Florida's Latest News

Ron DeSantis Wins First Republican Endorsement After Trump Charges

Representative Thomas Massie became the first congressional Republican since Donald Trump’s arraignment to formally endorse Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for president. 

The Kentucky libertarian didn’t mention the former president in his Wednesday endorsement but said the US needs a leader “who respects the Constitution.”

“America needs a leader who is decisive, respects the Constitution, understands policy, puts family first, and leads by inspiring,” Massie said in a statement. “That’s why I’m endorsing Ron DeSantis for president.”

DeSantis hasn’t yet announced his 2024 candidacy for president but is expected to be a fierce competitor to Trump, who pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 34 felony criminal counts. The indictment alleges Trump used hush money to bury damaging information about an affair with a former porn star and boost his electoral prospects in 2016.

Florida lawmakers have new plan for insurance crisis: ‘Insurer accountability’

After years of giving Florida’s homeowners insurance companies largely what they wanted in an effort to stem rapidly rising premiums and insurer insolvencies, state lawmakers introduced a new approach this week: “insurer accountability.”

That’s the title of a new bill that would increase fines for bad behavior by insurance companies, require them to report more information to the state and follow “best practices” for handling claims.

Property insurance companies would also be prohibited from dropping a policyholder until the repairs on their home have been completed.

“If there’s bad actors out there, we’re going to hold them accountable,” said the bill sponsor, Sen. Travis Hutson, R-Elkton.

Hutson said the bill is meant to bring a “healthy balance” of oversight to the state’s insurance market.

Coast Guard stops boat with dozens of migrants off the Florida Keys

The U.S. Coast Guard stopped a migrant boat with about 40 people on board off the Florida Keys Wednesday afternoon.

Coast Guard crews and agents with U.S. Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations stopped the homemade boat off Ramrod Key in the Lower Keys around 1 p.m., Petty Officer Nicole Groll said.

The maritime service would not comment on where the people were from, but an image it released on Twitter Wednesday evening showed the type of makeshift vessel commonly used by Cuban migrants.

Since they were stopped at sea, the people will likely be placed on a Coast Guard cutter and returned to their home country.

New College offers $10,000 scholarships to draw students

As Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state leaders try to remake New College of Florida, the school is tapping into $15 million from the Legislature to offer $10,000 scholarships to prospective students.

A joint legislative panel in February approved steering $15 million to New College for providing scholarships, recruiting faculty members and other expenses. State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues told lawmakers that the Sarasota school’s trustees would have authority over how the money is spent.

In an email last week directed to “friends with college-age students,” John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council, a nonprofit conservative group, plugged the scholarships.

“Students should consider New College in Sarasota quickly being touted as the Hillsdale College of the southeast,” a headline on the email said, referring to a liberal arts college in Michigan that is prominent among conservatives.