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Meet Florida first lady Casey DeSantis. Former TV reporter, now presidential candidate’s wife

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Meet Florida first lady Casey DeSantis. Former TV reporter, now presidential candidate’s wife


ORLANDO, Fla. – The reporter in the blue shirt holds a microphone emblazoned with an old News 6 logo.

She’s reporting on a story about absences at a Clay County school.

And then she signs off: “In Orange Park, Casey Black, Local 6.”

The story aired on WKMG-TV News 6 in Orlando in 2009.

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Casey Black would become Casey DeSantis later that year.

The future first lady of Florida was a well-known journalist in Jacksonville from 2003 up to at least 2017, working for News 6 sister station WJXT-TV and then for First Coast News.

[RELATED NEWS: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis running for president. What you need to know]

Experts say DeSantis has used what she honed in Jacksonville to help propel her husband to the heights of American politics – all the way to a presidential run.

“I think she is not only his wife, but his closest advisor,” said News 6 political analyst Jim Clark. “Remember, she came from Jacksonville from a television background, so she knows how the media works. She knows how to capitalize on things. And she has done an excellent job so far of guiding him on these kinds of ways to get national attention.”

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“I think Casey DeSantis helps immensely,” said Republican political consultant Anthony Pedicini. “I mean, she’s beloved, especially in Republican circles, and she’s very personable. She’s almost magical when she walks in a room. She has the presence, you know — he does, too — but I think she has more of it.”

Jill Casey DeSantis (nee Black) was born in 1980 in Ohio. Her father was an optometrist and her mother was a speech pathologist.

She went to College of Charleston in South Carolina, where she competed on the equestrian team, continuing her love of horses, and got a degree in economics.

In 2003, she got a job at WJXT-TV in Jacksonville, Florida, where she held several positions, including weekend anchor and morning news anchor.

Then she met Ron DeSantis over a bucket of golf balls at a driving range while he was working at the Naval Station Mayport in Jacksonville. They married at Walt Disney World in 2009.

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In 2010, Casey DeSantis left WJXT and did a stint with the PGA Tour before returning to local news at First Coast News in Jacksonville in 2011, where she won an Emmy Award for on-air talent, leading daytime talk shows and primetime news specials.

During this time, husband Ron was serving in Congress for U.S. House District 6. Casey said a big turning point for her was in 2017, when a gunman opened fire at the Republican baseball team as it was practicing. The congressman was there, but he wasn’t hurt. Others were, however, including Steve Scalise, who now serves as House Majority Leader.

“I don’t think you can put words to what that does. I mean that’s your husband, that’s your family and you think about something like that happening. Beyond words to describe, it was one of the most difficult days of my life,” Casey DeSantis told First Coast News in an exclusive interview in 2018.

In 2018, Ron DeSantis ran for governor, winning by a slim margin. They brought their two young children, Mason and Madison, to Tallahassee. In 2020, the family welcomed their third child, Mamie, the first baby born in the governor’s mansion in some 50 years, according to the first lady’s website.

Casey DeSantis has made mental health a key policy issue during her time as first lady. She launched the Hope for Healing Florida initiative in 2019 to come up with local solutions to address mental health and substance abuse.

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The Facts. Your Future. campaign was also started in 209 to raise awareness about substance abuse among young people and how it can negatively impact them.

She followed that up with the Resiliency Florida initiative in 2021 to address the stigma of mental health.

Mental health officials say Casey DeSantis’ influence was key in increasing funding for mental health programs in the state budget in 2022.

In 2022, Casey DeSantis also pushed to secure $100 million in recurring funding for cancer research and care in the budget. The push was personal for her. DeSantis was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2021, underwent surgery and was declared cancer-free in 2022.

“She fights. She’s tough,” Ron DeSantis said in 2022 when they announced she’d beaten cancer. “I mean she’s basically resigned that, you know, better that she has to go through it than others who may not be able to handle it as well. And that’s just, that’s why I love her. She’s an exceptional person.”

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Florida

Recreational pot for Florida is on the ballot this fall—let’s talk about it

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Recreational pot for Florida is on the ballot this fall—let’s talk about it


Carlos Hermida (R) at the WMNF studio in Tampa, Florida on July 5, 2024.

In four months, Florida voters have the opportunity to vote yes or no on an initiative to legalize marijuana for adults 21 years old and older.

Amendment 3 would also allow individuals to possess up to three ounces of marijuana, with up to five grams in the form of concentrate (see full text of the ballot amendment below).

Allows adults 21 years or older to possess, purchase, or use marijuana products and marijuana accessories for non-medical personal consumption by smoking, ingestion, or otherwise; allows Medical Marijuana Treatment Centers, and other state licensed entities, to acquire, cultivate, process, manufacture, sell, and distribute such products and accessories. Applies to Florida law; does not change, or immunize violations of, federal law. Establishes possession limits for personal use. Allows consistent legislation. Defines terms. Provides effective date.

The amendment—which can only pass if at least 60% of voters vote “yes”—arrives eight years after Florida voters approved the use of medical marijuana in the state.

Supporters of the bill include Smart & Safe Florida and billboard-dominating lawyer John Morgan, citing potential tax revenue and safety for purchasers who won’t have to buy weed from un-regulated sources.

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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, for his part, has vowed to fight the passage of Amendment 3, and said, “we cannot have every town smelling like marijuana.”

Three guests joined The Skinny to discuss Amendment 3 and more.

  • Carlos Hermida Founder of Chillum Mushroom & Hemp
  • Christopher Cano Board of Directors at NORML (National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws)
  • Pete Sessa Co-Founder of Cannadelic and the Florida Cannabis Coalition

Check out audio from the show via wmnf.org. Listen via podcast services like Apple Music, TuneIn, and Spotify.





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Florida Gators Offense set to Shine in 2024

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Florida Gators Offense set to Shine in 2024


Regardless of what happens to the Florida Gators during the 2024 season, you cannot blame scheme design at all. In a world of copycat offenses, Billy Napier decided to take an existing offense in the spread and tweak the finer details. As a result, Florida can affect every level and layer of defense. 

With that, and the numerous personnel shifts, Napier goes deep in his bag to keep the defense guessing. To a distant eye, the defense looks like just a quarterback-friendly scheme that only suits the passer. Yet, the Gators effectively ran the ball under Napier. Now, what can you expect in 2024 from the Florida offense?

Urgency

Make no mistake, the heat of the Florida sun combined with the warmness of the coaching seat exists in earnest for Billy Napier. Florida fans, alums, and administration demand excellence from a program that should always compete for great bowl games and more.

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With hundreds of quality recruits in Florida, the Gators cannot afford another poor showing on the field after three-straight seven-loss seasons. Actually, Billy Napier cannot afford another. Not only are the wolves at the door, but they’ve managed to pick the lock and make themselves at home in the living room. With that, expect to see Florida take more chances this season. 

Granted, before this, Napier didn’t exude any conservative play-calling tendencies. Envision the scene in Rocky III. After intense training, Rocky wants to stop for the day, mentioning the word tomorrow. Apollo Creed’s response is “There is no tomorrow.” Basically, for Billy Napier, every game will either cement his status or weaken it.

Secret Weapon

When reviewing Florida on offense, you can immediately tell that Billy Napier loves 12 personnel. Basically, 12 personnel feature one running back and two tight ends. Now, add in shotgun and playmakers that can catch. 

More importantly, the players that may not draw the defense’s attention could end up hurting them the most. For example, redshirt sophomore tight end Arlis Boardingham will continue to beat defenses while not receiving an overabundance of targets.

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Boardingham, a converted wideout, continues to find his way into the position. For the moment, he presents an explosive receiver-like to the offense, in lieu of crushing in-line blocking. Instead, Boardingham traces routes underneath with the ability to stick the foot in the ground and head downfield.  While the receivers will see the most targets, look for him to sneak out and wreak havoc in the open field.

Beneficiary

Perhaps no one will reap the rewards more than running back Montrell Johnson. Despite leading the team in yards and carries, Johnson will enjoy more touches since Trevor Etienne bolted for Athens and the University of Georgia. 

He should post the first thousand-yard season for the Gators since Kelvin Taylor in 2015. Along with the use of 12 personnel, Florida will throw multiple looks at the defense, with the intention of creating space for the run game. With Johnson’s decisiveness as a running back, he should eclipse the thousand-yard mark with a few games to spare.

Graham Mertz returns as quarterback, and he had his best season under Napier and the Gators after four yeas at Wisconsin. Last year’s prized recruit DJ Lagway should find his way on the field as well, but Napier, Mertz, and the Gators should conduct an efficient, effective offense this fall.

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Ohio tourist bitten by shark at Florida beach while playing football in knee-deep water

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Ohio tourist bitten by shark at Florida beach while playing football in knee-deep water


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An Ohio tourist was bitten at a Florida beach while playing football in knee-deep water on the Fourth of July, officials said.

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Authorities said that the 21-year-old from Ohio was playing football in knee-deep water at New Smyrna Beach when the shark bit him on his right foot.

Police said that the attack happened at 4 p.m. on Thursday – the Fourth of July.

The man suffered non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

SHARK ATTACKS 4 PEOPLE AT TEXAS BEACH ON FOURTH OF JULY: POLICE

General view of New Smyrna Beach, Florida, during spring break Saturday, March 16, 2024. (Larry Paci for Fox News Digital)

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The Fourth of July shark attack came after four people were injured at a beach in Texas the same day.

The South Padre Island Police Department and the U.S. Coast Guard Atlantic Area confirmed to Fox News Digital that four people were injured during the encounter with the ocean predator on South Padre Island in the state’s southern coast.

SHARK WATCH: TRIATHLETE DRAGGED UNDERWATER DURING SHARK BLITZ: ‘YOU DON’T HAVE AN ARM… WHY ARE YOU LAUGHING?’

Police said that the attacks happened at approximately 11 a.m. local time along Beach Access 14, near Wanna Wanna Beach Bar and Grill.

Tiger Shark, Bahamas

Tiger Shark, Galeocerdo cuvier, Bahamas, Grand Bahama Island, Atlantic Ocean   (Photo by Reinhard Dirscherl/ullstein bild via Getty Images)

The shark encounter with the 21-year-old comes after Florida was recently named the shark capital of the world.

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The Florida Museum of Natural History’s International Shark Attack File found the most unprovoked shark attacks in the world in the Sunshine State, specifically in Volusia County, where there have been 351 attacks since 1882. 

Fox News Digital’s Ashlyn Messier contributed to this report.



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