Florida's Latest News

DeSantis to complete quest to visit final Iowa county.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is set to complete his quest to visit all 99 counties in Iowa this week as he seeks the GOP nomination for president. 

Iowa will be the first big test for the GOP presidential candidates to rally voters in January. Political Science Professor Casey Burgat with the George Washington University says a large focus for DeSantis has been on winning Iowa. 

"He's effectively moved to Iowa to make the case to Iowa voters to say, 'Hey, if you want an alternative to former President Trump, I'm your man. We have to have a very, very good showing and I want to make that case to voters across the country,'" Burgat said. 

DeSantis has the endorsement of Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds. But most polls show former President Donald Trump with a solid lead over all of the GOP candidates in Iowa including DeSantis despite spending less time there.

"Will that translate — all of this investment translate — into a higher vote share? Maybe, maybe not. Polls are not suggesting that he's getting a lot of votes to switch from the Trump campaign to his and he's effectively tied with former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley," Burgat said of DeSantis. 

Over the years presidential hopefuls have attempted the “full Grassley,” visiting all 99 Iowa counties. It’s named after Republican Senator Chuck Grassley who does so every year. This year marks his 43rd tour.

Tampa Bay Economic Development Council contract extended despite pushback.

The city of Tampa will continue its partnership with the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council, funneling $1.2 million into the organization despite pushback from a city council member who for years has described the agency as inefficient and lacking transparency.

The agency — whose self-described mission is to “create a thriving local economy” in Tampa and broader Hillsborough County — is tasked with recruiting firms to the city and providing existing businesses with access to retention resources.

On Thursday, all but one city council member approved a 27-month contract under which the agency is expected to bring 22 corporate expansions or openings to the city and secure $100 million in capital investment each year.

Under the last contract, the city tasked the agency with bringing in 2,250 jobs per year. The new contract omits this goal but instructs the agency to “promote career training in underserved areas.”

It would cost the city two and a half times the contract amount to provide the same services internally, Tampa’s administrator of development and economic opportunity Nicole Travis said Thursday. “There would be a significant gap in service and increased cost,” she said.

“We need accountability,” said city council member Bill Carlson, the lone vote against the $1.2 million contract.

Lawmaker Budget Requests Start to Pile Up.

Florida lawmakers are championing hundreds of projects and seeking billions of dollars as they prepare for the start of the 2024 legislative session in January.

Topped by $50 million requests for expanding water storage and treatment in the Lake Okeechobee and Caloosahatchee River basins and for speeding up private passenger rail between Orlando and Tampa, House members as of Monday morning had filed just under 1,500 separate proposals that would require $3.1 billion to fund.

The rail proposal (House Form 1989), filed by Rep. Karen Gonzalez Pittman, R-Tampa, would boost the Brightline passenger service, which recently completed a Miami-to-Orlando line and has eyed the Interstate 4 corridor for a link to Tampa.

“Advancing structure improvements within the I-4 Corridor will accelerate the passenger rail connection from Tampa to the Orlando International Airport, West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, Ft. Lauderdale, Aventura and Miami,” the request form said. “Upon completion of this effort, it will provide access to nearly 16 million Florida citizens and 118 million visitors throughout the service area.”

The water storage and treatment proposal (House Form 2445), filed by Rep. Kaylee Tuck, R-Lake Placid, involves a project in Glades County.

To save the climate, the oil and gas sector must slash planet-warming operations, report says.

The oil and gas sector, one of the major emitters of planet-warming gases, will need a rapid and substantial overhaul for the world to avoid even worse extreme weather events fueled by human-caused climate change, according to a report released Thursday.

The current investment of $800 billion a year in the oil and gas sector will need to be cut in half and greenhouse emissions, which result from the burning of fossil fuels like oil, will need to fall by 60% to give the world a fighting chance to meet its climate goals, the International Energy Agency said. Greenhouse gases go up into the atmosphere and heat the planet, leading to several impacts, including extreme weather events.

The IEA’s report comes just ahead of the United Nations climate conference, or COP28, which begins next week. Oil and gas companies, as well as other people and organizations connected to fossil fuels, often attend the meeting, drawing criticism from environmentalists and climate experts. But others say the sector needs to be at the table to discuss how to transition to cleaner energy.

“The oil and gas industry is facing a moment of truth at COP28 in Dubai,” said Fatih Birol, executive director of the IEA in a press statement on the report’s release. “Oil and gas producers need to make profound decisions about their future place in the global energy sector.”