Florida's Latest News

Nick DiCeglie will head an expanded appropriations committee on transportation, economic development

Last month, Sen. Nick DiCeglie was named Chair of a key Senate committee. Now, it seems like he’ll oversee an expanded committee.

Senate President Ben Albritton named DiCeglie head of the powerful Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and Economic Development. The committee in recent cycles has had 12 members, including the Chair and Vice Chair. This year, the committee will have 15 members.

Leading alongside DiCeglie will be Sen. Tina Polsky as Vice Chair. Other members on the committee include Sens. Kristen Arrington, Bryan Ávila, Mack Bernard, Jay Collins, Erin Grall, Blaise Ingoglia, Tom Leek, Jonathan Martin, Stan McClain, Barbara Sharief, Carlos Guillermo Smith, Keith Truenow and Tom Wright.

The committee includes many returning members. Of those named to the committee this year, five are returning from service on the committee in the 2022-24 term, including DiCeglie and Polsky, who served as rank-and-file members in the previous term. Also returning are Collins, Grall and Wright.

Mysterious drones over Florida? Inexplicable objects spotted hovering over Jacksonville

As the phenomenon of mysterious drones is sparking bewilderment in New Jersey and surrounding areas, inexplicable drone activity is starting to raise wonderment on Florida’s First Coast.

A drone hobbyist who’s been flying the unmanned aerial vehicles for years in and around Jacksonville said he’s seeing unidentified drones around Jacksonville. Jack Jones told Action News Jax television stations in a report  that he’s “concerned” about what he believes are large drones near Naval Air Station Jacksonville, which is on the St. Johns River in the western area of the city.

Then another recording of drones near the naval station surfaced Friday as the aircraft were apparently hovering in the skies.

Jones said he saw and video recorded what he described as “large drones” near the military installation in the past week.

Officials with the naval air station told the news outlet they have no such drones that they are operating in the area and they have no indication that wayward drones are flying near the base.

DeSantis, Cabinet consider spending over $318M in land conservation deals

Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Cabinet could be poised to approve spending more than $318 million to buy conservation land and enter other deals that would shield rural properties from development.

State staff members have recommended that DeSantis and the Cabinet approve 20 proposals totaling 86,819 acres in 15 counties, from Santa Rosa County in the Panhandle to Glades and Martin counties along Lake Okeechobee. DeSantis and the Cabinet will meet Tuesday.

The proposals include seeking $111.24 million from the Florida Forever conservation program for seven parcels totaling 24,153 acres. Five of the Florida Forever proposals involve the state buying land, while two involve purchasing conservation easements, which allow landowners to continue agricultural uses in exchange for preventing development.

Another $206.85 million is targeted by the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, through its Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, for 13 conservation easements covering 62,666 acres in 10 counties.

Rep. Mike Waltz says Orbán "clearly has a good relationship" with Trump amid Russia-Ukraine discussions

Rep. Mike Waltz, the Florida Republican who is Donald Trump's pick for his national security adviser, said Sunday that the president-elect has a good relationship with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who he said also has "regular engagement" with Russia amid its war with Ukraine. 

"Orbán has regular engagement with the Russians, and he clearly has a good relationship with President Trump," Waltz said on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan." "I would hope the entire world would want to see some type of cessation to the slaughter that is happening in eastern Ukraine."

Orbán, an authoritarian leader with ties to Russia, met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago last week, along with Waltz and Elon Musk. Days after the meeting, Orbán announced that he had spoken to Russian President Vladimir Putin, saying that "we are taking every possible diplomatic step to argue in favor of a ceasefire" and peace talks. He later appeared to float a Christmas ceasefire and a prisoner swap between Russia and Ukraine.