Florida
As students protest Israel, has the Florida Democratic Party drifted to the right?
LAKE BUENA VISTA — Less than two weeks after the president promised to compete in Florida this year, the mood at the Florida Democratic Party’s annual leadership conference was festive — if a little tense.
U.S. Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, who has called some of the recent campus protests of Israel “antisemitic, unconscionable and dangerous,” was slated to be the keynote speaker at the party’s Saturday evening gala. It was an explosive pick for party leadership at a time of bitter division over how to message around the ongoing war in Gaza.
Attendees at the Disney Contemporary Resort began to mutter about the choice. The Democratic Progressive Caucus of Florida called on the party to cancel Fetterman’s appearance.
When the senator finally took the stage, a woman stood up from a nearby table and yelled repeatedly about the need to “free Palestine.” Fetterman, unable to proceed with his remarks, stood holding a Biden-Harris 2024 reelection sign while security and law enforcement escorted the woman out of the room.
The tensions over Israel and Palestine highlighted how politics have shifted around Florida Democrats. As recently as 2018, the party nominated an outspoken progressive in Andrew Gillum to be its standard bearer in the governor’s race. In 2020, after the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, the party released a statement endorsing the nationwide protests against “racist violence.”
Since then, the party has hemorrhaged registered voters and legislative influence in Tallahassee. In 2022, the party nominated Charlie Crist, a former Republican, to be its gubernatorial candidate for the second time. He suffered a historic 19-point defeat to Gov. Ron DeSantis.
With a November election looming, Democrats are treading carefully when it comes to the progressive issue of the day: American support for Israel’s war on Hamas. Some of the state’s most prominent Democrats, including Florida Democratic Party chairperson Nikki Fried and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, are Jewish and staunch backers of Israel.
At the same time, Joe Biden is relying on an outpouring of support from young people in November — like he did in his 2020 victory over Donald Trump. While Florida Democrats work to turn out the vote on college campuses, protesters on some of those same campuses have taken to quads in recent days with chants of “Biden, Biden, you can’t hide. You’re supporting genocide.”
In a statement following the brief Saturday night protest, Fried seemed to acknowledge that the party has a balance to strike in 2024. She said Floridians should have a right to protest, and that college students should have a right to feel safe on campus.
“If we are going to call for peace, let’s do it peacefully. If we are going to disagree, let’s do it respectfully,” Fried said. “If we are going to use our voices, let’s make sure we’re also listening — that’s what it means to be a Democrat and that is what this moment demands.”
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The Florida Democratic Party’s challenge extends up and down the ballot.
Former U.S. Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is perhaps the most prominent figure in a crowded Democratic U.S. Senate race. She was the only Senate candidate to speak at Saturday’s gala. If she can beat four opponents in August, she hopes to unseat U.S. Sen. Rick Scott.
Mucarsel-Powell is an example of how Democrats are getting pressure from the right on Israel as well. In campaign news releases, Scott has repeatedly criticized Mucarsel-Powell for not condemning the college protests strongly enough. On Saturday, Mucarsel-Powell told reporters she supports Israel’s right to defend itself and said civilian lives must be protected.
She also downplayed the divisions within the party.
“The Democratic Party has all sorts of shades. It’s always been like that,” Mucarsel-Powell said. “We need to respect each other. They want to divide us because they’re scared, because when we’re united, we win.”
Other party observers pushed back on the idea that the Democratic Party has drifted from the left in recent years.
Anna Eskamani, one of the party’s most progressive state representatives, pointed toward the recent messaging on abortion rights. In the years before the Supreme Court overturned Roe. v. Wade, abortion was an issue that some Democrats avoided, Eskamani said. But this year, even moderate Democrats are campaigning on protecting abortion access.
Polls show both abortion and Israel-Palestine rate relatively low among voters’ priorities. It’s possible that these issues will do little to move the needle electorally. But they might show whether the party is singing from the same songbook.
On Saturday, hours before the gala, various Democratic groups set up tables promoting their corners of the party. Eventgoers could visit the Black caucus table or the Biden campaign’s space or chat up members of the environmental caucus or the LGBTQ+ caucus.
But when a reporter visited the Democratic Progressive Caucus’ table late in the afternoon, it was empty.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/4DLXMJBS6JDU3N75Q6AVJCW4H4.jpeg?w=400&resize=400,240&ssl=1 "Rubio, Scott call fast-tracking of Florida state park golf course plan ‘ridiculous’")
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/tbt/4DLXMJBS6JDU3N75Q6AVJCW4H4.jpeg?w=80&resize=80,80&ssl=1 "Rubio, Scott call fast-tracking of Florida state park golf course plan ‘ridiculous’")
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
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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.
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.
See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say
Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.
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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”
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