Florida
Gov. DeSantis signs bill raising age to strip in Florida, combats human trafficking
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You won’t see an 18-year-old stripper in Florida after July 1.
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday afternoon that bans anyone younger than the drinking age from working at an “adult entertainment establishment,” affecting not only strip clubs but places like adult movie theaters and libraries, too.
That restriction is expected to receive First Amendment challenges in court. It’s part of broader legislation (HB 7063) aimed at combating human trafficking, including by extending the lifetime of the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking.
“We’re going to stand strong for those who may not be in a position to defend themselves,” DeSantis said at a press conference in Coral Gables. “Our state is a great state … We are a united front here saying that we’re not going to just stand idly by.”
DeSantis also announced he would be approving $4.9 million in the state budget to expand access to emergency beds and increase staff to provide trafficking survivors a safe place to begin their recovery. He added that the state has a $900,000 grant opportunity to enhance staffing and training for law enforcement targeting trafficking.
Bill supporters have alleged businesses like strip clubs are dens for trafficking, especially of young women.
But when the bill was making its way through the Legislature, some Democrats wondered if the age restriction had more to do with ideological disagreement with the exotic dancing profession. And they warned those who lose their jobs could go into more dangerous work.
“If there’s not controlled environments, young girls will get pulled into private parties,” said Rep. Michele Rayner, D-St. Petersburg, on the House floor this past session. “Once again, this House, this body, is trying to legislate what women can and cannot do with their bodies. And it’s overwhelmingly a lot of men who are trying to do that.”
Rep. Carolina Amesty, a Windermere Republican and a bill sponsor, said during press conferences that adult entertainment establishments are no place for those younger than 21 years old.
“My vision for the young women of Florida is to not work in the adult entertainment (industry) but rather get a job, an education and career and have a good quality of life,” she said.
The bill ultimately passed the Legislature with bipartisan approval, including from Rayner, with only three Democratic “no” votes in the House and Senate.
Under the law, employers who “knowingly” hire workers younger than 21 years old at adult entertainment establishments would face criminal penalties. Those criminal penalties would go as high as a second degree felony, punishable by up to 15 years behind bars, if that worker performs nude.
And the language emphasizes that “a person’s ignorance of another person’s age or a person’s misrepresentation of his or her age may not be raised as a defense in a prosecution.”
Expect a legal challenge
The measure comes as the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to rule soon on a Jacksonville dancer age restriction ordinance, a decision that could set a First Amendment precedent on age-based regulation of expression – and a decision that could potentially knock down such restrictions.
During the Jacksonville litigation, it came out that “no arrest for human trafficking has ever been made in an exotic dance establishment” in that city, according to court records. But a federal judge upheld the ordinance, and it remains in effect awaiting the decision.
“It just seems rushed and unwise to to pass a law like this now, while litigation is ongoing,” said Gary Edinger, a Gainesville-based First Amendment attorney who is representing Jacksonville clubs that filed suit against the ordinance. “You’d think (lawmakers would) just wait until the next legislative session, so they know whether the law is constitutional or not.”
Regardless, Edinger says he’s in talks with other attorneys and he has “no doubt” a lawsuit will be filed against the state law.
“There are lots of things to be concerned or note about this statute,” he said. “Adult entertainment (establishments) are not a hotbed of sex trafficking … When we’re dealing with the First Amendment, the state can’t just say something and have the courts accept it. There’s no deference to the Legislature. They’re going to have to prove those allegations.”
Lawmakers pass the age restriction: On International Women’s Day, Florida lawmakers pass bill to raise age to be a stripper
Age restriction was once thought dead: Florida Senate passes bill to raise state’s exotic dancing age to 21
This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA TODAY Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com.
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.
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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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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.
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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