Florida's Latest News

Austin Rogers brings local roots, knowledge of the Hill to CD 2 contest

Work in Congress pulled Austin Rogers away from the Panhandle, but an opportunity to serve could bring him back home.

After years helping craft legislation on foreign surrogacy, college sports and judicial appointments as a General Counsel in the Senate, he now hopes to cast votes as a sitting member of Congress. The Mosley High alumnus in January filed as a candidate to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Neal Dunn in Florida’s 2nd Congressional District.

“I present the perfect combination of having the values of this district, having gone to Bible college, having gone to law school, and then having gotten experience in the Senate and in Washington, but also having the values that perfectly reflect this district,” Rogers told Florida Politics in an exclusive interview.

“I don’t think any other candidate in this race has that unique combination of features.”

FSU looks to offer new hospitality, entrepreneurship graduate degrees

Florida State University is betting on national interest in the hospitality industry as it surges its academic offerings in that field, and at the same time it plans to take entrepreneurial programs to a higher level with a new doctoral degree.

While both a master’s degree and a doctoral degree in hospitality management would be offered by FSU’s Dedman College of Hospitality in fall 2027, a doctoral degree in entrepreneurship would also start being offered by the Jim Moran College of Entrepreneurship during the same semester. 

The future offerings were approved by the FSU Board of Trustees at a February meeting but still need to get approval from the Florida Board of Governors, which oversees the State University System. 

“While the master’s program will have more of an industry focus – in terms of us living in a state where hospitality is a big business and there’s a higher demand for students with master’s degrees in the area of hospitality management – the PhD program will be research-focused to support the training of future faculty for growing colleges of hospitality around the nation,” FSU's associate vice president of Faculty Development and Advancement Amy Guerette told the board during an Academic Affairs committee meeting last month. 

Changes are coming to Florida's primary food insecurity program

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the country's largest federal food assistance program. You may have previously heard these income-based benefits referred to as food stamps.

SNAP provides monthly funds to families and individuals for use at authorized grocery retailers. Florida has a population of over 22 million residents, and more than 13 percent of those residents receive SNAP benefits.

Starting April 20, Florida will restrict the foods that SNAP benefits can be used to purchase in an effort to cut unhealthy intake and bolster nutrition. Candy, soda, and energy drinks are among the items that will no longer be allowed.

"It's understandable, this attention on making sure that people have access to healthy foods. There are some practical and logistical challenges that come with implementing such restrictions," says Sky Beard, the Florida Director for No Kid Hungry, part of a national campaign run by the nonprofit Share Our Strength.

Florida maintains economic momentum after 2026 Session, Chamber says

The Florida Chamber of Commerce is touting incremental policy wins from the 2026 Legislative Session while acknowledging that budget work was left unfinished.

The pro-business group said lawmakers advanced several priorities aimed at strengthening the state’s business climate while defeating proposals the organization argued would have reversed earlier legal reforms or discouraged economic development.

“Florida continues to outpace much of the nation because of a united business community that is focused on the right things happening in Florida,” Florida Chamber President and CEO Mark Wilson said. “This year, lawmakers took incremental steps in strengthening Florida’s business climate without backtracking on policies that have led to Florida’s nationally recognized pro-business environment, ensuring job creators and families can continue to thrive.”

Among the measures highlighted by the Chamber were changes to public-sector collective bargaining rules intended to increase union transparency and accountability, updates to civil rights litigation timelines, and policies expanding workforce housing options through the state’s Live Local framework.