly cut-and-dry until reporters started to do the numbers and …

From the editorial board of the Miami Herald: In an act of pure vengeance, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that he was using his powers to expand this week’s special session in a push to strip Walt Disney World of the special taxing district that independently governs it. It’s clear that the governor has been nursing a towering grudge …

Politico reports: When real estate investor Moshe Popack wanted to host a political fundraiser for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, he spared no expense. Popack, chair and CEO of YMP Real Estate Management, had DeSantis and a handful of top contributors to his 10,000-square-foot Miami Beach home in February, an event DeSantis’ political committee reported as a $200,000 non-monetary or in-kind …

From the Justice Department: A Florida man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court to threatening a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement. On April 19, David Hannon, 67, of Sarasota, entered …

Florida Politics reports: “When you poke the bear or you kick the bees’ nest, sometimes issues come out,” said Brevard County Republican Rep. Randy Fine, sponsor of HB 3C. Fine and other Republican committee members who spoke made it clear that the bees nest was Gov. Ron DeSantis. The House State Affairs Committee approved HB 3C 14-7 along party lines. …

Mediaite reports: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) said at a Tuesday press conference that Florida is looking at potential action against Twitter, Inc. over the recent decision to use a “poison pill” play in an effort to prevent billionaire Elon Musk from taking over. The state’s pension fund, claimed DeSantis, is a Twitter investor. During a presser at The Villages, …

The Miami Herald reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday he has expanded the special session on redistricting this week to cut to the core of his latest political enemy and announced he wants lawmakers to repeal the law that allows the Walt Disney World Resort to operate as a self-governing body. “I am announcing today that we are expanding the …

West Palm Beach’s ABC News affiliate reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis showed support for the Florida Education Commission as state leaders recently rejected 41% of the proposed math textbooks for the next academic year. “Math is about getting the right answer. It’s not about how you feel about the problem or introducing some of these other things,” DeSantis said. “There’s a …

The Miami Herald reports: The Florida Department of Education on Friday said the state will not include dozens of math textbooks in a list used by school districts to buy books for classrooms because their content included references to critical race theory and other “prohibited topics” and “unsolicited strategies.” The announcement was made in a press release titled “Florida Rejects …

Politico reports: Dozens of wealthy candidates run for Congress every election cycle. What sets Cory Mills apart are some of the mileposts on his road to riches: Selling tear gas that was used against Black Lives Matter demonstrators and purchasing a company that sold rubber bullets to Hong Kong to crack down on protesters. Mills, a first-time Republican candidate running …

Orlando’s NBC News affiliate reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Osceola County on Thursday, where he signed Florida’s bill banning abortions after 15 weeks into law. He spoke from Nacion de Fe in Kissimmee, where signs read, “Florida is pro-life.” The legislation specifically says a doctor may not perform an abortion “if the physician determines the gestational …

Law & Crime reports: Stacking up the ever-growing number of Jan. 6-related assault cases, federal prosecutors arrested and charged a Florida man with pushing police officers and driving a wooden plank through a window of a Senate wing door. Steven Miles, a 39-year-old from Zephyrhills, was arrested on Tuesday. The FBI says that a brown-bearded Miles arrived at the Capitol …

Florida Politics reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office has submitted the map he wants lawmakers to pass in the upcoming Special Session. Sen. Ray Rodrigues, an Estero Republican and Chair of the Senate Reapportionment Committee, said he was briefed on the submission (P 0109). He said it’s one the Florida Senate can pass. But while Republicans in Florida appear to be …

The Daily Beast reports: Fox News’ overtly anti-LGBTQ rhetoric and coverage of Florida’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill has generated outrage from elsewhere within the Murdoch media empire. An employee networking and resource group for Fox Corporation’s LGBTQ staffers and allies earlier this month condemned the conservative cable giant’s “hateful” coverage of the new Florida law and issues surrounding sexual orientation …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: Two residents from The Villages confessed to voter fraud charges after filing two ballots in the 2020 Presidential election, court records show. Charles F. Barnes and Jay Ketcik pleaded guilty to casting more than one ballot in an election, a third-degree felony that could have resulted in a maximum five-year prison sentence. According to the pre-trial …

The Miami Herald reports: Three family members have been charged with a hate crime after kidnapping and beating a gay man so severely that he was permanently blinded, Broward County prosecutors said Tuesday. Two parents and their son [photos above] were formally charged Tuesday on counts of first-degree attempted murder, burglary with battery and kidnapping “with prejudice” — all charges …

The Hill reports: It’s unclear exactly why Trump hasn’t issued an endorsement in his adopted home state’s gubernatorial race. One Republican donor suggested that the former president may be holding back because DeSantis hasn’t yet pledged to defer to Trump should he run again in 2024. “I think with the president, you don’t get anything for free,” one Republican donor …