Florida Politics

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Orlando’s budget is ‘relatively sane,’ Florida CFO says

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia, who has circled the state blasting cities and counties for what he deems as “excessive and wasteful spending,” stopped in Orlando Friday to say the city wasn’t doing too bad, actually.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/07/orlandos-budget-is-relatively-sane-florida-cfo-says/?

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SNAP benefits end, and needy residents overwhelm Central Florida food banks

Shirley Laureano, a mother to two young children, relies on $700 a month in federal food stamp money to help buy her family’s groceries as her job at a tea house doesn’t pay enough to cover all her bills.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/10/snap-benefits-end-and-needy-residents-overwhelm-central-florida-food-banks/?

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Florida voters object to government interference on ballot initiatives, survey shows

TALLAHASSEE — By overwhelming margins, Florida voters want to decide important issues like whether marijuana should be legalized or abortion rights protected and don’t want elected officials making the call, according to a new survey by a prominent Republican pollster who worked for President Donald Trump.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/11/florida-voters-object-to-government-interference-on-ballot-initiatives-survey-shows/?

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Scrapped plans to build in Florida parks came from DeSantis’ office, suit says

Documents filed this week in a wrongful termination lawsuit allege that plans to build hotels and golf courses in nine Florida state parks, later dropped after a public backlash, “came directly from the governor’s office.”

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/12/scrapped-plans-to-build-in-florida-parks-came-from-desantis-office-suit-says/?

Morgan & Morgan drops ‘Steamboat Willie’ lawsuit against Disney

Morgan & Morgan dropped a lawsuit against Disney on Wednesday that asked a judge to rule the law firm could use an adaptation of the nearly century-old “Steamboat Willie” cartoon in one of its ads.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/12/morgan-morgan-drops-steamboat-willie-lawsuit-against-disney/?

Florida Democrats push gun-control bills just weeks after open-carry law takes effect

GAINESVILLE — Democrats in Florida’s Legislature have filed more than a dozen gun control bills — which even the party’s lawmakers acknowledge are likely to go nowhere — less than two months after the state legalized open carry.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/12/florida-democrats-push-gun-control-bills-just-weeks-after-open-carry-law-takes-effect/?

Employee fired over Charlie Kirk posts sues Eastern Florida State College

A former Eastern Florida State College employee is suing the school after she was fired for her social media posts about the assassination of political activist Charlie Kirk.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/12/employee-fired-over-charlie-kirk-posts-sues-eastern-florida-state-college/?

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Florida OKs ‘evils of communism’ standards, signs Heritage Foundation pledge

Florida approved a new curriculum on Thursday to teach public school students about the “dangers and evils of communism,” academic standards that some historians have criticized as propaganda.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/13/florida-oks-evils-of-communism-standards-signs-heritage-foundation-pledge/?

Maxwell: Orlando now ranks 49th out of 50 in wages

For more than a decade, Orlando has held the dubious distinction of offering the lowest median wages of any major metro area in America. We’re talking dead last — 50th out of 50, trailing regions half our size and with much cheaper costs of living.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/14/maxwell-orlando-ranks-49th-out-of-50-in-wages/?

Trump cuts to subsidized rent programs could displace hundreds in Orlando, advocates say

As part of an effort to reinvent how America handles its homeless, the Trump administration is slashing funding to long-term housing programs, a decision advocates fear will force many of Central Florida’s disabled and most vulnerable back out onto the streets.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/14/trump-cuts-to-subsidized-rent-programs-could-displace-hundreds-in-orlando-advocates-say/?

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Judge rejects initial request to reinstate Florida biologist after Kirk social media post

TALLAHASSEE — Saying “the First Amendment is not absolute,” a federal judge rejected an initial attempt to require state officials to reinstate a biologist who was fired because of a social media post after the murder of conservative leader Charlie Kirk.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/14/judge-rejects-initial-request-to-reinstate-florida-biologist-after-kirk-social-media-post/?

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Editorial: When they reduce crashes, ticket-generating cameras make sense

Ten years ago, red-light cameras seemed to be everywhere, silent witnesses that tattled on drivers who blew through intersections when they should have stopped. There’s significant evidence that cameras reduce dangerous collisions where they are installed — and there’s no doubt the cameras, which can generate dozens of tickets a day, are big revenue producers for local governments.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/17/editorial-when-they-reduce-crashes-ticket-generating-cameras-make-sense/?

Resumption of Citizens Insurance alternative dispute hearings ordered

State-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corp. may continue to pursue more than 400 claims through an alternative dispute system that critics say produces rulings favorable to the insurer.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/17/resumption-of-citizens-insurance-alternative-dispute-hearings-ordered/?

Central Florida school district part of drone pilot program to combat shooting threats

A Central Florida school district has been selected for a new drone program targeting school safety.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/18/central-florida-school-district-part-of-drone-pilot-program-to-combat-shooting-threats/?

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Maxwell: $925/hr legal bills, $494,000 per degree. The costs of cronyism at Florida universities

Over the last few years, Florida has gone from being the Sunshine State to the Political Patronage State.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/18/maxwell-fau-925-hour-legal-bills-new-college-spending/?

DeSantis signs death warrant for inmate convicted of 2 murders during home invasion robbery

TALLAHASSEE — A man convicted of fatally shooting a man and woman during home invasion robbery and later confessing to three other killings is scheduled to be put to death in December under a death warrant signed Tuesday by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is setting a record pace for executions.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/18/desantis-signs-death-warrant-for-killer-convicted-in-1987-murders-of-two-people/?

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Editorial: With Epstein files, Trump can’t win

Donald Trump cannot accept defeat.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/19/with-epstein-files-trump-looks-like-a-loser-editorial/?

What Florida homebuyers should know about Trump’s 50-year mortgage plan

By nearly every metric, it’s getting harder to buy a home in the United States.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/19/what-florida-homebuyers-should-know-about-trumps-50-year-mortgage-plan/?

Maxwell: Florida grand juries, at root of Epstein rot, may next target Trump foes

You’re probably aware of the growing consensus to lift the veil of secrecy surrounding Jeffrey Epstein — the heinous crimes he committed and the grossly favorable treatment he received early on.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/19/epstein-florida-grand-jury-secrecy-maxwell/?

Orange County’s pitch to entice filmmakers: Lights, cameras, incentives!

Imagine “The Walking Dead” in Bithlo or “Stranger Things” in Pine Hills.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/19/orange-countys-pitch-to-entice-filmmakers-lights-cameras-incentives/?

Two FAU faculty members return to work after Charlie Kirk comments found to be protected speech

Two Florida Atlantic University faculty members returned to work Tuesday after a university investigation concluded that comments they made about Charlie Kirk were protected speech.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/19/two-fau-faculty-members-return-to-work-after-charlie-kirk-comments-found-to-be-protected-speech/?

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Lawmaker who led Hope Florida probe aims to end public records delays

TALLAHASSEE — State Rep. Alex Andrade, the Pensacola Republican who led a probe into the Hope Florida initiative championed by First Lady Casey DeSantis, has filed a sweeping bill that takes aim at tactics used by the DeSantis administration to thwart public inquiries.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/20/lawmaker-who-led-hope-florida-probe-aims-to-end-public-records-delays/?

Editorial: Dying reefs threaten Florida’s future

Floridians are not used to hearing the word “extinct” applied to species that play significant roles in the state’s ecological and economic landscape.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/20/editorial-dying-reefs-threaten-floridas-future/?

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Commentary: Mix of open carry and stand your ground puts Florida in danger

Twenty years ago, Florida Gov. Jeb Bush signed the first “stand your ground” law, calling it a “good, commonsense, anti-crime issue.”

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/21/mix-of-open-carry-and-stand-your-ground-puts-florida-in-danger-opinion/?

Florida House moves tax-cut bills forward despite barbs from the left and right

A series of proposals aimed at eliminating or reducing non-school homestead property taxes advanced out of a House committee on Thursday, as local-government officials warned about having to decrease services because of potentially billions of dollars in lost revenue.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/21/florida-house-moves-tax-cut-bills-forward-despite-barbs-from-the-left-and-right/?

UCF lays off 65 employees, most tied to ‘shifting federal priorities,’ school says

The University of Central Florida laid off 57 employees at a renewable energy research center in Brevard County last week after the Trump administration cut federal grants that helped support it.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/21/ucf-lays-off-65-employees-most-tied-to-shifting-federal-priorities-school-says/?

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DeSantis: Plan for oil drilling off Florida coast would ‘weaken protections’

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday reiterated what is bipartisan opposition in Florida to a White House plan to open waters off the state’s Gulf Coast to oil drilling.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/21/desantis-plan-for-oil-drilling-off-florida-coast-would-weaken-protections/?

Democrats join DeSantis in opposing House Republicans’ slate of property tax proposals

Florida House Democrats found common ground with Gov. Ron DeSantis Thursday in vehemently opposing Republicans’ eight property tax proposals, all of which have passed their first committee hurdles along party lines.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/20/democrats-join-desantis-in-opposing-house-republicans-slate-of-property-tax-proposals/?

Apopka council seeks to raise impact fees on new homes by 42%

The Apopka City Council took the penultimate step Wednesday toward hiking fees developers are charged to help fund police, fire/rescue and recreation services — as much as 42% for residential and 280% for nonresidential construction.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/22/apopka-council-seeks-to-raise-impact-fees-on-new-homes-by-42-but-new-commercial-projects-would-see-the-steepest-hikes/?

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State can’t find Hope Florida vehicles in motor pool database

TALLAHASSEE — Buses, vans and trucks emblazoned with the Hope Florida logo serve as backdrops to press conferences touting the welfare alternative program championed by First Lady Casey DeSantis.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/23/state-cant-find-hope-florida-vehicles-in-motor-pool-database/?

Families face long waitlist for Florida’s subsidized childcare program

The number of children waiting for subsidized childcare in Florida has ballooned to nearly 26,000 this year as federal COVID-era funding ended and the state made more youngsters eligible for the help but chipped in no extra money.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/23/families-face-long-waitlist-for-floridas-subsidized-childcare-program/?

Are lower insurance rates reducing homeowners’ costs? We shopped four policies to find out

Are lower home insurance rates leading to cost reductions for Florida homeowners?

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/23/are-lower-insurance-rates-reducing-homeowners-costs-we-shopped-four-policies-to-find-out/?

DeSantis: Trump’s oil drilling could ‘weaken’ environment, military training

Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Friday that President Donald Trump’s push to drill off the Florida coast could “weaken” environmental protections and interfere with military training.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/21/desantis-trumps-oil-drilling-could-weaken-environment-military-training/?

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Florida bear hunt to take place next month after judge rejects injunction

Florida’s first bear hunt in a decade will take place as scheduled next month after a state judge on Monday denied a motion by a conservation group to stop it from taking place.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/24/florida-bear-hunt-to-take-place-next-month-after-judge-rejects-injunction/?

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Smart & Safe Florida confident cannabis amendment will make 2026 ballot

The latest effort to legalize marijuana in Florida encountered a legal setback but those behind a new amendment insist they still can qualify for the 2026 ballot.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/25/smart-safe-florida-confident-cannabis-amendment-will-make-2026-ballot/?

Campbell’s says it uses ‘100% real chicken’ after AG Uthmeier moves to investigate

A day after Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said that his office is investigating allegations that the Campbell’s Soup Co. uses bioengineered meat in their soups, the company is strongly denying that claim.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/25/campbells-says-it-uses-100-real-chicken-following-ag-uthmeiers-move-to-investigate/?

Florida judge’s ruling on marijuana petition signatures won’t be appealed

TALLAHASSEE — The political committee behind a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow recreational marijuana will not appeal a judge’s decision upholding state election officials’ invalidation of 200,000 petition signatures.

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/25/florida-judges-ruling-on-marijuana-petition-signatures-wont-be-appealed/?

Homeowner insurance cost hikes grind to near stop in September, latest data shows

After a long run, home insurance price increases in Florida slowed to a near halt between August and September, raising the question: Now will prices go down?

https://www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/26/homeowner-insurance-cost-hikes-grind-to-near-stop-for-homeowners-in-september-latest-data-shows/?

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Public meeting on school vaccinations slated for Dec. 12 in Panama City

Nearly two months after calling for the elimination of vaccine mandates from Florida statutes, the DeSantis administration announced it will hold a three-hour public meeting in Northwest Florida for the public to weigh in.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/26/public-meeting-on-school-vaccinations-slated-for-dec-12-in-panama-city/?

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Florida bear hunt to take place next month after judge rejects injunction

Florida’s first bear hunt in a decade will take place as scheduled next month after a state judge on Monday denied a motion by a conservation group to stop it from taking place.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/24/florida-bear-hunt-to-take-place-next-month-after-judge-rejects-injunction/?

Judge: Private school accepted state vouchers for students 130 miles away

A private school in Brooksville should be barred from access to state school vouchers after its operator admitted it wasn’t educating students the state paid it to teach, an administrative judge recommended Wednesday.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/11/25/judge-private-school-accepted-state-vouchers-for-students-130-miles-away/?

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Nearly a third of Florida professors looking for work in another state

Citing state policy on tenure, elimination of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, and the cost of living, Florida faculty laid out their frustrations in a recent survey.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/09/05/nearly-a-third-of-florida-professors-looking-for-work-in-another-state/?

Florida Democratic House Leader calls plan to redraw congressional map ‘illegal’

President Donald Trump’s unprecedented plan to redraw state congressional maps to preserve the GOP’s narrow majority in the House ahead of the 2026 election has hit some bumps, but Republicans appear confident they can flip several Democratic seats in Florida, where the first steps in that process will begin this week.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/01/florida-democratic-house-leader-calls-plan-to-redrawn-congressional-map-illegal/?

ps:What are they afraid of? Do they not think that they can win??

Floridians who harm, sexually abuse animals near children could face 5 years in prison

Criminals who persuade children to harm or sexually abuse animals could face up to five years in prison under a new bill filed with the support of Gov. Ron DeSantis.

https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/floridians-who-harm-sexually-abuse-animals-near-children-could-face-5-years-in-prison/?

Florida Bar opens disciplinary file on a Miami Beach candidate

The Florida Bar last week opened a disciplinary file on a Miami Beach City Commission candidate accused of defaming a local filmmaker who reported on her lasting affinity for her father, the serial killer inspiration for “Dexter” executed in 2012.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/01/florida-bar-opens-disciplinary-file-on-daughter-of-executed-serial-killer-a-miami-beach-candidate/?

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Fears of cuts to fire departments and emergency services plague Florida property tax proposals

Fears of decimated fire departments dominated Tuesday’s Florida House committee hearing on proposals to slash property taxes.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/02/fears-of-cuts-to-fire-departments-and-emergency-services-plague-florida-property-tax-proposals/?

ps:My first thoughts!!!

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DeSantis says Florida ‘will be forced’ to redistrict because of pending U.S. Supreme Court decision

Update: Florida Senate President Ben Albritton weighed in for the first time on congressional redistricting late Wednesday afternoon.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/03/desantis-says-florida-will-be-forced-to-redistrict-because-of-pending-u-s-supreme-court-decision/?

Florida wildlife agency’s leaders claim they don’t have to follow science

When I was growing up here in Florida, everyone revered science. We looked to high-IQ scientists to tell us how to fly to the moon, how to transplant a heart, how to fire up a laser, how the universe began with a Big Bang.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/04/florida-wildlife-agencys-leaders-claim-they-dont-have-to-follow-science/?

ps:Even though I agree we should follow the Science, but there are times when the science is definitely wrong!! One one of those times is the Big Bang, especially if you are a Christian and follow the Bible!!!

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‘AI Week’ crashed by Trump-DeSantis battle over regulation: What’s next?

A fight between President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis has dominated Florida House Speaker Danny Perez’s planned “artificial intelligence week” in the Legislature, intended to explore the technology.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/09/ai-week-crashed-by-trump-desantis-battle-over-regulation-whats-next/?

Senate President says Florida should wait for U.S. Supreme Court ruling before redistricting

Florida Senate President Ben Albritton said Monday that he would prefer to wait to decide about a mid-decade congressional redistricting until after the U.S. Supreme Court rules in a Voting Rights Act case sometime next year.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/08/senate-president-says-florida-should-wait-for-u-s-supreme-court-ruling-before-redistricting/?

Legislature Democrats put affordability atop their 2026 session agenda

Florida Democrats have housing affordability and government efficiency on their minds a month out from the start of the 2026 legislative session.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/08/legislature-democrats-put-affordability-atop-their-2026-session-agenda/?

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Former FL Supreme Court justice speaks out for an independent judiciary

At a time of attacks on the judicial system, a coalition of former state chief justices around the country has organized to educate the country about the role of the judiciary and the significance of its independence.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/15/former-fl-supreme-court-justice-speaks-out-for-an-independent-judiciary/?

Florida school, daycare vaccine tussle kicks off in Panama City Beach

The push by Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo to repeal some of the state’s vaccine requirements for public schools and day care kicked off Friday with a lengthy and contentious hearing held in a hotel in Florida’s Panhandle.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/12/florida-school-daycare-vaccine-tussle-kicks-off-in-panama-city-beach/?

The Phony War on Christians

Remember the War on Christmas, when conservatives worked themselves into a lather over America-hating freaks wishing people “Happy Holidays,” putting on community celebrations called “Winterfest” instead of  Christmas or parking a Festivus Pole next to a Manger Scene?

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/15/the-phoney-war-on-christians/?

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CAIR-Florida files lawsuit against DeSantis after ‘terrorist’ designation

TAMPA — The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the nation’s largest Muslim civil-rights organization, has filed a federal lawsuit challenging Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ executive order issued last week designating the group as a “terrorist organization.” CAIR is asking the court to block the executive order and declare it unconstitutional.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/16/cair-florida-files-lawsuit-against-desantis-after-terrorist-designation/?

‘Sadly timed’: New bill would allow professors, TAs to open carry on campus

Florida professors, university faculty, and teaching assistants could soon be able to openly carry firearms on campus, thanks to a sweeping new measure filed by a Republican lawmaker.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/16/sadly-timed-new-bill-would-allow-professors-tas-to-open-carry-on-campus/?

ps:Won't have to watch the wild, wild, west shows anymore, we'll have that right in our back yard!! Awesome!!!!

Is Higgins’ Miami win a harbinger of shifting Democratic fortunes in 2026?

If Miami’s mayoral race is an indicator of the national mood, color that mood surly.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/17/is-higgins-miami-win-a-harbinger-of-shifting-democratic-fortunes-in-2026/?

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DeSantis’s proposed budget changes how state funds cancer programs

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s eighth and final legislative budget makes another run at redirecting cancer funding in Florida, including jettisoning a requirement that funds be awarded only to peer-reviewed projects and empowering an eight-member “collaborative” to direct how the state spends hundreds of millions of dollars on cancer care and research.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/18/cancer-recurrence-desantiss-proposed-budget-changes-how-state-funds-cancer-programs/?

Trackers, AI translators, pepper spray: Cabinet approves cops’ immigration requests

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet on Wednesday approved more than $2 million in immigration enforcement money for local agencies seeking AI language translators, pepper spray, GPS trackers, handcuffs, bonuses, and more.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/17/trackers-ai-translators-pepper-spray-cabinet-approves-cops-immigration-requests/?

Florida lawmakers promote ‘Blue Ribbon’ developers at public’s expense

During the holidays you see ribbons and bows everywhere you look. You find them on the packages under the tree and at the gift wrap counter. Dealers even stick big bows on top of new cars. But the biggest gift of all is working its way through the Florida Legislature right now, complete with a great big bow on top.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/18/florida-lawmakers-promote-blue-ribbon-developers-at-publics-expense/?

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It’s not getting any safer for Florida’s bicyclists

Niki Isaak was approximately 33 miles into the Central Florida Classic bike ride near Brooksville in October when a group of motorcyclists entered the bike path and began riding dangerously close to her.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/19/its-not-getting-any-safer-for-floridas-bicyclists/?

Florida Supreme Court upholds death sentence in challenge to 8-juror law

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday upheld the death sentence of a twice-condemned man, dismissing his constitutional concerns over a state law that allows just eight jurors to recommend death — the lowest threshold in the nation.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/18/florida-supreme-court-upholds-death-sentence-in-challenge-to-8-juror-law/?

Donalds campaign says it’s raised more than $40 million in race for governor

Can anyone stop Byron Donalds from becoming Florida’s next governor?

https://floridaphoenix.com/briefs/donalds-campaign-says-its-raised-more-than-40-million-in-race-for-governor/?

Nikki Fried slams proposal to allow the state to remove locally elected officials

Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried is blasting proposed legislation introduced this week by Florida Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Blaise Ingoglia aimed at increasing local government spending transparency — specifically, a provision that would allow removal of local officials found to have committed “financial abuse.”

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/18/nikki-fried-slams-proposal-to-allow-the-state-to-remove-locally-elected-officials/?

Measles cases rise amid holiday travel

The number of measles cases is continuing to grow, reaching 1,958 confirmed cases in 43 states through Dec. 16 and threatening to undo next year the United States’ status as a nation that has eradicated the disease, according to a report released Dec. 17 by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

https://floridaphoenix.com/2025/12/18/repub/measles-cases-rise-amid-holiday-travel/?

ps:Lets just not take the shot and spread the measles to others!!!!!