Florida's Latest News

Florida PBA backs ‘devoted’ Dan Green for CD 9

The Sunshine State’s largest police union is throwing its sizable weight behind Republican veteran Dan Green’s candidacy for Florida’s 9th Congressional District.

In a letter this week, the Florida Police Benevolent Association (PBA), which represents around 31,000 law enforcement and corrections professionals statewide, confirmed it is backing Green over incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Darren Soto.

The group’s President, John Kazanjian, said Green has “devoted many years of (his) career to public service, proudly serving our country in the United States Armed Forces.”

Green is an Afghanistan and Iraq war veteran and active drilling reserve officer with the U.S. Navy, boasting 23 years of service. He served as a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense during President Donald Trump’s first term.

Central Florida firefighter unions rally behind Darren Soto

Central Florida firefighters have U.S. Rep. Darren Soto’s back.

Two unions in the heart of the Kissimmee Democrat’s district are formally endorsing Soto as he runs in a newly redrawn Florida’s 9th Congressional District. The Orange County Fire Fighters Association, IAFF Local 2057, and the Osceola County Professional Firefighters, Local 3284, voiced support for the incumbent.

“Firefighters know who shows up for them, and Darren has. He has been a steady voice for our members for years, and he does the work even when it isn’t easy,” said Chris Ritchie, President of the Orange County union. “That’s a proven champion, and Orange County firefighters are proud to stand with him.”

The groups noted that Soto has championed firefighters impacted by toxic chemicals on the job.

The Congressman is currently the chief sponsor of the Firefighter PFAS Injury Compensation Act (HR 10462), which would create a federal program to compensate firefighters and their families who are harmed by polyfluoroalkyl substances, or PFAS.

Ron DeSantis celebrates Ken Griffin investment that brings Carnegie Mellon to Miami

Gov. Ron DeSantis visited Miami for an event highlighting a new Florida campus for Carnegie Mellon University, one of the nation’s preeminent research institutions.

One of his biggest donors is a big reason it’s happening: Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin has donated $2 billion to jump-start the satellite campus in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood. Griffin is donating another $1 billion to bolster the school’s operations in Pittsburgh, where the computer-science arm will be renamed the Kenneth C. Griffin School of Computer Science.

The Miami facility will focus on subjects ranging from biological discovery to national security, along with what a press release calls “energy and climate resilience,” and “advanced manufacturing and industrial transformation.”

DeSantis lauded the institution and the man who made it possible in remarks at the launch event.

September closes out with a decrease of new unemployment filings in Florida

Fewer Floridians filed new unemployment claims during the last full week of September, continuing a mostly calm summer for the state’s job market.

There was a decline of 329 new jobless filings for the week ending Sept. 26, according to the U.S. Department of Labor (DOL). During that week, 4,955 initial claims were made in the Sunshine State. That’s down from the week ending Sept. 19, when there were 5,284.

It’s a reflection of the jobs picture in Florida for the past several months. There have only been a few weeks where new jobless filings have gone up. And when there have been increases in the reports in that time, they’ve usually been modest.

The latest figures for Florida reflect the national jobs scene. There were 156,738 initial claims across the country for the past week. That’s a drop of 7,979 new filings from the previous week, or a 4.8% decrease.