Rays Say in Letter That Stadium Deal Is Still in Effect

Tampa Bay Rays

The Tampa Bay Rays ownership said in a letter that a $1.3 billion deal to build a new stadium in St. Petersburg is still in effect and the team is awaiting decisions by local officials on the bonds to help pay for the project.

The letter sent to the Pinellas County Commission on Friday said team Co-President “Brian Auld did not waver from our commitment to the new ballpark project” and blamed the commission for not honoring the spirit of the agreement reached in July to build a new stadium and multi-use development in the historic Gas Plant District.

Read the full story

Conservative Florida Attorney Chris Crowley Continues Battling Suspension of His Law License over Political Speech

Florida Attorney Chris Crowley

Florida attorney Chris Crowley filed a Cross-Answer/Reply Brief with the Florida Supreme Court earlier this month in his appeal challenging the suspension of his law license for 60 days.

A Referee for the Florida Bar disciplined him for engaging in political speech while he campaigned for the state attorney’s office in Florida’s 20th Judicial Circuit due to referring to his opponent as “corrupt” and “swampy” and for observing that she had “close family ties to the [Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)] terrorist organization.”

Read the full story

Rays’ New Stadium Deal Paused, Tropicana Field Repair Initiative Fails

Tampa Bay Rays

After a wild week with three negative votes, the Tampa Bay Rays are a team without a permanent home and may have played their last innings in St. Petersburg.

The Tampa Bay Rays said a deal to build a $1.3 billion stadium in St. Petersburg is dead after two of their partners decided to defer votes on bond issues to fund the taxpayer part of the deal, about $600 million.

Read the full story

DeSantis Predicts Rubio’s Replacement Will Be Announced by Early January

Marco Rubio and Ron DeSantis

Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday gave an update on the search for Sen. Marco Rubio’s replacement in the Senate, now that the latter has been nominated for Secretary of State.

President-elect Donald Trump tapped Rubio for the post last week as one of his first cabinet nominations for the former president’s second term. Rubio, who is known for being a hawk on China and Iraq, is expected to be confirmed by the Senate next year, after he resigns his post in January.

Read the full story

Florida Boasts Record Visitor Numbers Despite Inflation, Hurricanes

Florida Beach

Florida officials say 34.6 million visitors spent time in the Sunshine State in the third quarter of this year, eclipsing the previous third quarter record by 1.7% and giving the state three consecutive quarters of record growth.

That comes despite Hurricanes Debby and Helene making landfall in the quarter. Milton, in the just started fourth quarter, made it three hurricanes in 66 days.

Read the full story

President-Elect Donald Trump Chooses Matt Gaetz as Nominee for Attorney General

Matt Gaetz

President-elect Donald Trump selected Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL-01) on Wednesday as his nominee for attorney general. The 42-year-old attorney has been one of Trump’s loudest and fiercest defenders, especially in stopping the lawfare against Trump.

Jeffrey Clark, a former DOJ official who briefly served as acting attorney general in the Trump administration and assisted Trump with investigating 2020 election irregularities, told The Arizona Sun Times he agreed with the selection. “Matt Gaetz is an outstanding lawyer and constitutionalist!” Clark said. ”I think he is an amazing pick by President Trump.”

Read the full story

Floridians Reject Recreational Marijuana, Abortion Rights

Weed

Florida voters gave a victory to Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday by rejecting two ballot initiatives on recreational marijuana and abortion rights that the second-term Republican opposed.

Amendment 3, a proposed recreational cannabis program in the state, failed with 55.75% approving out of 10.35 million ballots cast and 44.25% opposed according to preliminary results from the Florida secretary of state’s office.

Read the full story

Poll Shows Trump, Scott Leading in Florida

Rick Scott and Donald Trump

A poll released by Florida Atlantic University shows former President Donald Trump with a big lead in the presidential race and also has good news for incumbent U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.

The poll of 913 registered voters by the Florida Atlantic University Political Communication and Public Opinion Research Lab and Mainstreet Research USA shows Trump with 53%, with 44% going for Vice President Kamala Harris and only 2% undecided.

Read the full story

Dozens of Illegal Aliens Arrested in Florida for Looting in Aftermath of Hurricanes

Hurricane Clean Up

Local law enforcement in a Florida county announced the arrest of over 100 people who committed looting and similar crimes in the aftermath of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, with at least 41 of these suspects being illegal aliens.

As reported by Fox News, police officers on patrol for looters in Pinellas County have made the arrests over the course of the last three weeks. A total of 45 suspects were arrested on 68 different charges, ranging from robbery and burglary to grand theft, vandalism, and trespassing.

Read the full story

Florida Sues Biden Admin for Allegedly Not Helping State Remove Noncitizens from Voter Rolls

Voting Booths

Florida is suing the Biden administration, alleging that it has not done its duty by verifying immigration records so the Sunshine State can get illegal migrants off the voter rolls.

In the lawsuit obtained by Fox News Digital, Florida alleges that the Department of Homeland Security isn’t following the law by not verifying immigration records. 

Read the full story

Report Says Cap on Florida Highway Landscaping Spending Needed

Florida Highway

After taxpayers spent more than $200 million on highway landscaping in the previous fiscal year, a report says Florida lawmakers might need to consider a cap on that spending.

Florida Taxwatch analyzed the Florida Department of Transportation’s spending on highway landscaping, which can provide benefits such as erosion reduction, safety enhancements and support of local ecosystems.

Read the full story

DeSantis Says Hurricane Milton Mobilization Is Largest in State’s History

Ron DeSantis

Mobilization for hurricane is larger for Milton than any previous in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis said from Lake City on Wednesday.

State officials say 6,000 Florida National Guard soldiers and 3,000 from other states await storm rescue and recovery efforts, along with 34 search and rescue aircraft and 500 tactical vehicles. Hurricane Milton is forecast for landfall Wednesday night into Thursday.

Read the full story

Tampa Bay Area Braces from Strike from Major Hurricane Milton

Hurricane Milton

Florida’s Tampa Bay area could face record storm surge flooding from Hurricane Milton as officials try to clean up debris from Hurricane Helene before Milton makes landfall late Wednesday night.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said crews will continue to work 24 hours a day to pick up debris in affected areas from Helene until Wednesday when it is no longer safe to continue. A record 15-foot storm surge is forecast in Tampa Bay.

Read the full story

Poll: Trump Would Win the Florida Hispanic Vote with Strong Support from Cuban Americans

Cubans for Trump

A survey published this Tuesday shows how Cuban-American voters in Florida would become a key support for Republican candidate Donald Trump a few weeks before the general elections in the United States.

The revelation came to light after a survey conducted by Telemundo Station Group and Mason-Dixon Polling & Strategy, Inc. in the Sunshine State, revealing the decisions Latino voters would make in this year’s presidential election.

Read the full story

Florida Prepaid College Tuition Program Providing Refunds to Parents

College Students

Florida’s prepaid college tuition plan is generating enough revenue to provide refunds to parents in part because of strong earnings on the plan’s investments and low tuition statewide.

Gov. Ron DeSantis said this week part of those savings is how the state has held down tuition and other costs at the state’s colleges and universities. The plan factors in future tuition costs and when those costs don’t reach predictions, families can receive a refund.

Read the full story

Florida Senators Introduce Legislation to Increase the Reward for Nicolás Maduro to $100 Million

Nicolas Maduro

U.S. Senators Rick Scott and Marco Rubio on Thursday introduced a bill calling for increasing the reward for information leading to the capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro.

The Ensuring Timely Payment Opportunities and Maximizing Rewards for Stopping Illegal Regime Officials (STOP MADURO) Act seeks to increase the reward amount from $15 million to a maximum of $100 million.

Read the full story

‘My Signature Has Been Forged’: DeSantis Probes Florida Pro-Abortion Ballot Measure Petitions amid Fraud Allegations

Ron DeSantis

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is asking law enforcement to “prioritize” the investigation into what may be “fraudulent” signatures on petitions to get a pro-abortion measure on the Nov. 5 ballot, according to a letter shared with The Daily Signal.

The Palm Beach Supervisor of Elections’ office received complaints from voters about their signatures being forged on constitutional initiative petitions circulated by Floridians Protecting Freedom, the pro-abortion coalition behind an amendment that would legalize abortion on demand up to birth.

Read the full story

Conservative Florida Attorney Appeals License Suspension, Denounces Political Censorship over Calling His Opponent ‘Corrupt’ and ‘Swampy’

Chris Crowley

Chris Crowley, a conservative attorney in Florida, filed an appeal with the Florida Supreme Court last month contesting 60-day suspension of his law license for exercising free speech during his political campaign for Office of the State Attorney in Florida’s 20th Judicial Circuit. His attorney said this is the first time an attorney has been disciplined for partisan political speech in Florida, and likely anywhere in the U.S.

Crowley, a decorated Gulf War veteran, said the Florida Bar should be subject to the state’s anti-SLAPP law, which prohibits the use of the courts to suppress free speech. SLAPP stands for Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation. 

Read the full story

UCLA Report: Spanish Language Ads Key to Connecting with Florida Hispanic and Latino Voters

Florida Senate Race

Republican incumbent Sen. Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell aired Spanish-language ads this week while amplifying their attempts to reach the Latino vote.

Scott, who speaks fluent Spanish, has so far released several Spanish language television and radio ads targeting Latino voters, and a pro-Scott super PAC backing Scott is also airing a Spanish language ad in Spanish in Orlando this week.

Read the full story

Law Passed After Surfside Collapse Affecting Florida’s Real Estate Market

Miami Condo Collapse

A new Florida condominium law is affecting the Sunshine State’s real estate market. The new measure requires costly inspections, significantly increasing homeowners’ costs.

The law — Senate Bill 4D — was passed during a special session in 2022 and requires condominium associations to retain adequate funds for building repairs. Buildings three stories or higher are subject to inspection requirements.

Read the full story

Doctors Warn Voters About ‘Deceptively Worded’ Language in Florida’s Amendment 4

A large group of Florida physicians recently united to oppose the state’s Amendment 4 initiative, warning voters about its potential impacts as it heads to the ballot in November. Florida’s Amendment 4, also known as the Right to Abortion Initiative, is sponsored by the Sarasota-based group “Floridians Protecting Freedom.” The amendment seeks to end the state’s six-week abortion ban by enshrining abortion rights in Florida’s constitution. While some physicians support the amendment, others have begun to caution voters against it.

Read the full story

Book Publishers Sue Florida over Law Banning Sexually Explicit Books from Schools

Kids reading at the library

A coalition of book publishers and individual authors have filed a lawsuit against the state of Florida over its law banning sexually explicit books from school libraries in the state.

As the Daily Caller reports, the lawsuit was filed in the Orlando Federal Court on Thursday by a group of over a dozen publishers and authors, claiming that the bill signed into law in May of 2023 by Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) is a violation of both the First and 14th Amendments. The law, the plaintiffs claim, “interferes” with their ability to produce and distribute “constitutionally protected” books, insisting that the law is too vague in its description of “sexual conduct.”

Read the full story

Florida Attorney General Will Track Down Transnational Criminals and Put Them in Prison

Ashley Moody

From a Romanian theft ring to a notorious Big Boi drug trafficking ring, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution is continuing to prosecute transnational criminal organizations.

She’s also issued a warning to criminals: “Florida law enforcement will track you down, and my Statewide Prosecutors will ensure you end up in prison.”

Read the full story

Jordanian Immigrant Arrested for Multiple Attacks on Florida Businesses and Energy Facility

Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen

Jordanian national who currently lives in Orlando, Florida has been arrested and charged with destroying an energy facility and threatening the use of explosives to destroy multiple other businesses.

According to the Daily Caller, the charges were filed against 43-year-old Hashem Younis Hashem Hnaihen by the Department of Justice (DOJ). The charges were announced in a DOJ press release on Thursday, detailing his campaign of violence against multiple businesses in the Orlando area that resulted in over $700,000 in damage.

Read the full story

DeSantis Grants $8 Million for Infrastructure at Miami Soccer Complex

Miami Freedom Park

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis says that he is against using state money to fund the construction of sports stadiums.

DeSantis, however, announced Thursday that he and the state will grant $8 million from the Governors’ Job Growth Grant Fund toward road infrastructure around the new construction of Miami Freedom Park by the Inter Miami soccer club’s ownership.

Read the full story

Report: Florida Receives Nation’s Second-Highest Grade for Religious Liberty

People Praying

by Andrew Powell   The Sunshine State ranks second in the nation for the protection of religious liberty, according to a new report from the Center for Religion, Culture and Democracy. The report, “Religious Liberty in the States,” is a project that measures legal safeguards for religious liberty across the U.S. During a panel discussion on the report, Jordan Ballor, director of research at CRCD, was joined by project director Mark David Hall and associate director Paul Mueller. A list of safeguards was used to measure and compare each state – including a state’s policies on absentee voting, general conscience, abortion refusal, sterilization refusal, contraception refusal, health insurance mandates, non-participation by clergy, religious entity refusal, public office recusal, for-profit business nonparticipation, clergy as mandatory reporters, houses of worship protected from closing, ceremonial use of alcohol by minors, religious freedom restoration act, childhood immunization requirements and excused absences for religious reasons. “Florida improved from number eight in the nation in 2023 to number two in 2024 because it passed general conscience and hospital protections,” Hall told The Center Square. “These laws ensure that medical professionals and institutions are not compelled to participate in medical procedures to which they have religious objections.”…

Read the full story

Florida Follow-Up Audit Finds Discrepancies with Economic Incentive Programs

The Florida Auditor General recently published a follow-up audit of the Sunshine State’s economic incentives programs and found some uncorrected issues remain.

The Florida Department of Commerce assists the governor in working with the Legislature, state agencies, business leaders, and economic development professionals. For fiscal 2023-24, state lawmakers appropriated approximately $1.8 billion.

Read the full story

Florida Governor Praises Hope Florida Program Participants

Ron DeSantis HOPE Scholarship

Gov. Ron DeSantis and first lady Casey DeSantis held a news conference Monday to recognize 13 top-performing Hope Florida CarePortal Churches.

Hope Florida’s mission is to create pathways to prosperity for communities and individuals, to help them become more economically self-sufficient and to instill hope. Casey DeSantis spearheaded the project, which is implemented through the Florida Department of Children and Families.

Read the full story

Use of Cell Phones and Headphones Restricted in Florida County Schools

Cell Phones in Class

The Broward County School Board on Tuesday unanimously voted to restrict students’ use of cellphones in an effort to keep them focused and off social media during school hours.

Although the school district said restrictions on cell phone use were already part of the Student Code of Conduct, there will now be some changes that will go into effect when classes start on August 12.

Read the full story

Florida Report Finds Decrease in Number of Victims of Commercial Sexual Exploitation

Girl Sitting Alone

A new report from the Florida Legislature’s research arm found a significant decrease in the number of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation in the Sunshine State, but some services still sorely need improvement.

The Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability published its annual report on the sexual exploitation of minors in Florida and the data shows there has been an 11% decrease overall since 2020 in child victims of exploitation.A new report from the Florida Legislature’s research arm found a significant decrease in the number of child victims of commercial sexual exploitation in the Sunshine State, but some services still sorely need improvement.

The Florida Office of Program Policy Analysis and Government Accountability published its annual report on the sexual exploitation of minors in Florida and the data shows there has been an 11% decrease overall since 2020 in child victims of exploitation.

Read the full story

Audits Find Financial Issues with Some Florida Charter Schools

Classroom

The Florida Auditor General’s office has released two reports that detail significant issues and financial trends in the Sunshine State’s charter schools, charter technical career centers and district school boards.

There are 720 charter schools and charter technical career centers operating in Florida, with the majority in Miami-Dade and Broward counties. State law requires these schools to be annually audited by an independent certified public accountant.

Read the full story

Cost Estimates for Florida Abortion Amendment Could Be Affected by Lawsuit

Abortion Rally

Florida state officials said on Monday that litigation could affect cost estimates for a proposed constitutional amendment that could enact a right to abortion statewide.

The Office of Economic and Demographic Research held a Financial Estimating Conference Monday to review the financial impact of the ballot initiative, which will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot.

Read the full story

More Police Officers Relocating to Florida from Other States

Sarasota Police

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody welcomed new police officers to the state after they relocated from Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico and New York.

“Florida is the most pro-law enforcement state in the nation because we back our blue,” Moody said. “We’ve been spreading the word about all the great incentives to join our ranks, and individuals like the new Sarasota recruits have answered the call – leaving behind places where their service was not as appreciated as it is here.”

Read the full story

Jacksonville, Florida Will Pay $775 Million in Public Funds Toward $1.4 Billion Jaguars Renovation

J.C. Bradbury

The Jacksonville Jaguars became the second NFL team this week to get a large sum of public money for a stadium renovation when the City Council voted 14-1 to approve $775 million toward a $1.4 billion renovation of EverBank Stadium.

The Jaguars and NFL are expected to pay $625 million toward the project, using NFL G-4 loans along with funds from items such as naming rights through the new 30-year lease and non-relocation agreement.

Read the full story

Tampa Electric Wants Rate Hike Despite Opposition from Customers

Big Bend Power Station

Customers of one of Florida’s largest utilities had the opportunity to voice their opinions during a public hearing held by Florida regulators last week.

The Tampa Electric Company filed a petition with the Florida Public Service Commission in April to increase base rates for 810,000 residential, commercial and industrial customers in Hillsborough County and portions of Polk, Pasco and Pinellas counties.

Read the full story

Soros and Democratic Dark Money Bankrolling ‘Grassroots’ Campaign Pushing Abortion in Florida

Stop Abortion Rally

The organization behind a ballot initiative that could reverse Florida’s six-week abortion ban goes to lengths to promote its “grassroots” credentials, all while taking in millions from liberal dark money groups and other deep-pocketed sources, campaign finance records show.

Floridians Protecting Freedom (FPF), one of the main groups pushing for a 2024 ballot measure that would enshrine the right to an abortion in the state’s constitution, touts its “grassroots” campaign and fundraising in several press releases it has sent out in recent months. However, the group has taken in massive sums of cash from a sprawling liberal dark money network and organizations backed by wealthy liberal donors.

Read the full story

Federal Judge Strikes Down Florida Gender-Affirming Care Ban as ‘Unconstitutional’

Transgender Protest

A federal judge in Florida on Tuesday struck down the state’s ban on gender-affirming care for minors, which also imposed restrictions for some adults, touting the law as “unconstitutional” because it discriminated against transgender people.

The controversial law was passed in the state and signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023. It barred medical professionals from administering gender-affirming care to minors, including treatments like puberty blockers and hormones. Florida medical boards embraced rules barring doctors from performing gender surgeries on minors or prescribing hormone treatments for them in 2022.

Read the full story