Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program is continuing to pay off as more law enforcement officers relocate to Florida from other states.
On Friday, Gov. DeSantis delivered $5,000 bonuses to six new recruits in the Cape Coral Police Department in Lee County. Two relocated from New York; one relocated from Maryland, one relocated from Georgia, and two are new to the profession.
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Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement shut down a major drug trafficking operation run by gang members affiliated with Mexican cartels, Moody’s office announced Wednesday.
So far, 25 people have been charged, including SUR-13 (Sureños) gang members who already have multiple felony counts related to drug trafficking, violent criminal acts and conspiracy. They were arrested on a combined 64 first-degree felony counts. Many involved were already incarcerated in prisons in several counties in Florida.
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Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis argued Thursday that Parkland mass shooter Nikolas Cruz warranted execution after a jury recommended life imprisonment.
Cruz’s official sentencing is set for Nov. 1 after the jury recommended life in prison without the possibility of parole. DeSantis responded with disappointment.
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The Biden Administration’s Department of the Treasury recently confirmed to Democratic members of Congress that it is currently investigating Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.) over his chartering of aircraft to fly illegal aliens into Martha’s Vineyard.
According to Politico, Deputy Inspector General Richard Delmar sent a letter on October 7th to the congressional delegation of Massachusetts, which consists entirely of Democrats, declaring that it would “get this work underway as soon as possible.” The probe aims to determine whether or not DeSantis used federal COVID-19 funding to pay for the flights.
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A few years ago, while visiting the National Hurricane Center, I asked the staff to describe a worst-case weather scenario for Florida. They described a high-category hurricane stalling off the coast and pummeling the western side of the state with storm surge. In other words, they described Hurricane Ian.
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Florida will continue transporting foreign nationals in the U.S. illegally north for at least another eight months, according to a state contract and purchase orders reviewed and first reported by the Sun Sentinel.
They are being transported by Vertol Systems Co., a comprehensive transportation service provider, which was granted a contract by the Florida Department of Transportation. Transportation services are to continue through June 30, 2023, according to the contract.
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University of Florida students and faculty are protesting the appointment of Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) as president of the school because of his positions on same-sex marriage.
During a question-and-answer session that Sasse attended on Monday at the university, protestors claimed the senator’s stance on same-sex marriage makes him an unsuitable choice for being the university’s president, The Hill reported.
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Hundreds of students at the University of Florida (UF) disrupted a forum for Republican Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse, the only current contender for the school’s next president, with protests Monday over a previous statement he made regarding a same-sex marriage law.
“The Supreme Court once again overstepped its Constitutional role by acting as a super-legislature and imposing its own definition of marriage on the American people rather than allowing voters to decide in the states,” Sasse said in a 2015 statement in opposition to the Supreme Court’s decision to enshrine same-sex marriage in Obergefell v. Hodges. The Nebraska Republican is reportedly retiring from Congress to pursue a career in academia, according to a former aide.
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Nebraska Senator Dr. Ben Sasse will potentially be stepping down from his office to become the next University of Florida (UF) president.
On Thursday, UF, located in Gainseville, announced that its Presidential Search Committee unanimously voted to recommend Senator Sasse to the Board of Trustees for the “13th president of the University of Florida.”
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The lone debate next week between Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis and Democrat challenger Charlie Crist has been postponed due to the aftermath of Hurricane Ian.
The announcement was made Thursday by the debate host, local news station WPEC News 12, according to the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.
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Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis maintains an 11-point lead over his Democratic challenger, Charlie Crist, as he grapples with the impact of Hurricane Ian.
The Mason-Dixon poll, which Florida Politics obtained, surveyed 800 registered and likely voters and found that 52% of them backed DeSantis, compared to 41% for Crist. The double digit lead puts the current Florida governor well outside of the survey’s +/- 3.5% margin of error.
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President Joe Biden praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for his leadership in overseeing recovery efforts after the devastation created by Hurricane Ian.
After surveying areas damaged by the hurricane, Biden met with the governor and state and local officials. At a news conference, he praised DeSantis’ management of recovery efforts, saying, “What the governor has done is pretty remarkable.”
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Florida officials are facing multiple hurdles with midterm election voting – now less than six weeks away – as a result of the damage inflicted last week by Hurricane Ian.
Challenges include a lack of functional polling sites, a potential shortage of poll workers, and the deadline for the state to send vote-by-mail ballots being Thursday – while the Postal Service hasn’t resumed service in some of the hardest-hit areas, according to Politico.
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U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., says he believes the Republican Party will take back the Senate in November.
Scott told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday, “My effort right now is on the hurricane relief for this hurricane, but absolutely I think we’re at 52 seats-plus. If you look at Biden’s numbers, they’re really bad. People have rejected the Biden agenda. We have great candidates. The Democrats have to defend what Biden has done.”]
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Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is issuing another warning to Floridians to be aware of fraudsters attempting to take advantage of those impacted by Hurricane Ian.
“Hurricane Ian devastated Floridians, destroying homes and leaving thousands without food, water or electricity,” Moody said. “Rebuilding will take months or longer – creating an inexhaustible demand for qualified contractors and debris removal services.
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Over the summer, the University of Florida (UF) College of Education offered a history course titled “History of Education in the U.S.” that required students to create a positionality statement on their “personal and educational experiences.”
The statement was worth 10% of students’ grades, The New Guard reported.
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Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning people not to loot during the state of emergency resulting from widespread destruction caused by Hurricane Ian.
She issued a warning to criminals on Friday, saying, “you will spend maximum time allowed by law behind bars.”
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Companies nationwide donated more than $10 million in one day to help Floridians in the aftermath of destruction caused by Hurricane Ian.
Ian, which is believed to be the costliest storm in U.S. history, has devastated communities throughout much of southwest and central Florida.
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ROTONDA WEST, Florida – More than 36 hours after the devastating Category 4 Hurricane Ian made landfall in southwest Florida, a Star News Network reporter trekked to the rural town of Rotonda West to do a wellness check on his parents, who live in the sprawling community.
The deed restricted community of Rotonda West, located in Charlotte County, spent approximately eight hours inside the eyewall of Hurricane Ian on Wednesday, as the storm moved slowly northeast towards Orlando and later Jacksonville.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pushed back against a reporter who he said was trying to politicize the state’s hurricane preparedness efforts.
The governor has been giving multiple briefings daily. At one briefing Tuesday, a reporter asked about remarks made by Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) administrator Deanne Criswell earlier in the day.
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The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) plans to send support to Florida as expected Category 3 Hurricane Ian bears down on the Sunshine State.
“As Florida braces for the impact of Hurricane Ian, Tennessee emergency service professionals are traveling to the area to help the state prepare and to provide support after the storm,” said Gov. Bill Lee (R) in a press release. “We are proud of men and women who have stepped up to represent the Volunteer State and provide critical, life-saving services to Floridians in need.”
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued new warnings Monday ahead of Hurricane Ian, expected to make landfall this week. It was upgraded from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane Monday morning and is projected to strengthen to a major hurricane.
As of 11 am Monday, the storm was located roughly 375 miles south of Key West. It’s moving about 15 miles an hour north with maximum winds of 80 miles an hour. As it moves into the Gulf, it’s expected to strengthen into a major hurricane as early as Tuesday, DeSantis said.
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More than $30 million in additional grants have been awarded to support workforce development and entrepreneurship education and training in Florida.
Nearly $30 million has been allocated to support workforce development in the Space Coast region as part of a multi-agency initiative to support competitive industries.
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On Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R-Fla.), announced a series of executive orders and proposed legislative actions aiming to reduce the influence of hostile foreign nations such as China.
The Daily Wire reports that DeSantis’ proposals focus on seven nations in particular: China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Venezuela, Cuba, and Syria. The proposed measures will cover each of these nations’ respective efforts to target the state of Florida through such means as cyberspace, real estate purchases, and academic influence.
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Career federal prosecutors have reportedly recommended against charging GOP Rep. Matt Gaetz is a sex-trafficking investigation, telling Justice Department superiors that a conviction is unlikely.
The recommendation is in part because of credibility issues with the case’s two key witnesses, people familiar with the matter told The Washington Post, which on Friday reported on the status of the roughly 2-year-old investigation.
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A top Florida Democrat has come out in support of Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis in his reelection bid, citing policies of his opponent with which he does not agree.
In a Tweet this week, Palm Beach County commissioner Dave Kerner, who was previously the mayor of Palm Beach County, called DeSantis “the obvious choice this election cycle.” The governor faces a challenge from Democrat Charlie Crist, a former Republican governor himself.
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A Florida school board approved a new sexual education curriculum that teaches 12-year-olds about the purpose of condoms, despite push back from parents.
The Hillsborough School Board in Tampa, Florida, voted 5-2 Tuesday to implement a new sexual education curriculum for seventh graders. Parents pushed back against the proposed curriculum, saying the lesson plans are sourced by Planned Parenthood documents, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
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Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida took on critics attacking him over flying illegal immigrants to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, during a Monday night Fox News appearance.
“Sean, it’s really frustrating. You have been covering this,” DeSantis told Fox News host Sean Hannity. “Millions of people since Biden has been president illegally coming across the southern border. Did they freak out about that? No. You had migrants die in the Rio Grande, you had 50 die in Texas in a trailer because they were neglected. Was there a freak out? No, there wasn’t.”
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Florida Republican Sen. Marco Rubio excoriated California’s recent move to ban the sale of fossil-fueled cars by 2035.
The state’s Air Resources Board approved in late August rules that would require the state to transition to selling only electric vehicles by the deadline and set interim targets for EV sales quotas ahead of the final ban. At present, just 1% of cars on the state’s roads are emissions-free vehicles. The ban does not apply to any pre-existing fossil-fueled vehicles.
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The state of Florida has begun flying foreign nationals who entered the U.S. illegally at the southern border – and were transported by the Biden administration to Florida – north to Martha’s Vineyard in Massachusetts.
Delaware, New York and California are likely next, according to statements made by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his staff.
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The National Rifle Association Political Victory Fund (NRA-PVF), the NRA’s political action committee, has endorsed Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for reelection.
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Democratic gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist appears to have compared himself to Jesus Christ and Gov. Ron DeSantis to Satan at a campaign event in which he spoke about “decency.”
A video of the comments that was published on several social media channels surfaced from a volunteer kick-off event hosted by Pinellas County Democrats in March.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis activated the Florida National Guard in an effort to provide ongoing assistance to the state’s corrections officers.
Activating the guard will help reduce overtime for corrections officers and provide temporary staffing relief as the state continues to fill vacancies. They were activated immediately as of Sept. 9 for a period of nine months or until they are no longer needed.
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American voters prefer Florida to California by a three to two margin, a new poll from WPA Intelligence found.
When asked where they would prefer to live, 61% of registered voters said they would rather live in Florida and 39% chose California, the poll, conducted Aug. 22-25, found. Independents and Republicans showed an even stronger preference for Florida, while Democrats preferred California.
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Dr. Sidhbh Gallagher, a Miami-based plastic surgeon, advertises the “gender-affirming” surgeries she performs on adolescents on the youth-dominated social media app TikTok, a Daily Caller News Foundation review found.
Gallagher’s TikTok profile contains hundreds of videos about transgender-related surgeries she performs, some of which include photos or videos of her young patients showing off mastectomy scars. Her videos are part of the pro-medicalization, transgender-affirming trend encouraging young people on social media to pursue biomedical interventions.
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Attorney General Ashley Moody, Truckers Against Trafficking, the Florida Department of Transportation and Busing on the Lookout are working together to train more than 100 Floridians in the gaming and passenger transportation industries to identify and report human trafficking.
Moody and TAT hosted a Florida Bus & Casino Coalition Build Out training program on Thursday about how to identify human trafficking and learn about ways state and local law enforcement are combating it.
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On Wednesday, a federal lawsuit was filed against the state of Florida over a recently-enacted policy that orders the state’s Medicaid program to prohibit the funding of gender-altering procedures.
According to NPR, the suit was filed in the Northern District of Florida by a coalition of far-left groups allegedly representing four Florida Medicaid recipients, who claim to be either “transgender” or to be the parents of “transgender” children.
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The Heritage Foundation ranked Florida, followed by Arizona, as the states that most empower parents in their children’s education and support education freedom.
On Friday Heritage published its first Education Freedom Report Card which provides measures of the concept in four categories: school choice, academic transparency, regulation freedom, and spending.
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced a new proposal for the legislature to consider next year to give toll road commuters a 50% discount.
Under the new plan, drivers who use toll transponders like SunPass and E-PASS and have 40 or more transactions a month would receive a 50% credit on their monthly bills. The proposal would benefit about 750,000 Floridians and save the average commuter $550 a year, according to estimates.
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The Miami-Dade County Public Schools board has voted against a proposal to observe October as LGBTQ History Month, following the state’s recently enacted Parental Rights in Education law that prohibiting K through third-grade teachers giving lessons on “sexual orientation” or “gender identity.”
The measure – which critics and others frequently refer to as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill – was signed into law in March by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis.
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Georgia has settled allegations that a company sent deceptive direct mail solicitations to help small business owners in the state secure a Certificate of Existence.
The state attorney general’s office alleged that CA Certificate Service, which also operates as GA Certificate Service, misrepresented that the fee it charges for obtaining a Certificate of Existence was a government fee. However, state officials say the company has no affiliation with any Georgia government agency, including the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office.
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Florida A&M University (FAMU), a historically black college in Tallahassee, released a regulation in 2018 restricting the posting of signs, flyers, and advertisements on designated bulletin boards, and requiring that any such postings be pre-approved by the university.
Posting material is “limited to the Quadrangle Information Center and bulletin boards and will not be displayed, for example, on trees, buildings, or road signs,” the regulation reads.
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Florida is expanding its purchase of electric transit and school buses statewide through funding made available from a national 2016-era EPA Volkswagen settlement.
Of the state’s $166 million allotment, more than $68 million was awarded to 13 counties to purchase electric transit buses. More than $57 million was awarded to purchase 218 electric school buses in seven counties.
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The state of Florida is suing the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) over claims its review of the state’s Canadian Prescription Drug Importation Program has taken more than 630 days.
“Florida has been ready to deliver cheaper prescription drugs to those that need them for nearly two years,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a Wednesday news conference announcing the lawsuit with Attorney General Ashley Moody. “The lack of transparency by the Biden administration during the approval process, and failure to provide records on the importation proposal, is costing Floridians who are facing rising prices across the board due to inflation. Florida is confident in our importation model, and we continue to look for more ways to lower drug costs for Floridians while the FDA delays approval of this importation proposal.”
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Before California Gov. Gavin Newsom attacked Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in a campaign ad, his in-laws donated money to DeSantis’ campaign through a trust they control, campaign finance records show.
Both governors are running for their second term and are favored to win reelection. Both have been identified by political pundits as a potential presidential matchup, especially after Newsom launched his first campaign ad for reelection attacking DeSantis instead of his Republican opponent in California.
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Rep. Charlie Crist, Florida’s Democratic nominee for governor, is resigning Wednesday from Congress – leaving the House seat vacant until after the November midterms.
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A Seminole County GOP office in Florida was vandalized after President Joe Biden referred to voters who support President Donald Trump as “fascists” and after Democratic gubernatorial candidate U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist called DeSantis supporters “hateful.”
Republican Party chairwoman Ronna McDaniel posted an image of the office that was vandalized, which shows the outside window spray-painted with graffiti stating, “Eat [expletive] fascists” with an A symbol referring to the violent fascist organization, Antifa.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday suspended via executive order four Broward County School Board members “due to their incompetence, neglect of duty, and misuse of authority.”
Board members Patricia Good, Donna Korn, Ann Murray and Laurie Rich Levinson were suspended effective immediately.
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A new toll discount program will go into effect September 1 to reduce costs for Floridians using the state’s turnpike system and toll facilities to help offset inflation.
Florida commuters will be able to take advantage of a new rewards program called “SunPass Savings” when driving on Florida’s Turnpike System and using its toll facilities owned by the Florida Department of Transportation. The savings program is for SunPass customers who use the prepaid electronic toll collection program operated by Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise, Florida’s toll agency.
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The City of Miami is hosting a gun buyback program Saturday and donating the weapons to Ukraine’s defense, according to the city.
The Miami website advertises the event as a way to prevent gun violence and support Ukraine. Donors will be offered up to $150 per gun, and the firearms will be either discarded or donated for use in the defense of Ukraine.
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