Florida's Latest News

Trump says, if he loses, 2024 run will be his last

Former President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he doesn’t “think” he’d run again for president in 2028 if he falls short in his bid to return to the White House in 2024. “No, I don’t. I think that will be, that will be it,” Trump said when journalist Sharyl Attkisson asked him if he’d run again.

The comment was notable both because Trump seemed to rule out a fourth bid for the White House and because he rarely admits the possibility he could legitimately lose an election. Trump normally insists that could only happen if there were widespread cheating, a false allegation he made in 2020 and he’s preemptively made again during his 2024 presidential campaign.

Trump would be 82 in 2028, a year older than President Joe Biden is now. Biden bowed out of the race in July following his disastrous debate performance and months of being hammered by Trump and other conservatives as being too old and erratic for the job.

Attkisson interviewed Trump for her show “Full Measure.” Also during the 22-minute interview, Trump defended his record on the coronavirus pandemic. He took credit for the development of the COVID-19 vaccines developed during his presidency while also saying “they’re doing studies on the vaccines and we’re going to find out” if they are safe.

Florida elections officials prepare to respond to swatting attempts

Central Florida supervisors of elections are training their staff to respond in the event of swatting incidents at or near polling places this election. Swatting occurs when a person or an AI-generated voice makes a prank call to emergency services in order to elicit a huge law enforcement response.

This can divert law enforcement resources from another location or it can be used to temporarily shut down a location. Seminole County Supervisor of Elections Chris Anderson said there are concerns people could target elections officials and polling places with the goal of shutting down voting.

“This has happened to elected officials. It's also happened to election workers,” said Anderson. Anderson said his office has plans in place to respond to swatting this election season but could not say more for security reasons. Anderson, a former law enforcement officer, said he remembers responding to swatting incidents. He said the large police presence can be frightening for people.

“I was one of those members at one point in time, so I can tell you, it is quite intimidating, and it's made to be that way from a law enforcement perspective, but it's in the right place. And these folks obviously didn't want these types of responses, so we wanted to prepare our election workers what to do and how to handle any of those swatting incidents that have come into play,” said Anderson.

Amendment 2: What to know on ballot measure granting the right to hunt and fish

While constitutional amendments around marijuana legislation and abortion rights have seemingly dominated state airwaves, Amendment 2 is another important ballot measure Florida voters will make a choice on in November.

Simply stated, The Florida Right to Hunt and Fish Amendment would establish a constitutional right to hunt and fish in Florida. Opposition to the measure will not grant that right.

"Fishing, hunting, and taking of fish and wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, shall be preserved forever as a public right and preferred means of responsibly managing and controlling fish and wildlife," the amendment reads.

One of the most biodiverse states in the United States, Florida's Amendment 2 is being backed by the Yes On 2 campaign. It also has received support from Agricultural Commissioner Wilton Simpson and Florida House Speaker Paul Renner, R- Palm Coast.

Condo inspections: Here’s how many have been completed before Dec. 31 deadline

Gov. Ron DeSantis has pledged to provide relief before the end of the year to condo unit owners facing increased costs for required structural safety inspections and plans to fund reserves for upcoming repairs.

But leading members of the House and Senate aren’t endorsing a special session to enact changes, so the Dec. 31 deadline for compliance remains in effect statewide for condo buildings over two stories that turned 30 years old before July 1, 2022.

Condo associations are required to submit what’s called a Milestone Inspection report that determines whether buildings show signs of substantial structural deterioration. They must also obtain a separate report, called a Structural Integrity Reserve Study.

It estimates the remaining lifespans of such components as roofs, structural elements, fire protection systems, plumbing, electrical systems, exterior painting and waterproofing and windows, and determines how much money associations must fund for future repairs or replacements.