Florida's Latest News

Realtors back Ashley Moody for U.S. Senate, citing her ‘critical support’ of key issues

Add the political spending arm of the National Association of Realtors to the growing list of supporters that want Republican Ashley Moody to keep her U.S. Senate seat next year.

REALTORS Political Action Committee (RPAC) is throwing its support behind Moody’s campaign, citing a recommendation from its Sunshine State analog, the Florida Realtors PAC.

Marilyn Pearson Adams, Chair of the Florida Realtors PAC, said that since her appointment to the Senate by Gov. Ron DeSantis in January, Moody “has shown a willingness to listen, to acknowledge, and address the needs of the communities she has served.”

“A strong advocate for small businesses and working families, Sen. Moody has championed policies that expand economic opportunity while also tackling critical housing challenges such as affordability and access. Her critical support of recent tax legislation secured permanent tax breaks for homeowners and small businesses nationwide, eased burdensome regulations, and enhanced incentives that will drive new development in Florida. We look forward to working with her in Congress.”

Forbes Names UF Top Florida School, Fifth Among Publics Nationwide

The University of Florida (UF) has been ranked the fifth-best public university in the country by Forbes in its 2026 list released Tuesday, placing highest among Florida institutions and 30th overall nationwide.

The rankings are based on a formula that weighs factors such as alumni earnings, graduation rates, student debt levels, and outcomes for low-income students. Forbes described the methodology as prioritizing return on investment and long-term value for graduates.

The top four public institutions are the University of California-Berkeley, UCLA, UC San Diego, and the University of Michigan.

UF reported a record $1.33 billion in research funding over the past fiscal year, along with more than $560 million in new gifts and commitments. The school also received 91,884 applications for approximately 7,500 freshman spots for the Class of 2029, a 23 percent increase from the previous year.

Florida consumer advocates propose new FPL deal to lower rate increases

In an unusual move, multiple groups advocating for utility customers filed an alternative proposal Tuesday that they said should resolve Florida Power & Light’s rate case. Signing onto this settlement is the Office of Public Counsel, the Legislature-appointed advocate for all utility customers statewide.

One entity that opposes the deal: Florida Power & Light.

The new proposal would roughly halve the company’s original request to hike customer rates by nearly $10 billion over four years, which is believed to be the highest rate hike request in American history. Instead, this version would result in a $5.2 billion increase. The company filed its own proposed settlement last week, with the support of big-business groups involved in the case, such as Walmart and industrial corporations. That settlement lowered the total hikes to about $7 billion but granted large corporations a higher percentage discount than residents next year, while the 2026 hike for small businesses tripled.

“This settlement puts fairness back on the table for Florida families,” said MacKenzie Marcelin, deputy director of campaigns at Florida Rising in a statement. Florida Rising is one of the groups, alongside the public counsel, proposing the alternative settlement. “FPL, in opposing it, have turned their back on the people who keep this state running.”

Rob Long, Bill Reicherter adds big bucks to campaign coffers in Special Election for HD 90

Democratic Rob Long and Republican Bill Reicherter infused their respective war chests with substantial sums of cash between July 1 and August 14 in the Special Election race for House District 90.

They used very different methods to do so.

Long, a Delray Beach Commissioner, depended on a blend of personal checks, corporate contributions and a large donation from a political committee to raise more than $20,000 in the last reporting period.

Reicherter, a signage company owner with a long history of community involvement, added $100,625 to his campaign account over the same stretch.

All but $623 of it was a self-loan.

Two others running — Republican Maria Zack, a longtime Georgia lobbyist and noted conspiracy theorist, and no-party candidate Karen Yeh — increased their respective campaign holdings by $5,000 and $1,800.