Florida's Latest News

Byron Donalds to announce industry-focused workforce initiative

Gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds will announce a vision for an industry-driven workforce initiative.

The Naples Republican will unveil the LaunchPad initiative during a campaign stop in Coconut Creek. He will recommend concrete steps to reduce bureaucracy, expand apprenticeships and connect employees with high-wage opportunities that don’t require a college degree.

“Florida students deserve a direct path to a high-paying job, not a maze of paperwork and bureaucracy that slows them down,” Donalds said. “LaunchPad is about training at the speed of business, connecting students to real opportunities, and making sure every young Floridian has the chance to earn, learn, and succeed without being buried in student debt.”

The announcement of Donalds’ policy initiative comes as part of his “Defending the Florida Dream” tour.

FSU project for new housing, dining, parking could cost $374 million

Florida State University is working to get funding for its northwest campus project of new housing, dining and parking – a project expected to cost $374 million.

In a February FSU Board of Trustees meeting, university officials shared that the project’s team is working with the Florida Division of Bond Finance and the Florida Board of Governors to secure external financing for the first phase of the project, which will include three separate financings for a new residence hall, a new dining hall and a new parking garage. 

The parking garage, dining facility and new residence hall are all part of a grand project in FSU’s 2020-30 campus master plan to create a living complex at the northwest area of campus and transform the quadrant into a “pedestrian friendly vibrant academic and residential village,” according to a university report.

Jennifer Winkler grows campaign coffers to $150K in bid for open HD 74 seat

Republican House candidate Jennifer Winkler is reporting $150,000 raised in her bid for House District 74, positioning herself as another well-funded contender in a deeply contested GOP Primary to replace term-limited Republican Rep. James Buchanan.

Winkler reported nearly $42,000 raised during the first quarter of the year through her campaign account. She raised another $2,000 through the Friends of Jennifer Winkler political committee. Winkler’s campaign operation has kept expenditures minimal thus far, leaving about $83,000 in cash on hand in her campaign account and more than $57,000 in her PC.

Winkler thanked neighbors, friends, business owners and community leaders who are supporting the campaign.

“Sarasota needs a strong and experienced voice in Tallahassee who will fight to lower insurance premiums, make our community more affordable, and keep Florida the freest state in the nation,” Winkler said in a press release. “We will continue to connect with residents at their doors and work every day to earn their support at the ballot box.”

Former Tampa mayor Bob Buckhorn is running again

He’s been teasing the announcement for months. On Monday, Bob Buckhorn made it official.

The former leader of Tampa, who served two consecutive terms from 2011 to 2019, filed his paperwork Monday morning to run for mayor.

“It’s time to come back and finish the job,” Buckhorn said at a news conference outside the County Center in downtown Tampa.

“The city’s best days are yet to come,” he said. “We can fix those challenges, we can fix those potholes, we can pave those streets, we can invest in that infrastructure.”

Buckhorn, 67, joins nine other candidates in the race to replace Mayor Jane Castor, who must leave office due to term limits. And with less than a year until the March 2027 election, he holds a commanding financial lead.