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In Sarasota, U.S. House Speaker Johnson won’t say if Congress will vote on George Santos removal
Visiting Sarasota on Monday, U. S. House Speaker Mike Johnson said that “it remains to be seen” whether there will be an upcoming vote to remove New York Republican Congressman George Santos from office. In a question posed by the Florida Phoenix to Johnson on Santos’ situation, the Speaker said: “I’ve spoken to Congressman Santos […]
Florida independent stores put great hopes into ‘Small Business Saturday’
This has been a rough year for Florida small businesses, which is why they have great hopes that the holiday shopping season that goes into full effect this weekend will bring a much-needed boost to their bottom lines. “It’s been really challenging since the summer,” said Jennifer Schultz, co-owner of The Merchant, a St. Petersburg […]
Biden campaign to advertise in key battleground states during Thanksgiving football opener
We’re still nearly a full year from the 2024 presidential general election, but the Joe Biden campaign is taking advantage of a big television audience on Thanksgiving Day to air ads in the biggest television markets of two key Midwest battleground states. The Biden-Harris team will air two different ads in the Detroit and Milwaukee […]
Congresswoman Castor worries about cuts in a nutrition program for low-income women and kids
U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor of Tampa Bay has expressed concerns about potential cuts in a program that could hurt low-income women and children who need food such as fruit and vegetables as well as nutrition education. Castor was at an event Tuesday encouraging people to shop at local businesses, but questions from the media led […]
Nikki Haley campaign calls website accusing her of being liberal created by DeSantis as ‘Hail Mary’
The rivalry between GOP presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Niki Haley is only getting more intense. Over the weekend, DeSantis’ presidential campaign launched a new website accusing Haley, the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, of being “supportive of every liberal cause under the sun.” Labeled “The Real Nikki Haley,” the […]
New group of Dem state lawmakers announce support for Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for U.S. Senate
A dozen sitting state lawmakers and one former state legislator announced Monday that they are the latest group of Florida Democrats to publicly declare their support for Debbie Mucarsel-Powell for U.S. Senate in 2024. State Sens. Tracie Davis and Victor Torres are endorsing the former South Florida member of Congress, as are state Reps. Bruce […]
Florida & national GOP going all in on early voting, despite Trump’s comments to the contrary
The Republican National Committee (RNC) has launched a “Bank Your Vote” campaign in Florida to encourage Republicans to vote early in next year’s general election — even as the party’s leading presidential candidate, Donald Trump, continues to disparage voting by mail. Early voting and especially voting by mail have been a regular form of casting […]
Eight Florida cities get perfect scores in LGBTQ+ equality report
Despite enduring a year that advocates have derided as the “most anti-LGBTQ legislative session in history,” a nationwide report gives eight Florida cities perfect 100% scores when it comes to assessing LGBTQ+ equality in the areas of municipal policies, laws, and services. That comes from the Human Rights Campaign’s Municipal Equality Index, an annual report that gives […]
New FAU survey shows majority of Floridians disapprove of Matt Gaetz’s performance in congress
Panhandle GOP Congressman Matt Gaetz took a victory lap earlier this month at the Republican Party of Florida’s Freedom Summit in Kissimmee, where he was lauded for leading the effort to oust Kevin McCarthy from his speaker position in the U.S. House of Representatives. The move resulted in the election of hard-right conservative Mike Johnson […]
Advocates say now is the time to implement air-conditioning in Florida prisons
Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Ricky Dixon told lawmakers last month that 75 percent of all housing units in Florida’s corrections system lack air-conditioning and that it would cost hundreds of millions of dollars to install it. It’s not a new issue, but with the state suffering from record heat this past summer, prison-rights advocates say […]
Lawmakers hear report that says path of Florida’s prison system is ‘unsustainable’
Florida lawmakers were presented Wednesday with a detailed blueprint of what it would cost to modernize its prison system, with financial estimates ranging between $6 billion and nearly $12 billion to repair buildings and construct new facilities, with hundreds of millions more needed to pay for staffing. The initial report came from the global consulting […]
Florida lawmakers hear alarming tales regarding hemp-derived THC products
Florida lawmakers earlier this year seriously debated limiting the amount of THC in hemp-derived products but, due in part to some resistance from the hemp industry, ultimately passed less restrictive legislation that simply bars the sale of such products to individuals under the age of 21. But the idea that there is a problem with […]