Florida's Latest News

Harris and Trump launch new advertisements for presidential election sprint

Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump released new television advertisements on Tuesday as part of a multimillion dollar battle to gain the upper hand in this year’s reshaped campaign.

The Harris advertisement, which is a minute long and describes her as “fearless,” serves as a highlight reel of her political career dating back to her days as a courtroom prosecutor in California. The likely Democratic nominee, who is less well known than Trump, is racing to introduce herself to voters after being thrust to the top of the ticket when President Joe Biden ended his reelection bid a little more than a week ago.

“This campaign is about who we fight for,” Harris says in the advertisement, which is running during the Olympics, the Bachelorette, the Daily Show and other popular programs.

Her campaign said it’s the first spot in a $50 million advertising push ahead of the Democratic National Convention, which starts on Aug. 19 in Chicago.

Pinellas Commission approves Rays stadium deal

The quest for a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium cleared its final political hurdle Tuesday as Pinellas County commissioners approved funding for a new ballpark, the centerpiece of a mixed-use development that could transform downtown St. Petersburg.

Commissioners voted 5-2 to put $312.5 million toward the design and building of a new ballpark. The money will come from tourist development tax dollars, which the county can legally spend on a narrow range of projects meant to induce tourism, including sports venues.

Commissioners Kathleen Peters, Brian Scott, Janet Long, Rene Flowers and Charlie Justice voted in favor of the deal. Dave Eggers and Chris Latvala voted against it.

The County Commission’s green light marks the end of one era in the stadium saga, which began in 2007 when the Rays started looking for their next home. It heated up after St. Petersburg Mayor Ken Welch picked the team and its development partner, Hines, to reimagine the land around Tropicana Field early last year.

Tiger Bay Q&A with Craig Fugate, Florida Master of Disasters, Waffle House Index inventor

Craig Fugate – Florida’s "Master of Disasters" – served as the point man in catastrophes for former President Barack Obama and former Gov. Jeb Bush.

On Tuesday, he entertained the Capital Tiger Bay Club with anecdotes from inside the West Wing and being at Bush’s side at Florida’s emergency management headquarters. 

For instance, Fugate said he knows not to play basketball with Obama – it’s not a foul if you're not bleeding – and not to be surprised with Bush’s ability to blow up an agency head's presentation with an unexpected question.  

Fugate, who was the emergency manager for Alachua County, was appointed director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management in 2001 by Bush. He earned his nickname for how he managed the state’s response to the “Big 4 of ‘04,” when Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan, and Jeanne struck. 

Florida homeowners can soon cash in on up to $14K in energy rebates. How to cash in

After rejecting about $377 million in energy-efficiency rebates that would have saved Floridians thousands as part of President Joe Biden's Inflation Reduction Act last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis has had a change of heart.

In February, the Orlando Sentinel reported that DeSantis was attempting to reclaim some of the federal funds he rejected. Now, state energy officials are gearing up to determine how the state will implement Florida's Whole Homes and HEAR programs — two ways Florida homeowners will be able to cash in on up to $14,000 in rebates.

Florida will receive $346 million to help Florida homeowners reduce energy costs by improving their homes' energy efficiency through qualified energy efficiency upgrades, retrofits and appliances, according to the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services' (FDACS).

Florida will have two unique energy efficiency-related programs that will provide single- and multi-family households with discounts for efficiency upgrades, and provide low- and moderate-income households with additional rebates.