Florida's Latest News

Wealthy GOP donors flock to DeSantis as presidential speculation swirls

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has cemented himself as the face of GOP opposition to anti-Covid-19 mandates— a position that is winning over not only rank-and-file voters ahead of the 2024 presidential primaries but also some of the Republican Party's wealthiest donors. 

Nick Iarossi, a Tallahassee lobbyist and DeSantis fundraiser, said DeSantis is also raising plenty of small-dollar donations from across the country.

"The country is very divided right now on how to approach Covid, on how to approach Afghanistan, on the border crisis and illegal immigration," Iarossi said. "The country is very, very split. I think a lot of folks feel like they're being spoon-fed one side through the media and through the Washington, D.C., political class. And the only guy that's really standing up to give that opposing view and give the other side a voice is Ron DeSantis."

New governmental accountability organization making a splash

Those on a quest for public information have a new ally to help pry it out of public officials’ hands.

The Florida Center for Government Accountability got started in April and had a hand in two stories that have recently grabbed headlines around the state.

In one, details involving bank accounts, emails and timelines drew a connection between a well-known Gainesville political consulting firm and a scheme to convince a sham candidate to file to run for state Senate District 37 in Miami-Dade County. The alleged intent was to siphon votes from the Democratic incumbent with the same last name. Former Republican state Sen. Frank Artiles’ lawyers tried to seal the information from public disclosure and the center was part of the side that successfully argued for its release.

Leon County Commission calls special meeting to address COVID surge

Leon County commissioners will convene next week in a special meeting to get a coronavirus update from medical and health professionals and discuss possible "mitigation measures." 

The meeting, announced Wednesday, comes as Tallahassee hospitals report record numbers of hospitalizations and daily deaths on the heels of two children dying in the past month.

The meeting is set for 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 7 at in the Leon County Commission Chambers on the fifth floor of the Leon County Courthouse, 301 S. Monroe St.

Special meetings require a stated purpose once they are noticed to the public. Last year, as the coronavirus pandemic ramped up, county officials enacted curfews and mask mandates countywide during special meetings based on local declarations of emergency. 

Larry becomes hurricane, expected to be a major storm Sunday

Above the warm and calm waters of the mid-Atlantic, Larry became the fifth hurricane of the 2021 season Thursday morning, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Larry is cutting west through the Atlantic at a breakneck 20 mph and is about 545 miles west-southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands, the NHC said.

With maximum sustained winds of 75 mph, Larry is predicted to get even stronger over the weekend.

“Larry is expected to remain in an environment conducive for strengthening over the next few days,” said Richard Pasch, an NHC hurricane specialist.