Florida's Latest News

‘Ron, I love that you’re back': Trump and DeSantis put an often personal primary fight behind them

Donald Trump, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are signaling to donors that they are putting their rivalry behind them after a contentious and often personal primary fight.

DeSantis convened his allies this week in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, to press them to raise money to support Trump, making the case over a seafood and steak dinner that they need to work together to prevent Democratic President Joe Biden from winning a second term. The governor and about 30 people then spent Thursday morning in a hotel conference room raising money for an outside group that supports the former president’s 2024 White House campaign.

Trump called into the gathering to thank members of the group for their work, according to four people familiar with the matter who were not authorized to publicly discuss the private session and spoke on condition of anonymity.

In what three people present described as a warm and gracious call to the group that was heard over speakerphone, Trump praised DeSantis and the effort, saying “Ron, I love that you’re back.”

Heritage Insurance to lower property rates in Florida this Summer

A notable property insurance company is lowering its rates in Florida as homeowners continue struggling with insurance prices.

Heritage Insurance Holdings Inc. is decreasing the cost of insuring homes and other property. The agency announced this week that the Office of Insurance Regulation gave the go-ahead for the company to lower rates by 3.3%. The lower cost for coverage will go into effect Aug. 20.

Heritage officials credited the Legislature for prompting the rate decrease.

“This rate decrease is reflective of the positive impacts of the Florida legislative changes, which eliminated one-way attorney fees and reduced other abusive claims practices, improving loss trends and the stabilization of the reinsurance market,” a Heritage news release said.

Company officials said that move by lawmakers allowed them to pass along financial adjustments to customers.

South Florida officials remind residents to prepare as experts predict busy hurricane season

As experts predict one of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, officials in South Florida want residents and visitors to prepare and be safe.

Miami-Dade County officials and emergency management workers held a news conference Thursday to offer a reminder on hurricane preparedness. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is predicting between 17 and 25 named storms this summer and fall, with 8 to 13 achieving hurricane status, with at least 75 mph (120 kph) sustained winds, and four to seven becoming major hurricanes, with at least 111 mph (178 kph) winds. An average Atlantic hurricane season produces 14 named storms, seven of them hurricanes and three major hurricanes.

Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava took the impending hurricane season as a chance to point out other potential threats.

“The reality is that here in Miami-Dade County, we’re not only susceptible to hurricanes, but other kinds of hazards that come as a result of extreme weather, like heat, storms and floods,” Levine Cava said. “And we know that climate change is only making things worse.”

Fort Lauderdale, Orlando airports knocked for slow departures Memorial Day weekend

With Memorial Day weekend being the unofficial beginning of Summer, it brings intense travel demands and some Florida airports will be some of the busiest in the country.

The extended weekend draws some of the heaviest crowds to airports, which can result in substantial delays and cancellations. The Orlando and Fort Lauderdale international airports are among the most notorious for those setbacks, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Air Travel Consumer Report as analyzed by JW Surety Bonds.

Travel advisors are warning flight passengers to be sure to give themselves ample time when going to the airport because there is a notable chance they will run into some delays.

The Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport usually sees about 21.2% of all flight departures delayed through Memorial Day weekend. That’s the sixth worst in the country for the holiday stretch.

The list of best and worst airports for delays and on-time flight schedules ended up placing Orlando International Airport at seventh in the country for most flight departure delays. The Central Florida hub sees flights delayed about 20% of the time during Memorial Day weekend.