Connect with us

News from the South - Florida News Feed

‘A lot of possibilities,’ DeSantis says when asked if First Lady will run for governor

Published

on

floridaphoenix.com – Jay Waagmeester – 2025-02-27 12:31:00

‘A lot of possibilities,’ DeSantis says when asked if First Lady will run for governor

by Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix
February 27, 2025

Gov. Ron DeSantis is still not ruling out another DeSantis seeking the governor’s mansion after being asked, again, Thursday about speculation the First Lady is gearing up to run in 2026.

“I think there’s a lot of possibilities,” DeSantis said about Casey DeSantis running for governor against U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, who has been endorsed by President Donald Trump and entered the Republican primary earlier this week.

DeSantis disses Donalds, touts First Lady, when asked about 2026 governor race

The governor will be term limited from running for the office again in 2026. He discredited the former state lawmaker’s contributions to conservative initiatives.

During a news conference at Camp Blanding Training Center in Starke highlighting the Florida State Guard, DeSantis mostly did not expand beyond that on the gubernatorial race, instead touting efforts his administration and the Legislature have made toward immigration enforcement.

“Donald Trump has been in office for like five weeks. Why aren’t we working to make sure that his vision and the mandate is delivered for the people that voted for him?” DeSantis said, later noting the 2026 election is a “lifetime away.”

DeSantis again advocated for getting rid of property taxes, using the argument that homestead exemptions are “too weak” and with taxes “you never really own your property.”

He said he wants people to have a discussion about property taxes and “it’s something that would be on the ballot in ’26.” Changing tax language in the Florida Constitution would require a popular vote.

“I haven’t proposed a specific amendment because we’re going to continue to work with people,” DeSantis said.

He complained of a “huge, huge problem with growth of local governments throughout Florida,” emphasizing his recently announced “Florida DOGE” efforts to “look into” local government spending.

Andrew Tate

Thursday morning, news outlets began reporting that controversial influencer Andrew Tate and his brother Tristan were flying to Fort Lauderdale from Romania, where they have faced charges of rape and human trafficking since 2022.

DeSantis said Florida has “no involvement” in the Tates’ plans but that Attorney General James Uthmeier will examine whether the state can exert jurisdiction.

“But the reality is, no, Florida is not a place where you’re welcome with that type of conduct,” DeSantis said.

Florida State Guard

The Florida State Guard was rebooted in 2022 and is expected to reach its statutorily authorized size of 1,500 commissioned, enrolled, or employed volunteers during the next fiscal year, its executive director, Mark Thieme, said Thursday.

DeSantis said the Florida State Guard has reached a 287(g) program agreement with ICE, authorizing cooperation with the federal government in making immigration arrests. State law says only a special unit of the guard may conduct law enforcement.

“And I think it’s good, and I think they will play a role. But I also know that, just functionally, the state agencies that are going to play the biggest role are going to be the Highway Patrol, because they’re going to be interacting with illegal aliens more than anybody else”

GET THE MORNING HEADLINES.

SUBSCRIBE

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.

The post ‘A lot of possibilities,’ DeSantis says when asked if First Lady will run for governor appeared first on floridaphoenix.com

News from the South - Florida News Feed

Microsoft’s AI division head wants to create a lasting relationship between chatbots and their users

Published

on

www.clickorlando.com – Matt O’Brien, Associated Press – 2025-04-04 11:31:00

SUMMARY: On Microsoft’s 50th anniversary, Mustafa Suleyman, head of the company’s AI division, envisions a future with personalized AI companions that adapt to users over time, embodying unique names, styles, and memories. This initiative focuses on creating meaningful relationships rather than solely enhancing tools, with the AI, called Copilot, already integrated into various Microsoft applications. Suleyman, a former co-founder of DeepMind, is cautious about the race for advanced AI, prioritizing practical personal assistants over abstract goals like artificial general intelligence. He believes these AI companions will revolutionize both professional and personal lives by handling tedious tasks and fostering creativity.

Read the full article

The post Microsoft’s AI division head wants to create a lasting relationship between chatbots and their users appeared first on www.clickorlando.com

Continue Reading

News from the South - Florida News Feed

Florida Dreamers aren’t giving up just yet

Published

on

floridaphoenix.com – Mitch Perry – 2025-04-04 06:00:00

by Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix
April 4, 2025

In a sweeping immigration bill designed to help President Donald Trump enact his mass deportations of unauthorized immigrants, the Florida Legislature earlier this year repealed a 2014 law allowing individuals brought to the U.S. as children without documentation, known as “Dreamers,” to pay in-state tuition rates at Florida colleges and universities.

That abrupt change will affect approximately 6,500 undergraduates, according to the Florida Policy Institute.

When the measure went before the Florida Senate in February, South Florida Democrat Jason Pizzo offered an amendment to grandfather in any dreamer enrolled in a state college or university so they could continue pay that in-state tuition for an additional four years.

It didn’t pass.

Advocates aren’t giving up, though. This week, the group TheDream.US trekked to the Capitol to resume the fight. Specifically, they hope to revive the idea of allowing students now enrolled to continue paying in-state rates until they graduate.

“Right now, they’re working on the budget, and we know that the budget needs to pass, right?” said TheDream.US president and CEO Gaby Pacheco.

“And so it could be a potential vehicle for us to get a grandfathered-in clause. The hope is that the House as they’re working through this perhaps put in an amendment. We’re not legislators, so we don’t necessarily know the ins and outs. We’re just hoping that they know that this is important for the state of Florida, for their constituents, for these students and our college systems.”

Pacheco made regular visits to the Capitol in 2023 to defend against the threatened cutoff of in-state tuition for dreamers. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced before that legislative session a slate of proposals cracking down on illegal immigration.

Yet, somehow, the law survived that year. It wasn’t the first time that some Republicans in the Legislature had attempted to repeal the measure. But after last year’s election, in which illegal immigration was a central issue, DeSantis made it clear to state lawmakers at the beginning of this year that he wanted the law struck down.

‘Everything that I’ve fought for’

Among those joining Pacheco in the Capitol this week was a 20-year-old student from the University of Central Florida who wanted to be identified only by her first name of Callie, out of fear she could be targeted because of her immigration status.

She’s a junior majoring in advertising and public relations who has accumulated 80 credits toward her degree and says that will be up to 100 by the end of the spring semester — not enough yet to graduate.

But as of July 1, when the law takes effect, she’ll be forced to pay full tuition. “That means I can no longer afford my public education and will have to give up everything that I’ve fought for,” she said.

In addition to her studies, Cailie works between 20 and 36 hours a week at Publix and spends her free time volunteering to help students prepare college scholarship applications. Her tuition is roughly $2,800 a semester, covered through a scholarship from TheDream.US. It will more than double after the law takes effect — an amount she says she can’t bear.

Cailie, 20, migrated to the United States from Haiti almost seven years ago. Her parents aren’t supporting her, she said, as she was forced to leave home at 16. Her rough upbringing compelled her to try to make a better life for herself but, without the benefit of in-state tuition, “it’s impossible.”

She spent part of Tuesday meeting with lawmakers to explain her plight, although she knows it’s an uphill battle.

“It’s hard to get people to change their mind, so all we’re asking for are the current students to be grandfathered in and protected for now,” she said. “Because most of us only have a few more credits to go, and it’s so unfair that we had to fight so hard to get here and just knowing that all of a sudden it meant nothing? That’s hard.”

Cailie’s ambition is to start her own business helping other students from low-income families get educations like she’s been able to achieve — for now, anyway.

“I want to be a role model to show them that I come from an undeveloped country, that I didn’t have the same opportunities as everybody else, and I made it, so it’s possible. The U.S. is a country of opportunists, but now I’m wondering if that’s even true anymore.”

Pacheco acknowledges her group has limited leverage with the Legislature, but believes it’s worth the effort.

“At the end of the day, we’re practically begging,” she said. “We’re saying, ‘Please do not do this to these students. Please do not do this to 6,000 young people who have worked so hard to get so far, and that are so close to be able to get those college degrees.’”

YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE.

SUPPORT

Florida Phoenix is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: info@floridaphoenix.com.

The post Florida Dreamers aren’t giving up just yet appeared first on floridaphoenix.com

Continue Reading

News from the South - Florida News Feed

Consumers fear Trump's tariffs will hike prices

Published

on

www.youtube.com – CBS Miami – 2025-04-03 21:40:23

SUMMARY: Consumers are feeling the financial impact of President Trump’s recent tariff policies, particularly at grocery stores. Shoppers report significant price increases on essential items, with one mother noting the price of eggs and milk has risen from around a dollar to over three dollars. Families, like Ruby King’s of seven, are struggling with rising costs, including an additional $250 in rent. The president has imposed tariffs of 20% on EU goods and 34% on Chinese imports, which will raise prices for consumers. While the stock market faced a sharp decline, financial experts advise against making impulsive changes to retirement plans based on short-term fluctuations.

YouTube video

Consumers express concern that President Trump’s tariffs could lead to higher prices, impacting their wallets by increasing the …

Source

Continue Reading

Trending