State prosecutors on Tuesday formally charged two prominent real estate brokers with felony criminal charges of racketeering, fraud and stealing trade secrets as part of a long-running investigation into a business dispute with their former employer. The men, Daniel James Drotos, 34, and Michael Steven Ryals, 65, were the same …
Read More »Small, historically Black Florida town set to lose Black congressman under DeSantis redistricting
MADISON, Fla. – A small, historically Black city an hour east of Tallahassee is in the crosshairs of a controversial redistricting plan by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The plan would radically redraw the state’s 5th congressional district and could cost the Black Democrat who represents it his seat in Congress. Madison …
Read More »New phone, who dis? Florida cracking down on anonymous political text messages
The Florida Election Commission is cracking down on political texts that don't explicitly say who paid for them, with new rules intended to improve transparency for voters and stem the spread of misinformation.
Read More »Sheriff’s office names new bloodhound Miss Peggy after beloved employee who died from COVID-19
A sheriff’s office in Florida’s Panhandle is naming its new bloodhound puppy “Miss Peggy” in a heart-warming tribute to a beloved, longtime office employee who died after battling COVID-19. Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford over the weekend asked for the blessing of the family of Margaret “Peggy” MacDonald, 63. She …
Read More »US judge blocks ‘unconstitutional’ UF rules limiting professors from testifying against state
A federal judge on Friday blocked the University of Florida from barring professors from testifying as expert witnesses against the state government, the latest development in a national controversy over efforts to limit the role of three academics in a voting rights lawsuit against Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Read More »Florida appeals court dismisses wife’s ‘confession letter,’ upholds father’s conviction for starving baby to death
A father convicted of starving a 22-day-old daughter to death will remain behind bars for life after a Florida appeals court rejected his arguments that his young wife confessed responsibility. In an interview, he portrayed himself as a caring father who was unaware the infant – who weighed only 4 …
Read More »‘Freedom works’: DeSantis mocks Covid restrictions, bashes feds on economy and immigration
DeSantis, a Republican who is seeking a second term in November and hasn’t ruled out a White House bid in 2024, called Florida the “freest state” in the U.S.
Read More »University of Florida’s president is stepping down
Kent Fuchs, the president of the University of Florida during the school’s ascension to a Top 5 ranked public university but whose leadership was questioned over his reluctance to challenge Gov. Ron DeSantis, said Wednesday he will step down. Fuchs, 67, who had been appointed the 12th president of the …
Read More »UF trustee chairman was back-channel to DeSantis office over pandemic decision
The chairman of the University of Florida board of trustees served as a liaison with the office of Gov. Ron DeSantis when administrators were considering temporarily moving some college classes online due to the pandemic, according to text messages.
Read More »Flamethrower joins list of odd weapons used in Alachua County crimes this year
A Gainesville man fed up with his neighbors’ parking habits decided to take matters into his own hands — by firing a flamethrower at a car with teenagers inside, according to a Gainesville police report.
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