Florida's Latest News

DeSantis moves to replace Tallahassee judge Angela Dempsey

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has begun the process to replace Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey of Tallahassee ahead of her plan to step down from the bench by year's end.

David Axelman, the governor's general counsel, sent a letter dated Sept. 18 to the Judicial Nominating Commission for the 2nd Judicial Circuit, asking it to convene.

DeSantis "strongly prefers submission of the maximum number of nominees (six) for the vacancy," Axelman wrote. "The Commission's deadline for completion of this undertaking is Sunday, October 18, 2026." The governor then has 60 days to name a replacement; Dempsey previously said her resignation is effective Dec. 28.

Dempsey's departure set off a political shocker in April.

A walk with Ken Babby through the Battery provides peek at Rays’ future

As Rays CEO Ken Babby walks The Battery Atlanta multi-use complex that surrounds the Braves’ Truist Park home, he mentions myriad details, such as the cut of the brick on the face of an apartment building and the “fabulous” meal he had last year in one of the restaurants.

He sees many things the Rays will incorporate in the 365-day-a-year live/work/learn/play district they plan to build along with a $2.3 billion Tampa ballpark, still planned for a 2029 opening.

He sees some other things the Rays will definitely do differently: expanding the number of retail stores, incorporating local-based restaurants and bars into the mix, adding a health/wellness component, staging events on non-game days.

More than anything, he sees the future — and, as you’d expect, it’s quite bright.

Homes sales of $10 million and up are breaking records in South Florida

Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties have seen surging demand for luxury homes over the last year.

New data from the Miami Association of Realtors shows Miami-Dade is on track this year to break its record for $10 million home sales, which was set in 2021. And Palm Beach County has already set a new $10 million-and-up home sale record for itself in 2026.

As of the end of August, 194 homes had sold for $10 million or more in Miami-Dade County, already exceeding the number of $10 million-and-up home sales last year. In 2025, Miami-Dade recorded 170 sales of homes worth $10 million or more.

Miami-Dade County saw 230 sales of $10 million-and-up homes in 2021. That was the height of Miami-Dade’s red-hot, pandemic-fueled real estate market. But the county is on track to beat that record by a wide margin this year. If sales continue at the same pace, Miami-Dade is projected to see 291 $10 million-and-up home sales by the end of the year.

New world screwworm puts Florida horse and livestock owners on alert

The first confirmed case of a New World screwworm in a U.S. horse since the 1960s was detected Sept. 9 in South Texas, bringing a once-eradicated parasite closer to Florida's horse industry and putting animal owners on heightened alert.

The case, confirmed in a working ranch horse in Presidio County, Texas, is the first equine case identified in the United States during the current outbreak. The live flesh-eating parasite was found on the horse's hind limb.

In Texas, experts estimate a widespread outbreak could ‌cost ⁠the economy up to $1.8 billion.

The development carries particular weight for Florida. The state is home to a major equine industry, with the Ocala-Marion County area officially known as the "Horse Capital of the World." More than 70,000 acres in Florida are used for horse-related purposes, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.