Florida's Latest News

Florida Realtors PAC throws its weight behind Bill Poteet in HD 82 GOP Primary

The Florida Realtors PAC is backing Bill Poteet in the race for House District 82, adding the powerful real estate group’s support to his bid for the Southwest Florida seat.

The political arm of Florida Realtors cited Poteet’s professional background, community involvement and familiarity with regional issues. Poteet is a Realtor, small-business owner and longtime resident of the district.

“As a REALTOR, small-business owner and longtime resident of southwest Florida, the citizens of House District 82 would be hard-pressed to find a more effective representative for their area than Bill Poteet,” said Marilyn Pearson-Adams, Chair of the Florida Realtors PAC Trustees.

“He is incredibly active in his community, serving in leadership positions in numerous local and non-profit organizations, and his knowledge as a REALTOR has given him a deep understanding of the issues facing the region. He would be an outstanding addition to the Florida House of Representatives.”

Florida Realtors PAC routinely weighs in on legislative races across the state, supporting candidates it views as aligned with property rights, economic growth and housing affordability. Endorsements from the group can carry significant weight, particularly in districts where real estate and development play a central role in the local economy.

University of Florida restarts national search for new president

The University of Florida's journey for its next leader begins again.

The Board of Trustees on Dec. 16 named a 15-member Presidential Search Advisory Committee tasked with guiding the national search for the university's 14th president.

The panel brings together representatives from across UF and the State University System, including trustees, faculty, students, alumni, administrators and external stakeholders.

“With the Presidential Search Advisory Committee now in place, we are moving forward with a focused and thoughtful search to identify the leader best suited to guide the University of Florida to even greater national and global prominence,” said Mori Hosseini, chair of the UF Board of Trustees, in a news release.

Rahul Patel, vice chair of the UF Board of Trustees, has been appointed chair of the Presidential Search Advisory Committee.

The other members are:

The field is set for Florida Senate District 14 special election

The race is on to replace Jay Collins in a Tampa-based State Senate seat. The field has been narrowed to two candidates.

Collins resigned in August when Gov. Ron DeSantis made him the state's lieutenant governor. Collins replaced Jeanette Nunez, who resigned to become president of Florida International University.

The special election is on March 24, with early voting beginning March 13. Two people are running.

Two more Republicans had filed to run. But Melanie Griffin, the secretary of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, did not qualify, and Amaro Lionheart of Largo withdrew from the race.

The Republican candidate is state representative Josie Tomkow. She was facing term limits and will resign from House District 51, which is centered in Polk County. She has been endorsed by Republicans such as Congresswoman Laurel Lee and the sheriffs of Hillsborough, Pasco and Polk counties. State records show she has raised more than $90,000.

The Democratic candidate is Brian Nathan. He's a Navy veteran, an electrician and is active with a union for electrical workers. Nathan has raised about $32,000 in contributions.

Water pollution puts Floridians at risk of severe health problems

When they arrived in Longboat Key this February, Carol Leone and her family were excited for two weeks of relaxation in the salty breeze.

Within days, they started to cough. Soon, Leone’s voice vanished.

“I just kept getting worse day by day,” she said.

By the second week of her stay, the 76-year-old struggled to breathe.

Legions of dead, rotting fish washed up on the beach. Leone saw the carnage as confirmation of a creeping suspicion: Something foul in the Gulf was making her sick.

She went to an urgent care clinic, where a doctor gave her antibiotics, steroids and an inhaler — but no cause for her illness.

Leone was right about the water being dangerous. Red tide, a toxic algae bloom that hampers beachgoers’ breathing, had reached Longboat Key about the same time as her family.

Her experience wasn’t unique. Millions of people in Florida are exposed to dirty water that puts them at elevated risk of health problems — from coughs to cancer, a Tampa Bay Times investigation has found. Some have wound up in emergency rooms and at doctors’ offices, searching for medicine or answers to mystery ailments like hearing loss and fatigue.