Florida
DeSantis targets New York, California and Biden in his Florida State of the State address
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered messages about California, New York, Illinois and President Joe Biden during a State of the State address that was more of a listing of what the governor’s done the past five years than it was a vision for the state’s future.
DeSantis, who is running for president and is expected in Iowa later Tuesday to continue campaigning ahead of next week’s critical caucuses, touted his efforts to protect Floridians from mask mandates during the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, expand gun rights, restrict abortion and get rid of diversity and equity programs at state universities.
What was missing were specifics on how he will continue to lead the state in the future if he doesn’t get the presidential nomination.
“My message is simple: Stay the course. The state of our state is strong. Let’s keep doing what works,” DeSantis told lawmakers on the first day of the legislative session.
Before mentioning what he’s done in Florida, DeSantis attacked policies in liberal states.
“We are as a country in the midst of a great upheaval, and we see this throughout the land,” DeSantis said. “Cities throughout the land have decayed.”
He said residents in San Francisco, Chicago and New York have struggled with crime, homelessness and bloated government spending that’s driving people away.
“We … continue to witness a great migration of Americans away from cities and states pursuing these failed policies with Florida serving as a refuge for freedom and sanity,” DeSantis said.
But DeSantis said not everybody is welcome to seek refuge in Florida. DeSantis, who in 2022 flew dozens of migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts, before they could find their way to Florida, said the state is stepping in to counter illegal immigration while the federal government has failed.
“We refuse to sit idly by while Biden’s border crisis ruins lives across the nation,” DeSantis said. “Since President Biden won’t stop the flow of illegal immigrants and dangerous drugs across the border, Florida has been forced to pick up the slack.”
And in a state that’s had the Florida National Guard deployed to prisons since 2022 because of staffing shortages, DeSantis boasted that Florida doesn’t have a lot of government employees compared with other states.
“We have set the standard for limited government,” he said. “Florida has the fewest state employees per capita and the lowest state government cost per capita in the entire United States.”
Democrats criticized DeSantis’ speech, saying it was targeted to Iowa voters rather than addressing current needs at home, like skyrocketing property insurance rates and the lack of affordable housing.
“There were no new ideas. It was a rehash of his greatest hits. When he opened up his remarks, I was wondering ‘When is he ever going to talk about Florida?’” House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell said. “My God! Chicago, California, New York, D.C. — everywhere but Florida.”
The Senate and House began the largely ceremonial proceedings, with lawmakers coming together for optimistic speeches from the Republican leaders of each chamber. Flowers adorned the lawmakers’ 160 desks as Cabinet members, Supreme Court justices and former leaders gathered to wait for DeSantis.
Unlike past years, DeSantis has largely been quiet about what he hopes to achieve during the session, focusing instead on his presidential campaign, where polls show he badly trails former President Donald Trump in Iowa and New Hampshire.
The opening of the session was also marked by stormy weather as strong winds and rain pounded the Florida Panhandle while rolling toward Tallahassee. Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis skipped the ceremonies to travel to the Panama City area to view storm damage.
“I think tropical storm force winds on opening day means good luck, kind of like rain on your wedding day,” Senate President Kathleen Passidomo said. “I hope the old adage in like a lion, out like a lamb will ring true this session.”
Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
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