Florida
With FEMA in limbo, Florida's top emergency leader says state need not worry
SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — With FEMA in the Trump Administration’s crosshairs, Florida’s top emergency management official said Floridians need not worry ahead of the upcoming hurricane season.
Kevin Guthrie, the Executive Director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said whether FEMA is eliminated or not, the state’s hurricane response will remain the same.
Watch full report from Chad Mills
With FEMA in limbo, Florida’s top emergency leader says state need not worry
“What the governor is going to do, what I’m going to do underneath his direction is we’re going to continue to perform at a very high level for the residents of Florida,” Guthrie told ABC Action News Thursday, after attending a hurricane preparation workshop in Sarasota.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and President Donald Trump have both said they favor dismantling the agency.
Thursday, the acting FEMA administrator, Cam Hamilton, was fired a day after he contradicted both Noem and Trump by testifying he was not in favor of dismantling FEMA.
In a recent Truth Social post, President Trump said FEMA’s power needs to return to the states.
“States and locals need to do more. I agree with that premise,” Guthrie said Thursday.
According to Guthrie, Florida has been practicing that premise for decades, which is why he believes a potential shift in federal emergency response would mean little to the Sunshine State.
Though Guthrie said Florida uses FEMA “extensively,” he said the overwhelming majority of resources Florida needs to respond to hurricanes and disasters come from within the state or partnering states.
The president recently appointed Guthrie, Tampa Mayor Jane Castor, and 11 others to serve on the newly-created FEMA Review Council, which will ponder FEMA’s future role: how it should be streamlined, how it should be reformed, and if it should be eliminated.
“I definitely believe that there should be some changes,” Guthrie told ABC Action News. “The complexity of FEMA we do need to streamline.”
However, whether FEMA is eliminated or not, Guthrie thinks the federal government will still need an “emergency management function” to respond to “truly catastrophic events.” He said President Trump does not disagree with that idea.
“He has said he wants to be there for Americans on their worst day — on the truly catastrophic stuff,” Guthrie said. “He has never said, ‘I want to never fund anybody on the worst day — on these Cat 5 hurricanes.’ He’s never said that.”
Guthrie told the crowd in Sarasota that he welcomes Floridians’ ideas and will advocate for the state’s interests while serving on the president’s council.
“I’m looking forward to getting in and diving in and seeing what we might be able to make as suggestions back to the President of the United States,” he said.
“It’s a little nerve-wracking.”
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Florida
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Florida
SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday
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.
Florida
GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds
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
BE THE FIRST TO COMMENT
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.
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