Florida's Latest News

Ron DeSantis feels ‘underestimated’ ahead of Florida Primary against Donald Trump

'I think that being the underdog suits me better.'

Ron DeSantis needed Donald Trump to become Governor in 2018. In 2024, Trump is standing in his way in the state, far ahead in presidential preference polls. On Tuesday night, DeSantis responded to a reporter’s question about whether he would win Florida with a non-answer and confession of his “underdog” status.

“Look, you guys are gonna prognosticate,” DeSantis said to NBC’s Alec Hernandez. “I like being underestimated.”

“I think that being the underdog suits me better,” he added. “So, I, I hope people can, you know, will, will, will, will underestimate. You know, we’re gonna do well. But what’s gonna happen is starting with Iowa because you’re going to see a lot of fluidity with this. Once people start voting, you’re going to see that.”

DeSantis invites Jewish students fearing antisemitism to Florida universities

Hours after Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that Florida would welcome Jewish out-of-state university students “with open arms,” the state’s university system chancellor issued an emergency order waiving various fees and deadlines for potential transfer students.

DeSantis, during his annual State of the State speech, said “many universities outside of Florida have simply failed” at dealing with antisemitism on their campuses amid the Israel-Gaza war. He raised the idea of making it easier for Jewish students to switch to Florida institutions.

“This week Jewish students across the country are returning to campuses that have outright condoned antisemitism,” DeSantis said in his speech. “Over the coming months, they’ll have a tough decision to make: Do they pack up and leave? Or do they stay and continue to endure a hostile environment?”

On Tuesday afternoon, DeSantis’ office sent out a news release touting an emergency order signed by university system chancellor Ray Rodrigues.

Sen. Jason Pizzo looks to tap into economic growth within Florida’s maritime industries

Democrat Senator Jason Pizzo introduced two bills ahead of the coming 202 Legislative Session to evaluate and promote Florida’s maritime industries.

Senate Bill 1756 proposes an amendment to the current practices of the Office of Economic and Demographic Research that would mandate biennial evaluations of the state’s ‘blue economy,’ starting January 1, 2025. The blue economy refers to the sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystems.

The evaluations are expected to provide insights into the current economic contributions of sectors like shipyards, marinas, fishing, aquaculture, and tourism, and compare them with similar industries in other states. This assessment, due for its first report in 2026, aims to quantify the economic benefits of the blue economy, potentially guiding future policy decisions.

Additionally, from 2026 onward, a more in-depth analysis of the blue economy’s overall economic benefits will be required, should the bill be ratified.

The latest on Florida State, ACC dueling lawsuits

The dueling lawsuits between Florida State and the ACC are playing out in courts: Florida State University Board of Trustees vs. Atlantic Coast Conference and Atlantic Coast Conference vs. Board of Trustees of Florida State University.

We’re using this as a landing spot for the latest updates with FSU’s case (filed in Leon County) and the ACC’s case (filed in Mecklenburg County, N.C.) as the Seminoles pursue a potential exit from the league — a move that could trigger another round of conference realignment.

The latest (Jan. 9, 2024): The ACC served FSU its complaint within minutes of the school approving its own case against the conference, according to newly public North Carolina court records.

A Tallahassee official gave a copy of the ACC’s suit to FSU’s vice president for legal affairs and general counsel, Carolyn Egan, at 10:59 a.m. on Dec. 22. That’s about six minutes after FSU’s emergency board of trustees meeting ended and less than 20 minutes after trustees unanimously approved its own case. Those details come from an ACC legal filing dated Friday and processed by the court system this week.