Florida Politics

Headlines Jax

January 23, 2025

A city mourns: Jacksonville legend Sam Mousa passes away at 72

1 8min 0

Headlines Tampa Bay

January 23, 2025

MacDill Air Force Base school lands DOD grant to rebuild, expand

0 4min 0

Federal Headlines

January 23, 2025

Jacob Ogles

Florida Republicans optimistic Donald Trump’s drilling expansion won’t bring rigs near Florida’s coast

3 7min 0

Emails & Opinions Headlines

January 23, 2025

Staff Reports

Last Call for 1.23.25 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

0 12min 0

Headlines New Administration

January 23, 2025

DNC bashes Donald Trump ‘plans to screw over’ Florida seniors by ‘gutting’ Social Security, Medicare

16 7min 0

Federal Headlines

January 23, 2025

Senate advances Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, despite allegations against him

0 8min 0

Headlines South Florida

January 23, 2025

‘This is our time to fight back’: Yoni Anijar files to succeed term-limited Chip LaMarca in HD 100

0 6min 0

Headlines Influence Tech

January 23, 2025

Jacob Ogles

Florida demand for VPNs surges by 1,150% after Pornhub bans access

0 5min 0

New Administration

Headlines New Administration

DNC bashes Donald Trump ‘plans to screw over’ Florida seniors by ‘gutting’ Social Security, Medicare

The DNC points to Trump’s first term as evidence that the social safety net programs may be in peril.

16 7min

Headlines New Administration

Senate advances Pete Hegseth as Donald Trump’s Defense Secretary, despite allegations against him

‘I remain concerned.’

1 9min

Headlines New Administration

A federal judge temporarily blocks Donald Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship

The judge said he’s been on the bench for more than four decades, and he couldn’t remember seeing another case where the action challenged was so clearly unconstitutional.

4 8min

Headlines New Administration

Donald Trump’s geographic renaming plans leave mapmakers pondering what to do next

Will the names stick?

6 11min

Headlines New Administration

160 national security staffers are sent home as Mike Waltz aligns White house team to Donald Trump’s agenda

Michael Waltz told detailees to stay home for now. Some had their emails turned off afterward.

3 9min

Headlines New Administration

Gov. DeSantis lashes legislative leadership, lauds Donald Trump in national TV hit on immigration

‘We’ve got to get the job done, no more dragging your feet.’

21 4min

Headlines New Administration

Jacob Ogles

Pam Bondi likely won’t be confirmed as Attorney General before February. Here’s why

Democrats are using holds to delay quick votes on the Cabinet nominee.

15 4min

Headlines New Administration

Marco Rubio steers clear of commenting on Jan. 6 pardons

He is not ‘engaging in domestic politics.’

8 4min

Headlines New Administration

Donald Trump directs all federal DEI staff be put on leave

The new President revoked an executive order by Lyndon Johnson on affirmative action.

9 12min

Headlines New Administration

Jacob Ogles

Kathy Castor, Florida environmental leaders balk as Donald Trump rescinds offshore drilling ban

Despite pushing a drilling ban in Florida in his first term, the President issued an order encouraging leases and rescinded Joe Biden’s permanent ban.

2 5min

Headlines New Administration

Jacob Ogles

Marco Rubio wants State Department to be ‘centerpiece’ of all foreign relations conversations

‘My job now is different, and our job, in some ways, will be different.’

1 6min

Headlines New Administration

Thomas Jefferson and Andrew Jackson: An inside look at Donald Trump’s Oval Office

Trump replaced a rug and ditched a bust of Robert F. Kennedy.

0 7min

Legislative, Influence & Policy

Headlines Influence Tech

Jacob Ogles

Florida demand for VPNs surges by 1,150% after Pornhub bans access

But will users of the surfing services face more exposure than they expect?

0 5min

Headlines Influence

Jacob Ogles

Ron DeSantis urges GOP leaders across the state to pressure lawmakers about Special Session

Legislative leaders so far pushed back on demands to craft and pass bills on mass deportation next week.

2 6min

Headlines Influence

Gov. DeSantis continues to sell immigration Special Session that leadership said was ‘premature’

‘They want this dealt with.’

0 5min

Headlines Influence

Drew Wilson

Personnel note: Trent Morse snags White House post

Morse most recently worked at Mercury Public Affairs.

0 2min

Headlines Influence

Drew Dixon

Reports show military installations give Florida huge economic boost

On top of the economic impact, more than 1.6 million veterans now live in Florida.

4 4min

Headlines Influence

Jacob Ogles

Democratic consulting firm Key Lime brings on John Etienne, Gabe Barrios, Izzy Connerly

The Democratic firm has also raised millions for congressional Special Elections.

0 4min

Specials

Headlines Specials

Jacob Ogles

Special Election called to replace Joel Rudman in HD 3

Rudman already vacated the seat on Jan. 1.

0 5min

Headlines Specials

Jacob Ogles

Special Election scheduled to replace Randy Fine in SD 19

A winner may not be decided until June.

2 5min

Headlines Specials

Jacob Ogles

Jimmy Patronis enjoys massive cash advantage in CD 1 Special Election

The Donald Trump-endorsed candidate collected close to $1M, and had most of it in the bank weeks ahead of a Jan. 28 GOP Primary.

4 5min

Headlines Specials

Randy Fine reports more than $425K raised in CD 6 bid

Donald Trump’s pick has a lot of money from some very familiar names.

2 4min

Headlines Specials

2026 cash chase begins for Ashley Moody before Senate swearing-in

The DeSantis appointee is getting a head start on next year’s electioneering.

20 3min

Headlines Specials

Mike Waltz backs Randy Fine as CD 6 replacement

‘Randy will deliver results.’

4 4min

Federal

Federal Headlines

Jacob Ogles

Florida Republicans optimistic Donald Trump’s drilling expansion won’t bring rigs near Florida’s coast

Gus Bilirakis and Vern Buchanan expect the President to protect the Gulf Coast, but Earthjustice won’t take any chances.

3 7min

Federal Headlines

Senate advances Pete Hegseth as Defense Secretary, despite allegations against him

Rarely has a Cabinet choice encountered such swirling allegations of wrongdoing.

0 8min

Federal Headlines

‘Are you well?’ Rick Scott rolls out Aging Committee charge

The Naples Republican believes the federal government can do more for elders.

2 4min

Federal Headlines

Jared Moskowitz, Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick back bill to expand Medicare for hearing aids

Hearing loss affects approximately 48 million Americans, but just 1 in 5 people who would benefit from a hearing aid use one.

0 6min

Federal Headlines

Ron DeSantis continues to litigate birthright citizenship question

Legal ‘jurisdiction’ does not equate to ‘citizenship,’ the Harvard Law graduate asserts.

17 4min

Federal Headlines

House passes immigrant detention bill that would be Donald Trump’s first law to sign

The bill would require a massive ramp up in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s capabilities, but does not include any new funding.

1 10min

Jacksonville

Headlines Jax

A city mourns: Jacksonville legend Sam Mousa passes away at 72

1 8min

Nate Monroe takes over The Tributary, promises ‘high-impact journalism’

Jax City Council snaps back at snapping fingers, says size matters on signs

Cold snap puts Jax MLK parade on pause

NE Florida

Headlines NE Florida

Drew Dixon

First Coast still frozen from impacts of Winter storm

5 4min 0

Northeast Florida colleges, schools announce shutdowns ahead of wild Winter storm

St. Johns County pier opens for fishing again after multiple setbacks in 2024

December First Coast home sales report is a mixed bag, but shows some positive trends

Orlando

Headlines Orlando

Gabrielle Russon

Universal announces HHN dates, Volcano Bay Nights

0 5min 0

Daytona Beach will draw new Commission map following ACLU redistricting lawsuit

Historic Black church vandalized with spray-painted racial epithet ahead of MLK Day

Glen Gilzean’s lawsuit against Orange County comes with $41,500 price tag

St. Pete

Headlines St. Pete

Pinellas County completes storm debris collection, meets deadline for reimbursement

1 2min

St. Petersburg tech firm to expand after Shumaker law office lands deal with investment group

Kathy Castor to honor more ‘Hurricane Heroes’

Federal government awards $173K to city of St. Pete to keep the lights on at fleet management

SW Florida

Headlines SW Florida

Jacob Ogles

Poll shows Fort Myers voters tiring of subsidizing apartment construction

1 6min 0

Bob Rommel campaign surpasses $200K as committee sits on $1.9M cash

Carmine Marceno acknowledges FBI investigation while touting agency accomplishments

James Buchanan first to file to succeed Joe Gruters in SD 22

Tampa

Headlines Tampa Bay

MacDill Air Force Base school lands DOD grant to rebuild, expand

0 4min 0

Businesses with ties to Leo Govoni subpoenaed after $122M liability ruling

Tampa to host college football championship in 2029

‘Sedition panda’ Jesse Rumson receives clemency from Donald Trump

Panhandle

Headlines Panhandle

Drew Dixon

Winter storm not finished with Florida as state braces for more extreme cold

1 3min

‘A man of integrity’: Matt Gaetz predecessor Jeff Miller endorses Jimmy Patronis for CD 1

Apalachicola drilling project foolishly expands as DEP ‘takes out the trash’

Panhandle natural gas company gets state approval for rate hike in small Gulf Coast municipality

Tallahassee

Headlines Tallahassee

Sledding on boogie boards, ice hockey on Canal Street: The Gulf Coast embraces a rare snow day

0 5min 0

Senate, House meetings canceled before frigid weather hits Tallahassee

‘Unparalleled experience’: Virginia Dailey joins Shumaker Tallahassee office

World champion pitmaster Josh Cooper tapped as Cleaver and Cork’s Brunch and Barbeque celebrity chef

Communities

Mike Wright

JJ Grow bests Judith Vowels to win HD 23 open seat

4min 0

Bill Gladson endorses Matt McClain for Marion County Commission

Are Alachua Commissioners about to pay for a house of cardboard?

Governor appoints Deborah Cunningham, Adam Lee to county court judgeships

South Florida

Headlines South Florida

‘This is our time to fight back’: Yoni Anijar files to succeed term-limited Chip LaMarca in HD 100

He’s running to keep Broward County’s only red House seat in Republican hands.

0 6min

Headlines South Florida

Curtis Osceola, Miccosukee Tribe Chief of Staff, named Miami-Dade’s new resilience lead

He plans to continue working on Everglades restoration while boosting the county’s renewable energy use infrastructure hardening.

0 6min

Headlines South Florida

Miami-Dade advances plan to test wastewater sludge as ship fuel

If the test succeeds and the technology proves scalable, a next step could be a sludge-to-fuel facility at one of Miami-Dade’s wastewater plants.

0 8min

Headlines South Florida

Miami-Dade OKs $7.5M for unnamed company seeking to add 525 jobs, build new headquarters

The county anticipates a net positive fiscal gain of $9.8M from the arrangement by 2036.

0 5min

Headlines South Florida

Barbara Sharief files ‘Patterson’s Law’ to help parents disprove false child abuse claims

Rare medical conditions can sometimes lead authorities to falsely conclude that parents are harming their children.

2 5min

Headlines South Florida

Donald Trump wins approval for plan to build 1,500 condos in Doral

Units will likely start at $2M apiece.

4 5min

Culture Wars

Culture Wars Headlines

Ron DeSantis reminds reporter it’s safe to say ‘illegal aliens’ again

‘That’s the statutory term.’

5 3min

Culture Wars Headlines

Fresh Take Florida

Along Gulf Coast, Donald Trump’s plan for ‘Gulf of America’ touches residents’ pride; some wonder what difference will it make

‘That’s just fodder to keep people outraged and not focusing on real things that are going on.’

8 15min

Culture Wars Headlines

Jacob Ogles

Recreational pot supporters launch fresh campaign to put new measure on the ballot

Smart & Safe Florida launched a new push a day after Gov. DeSantis called a Special Session on petition fraud.

6 3min

Culture Wars Headlines

Florida Phoenix

Ron DeSantis defends UWF Board nominee who criticizes women prioritizing their careers

‘What I don’t like is cherry-picking somebody saying this, and then trying to smear them.’

5 6min

Culture Wars Headlines

Ron DeSantis says Florida school choice should be national model

‘You don’t need the Department of Education for this.’

51 4min

Culture Wars Headlines

Ron DeSantis rips media double standard in soft coverage of California leadership failures

It’s clear he recognizes a political double standard at play.

25 5min

Foreign Affairs

Foreign Affairs Headlines

Coast Guard mobilized on Florida coast to stop migrant invasion

Mobilized ‘cutters, aircraft, boats and deployable specialized forces’ are headed to protect the state from unwanted interlopers.

2 3min

Foreign Affairs Headlines

Justin Trudeau says Canada will respond to U.S. tariffs as Ontario’s premier says Donald Trump ‘declared war’

Doug Ford said as soon as Trump applies tariffs he will instruct Ontario’s liquor control board to pull all American-made alcohol from shelves.

2 10min

Foreign Affairs Headlines

Donald Trump returns Cuba to terror sponsor list, again reversing Joe Biden’s policy

Needless to say, Cuba’s President wasn’t a fan of the move.

0 6min

Foreign Affairs Headlines

Rick Scott takes Venezuela’s ‘rightful President’ to Donald Trump swearing-in

The Naples Republican continues to focus on foreign affairs.

1 3min

Foreign Affairs Headlines

Three Israeli hostages arrive in Israel as fragile ceasefire passes first hurdle

First three hostages released Sunday are the first of dozens expected to be freed.

2 12min

Foreign Affairs Headlines

Israel-Hamas cease-fire slated for Sunday morning

Israel’s Cabinet finally signed on.

2 2min

Emails & Opinions

Emails & Opinions Headlines

Apolitical

APolitical Headlines

Tech

Headlines Tech

Education

Education Headlines

Florida Phoenix

Phone ban in school gets mostly positive feedback from administrators

‘It was surprisingly, and shockingly, pretty easy to implement.’

1 10min

Education Headlines

Gabrielle Russon

U.S. News & World Report ranks UCF online degree programs in top 10 nationwide

Florida schools did well in this year’s rankings.

0 4min

Education Headlines