More than 43 years after Janet White was abducted from a Bay County insurance office and murdered, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a death warrant for convicted killer Kayle Barrington Bates. Bates, 67, is scheduled to be executed Aug. 19 at Florida State Prison and could be the 10th inmate put to death by lethal injection this year in the state. DeSantis signed the death warrant after the U.S. Supreme Court on June 30 declined to take up an appeal by Bates related to a juror in his trial.
Florida
NASA May Move Its Headquarters to Florida
Sen. Ashley Moody believes that NASA may still move its headquarters to the Sunshine State, telling national media that keeping it in the nation’s capital is “not needed” and suggesting the space agency’s Chief of Staff may be an advocate for relocation.
‘Unacceptable’ Judge Stefanie Moon Fined $2,115 and Suspended for Violations
Calling her conduct “unacceptable,” the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a 10-day suspension, a public reprimand and a $2,115 fine for Broward County circuit judge Stephanie Moon, who is accused of inappropriate campaign activity, prohibited political contributions and other wrongdoing.
America(n) Unbecoming
If the president can threaten citizenship revocation even for U.S.-born citizens, as he did this week, and just for holding opinions he doesn’t like, the rest of us certainly aren’t safe. For migrants, every night–every day–is Kristallnacht as ICE carries out its pogroms. A majority of Americans are either applauding or indifferent, while protesters are branded enemies and invaders to be crushed by militarized goonery. This is not the America any of us have known, or should tolerate.
New Schools Commissioner Threatens Superintendents About Violating ‘Parental Rights’
Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas delivered his first speech to the State Board of Education Wednesday, quoting the Book of Psalms, promising to work closely with Florida’s top law enforcement officer to ensure students aren’t being “indoctrinated,” and threatening superintendents about violating parental rights.
Miccosukee Tribe Seeking to Join Lawsuit Against Everglades Migrant Prison, Citing ‘Environmental Degradation’
Citing “significant concerns about environmental degradation” and threats to “traditional and religious ceremonies,” members of the Miccosukee Tribe are trying to join a lawsuit challenging an immigrant-detention center in the Everglades.
Florida Supreme Court Sends Everglades Prison Case to Lower Court
The Florida Supreme Court on Monday sent to a lower court a case filed by Democratic state lawmakers after they were denied entry to a controversial immigrant-detention center in the Everglades dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Making Ignorance Great Again
Most Americans once celebrated our heterogeneity, our pluralism, and our tendency to expand freedoms. We valued knowledge and tried to foster understanding; we welcomed the new. Not so much these days, not here in Florida. This state now has statutes forbidding teaching the truth about slavery and Jim Crow, threatening educators who discuss gender, sexuality, systemic racism, and other disfavored topics. Universities are scrubbing their websites of words like “women,” “Black,” “colonialism,” and “diversity” — even if it’s “biodiversity” — anything seen as threatening to white, male Christian hegemony.
Lawmakers Describe ‘Disturbing, Vile Conditions’ at Everglades Migrant Prison
U.S. Democratic representatives characterized the state-run migrant prison in the Everglades as a cruel and wasteful political stunt following a guided tour Saturday. “There are really disturbing, vile conditions, and this place needs to be shut the hell down,” said U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz. The South Florida Democrat said 32 men slept in each of the cages with bed bunks and three sinks attached to the toilets. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced hundreds of people started arriving on July 2.
Child Care Is Increasingly Cost-Prohibitive for Florida Parents
There are about 1.28 million children under the age of 6 in Florida, and it’s getting costly for parents to get child care when needed, according to a new analysis from Florida TaxWatch. The watchdog group has published a new report, How Childcare Costs Impact Florida’s Economy. The analysis concludes that child care is taking its toll on the workforce. The report found that the Sunshine State economy loses about $1.5 billion per year due to absenteeism by employees who can’t work due to demands of caring for children.
U.S. Supreme Court Deals Blow to Florida’s Enforcement of Anti-Immigration Law in Rebuff to Uthmeier
The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a request by Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier that would have at least temporarily allowed enforcement of a new state law targeting undocumented immigrants who enter the state. Uthmeier last month asked the Supreme Court for a stay of a temporary injunction that U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams issued in April to block the law. Such a stay, if granted, would have allowed enforcement of the law while an underlying legal battle about the injunction played out. The Supreme Court denied the stay request.
Flagler Students Taking Vouchers for Private Education Double to 1,606 in One Year, Accelerating Drain from Public Schools
The number of Flagler County students taking public money for private, parochial or homeschool education doubled from last year to this year, from 884 to 1,606, according to the district’s latest calculations, far more than initially estimated. In spring, the district, based on state-provided figures, estimated that 1,236 students would draw on vouchers. The 1,606 students are draining $14.2 million in public education dollars from the district had they been attending traditional public schools.
Photographs Show Recently Paved Over Areas at Everglades Lock-Up, Belying State’s Claims
DeSantis labeled environmental concerns as illegitimate, claiming that construction occurred over already developed facilities, like the tarmac and taxiway, of the Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport, and that any waste would be removed. Aerial photographs from Friends of the Everglades, one of the groups suing federal and state officials, taken Saturday show land where grass has been removed and recently paved-over areas.
Flagler Schools Again Fall Short of an A as Poor Gains Among Lowest Performers and 2 Schools’ Retreats Result in B
For the fourth straight year and the 11th of the last 12 years that the state has issued school grades, the Flagler County School District was rated B, despite a year of gains in almost every one of the district’s nine traditional school and in many categories. It just wasn’t enough. The district fell just two percentage points short of the needed 64 to rank an A, as it did last year, even though the threshold for an A was significantly lower than two years ago.
DeSantis Signs Record 9th Death Warrant for State Killing of Triple-Murderer Edward Zakrzewski
In what could be a record ninth execution this year in Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a death warrant for a man convicted of using a crowbar and a machete to murder his wife and two children in 1994 in Okaloosa County.=
Trump Is Shutting Down 3 Key Weather Satellites Ahead of Peak Storm Season
On June 25, 2025, the Trump administration issued a service change notice announcing that the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program, DMSP, and the Navy’s Fleet Numerical Meteorology and Oceanography Center would terminate data collection, processing and distribution of all DMSP data by July 31. The satellite data helps meteorologists create weather forecasts that keep planes and ships safe and prepare countries for a potential hurricane landfall.
DeSantis Vetoes Target Black History and Minority Scholarships
As the Governor continues to decry diversity, equity and inclusion efforts in the private and public sector, the Republican Governor killed several line items in the state budget directed at elevating the marginalized.
DeSantis Sued Over Apparent Laziness in Judicial Appointment Delay
Alleging that Gov. Ron DeSantis did not comply with a constitutionally required deadline, an attorney asked the Florida Supreme Court on Friday to direct the governor to appoint a circuit judge in the Tallahassee area.
Federal Appeals Court Endorses Florida Ban on Teachers’ Preferred Pronouns in Public Schools
A federal appeals court has ruled against a Florida teacher who challenged a state law forbidding transgender teachers from using their preferred pronouns during their official duties in the classroom. The case involves Katie Wood, a math teacher in Hillsborough County who is transgender. She sued the state after a 2023 law passed saying that employees of public schools may not identify to their students with pronouns not consistent with their birth sex, “an immutable biological trait.”
DeSantis Vetoes Bill That Would’ve Limited University Board Seats to Florida Residents
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday vetoed three bills, including a proposal that would have placed new restrictions on members of the state university system’s Board of Governors and university boards of trustees.
Pulitzer Prize Board Appeals to Supreme Court to Halt Trump Defamation Lawsuit
Pulitzer Prize board members have gone to the Florida Supreme Court as they seek to halt a defamation lawsuit that President Donald Trump filed after the board refused to rescind a 2018 award to The New York Times and The Washington Post.
One in 3 Florida 3rd Graders Have Untreated Cavities. Now a New Law Prohibits Fluoride in Water.
Florida ranks among the worst states in the U.S. for dental care access, with over 5.9 million residents living in dental care health professional shortage areas. a new Florida law, signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May 2025 and going into effect on Tuesday (July 1), now prohibits local governments from adding fluoride to public drinking water. This makes other preventive treatments even more essential. Fluoride varnish, recommended by pediatric and dental associations, is a topical treatment that should be applied every 3-6 months to reduce the risk of tooth decay.
Elected Officials’ Personal Phone Numbers and Home Addresses Are Now Secret
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a bill that creates a public-records exemption to prevent the release of home addresses and telephone numbers of legislators, members of Congress and numerous other elected officials.
DeSantis Signs $115 billion Budget, Vetoes $567 million; Palm Coast’s Modest Appropriations Survive
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a long-awaited state budget Monday just hours before it would take effect, vetoing $567 million. Palm Coast’s pair of appropriations, $2.5 million for an “equalization tank” and $2.5 million to help modernize Waste Water Treatment Plant 1 in the Woodlands, the city’s biggest and oldest, survived vetoes.
Sarasota County Officials Downplayed Flood Risk. Tropical Storm Debby Exposed their Failures.
Sarasota County’s stormwater system is designed to steer floodwaters away from homes and businesses and safely to the coast. When Tropical Storm Debby hit in August 2024, the system proved dangerously unprepared when it mattered most — not because the system was overwhelmed, but because those in charge neglected to protect it, an investigation found.,
States Fear Critical Funding From FEMA May Be Drying Up: ‘Locals Won’t Step Up Unless They’re Dealing with a Catastrophe’
Many states rely on the federal government for the vast majority of their emergency management funding. Now, local leaders are looking for clues about the money — and the future of FEMA itself. W. Craig Fugate served as FEMA administrator under Obama and, before that, as head of Florida’s emergency management division under then-Govs. Jeb Bush and Charlie Crist. “My experience tells me locals will not step up unless they are dealing with a catastrophe,” Fugate said.
DeSantis Warns: The Vetoes Are Coming
During a lengthy press conference on higher education held on the campus of Florida Atlantic University, the Republican governor took shots at the Legislature for not passing a budget on time. He also noted that the final $115.1 billion budget includes enough local projects for individual lawmakers to leave him “kind of numb.”
Environmental Groups Sue in Federal Court to Stop Everglades Stockade for Migrants
Environmental groups Friday filed a federal lawsuit seeking to halt construction and operation of a detention center for undocumented immigrants that has been dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz,” saying it threatens ecologically sensitive areas and species in the surrounding Everglades and Big Cypress National Preserve. The lawsuit, filed by the group Friends of the Everglades and the Center for Biological Diversity, alleges that federal and state agencies have violated laws that, in part, require evaluating potential environmental impacts before such a project can move forward.
Flagler County Attorney Al Hadeed Awarded State Association Honor for ‘Outstanding Contributions to Local Government Law’
A month from retirement after a career spanning four decades as county attorney for Flagler County government, Al Hadeed on Thursday received the Gordon Johnson Award “for his distinguished service to Flagler County and outstanding contributions to local government law in the State of Florida.” Hadeed received the award during the Florida Association of County Attorneys’ annual two-day continuing legal education seminar in Orlando. The association president prized Hadeed’s institutional memory and his mentorship of younger attorneys.
DeSantis Joins Other Southern States to Develop Anti-‘Woke’ University Accreditation System
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced, alongside State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues and university leaders from Texas and South Carolina, that the states are developing a Commission for Public Higher Education that will combat “woke” ideologies such as diversity, equity, and inclusion, and remake state higher education institutions to be more conservative.
DeSantis Scoffs at Environmental and Ethical Concerns Over 1,000-Bed Migrant Stockade in Everglades
Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday that the temporary detention center being constructed at an isolated Everglades airfield will have “zero impact” on Everglades restoration, rebuking concerns by environmental advocates and local officials who say the project threatens drinking water and protected land. He scoffed at environmental and ethical concerns while appearing at a bill-signing event in Tampa on Wednesday, contending the opposition from critics stems from their antipathy to the crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
Largest Restoration Project in FWC’s History Conducted on Lake Kissimmee
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is undertaking a historic restoration effort to promote native plant communities through large-scale revegetation on Lake Kissimmee. The FWC has allocated an unprecedented $2.35 million over two years to support this restoration effort, marking the largest revegetation project in agency history.
‘We’re Not in a Great Shape,’ School Board’s Derek Barrs Warns as Vouchers Fuel Financial Crunch and Enrollment Drop
The Flagler County school district is caught in a feedback loop draining its budget as enrollment drops: more students are abandoning the district for private or homeschool education paid for with public money. That reduces the amount of state money the district can count on. More limited resources may encourage more students to leave, further reducing state dollars going to the district.
DeSantis Signs ‘Customary Use’ Bill Securing Public Beach Access, a Step Flagler County Took in 2018
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a bill reversing a controversial 2018 law that led to limited public beach access in some areas. Lawmakers in April passed the bill (SB 1622) after widespread complaints about waterfront property owners in Walton County preventing people from using beaches. Flagler County was ahead of the curve. Beating a deadline, and at the urging–and orchestration–of County Attorney Al Hadeed, the Flagler County Commission in 2018 enacted an ordinance that preserved customary use on the county’s 18 miles of shore, in essence grandfathering the county under the new law.
DeSantis Seizes Land in Everglades to Open ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ Mass Migrant Detention Center
Florida started this week to build a temporary detention center in the Florida Everglades for undocumented immigrants arrested by state police and federal immigration authorities. Gov. Ron DeSantis is using emergency powers to take control of the facility after his administration offered to buy the land from the county. According to the governor’s office, Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava offered what DeSantis’ office called an “unreasonable” price tag for the state to buy the county land, $190 million.
60 Missing Florida Children in ‘Critical Danger’ Rescued in Largest U.S. Operation
Federal, state, and local officials say 60 children ranging in age from 9-17 have been recovered in what an official called the “the largest in the history of the United States Marshal Service.”
“Operation Dragon Eye” involved 20 agencies and more than 100 people, recovering 60 missing children in “critical danger.” Eight people arrested face various charges, including human trafficking, child endangerment, drug possession, and drug trafficking.
After He’s Declared in Contempt, Uthmeier Takes Immigration Defiance to Supreme Court
After an appeals court rejected his arguments, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier last week asked the U.S. Supreme Court to step in and at least temporarily allow enforcement of a new law targeting undocumented immigrants who enter the state. If the Supreme Court grants Uthmeier’s request, the state could enforce the law while what could be a lengthy court battle plays out.
DeSantis, Appeasing Conspiracy Theorists, Signs ‘Chemtrails’ Bill
Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed controversial legislation that bans weather geoengineering and prohibits what conspiracy theorists call “chemtrails.” The bill, sponsored by Republican Sen. Ileana Garcia, will require the Department of Environmental Protection to track and investigate complaints from residents about suspected weather modification or suspicious activity.
Ex-US Attorney Roger Handberg Joins GrayRobinson in Orlando as Litigator
Former Middle District of Florida U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg has joined GrayRobinson in its Litigation practice. Handberg, who will be based in GrayRobinson’s Orlando office, brings more than two decades of experience in high-stakes white-collar defense, government investigations and complex litigation to the firm. GrayRobinson is frequently the firm Palm Coast government retains for special cases; the firm is representing the city in the Splash Pad case. It represented it in last year’s charter-amendment case. It is representing it to defend against Palm Coast Mayor Mike Norris’s lawsuit against his own city.
U.S. Conference of Mayors in Tampa Will Take Up Resolution Critical of ICE Raids
The U.S. Conference of Mayors is holding its annual meeting in Tampa this weekend, and one of the resolutions they are poised to vote on calls upon federal authorities to focus their deportation actions on convicted criminals, and not on undocumented individuals who “contribute to their local communities.”
Flagler County’s Unemployment Steady at 4.2%, Labor Force Is Flat, Florida Unemployment at 3.7%
Florida’s unemployment rate held at 3.7 percent in May, after inching up earlier in the year, while Flagler County’s unemployment remained at 4.2 percent, where it was last month. In Flagler, 2,339 residents are unemployed, almost exactly the same number as last month but about 300 more than at this time last year. The labor force was flat, adding barely two dozen people to a total of 55,625. The labor force is an indication of the number of working-age people and families moving to the county. It is almost unchanged from a year ago.
Out-of-State Students May Face 10% Tuition Hikes at Florida Colleges and Universities This Fall, More Next Year
Out-of-state students attending Florida universities could see a 10 percent increase in tuition this fall and an additional hike the following school year, under a rule unanimously adopted by the state university system’s Board of Governors on Wednesday. Florida has the nation’s third-lowest tuition and fees for out-of-state students, at an average of $21,690 in 2023-2024. That was about 28 percent lower than the national average of $30,140.
Democrat Josh Weil Running for Senate in Bid to Unseat Ashley Moody
After boosting his profile during an unsuccessful campaign for the U.S. House, Democrat Josh Weil announced Wednesday that he will try to unseat U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody, R-Fla., in 2026.
Palm Coast Gets Just $5 Million for Wastewater Projects and $125,000 for YMCA In $115.1 Billion State Budget
One of the more-contentious legislative sessions in recent history came to a close late Monday as lawmakers approved a $115.1 billion budget for next fiscal year and prepared to send it to Gov. Ron DeSantis. It is about $3.5 billion smaller than the budget for the current fiscal year. Lawmakers also approved a $1.3 billion package of tax cuts, dominated by the elimination of a commercial-lease tax that has long been a target of business lobbyists, but no broad cuts in the sales tax.
Florida Was Set to Shield Lawmakers’ Home Addresses Before Minnesota Assassination
Florida lawmakers in April overwhelmingly passed a bill (SB 268) to create a public-records exemption that would prevent the release of home addresses and telephone numbers of legislators and members of Congress. Also, the exemption would apply to the governor, lieutenant governor, state Cabinet members, county commissioners, property appraisers, elections supervisors, school superintendents, school board members, mayors and city commissioners.
Maga Servility Ends in Humiliation for Santa Ono and UF
The trustees liked Santa Ono; Ron DeSantis liked him, especially since Ono, who was once all-in on diversity at UM, recently pulled a 180, loudly recanting his climate change-admitting, student protest-allowing progressive ways and parroting the governor’s War on Woke nonsense like a DeSantis Bot. It wasn’t enough. Poor old weathervane Ono fell victim to a nasty social media campaign against him, led by such intellectual giants as Don Trump Jr., who squawked “WTF!” on the twixter; New College trustee Christopher “They’re eating the cats!” Rufo, Sen. Rick Scott and the congenitally absurd Rep. Byron Donalds.
DeSantis Given Power to Investigate Local Governments for DEI, Overspending or Fraud
Lawmakers are giving Gov. Ron DeSantis the power to probe local governments for overspending or fraud and for supporting DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives. One of the final provisions finalized late in the budget talks this week allows the Office of Policy and Budget (OPB) within DeSantis’ Executive Office to investigate local government “functions, procedures, and policies” involving misspending and mismanagement of taxpayer money, DEI and redundant functions.
DeSantis Signs Warrant for Eighth Execution of the Year
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed a death warrant for a man convicted of murdering two people in 1993 in Duval County, setting the stage for a potentially record-tying eighth execution this year.
Senate Plan Would Lower Burden of Cost Shift to States for Food Stamps
The Agriculture section of the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill, like the House version that passed last month 215-214, would create the possibility that states for the first time would shoulder some of the cost of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, benefits starting in 2028. But unlike the House version, the Senate’s language would allow states an opportunity to avoid paying anything if they hit an efficiency benchmark, Boozman, an Arkansas Republican, told reporters at the Capitol.
Officials Threaten Floridians with Jail as They Prepare for Anti-Trump Rallies
Floridians in more than 70 cities throughout the state plan to join nationwide demonstrations to protest the Trump administration on Saturday, prompting Attorney General James Uthmeier and other law enforcement officials to say they won’t hesitate to quash protests. The protests, part of the “No Kings” movement, are set to take place the same day as the multimillion-dollar military parade in D.C. and President Donald Trump’s 79th birthday. Two protests are planned in Palm Coast at 11 a.m. Saturday.