Florida agriculture losses between $78M and $371M from Hurricane Idalia, preliminary estimate says
Florida agriculture losses from Hurricane Idalia are estimated at between $78 million and $371 million, with producers also suffering widespread damage to such infrastructure as irrigation rigs and fences.
A Supreme Court redistricting ruling gave hope to Black voters. They're still waiting for new maps
The Supreme Court’s decision siding with Black voters in an Alabama redistricting case gave Democrats and voting rights activist a surprising opportunity before the 2024 elections to have congressional maps redrawn in a handful of states.
Florida upsets No. 11 Tennessee 29-16 for the Gators' 10th straight victory at home in the series
Trevor Etienne ran for a career-high 172 yards and a touchdown, Montrell Johnson scored twice and Florida upset No. 11 Tennessee 29-16 on Saturday night to extend the Volunteers’ losing streak in Gainesville to 10.
Trump, legal team must use secure facility to review classified evidence in documents case
A federal judge in the case charging Donald Trump with illegally hoarding top secret documents at his Florida estate has directed the former president to use a secure facility to review classified evidence and has sharply restricted his ability to discuss that information with others.
Florida abortion rights at stake as state Supreme Court takes up challenge to GOP-led restrictions
The Florida Supreme Court must decide whether to overrule broad abortion rights protections provided for decades under the state constitution and instead uphold a law signed by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis that bans the procedure in most cases after 15 weeks of pregnancy.
Yankees minor league manager Rachel Balkovec wrapping up second season with Single-A Tampa
Rachel Balkovec will wrap up her second season as the Single-A Tampa manager this week at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida, where on April 8 of last year she debuted with a win as the first woman to manage the affiliate of a Major League Baseball team.
Mar-a-Lago worker struck cooperation deal with prosecutors in Trump documents case, ex-lawyer says
An information technology director at Mar-a-Lago struck a cooperation agreement with federal prosecutors last summer in their investigation of Donald Trump’s retention of classified documents at the former president’s Florida property.
DeSantis won't meet with Biden during president's trip to survey Idalia damage
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office says he has no plans to meet with President Joe Biden when the Democrat flies to Florida this weekend to survey damage from Hurricane Idalia, suggesting that doing so could hinder disaster response because of the logistics involved.
As Idalia nears, Florida officals warn of 'potentially widespread' gas contamination: What to know
Florida officials are warning drivers of “potentially widespread fuel contamination” impacting gas stations across the state's west coast as residents brace for Tropical Storm Idalia’s expected landfall later this week.
Tropical Storm Idalia takes aim at Gulf of Mexico on a possible track toward the US, forecasters say
The National Hurricane Center says Tropical Storm Idalia is near the coast of Cuba on a potential track to come ashore as a hurricane in the southern U.S. At 10 p.m. CDT Sunday, the storm was about 145 miles off the western tip of Cuba with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph.
Much of Florida under state of emergency as possible tropical storm forms in Gulf of Mexico
Forecasters are warning of possible flash flooding and landslides across the eastern Yucatan peninsula and western Cuba, and Florida is bracing for a possible hurricane by midweek, as a weather system off the coast of Mexico is expected to become a tropical storm by Sunday.
Fox News reaches 12.8 million viewers for GOP primary debate, despite Donald Trump's absence
Fox News reached an estimated 12.8 million viewers on two television channels and its streaming network for the first GOP presidential primary debate of the 2024 season, even though former President Donald Trump skipped it.
Iowa poll: Tough border measures, fighting a ‘woke’ agenda are the most popular GOP issues ahead of debate
A whopping 77% of likely Republican Iowa caucusgoers say they’re more likely to vote for a candidate who supports using the U.S. military to secure the southern border, while an additional 65% say are more likely to back a candidate who fights the “left’s woke agenda.”
Prosecutors say witness in Trump's classified documents case retracted false testimony
The Justice Department says a witness in the federal prosecution of Donald Trump over the hoarding of classified documents retracted “prior false testimony” after switching lawyers last month and provided new information that implicated the former president.
Florida art museum sues former director over forged Basquiat paintings scheme
A central Florida art museum that was raided last year by the FBI over an exhibit of what turned out to be forged Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings has sued its former executive director and others, claiming they were part of a scheme to profit from the sale of the fake artwork.
Florida's costs for protecting Gov. Ron DeSantis rise as he became GOP presidential hopeful
The cost of protecting Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, his family and visiting officials has significantly risen from $6.1 million to $9.9 million as the Republican presidential hopeful embarked on an aggressive travel schedule to outflank former President Donald Trump in the GOP primary.
Shakespeare and penguin book get caught in Florida's 'Don't Say Gay' laws
Students in a Florida school district will be reading only excerpts from William Shakespeare’s plays for class rather than the full texts under redesigned curriculum guides that were developed, in part, to take into consideration a state law that restricts classroom materials with sexual content.
No college psychology credit for Florida high schoolers after clash over teaching about gender
The College Board says schools in Florida should not offer its Advanced Placement course in psychology to students, citing guidance from state officials to exclude content on sexual orientation and gender identity.
Leading anti-abortion group rips DeSantis for not pushing for national ban
A leading anti-abortion organization has criticized Republican Ron DeSantis for not supporting a national ban on the procedure, calling the Florida governor’s position “unacceptable” as he seeks the GOP nomination for president.
Judge criticizes prosecutors' handling of Venezuela case against ex-Miami congressman
A federal judge in Miami is criticizing prosecutors for an apparent attempt to undercut a court order and try to take control of an oceanside condo belonging to a former Republican congressman ahead of a high-profile trial connected to a $50 million consulting contract with Venezuela’s government.
Judge refuses to dismiss lawsuit against Disney’s efforts to neutralize governing district takeover
A judge in Florida has refused to dismiss a lawsuit brought by Gov. Ron DeSantis appointees against Disney’s efforts to neutralize a takeover of Disney World’s governing district by the Florida governor.
Scott criticizes DeSantis over his support for Florida's slavery curriculum as they stump in Iowa
U_S_ Sen_ Tim Scott is criticizing fellow Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov_ Ron DeSantis for supporting standards requiring teachers to instruct middle school students that slaves developed skills that “could be applied for their personal benefit.”.
Black lawmakers press Justice and Education Departments to investigate Florida's race curriculum
The Congressional Black Caucus is pushing the White House, Justice Department and the Department of Education to look into whether Florida school districts are violating federal discrimination law following changes to the state's Black history curriculum.
11-year-old Florida girl arrested after prank-texting 911 to say her friend was kidnapped as part of a YouTube challenge
An 11-year-old Florida girl was arrested after falsely texting authorities that her friend was kidnapped by an armed man. She later confessed the prank was part of a YouTube challenge.
In Trump case, Justice Dept. unseals previously blacked-out portions from search warrant application
The Justice Department has disclosed some of the previously blacked-out portions of a warrant application it submitted last year to gain authorization to search former President Donald Trump’s Florida property for classified documents.