Florida's Latest News

New candidates file to challenge Franklin, Lee, Soto in 2026 US House elections

New candidates have filed to run in 2026 for U.S. House seats covering Polk County, including a first potential challenger to Rep. Scott Franklin, R-Lakeland.

Deva Simmons of Lakeland filed Sept. 3 to run in District 18 as a no-party candidate. Simmons is listed in public records as a developmental therapist.

Franklin, a former Lakeland city commissioner, is in his third term in the U.S. House and first in District 18. The district encompasses eastern Polk County, including Lakeland, which is generally east of U.S. 98 and Florida Avenue, along with all or parts of seven other counties, extending south to Collier County.

Franklin has reported about $229,000 in campaign contributions to the Federal Election Commission. The FEC website listed no financial reports for Simmons as of Sept. 24.

Bryon Donalds is bringing his campaign for governor to Vero Beach

Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Naples, is bringing his gubernatorial campaign to an Indian River GOP event Sept. 24.

Registration for the event, a Constitution Day Dinner held at the Heritage Center, closed Sept. 19.

VIP tickets sold up to $1,500.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is prohibited by term limits from seeking another term.

Donald's is endorsed by President Donald Trump

"Byron Donalds would be a truly great and powerful governor for Florida, and should he decide to run, he will have my complete and total endorsement. RUN, BYRON, RUN!" Trump said on Truth Social, his social media site.

If elected, Donalds would be the first Black governor of Florida.

South Florida businesses brace as Canadian tourism declines

Dairy Belle in Dania Beach, a popular gathering spot for Canadian snowbirds, is bracing for a slowdown.

"A lot of them will not come because of Trump and what was going on with Canada. They just don't want to come and spend their money here. The cost of living here has changed a lot. Everything went up," said Francois Grenier, whose family owns the business.

Grenier said he is not sure what to expect in the months ahead.

According to Visit Lauderdale, Canadian visitors are down 10 to 16 percent since April, with 13.5 percent fewer Canadians flying in. Officials estimate that could mean up to a $90 million loss in economic activity.

"The bottom line is, we all want to make more money, and we were ready to serve and be busy. But there's nothing we can do if they don't come," Grenier said.

Parent petition calls for improvements to campus and community safety

A new petition posted to change.org on Sept. 13 urges Florida State University (FSU) and the FSU Police Department (FSUPD) to take "meaningful action" to improve student safety both on and off campus. Created by Christine Morrell and signed by “concerned parents and students of FSU,” the petition highlights a “dissatisfaction with the current state of safety on and around the FSU campus, including the surrounding off-campus housing areas.”

The petition pinpoints Tennessee Street, Frenchtown, and College Town, all of which are located within a five to 10-mile radius of FSU, as crime hotspots. These locations are where many students live, walk, and socialize daily.

Recently, off-campus safety has been a prominent issue. On Labor Day, a shooting at a student apartment complex, Redpoint Tallahassee, left at least three people injured.

A stabbing took place at Cascades Park on Sept. 10. Members of Peak Pulse Run Club, a community running group that some students in the Tallahassee area are involved in, were at the park when the stabbing occurred.