Florida's Latest News

Rick Scott Calls On Congress To Pass Anti-Scams Bills

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) is calling on Congress to pass several bills that seek to crack down on scammers “who defraud and exploit Americans.”

“Whether it’s in the form of phone calls or sophisticated cybercrime, scammers are running rampant through our country,” Sen. Scott warned. “Criminals are weaponizing new technologies like artificial intelligence to swindle Americans out of their life savings.”

Over the course of the 119^th U.S. Congress (2025-2026), the Florida Senator has introduced and co-sponsored numerous bills to aid in the fight against fraudsters.

Sen. Scott has sponsored the Strengthening Targeting of Organized Predatory Scammers (STOP Scammers) Act, the Trusted Foreign Auditing Act of 2025, and the Secure America’s Finance Exchanges (SAFE) Act.

The Florida Republican has also co-sponsored the “ReportScams.gov Act.” A bill introduced by Democratic Senator Margaret Wood Hassan (NH) in 2026.

FloridaCommerce gets $40M in federal money to add defense and manufacturing apprenticeships

FloridaCommerce has received $40 million in federal money to help expand apprenticeships in defense and manufacturing industries in the state.

The economic development bureau announced that the U.S. Department of Labor has awarded the funding to Florida as part of a broader nationwide effort to increase apprenticeships in military industries, along with shipbuilding and marine manufacturing sectors. Officials say the Florida money would enlist more apprenticeships with about 80 partners across Florida.

“Thank you to Acting Secretary Keith Sonderling and the U.S. Department of Labor for supporting Florida’s efforts to expand our maritime industrial base by driving talent development across our maritime and defense sectors,” said Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly.

“Home to 16 deepwater seaports and 21 major military installations, and ranked the No. 1 state in the nation for workforce development, maritime industrial base jobs, and ship- and boat-building establishments, Florida is uniquely positioned to support our nation’s efforts to develop the high-skill talent across these critical industries — bolstering job growth while supporting our national defense.”

Ben Albritton backs Byron Donalds in latest major endorsement from Ron DeSantis ally

Senate President Ben Albritton is getting behind Byron Donalds‘ bid for the Republican gubernatorial nomination, as significant supporters of Gov. Ron DeSantis continue to coalesce around the front-runner to replace him.

Albritton, a fourth-generation Florida farmer from Wauchula, says that as Senate President, he can attest to “what principled, steadfast leadership can accomplish for Florida.”

“Byron Donalds is a proven conservative, a trusted problem-solver, and the right leader to build on our state’s success while keeping Florida safe and free,” Albritton said. “From standing up for our farmers and rural communities to fighting for taxpayers, Byron has consistently led with conviction. I’m proud to endorse Byron Donalds for Governor.”  

The Donalds campaign noted that Albritton joins the Florida Farm Bureau in backing the third-term Congressman from Naples. 

“Senator Albritton has done excellent work leading the conservative cause as President of Florida’s Senate, and I am glad to have him in my corner as we work to beat Florida Democrats this November,” Donalds said. 

Exclusive: FGCU, the environmental university, rolls out plastic grass

The school that has long branded itself “the environmental university” has been quietly replacing living lawns with plastic grass, a move one campus biologist calls as bad as it gets for nature.

The swap turns a natural community of plants, insects, birds and frogs into a “graveyard,” says James Douglass, a professor in the Department of Marine and Earth Sciences..

Faculty members weren’t told it was coming, Douglass says. “The university is full of biologists, environmental scientists, and students who are aghast at this, but the decisions are happening over our heads with zero faculty input,” he wrote in an email.

University administration says a cross-campus stakeholder committee "weighed in on the decision to include artificial turf in the redesign of the academic corridor. Committee representatives included members of Student Government, Campus Reservations, Events, Advancement, Academic Affairs, Physical Plant and Facilities Planning," FGCU spokeswoman Pam McCabe wrote in an email.

The plastic grass is in three campus locations so far – near Marieb Hall North, at the Little Eagles Learning Center playground area and in the courtyard outside the Cohen Student Union – with plans to add it to an area called "The Square" between Marieb and Edwards halls, she wrote.