Florida
DeSantis and Trump priorities hold sway as Florida lawmakers begin legislative session
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — As Florida lawmakers officially kicked off their 2025 legislative session Tuesday, the political aspirations of two of the state’s best-known residents — Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and President Donald Trump — were driving the conversation amid the pomp and ceremony.
As DeSantis approaches the end of his second term as governor, the popular Republican leader has been talking up one potential heir to succeed him: his wife, Casey DeSantis. At the same time, DeSantis has been sparring with some of Trump’s allies in the Legislature, working to lay the groundwork for his own political future while the president’s supporters in Tallahassee try to follow through on the campaign promises of the man DeSantis dared to challenge for the Republican party nomination.
Addressing a joint session of the Legislature on Tuesday, DeSantis touted the laws he signed last month to crackdown on illegal immigration in the state, which lawmakers passed after huddling in three special sessions that sparked a bitter feud between the governor and legislative leaders as they battled over whose ideas would better deliver on Trump’s vision.
But speaking to a House chamber packed with lawmakers, DeSantis congratulated the legislative leaders standing by his side on the immigration measures.
“No state has done more and no state did it sooner than we did in the free state of Florida,” DeSantis said. “We can and we must continue to lead.”
Heading into the regular session, DeSantis has called on lawmakers to consider a proposal to eliminate the state’s property taxes, to roll back gun restrictions that a bipartisan coalition passed in the wake of the 2018 shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland and to significantly restructure the citizens’ ballot initiative process. In November, Florida voters used the ballot process to propose legalizing recreational marijuana and expanding abortion rights, though the measure fell short of the 60% needed to pass.
“We saw how that constitutional amendment process was perverted,” DeSantis said, alleging there was fraud in the petitions used to get the measures on the ballot. “We need to clean up this out of control amendment process.”
Lawmakers have teed up a slate of bills aimed at addressing some of their constituents’ most pressing concerns: the continued impact of back-to-back hurricanes, the rising cost of property insurance and housing, as well as immigration and the threats posed by climate change and sea level rise.
But also on the Legislature’s docket are bills aimed at carrying out some of Trump’s asks, from banning fluoride in public water systems, which the president’s Health and Human Services secretary has advocated, to codifying the use of the “Gulf of America” by state agencies and in teaching materials after Trump signed an executive order renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
“It seems like they all want to please him,” House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said of Republican leaders. “So I do worry about the influence of the federal government, and particularly Donald Trump, on what we do this legislative session.”
Republican Senate President Ben Albritton focused his remarks on what he called the need for government efficiency at a time when the Trump administration is working to dismantle the federal workforce.
“To be clear, we will take the opportunity to build on and modernize some of Florida’s long-standing accountability processes. Now is the time to do it,” Albritton said.
In past sessions, legislative leaders have fast-tracked the governor’s priorities with little public resistance, helping DeSantis build his national profile as a bold executive eager to take on the left and make the state the envy of conservative activists across the country.
But in recent months, Florida’s Republican lawmakers have challenged DeSantis’ leadership like never before, initially resisting his call for a special session on illegal immigration. Some lawmakers have filed bills to roll back DeSantis administration efforts, such as a proposal to take power away from state officials appointed by the governor to oversee the hiring of new university presidents.
Republican House Speaker Daniel Perez encouraged his members to embrace the opportunities for change “in this time of chaos.”
“We can’t be afraid to break the status quo,” Perez said. “We must rise to meet this moment.”
___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
Florida
Florida high school football team pulls off miraculous touchdown to help win state championship
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A Florida high school state football championship finished with a phenomenal ending for one team and absolute heartbreak for the other on Saturday night.
Lake Mary High School was down six points with seven seconds left in the Florida High School Athletic Association Class 7A title game against Vero Beach. Noah Grubbs dropped back to pass and rolled to his right. He gained momentum and fired the ball, which was tipped and caught short of the goal line.
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A Lake Mary quarterback looks to throw in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
As Vero Beach defenders tried to keep receiver Barrett Schultz out of the end zone, Schultz’s teammate Tavarius Brundidge Jr. came around and took the ball out of Schultz’s hands. Brundidge ran the ball into the end zone to complete the wild and chaotic play.
The touchdown tied the game, and Lake Mary would kick the extra point to win, 28-27.
INDIANA’S FERNANDO MENDOZA WINS 2025 HEISMAN TROPHY
A Lake Mary player in the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, makes a catch at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
“I was just hoping and praying like everyone else that he was going to come down with the football and Barrett did,” Lake Mary head coach Scott Perry said, via TC Palm. “… We were just going to keep fighting and fighting until the final whistle.”
Vero Beach tried to run out the clock the best they could. The team decided to take a safety with 12 seconds left, and gave the ball back to Lake Mary.
A Vero Beach player is stunned after the FHSAA Class 7A state championship, Dec. 13, 2025, at Pitbull Stadium in Miami. (Crystal Vander Weit/TCPALM/USA Today Network via Imagn Images)
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It was the first state championship for Lake Mary in its history.
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Florida
Gisele Bündchen and Joaquim Valente enjoy Florida day date on jet skis
Gisele Bündchen and her boyfriend, Joaquim Valente, soaked up the sun during a jet skiing date in Florida.
The model and the MMA athlete appeared in good spirits while on the water near their home in Surfside on Saturday.
They both stayed close to each other and sported life vests.
Bündchen, 35, appeared to be wearing a white one-piece bathing suit underneath her vest.
She accessorized with sunglasses and styled her hair in a ponytail.
As for Valente, he sported black swim trunks.
The couple, who have been romantically linked since 2023, enjoyed some quality time together after welcoming a son together in February.
While Bündchen and Valente have shied away from revealing too much about their infant, they recently took him out on a boat ride in September.
At the time, the former Victoria’s Secret model was seen cradling her son while her beau took the wheel.
Valente then adorably held onto their 10-month-old, as Bündchen watched in awe.
The health guru also shared a rare glimpse of her son alongside her 16-year-old son, Benjamin, in October.
The teenager adorably held onto his little brother while playing the piano.
Bündchen shares Benjamin and her daughter Vivian, 13, with her ex-husband, Tom Brady.
The exes were wed from 2009 to 2022.
The former NFL star also shares an 18-year-old son, Jack, with his ex Bridget Moynahan.
Florida
Florida Class 4A state championship: How to watch American Heritage vs. Jones
The Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) football state championships continued last night down in Miami at Pitbull Stadium as the Raines Vikings upset the Northwestern Bulls for the the Class 3A state championship, provind the most exciting game of the week thus far. Another rematch from last year’s finals pits the American Heritage Patriots versus the Jones Tigers for the Class 4A state championship this afternoon. We preview the sixth of seven FHSAA state championship games as teams begin being crowned as champions of their classifications.
How to Watch American Heritage vs. Jones in Florida 4A state championship game
Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
Time: 12:30 p.m. ET
Location: Pitbull Stadium in Miami, Fla.
TV Channel: NFHS Network
American Heritage Players to Watch
QB Leon Strawder: Strawder is making his second consecutive appearance in a state championship game, this time with a different team, however. The senior has thrown for 2,052 yards and 19 touchdowns.
WR Jamar Denson: Of the star-studded wide receiving corps for American Heritage, its Denson who has been Mr. Reliable thus far this season. Throughout the course of the season, Denson has hauled in 69 passes for 991 yards and 15 touchdowns.
WR Jeffar Jean-Noel: The Georgia Tech commit has been the second option behind Denson on offense, with Jean-Noel catching 57 passes for 795 yards and six touchdowns.
LB Dylan Bennett: Anchoring the front seven of the Patriots’ defense is the senior linebacker, who currently leads the team with 61 total tackles, 17 them going for a loss and five sacks.
Jones Players to Watch
QB Dereon Coleman: The Miami signee is as calm as they come in the pocket as the senior quarterback has thrown for 2,749 yards, 28 touchdowns and only three picks this Florida high school football season.
WR Larry Miles: Coleman’s favorite target to throw to is the Nebraska signee as the senior looks to end his high school career with a state crown. Miles has caught 88 passes for 1,111 and 10 touchdowns.
OL Xavier Payne: The 6-foot-7, 275-pound Colorado offensive tackle signee will have the job of making sure Coleman stands upright throughout the afternoon against American Heritage’s pass rush.
EDGE Frederick Ards: The 2027 four-star EDGE rusher for the Tigers has been superb, racking up 73 tackles, 13 for loss and 11 sacks.
Where to Watch the Florida Class 4A state championship on livestream:
You can watch the American Heritage Patriots take on the Jones Tigers starting at 12:30 p.m. ET on NFHS Network.
For Florida high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the nation, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across the Sunshine State, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the high school football excitement across the state of Florida.
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