Florida
Musk enters Florida races with $20K for Republicans’ texting services
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Elon Musk’s America PAC is putting down more than $20,000 to pay for texting services on behalf of Randy Fine and Jimmy Patronis, both of whom are running to replace Florida Republicans that President Donald Trump sought to take with him to the White House, according to the Federal Election Commission.
FEC records indicate the America PAC paid marketing agency IMGE LLC $10,244.45 each for texting services related to Fine and Patronis, a total of $20,488.90.
The special election for the U.S. House seat in District 6 — left open after Mike Waltz became President Trump’s national security advisor — pits Republican Randy Fine against Democrat Josh Weil. The Republican stronghold spans parts of Volusia, Flagler, St. Johns, Marion, Putnam and Lake counties.
President Trump won the district by 30 points and has endorsed Fine while Weil, an Orlando school teacher who’s reportedly fundraised millions more than his opponent, believes Trump’s endorsement — what he calls Fine’s “only campaign strategy” — may backfire.
Fine, R-Brevard County, is resigning effective March 31 from the state Senate.
[ Here are the candidates running to replace Randy Fine in Florida Senate District 19]
Not dissimilar to Fine’s campaign strategy is that of Patronis, Florida’s Chief Financial Officer, who’s also running as Trump’s pick.
Patronis is vying for the U.S. House seat in District 1, which former Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz occupied. The seat opened up when Gaetz announced he wouldn’t be returning to Congress, after he bowed out of consideration to be Trump’s attorney general amid allegations of sexual misconduct.
The election is set for April 1. Early voting for the special elections is underway and runs through Saturday, March 29. Find out how you can vote HERE.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Florida
Lions cornerback Terrion Arnold named in Florida court filing
Florida
Video: Injured Florida manatee rescued by authorities, receiving medical care at ZooTampa
FORT MYERS, Fla. – An injured manatee and her calf are recovering after authorities on a boat rescued them from the Orange River near Fort Myers on Thursday.
What we know:
The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said its Marine Unit, Advanced Technology Support Unit, drone pilots and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission helped in saving the pair after the mother was found hurt in the water and in need of medical attention.
READ: Missing Florida man found stuck in mud without food or water for days: PFD
Video shows authorities pulling the frantic manatees safely onto the boat in netting before taking them to shore.
Courtesy: Lee County Sheriff’s Office
Both animals will be taken to ZooTampa for evaluation and medical care.
What we don’t know:
LCSO did not say the extent of the mother’s injuries.
By the numbers:
As of Feb. 20, there have been 85 manatee deaths across Florida in 2026, according to the FWC. Last year reportedly saw a total of 632 manatee deaths.
Dig deeper:
Earlier this month, the FWC began investigating a spike in manatee deaths, specifically in Lee County, where officials say 25 were found dead within a week.
READ: FWC investigating spike in manatee deaths over the past week
The FWC believes these manatee deaths could be from several factors: cold stress, a lack of seagrass and polluted waterways.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Florida
Cuba says 4 killed after speedboat from Florida opened fire in Cuban waters
Trump threatens tariffs on countries that supply oil to Cuba
Trump warned Cuba to reach an agreement with the U.S. after signing an executive order to impose tariffs on countries that supply the island with oil.
HAVANA (Reuters) – Four people were killed and seven others were wounded on Feb. 25 after a speedboat from Florida entered Cuban waters and opened fire on Cuban forces, who returned fire, Cuba’s Interior Ministry said.
All four dead were aboard the Florida-based speedboat, and another six were injured, Cuba said. In addition, the Cuban commander of border patrol boat was wounded, Cuba said.
The wounded foreign attackers were evacuated and received medical attention, Cuba said.
The incident took place amid heightened tension between Cuba and the United States, which has blocked virtually all oil shipments to the island, increasing pressure on the Communist-run government. American forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Jan. 3, removing a key Cuban ally from power.
“Faced with the current challenges, Cuba reaffirms its commitment to protecting its territorial waters, based on the principle that national defense is a fundamental pillar for the Cuban state in safeguarding its sovereignty and stability in the region,” the Cuban statement said.
Reporting by Daniel Trotta in Havana.
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