Florida
Ken Griffin pledges $12 million to defeat recreational pot legalization in Florida
Ken Griffin is making a major push to defeat a ballot amendment that seeks to legalize recreational marijuana use in Florida.
The billionaire financier has pledged $12 million to oppose the measure, according to spokesman Zia Ahmed. The constitutional amendment will be decided by voters in November and needs at least 60% approval to pass.
In an opinion article published Friday in the Miami Herald, Griffin argued that the proposed amendment would create a monopoly for large marijuana dispensaries and allow cannabis use in public and private areas across Florida.
In addition to his anti-legalization efforts, Griffin is also contributing $8 million to committes funding Republican candidates running for the Florida legislature, Ahmed said.
The founder of Citadel and Citadel Securities, who relocated from Chicago to Miami in 2022, has been wielding his $42 billion fortune to influence Florida’s political landscape and to fund philanthropic causes.
Earlier this year, he condemned a proposed casino expansion in South Florida, likening it to “dumping toxic waste into the Everglades.” Legislators buried it soon after. Last year, he played a key role in watering down a proposal restricting real estate purchases by Chinese nationals, before it was enacted. In June, he gave $500,000 to back the reelection campaign of Miami-Dade County’s Democratic mayor, Daniella Levine Cava.
“I have lived the nightmare of misguided politicians in other states whose policies are destroying jobs, fostering crime, ravaging schools, and damaging communities,” Griffin said in a statement to Bloomberg News. “I am committed to supporting policies and principles that will further elevate Florida as the greatest place to live, work, and raise a family in America.”
In the opinion piece, Griffin argued that legalizing recreational marijuana will primarily benefit special interests, while leading to more “dangerous roads, a higher risk of addiction among our youth, and an increase in crime.”
So far, more money has gone into Florida’s referendum on legalizing weed, known as Amendment 3, than any other ballot measure in the US this year, according to OpenSecrets, a non-partisan campaign finance group.
Safe & Smart, a political committee in support of legalization, has raised $66.7 million, according to Florida finance disclosures.
A recent University of North Florida poll found 64% of Floridians support legalization. However, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who has received political contributions from Griffin, has voiced strong opposition, warning that legalization would lead to an increase in marijuana use similar to that in cities like San Francisco and Chicago.
“We cannot have every town smelling like marijuana. We cannot have every hotel, theme parks smelling,” DeSantis said in June. “It’s going to be everywhere.”
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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