Tag Archives: Florida

The South Florida Sun-Sentinel reports: U.S. Rep. Ted Deutch, who has represented parts of Broward and Palm Beach counties since 2010, is resigning from the House of Representatives, he said Monday. A close associate of the congressman said Deutch will become CEO of the American Jewish Committee. Deutch has focused much of his attention in office on Israel and the …

The Tampa Bay Times reports: Eight years after he fired a pistol inside a Wesley Chapel movie theater, Curtis Reeves was found not guilty of murder in the death of Chad Oulson. A panel of four men and two women took about 3½ hours Friday night to acquit the retired Tampa police captain. The late-night verdict punctuated one of the …

The Miami Herald reports: A team of reporters visited eight locations where voter registration data showed unusually high numbers of voters switching from one party to another last year. The reporters knocked on every door where someone’s party affiliation had changed. Four out of every five voters who spoke to the Herald — 141 in total — said that their …

Florida Politics reports: “I believe there are a lot of people in this country influenced by Marxism that don’t even realize they’re being influenced by Marxism,” Rubio warned a conservative crowd in Orlando. “It’s infused in every aspect of our lives and our society.” College campuses, he suggested, are ground zero. He lamented censorship and “digital mobs,” saying Marxism is …

Mediaite reports: Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) gave an energetic speech at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida on Thursday afternoon, taking multiple swings at his favorite pandemic-era piñata: Dr. Anthony Fauci. “Let me welcome you to the freest state in these United States!” DeSantis called out to the cheering crowd to kick off his speech. He criticized other …

The Tallahassee Democrat reports: New statewide requirements on how race is discussed in schools, colleges and workplaces were approved by the Florida House, despite withering criticism that it amounts to censorship. The measure, which drew hours of heated debate Thursday, is aimed at meeting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ demand for a Stop WOKE Act, blunting what he has warned is liberal …

The Orlando Sentinel reports: The Florida House signed off on a culture war measure Thursday backed by Gov. DeSantis that seek to limit discussions on sexual orientation and gender identity in schools. State legislators passed legislation dubbed by opponents the “don’t say gay” bill. Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith, D-Orlando, said he wore a rainbow ribbon upside down because Florida’s LGBTQ …

Florida Politics reports: Sen. Rick Scott released a television ad promoting an 11-point Republican agenda for the midterms. The chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, he’s pushed the plan on the Rescue America website. “Our borders are being invaded, inflation is raging and our shelves are empty,” Scott says in narration. “Crime is rampant. Police are being killed, and …

The Associated Press reports: A gluten-free TV chef from Dunedin was arrested Wednesday on charges related to storming the U.S. Capitol during the Jan. 6 insurrection, officials said. Carol Kicinski, who presents monthly episodes on the nationally syndicated “Daytime” show, and Jon Heneghan, who lives with Kicinski at a Dunedin home, were arrested and charged with four federal offenses that …

The Hill reports: Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) has crafted an 11-point plan laying out what the agenda should be for Republicans and conservatives if they retake control of Congress this year and the White House in 2024. Scott, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, released what he called a plan to “rescue America,” which includes a promise to …

“Pre 2020, I was an idealist who truly wanted to help Ukraine become a strong democracy. I spent a lot of time in Ukraine, still have friends there I worry about now. But the sad fact is the USA is in no position to ‘promote democracy’ abroad while our own country is falling apart. “I’ve met a lot of great …

Florida Politics reports: Florida hasn’t moved toward making cannabis legal for recreational adult use yet, but a new poll suggests voters would have no issue with it. A survey released Tuesday by the University of North Florida’s Public Opinion Research Lab revealed that three in four Floridians are ready to legalize pot. But while Floridians may want legalized cannabis, it …

Florida Politics reports: Democratic lawmakers and activists are decrying a proposed amendment they say would require schools to inform a parent of their child’s sexual orientation or gender identity. The amendment is among a slew lawmakers will consider Tuesday on a measure opponents are calling the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. The bill (HB 1557) seeks to closely regulate LGBTQ instruction …

Politico reports: Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, the first openly gay man to be elected governor, criticized the push for anti-LGBTQ laws in Republican-led states. “Look, words matter. Laws matter. When a group of people, LGBTQ youth, feel targeted by the words and laws that some politicians espouse, of course, it can increase anxiety, depression,” he said during an interview with …

Tallahassee’s PBS affiliate reports: The Florida House could be poised to pass two fiercely debated bills that would place restrictions on how issues about race, gender identity and sexual orientation are taught in public schools. The Republican-dominated House is scheduled to take up the bills Tuesday, after weeks of opposition from Democrats and other critics such as LGBTQ-advocacy groups. “If …

Florida Politics reports: Sarasota Republican Martin Hyde was cited Monday morning for failing to display the proper registration on his vehicle at a speeding stop, according to records obtained by Florida Politics. He was stopped at 9:45 a.m. on Feb. 14. That’s a minor enough infraction, one bearing a civil penalty of just $116. But apparently it was enough to …

Gainesville’s PBS affiliate reports: Signatures of some voters in apartment buildings and high-rise towers in South Florida whose registration was changed to Republican appeared noticeably different than on paperwork those same voters signed earlier, according to a new review of voting records. The signature comparisons, performed this week in Miami as journalists from the University of Florida College of Journalism …

The Independent reports: Melania Trump on Friday lashed out at the press for reporting on a Florida investigation into whether a charity organisation she purportedly raised funds for was properly registered with authorities, accusing reporters of “canceling the hopes and dreams of children by trying to cancel me”. Earlier this week, The New York Times reported Ms Trump’s “Fostering the …

Playbook reports: As he prepares for a potential presidential run in 2024, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has agreed to a lucrative book deal with HarperCollins, two people familiar with the matter tell Daniel Lippman. According to one publishing insider, DeSantis previously had a handshake deal with Simon and Schuster worth nearly $2 million, but backed out once he realized that …

Florida Politics reports: Florida is on the cusp of passing one of the most restrictive abortion measures in the nation. After more than five hours of debate, the House approved a bill (HB 5) early Thursday proposing a 15-week abortion ban in Florida. Passage in the Republican-controlled Senate is almost certain. Sponsored by Vero Beach Republican Rep. Erin Grall [photo], …