Florida's Latest News

DeSantis Awards $5K in Recruitment Bonuses to 1,500 New Police Officers

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced $5,000 in bonuses after taxes to 1,500 new law enforcement officers as part of Florida's ongoing commitment to backing the blue while speaking at a press conference at the Pasco Sheriff's Office Training Facility in Land O' Lakes in Pasco County this week.

The bonuses include 38 new officers in Pasco County.

"I hope that when you're coming into law enforcement, I hope the $5,000 helps with the economic realities that Americans have had to deal with in the last five or six years with respect to inflation because it's not an easy thing to deal with, so that's important," DeSantis said. "But I also think that the checks are really a testament to the state of Florida supporting and having the backs of the people that wear the uniform."

Gov. DeSantis, with help from the Florida Legislature, launched the Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bonus Payment Program in 2022.

Ashley Moody formally files STARS Act to land Space Academy in Florida

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody wants Florida to be ground zero for the Space Academy, and she’s launching a legislative push to make it happen.

Moody announced that she’s submitting a bill in the Senate to bring the institution to Brevard County on Florida’s Space Coast. She has been mounting a campaign to bring the Academy to the Sunshine State since President Donald Trump signed an executive order announcing that he intends to establish the facility, though he did not stipulate a location.

Moody’s legislation is titled the STARS Act, which is an acronym for Securing The Advancement of Rising Spacefarers Act.

“I’ve just officially filed the STARS Act to bring the U.S. Space Academy to Florida. Florida is America’s gateway to the final frontier — that’s why it’s so important that the next generation of space leaders are trained in the Sunshine State,” Moody said.

Rick Scott Announces Project To Revive The American Dream: 'Rescuing America'

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) announced a new project set to lay the groundwork for Congress to “reinvigorate the American Dream” amid the ongoing affordability crisis.

Sen. Scott’s “Rescuing America” project will include speeches, videos, and a presentation outlining a path to ensure current and future generations will have great opportunities to live, work, and start a family.

“I put together a project with one goal: to be honest with the American public about how our economy has drastically changed, how the American Dream is out of reach for so many, and most importantly - how we can fix it,” the Florida Republican said in a video posted to X.

“The generation coming of age today has inherited Washington’s failures and are paying for them every day,” Sen. Scott affirmed, arguing that they can’t afford starter homes or the ability to start a family.

Moving a threatened species across Florida may be key to its survival

The sun has just come up as a team of wildlife biologists gather among the palmettos and scrub oak at Wingate Creek State Park in Myakka City for their monthly scrub-jay count.

Shelagh Lynch, a researcher in avian ecology at Archbold Biological Station in Central Florida, passes out lists to the group.

"So, I'm gonna hand out your census sheet. I think you all know the drill,” she said. “If you see them, cross them off. If you don't see them, box them and then I will come and mop them up Thursday if they're missed."

In January, scientists and conservation partners moved birds from three separate populations, across Florida to this 600-acre park about 25 miles east of Bradenton.

The state park in Myakka City is one of only seven regions left in Florida with enough interconnected scrub forest to allow scrub jays to thrive.