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Florida is unveiling historical statues across the state. DeSantis says he supports adding one of Charlie Kirk

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis unveiled a statue of Benjamin Franklin on Wednesday and expressed his support for adding one of Charlie Kirk at New College of Florida.

During a news conference in Franklin County, DeSantis said New College of Florida, a state university, already has donors to commission a statue of Kirk, who was murdered on Sept. 10 while speaking with students at Utah Valley University.

“Basically, to symbolize the importance of open debate, particularly on college campuses,” DeSantis said of the purpose behind a statue of Kirk.

Kirk’s statue would not be part of the historical statues that the state is unveiling to mark the 250th anniversary of the United States. However, DeSantis said he supports New College of Florida’s idea of adding a statue of Kirk.

“Because what was he doing when they killed him? He was debating, debating students, you know, making the argument, showing how you rely on logic and reason and facts to win these things. And so, the attack on him was more than just an attack on one person,” DeSantis said.

Ashley Moody is among a growing number of Senators cosponsoring a bill supporting military spouses

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody is cosponsoring legislation that would help spouses of military spouses who find it difficult to get a job.

Moody is signing on to the Military Spouse Hiring Act, which seeks to end some of the difficulties the families of active military personnel face when looking for a job. The measure aims to help those spouses and family members who experience high unemployment rates when the military service personnel are assigned to different locales.

A news release said the military spouse unemployment rate is about 21%, according to the U.S. Department of Defense, widely higher than the regular national figure, which currently stands at 4.2%.

“Military spouses play an integral role in supporting our service members who receive relocation orders every few years in defense of our national security. Now, it is time we have these spouses’ backs in return,” Moody said.

Job well done: Florida ranks top in the nation for attracting workforce talent

Florida ranks as the top state in the nation for attracting and developing skilled workers, marking the third year in a row the Sunshine State has been atop the rankings.

Lightcast, a labor market data agency, issued its Talent Attraction Scorecard for 2025 and put Florida in first. The rankings have been published for 10 years, and Florida has claimed the top slot every year since 2023.

“Florida set an ambitious goal to be number one in workforce education by 2030 — and we continue to march towards this achievement,” Gov. Ron DeSantis said. “We’re not just preparing for the future — we’re ahead of schedule, building a workforce ready for high-demand, high-wage careers today.”

Lightcast evaluated all 50 states and 900 metropolitan areas while evaluating overall job growth, college-level job growth, growth in blue-collar jobs, regional competitiveness and attraction of earners, among other factors.

Tallahassee mayor race: Leon County Commissioner Christian Caban rules out 2026 campaign

After sending political smoke signals that he was seriously considering a run for Tallahassee mayor, Leon County Commissioner Christian Caban has decided against it.

The move is a big one on the 2026 mayoral race chessboard, which was upended in August after City Commissioner Jeremy Matlow announced he would run for mayor rather than a third term for Seat 3, and Mayor John E. Dailey confirmed he would not run for reelection.

It opens the door for a challenger to the right of Matlow, who has led the local progressive movement for years but has been trying to broaden his support in the run-up to next year’s election.

Caban, now father of a 2-month-old son, told the Tallahassee Democrat in a Sept. 17 interview that he intends to serve out his term on the County Commission, which ends in 2028.