Florida's Latest News

Byron Donalds Selects Bryan Avila as Running Mate in Governor's Race

Congressman and Florida gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds (R-FL) announced Sen. Bryan Avila (R-Hialeah Gardens) as his choice for lieutenant governor while speaking at the Freedom Tower at Miami-Dade College in Miami today.

"Brian Avila is the son of Cuban exiles who fled communism so their children could live in freedom," Donalds said. " We didn't inherit political names. We didn't inherit the political birthright, but what we inherited was the responsibility to fight for the state that gave our families everything."

Avila has represented Senate District 39, which includes Hialeah Gardens, Hialeah, and Miami Lakes, since 2022. Rep. Donalds' pick coincides with the rise of socialism in the Democratic party; socialism, a forbidden word to many in the Florida's Hispanic community.

SD 39 is roughly 90% Hispanic.

Anna Paulina Luna Introduces Bill Requiring Influencers to Register as Foreign Agents

Representative Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is introducing a bipartisan bill to bring social media influencers under the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA).

Specifically, Rep. Luna's Foreign Propaganda Disclosure Act would amend FARA to list social media influencers, defined as anyone with a monetized social media account on a federally recognized platform, as "publicity agents," and therefore must register as foreign agents.

Concerns that social media influencers are working on behalf of foreign interests have been a topic of interest, and thus the bill seeks to bring transparency to the phenomenon.

"There is a big difference between having an organic opinion and secretly acting on behalf of foreign interests to push propaganda to Americans," said Rep. Luna in a press release. "Foreign adversaries have been actively using disinformation and psychological operations to divide America, erode our national security, and undermine U.S. foreign policy.

Florida adds jobs as unemployment stays above US rate

Florida’s economy added 4,500 jobs in July, but its unemployment rate is trending above the national average despite a small dip, according to the latest report from the Bureau of Workforce Statistics.

Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate dropped slightly to 4.6% in July, down by 0.1%. It means that Florida’s unemployment rate remains 0.7% higher than it was a year ago. It’s also above the national seasonally adjusted average unemployment rate of 4.1%.

Florida enjoyed an unemployment rate that remained below the national average for over five years since 2020 but started trending up this year.

However, the state has made gains in employment, adding 4,500 nonagricultural jobs in July and an overall bump of 41,000 jobs over the year, according to the report.

Out of Florida’s labor force of 11,121,000, a total of 515,000 did not have jobs in July.

Florida expands EBT restrictions: Tattoos, theme parks, vaping among banned purchases

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday in Tampa that Florida is the first state in the nation to amend its Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) State Plan to prohibit benefits from being used on luxury and non-essential items.

The announcement expands restrictions on how recipients can use their Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards — the mechanism through which TANF’s Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) program delivers taxpayer-funded benefits to eligible families.

“The primary reason to do this ... it’s gonna make this matter more,” DeSantis said. “It’s gonna make it more likely that folks are able to get on their feet.”

Under current federal and state law, EBT cards cannot be used to purchase alcohol, gamble or spend money at adult entertainment establishments. Florida’s updated plan goes further.