SUMMARY: Pope Francis is currently hospitalized for double pneumonia, resting after a night with a ventilation mask. At 88, he has chronic lung disease and faced respiratory crises earlier this week. The Vatican reports he is in stable condition but not out of danger. His hospitalization, which began on February 14, is the longest of his papacy. As Ash Wednesday marks the start of Lent, a cardinal will lead Vatican ceremonies in Francis’ absence. Despite his health challenges and use of a wheelchair, treatment continues with a focus on respiratory physiotherapy while ensuring he receives ordinary care.

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SUMMARY: A Texas man, Jaythan Gilder, faces charges after allegedly stealing $800,000 worth of jewelry from Tiffany & Co. at the Mall at Millenia in Orlando. Posing as an Orlando Magic player representative, Gilder took two pairs of earrings and a ring. After a brief struggle with an employee, he fled. Police traced his vehicle to Washington County, where he was arrested. During the arrest, Gilder swallowed the stolen jewelry, which was later found in a body scan. He faces charges of grand theft, robbery, and resisting arrest, with additional warrants in Texas and Colorado.

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DeSantis wants Legislature to ‘reevaluate’ gun safety laws passed after Parkland

by Mitch Perry and Jackie Llanos, Florida Phoenix
March 4, 2025

Gov Ron DeSantis said Tuesday in his State of the State address that he wants the Florida Legislature to re-examine key provisions of the landmark 2018 Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Act, enacted following the shootings in Parkland that killed 17 students and school administrators.

Specifically, the governor wants the Legislature to repeal language that raised the legal age to purchase a shotgun or rifle in Florida from 18 to 21 and also the state’s “red flag” law, which allows law enforcement or family members to petition a court to temporarily remove a person’s firearms if they pose a risk to themselves or others.

“We need to be a strong Second Amendment state. I know many of you agree, so let’s get some positive reform done for the people in this state of Florida,” he said.

During a press conference held immediately after the speech, DeSantis reiterated his criticism of those laws, adding once again that he would like Florida to join the overwhelming majority of states that allow open carry.

“I don’t know what the Legislature is going to do in those respects but, in spite of us saying that ‘we’re the free state,’ in spite of us being like, “oh, we’re this Republican bastion, conservative bastion,’ we definitely lag on that issue.”

Legislative leaders, particularly in the Senate, have opposed open carry in recent years. Senate President Ben Albritton said last fall that he doesn’t support it because neither does law enforcement (specifically, the Florida Sheriffs Association), and repeated that opinion on Tuesday. He said he also supports “Red Flag” laws.

Property Insurance

Although the governor focused on guns, perhaps no issue is more important to Floridians than the cost of property insurance. DeSantis insisted the news on that front is good, mentioning how 11 new companies have entered the market over the last year with more than 130,000 new private policies put into effect in 2024, and that 73% of state-backed Citizens Property Insurance policyholders in Miami-Dade County are scheduled to receive a rate decrease of an average of 6.3%.

And he urged the Legislature to provide additional funding for those on the My Safe Florida Home waitlist — people who have been approved for grants to strengthen their homes against hurricane winds.

DeSantis said he supports House Speaker Daniel Perez’s plan to order a committee to hold hearings into property insurance companies moving billions of dollars to affiliate companies losses, based on a report from the Tampa Bay Times.

“If there’s things that need to be done to be able to make sure that we have transparency and appropriate oversight, I’m all for it,” the governor said. “What I am not going to support is opening the litigation floodgates. The fact is, our markets were being driven into the ground because of excessive litigation.”

Property taxes

DeSantis took time once again to tout one of his new goals before he leaves office — to make Florida the first state to outlaw property taxes. The proposal could go before voters as a constitutional amendment in 2026 if lawmakers first approve a study of the issue. (Lee County Republican Jonathan Martin is sponsoring a resolution to require the state Office of Economic and Demographic Research to analyze the repercussions).

“Is the property yours or are you just renting from the government?” the governor asked the assembled members of the Legislature.

And he emphasized that no one should believe that removing property taxes would lead to a state income tax, which the Florida Constitution does not allow. “This body will not pass tax increases, and this governor will not sign tax increases,” he said to applause.

Overhaul ballot initiatives

DeSantis was successful in 2024 in stopping two proposed constitutional amendments from securing the 60% vote required for passage. Amendment 4 would have enshrined abortion rights in the Florida Constitution while Amendment 3 would have legalized use of recreational cannabis for adults. Both received majority support, however.

Since then, citing a state report alleging fraud in the petition gathering process by the group advocating for Amendment 4, the governor has been calling for the Legislature to make it even more difficult for citizen-led constitutional amendments, complaining the process had been “perverted.” 

“We need to clean up the petition fraud and we need to clean up this out-of-control amendment process, and you in the Legislature have the opportunity to do just that and protect Florida’s Constitution once and for all,” he declared.

This was likely DeSantis’ next-to-last State of the State address as governor. It came at an uncertain time in his tenure — while he remains the most powerful person in Florida government, in January GOP legislative leaders and rank-and-file legislators rebuked his initial proposals on illegal immigration. 

Whether his wife, First Lady Casey DeSantis, decides to run to succeed her husband in 2026, the governor took time in his speech to give credit to her work in leading Hope Florida, an initiative designed to make it easier for Floridians to access help for mental health and substance abuse. 

“By the end of 2024, Hope Florida has helped nearly 30,000 participants reduce or eliminate their reliance on government assistance, netting the taxpayers over $108 million in annual savings,” he said. “The Hope Florida model is now being replicated by other states around the country. Thanks to Casey for her leadership and ingenuity,” he declared, pointing to Casey, who sat with the couple’s son, Mason, in the East Gallery of the Florida House chamber.

Democratic responses

Senate Democratic Leader Jason Pizzo praised DeSantis’ handling of emergencies but lamented that Republicans have focused on culture wars instead of homeowner’s insurance and increasing pay for law enforcement and teachers.  

Pizzo, who is expected to run for governor, in a rebuttal speech mentioned one of his bills, which would require all private employers to verify that their new hires are authorized to work in the country. 

“You are not serious about curbing illegal immigration if you continue to cower to donors and not listen to our citizens,” he said.

House Democratic Leader Fentrice Driskell delivered her caucus’ rebuttal to the address. She hit DeSantis on his recently announced Florida DOGE initiative and push to remove property taxes, saying the governor was merely seeking attention. 

But Driskell acknowledged her party’s superminority position, making it essentially impossible to pass their priorities, such as expanding Medicaid and universal background checks in gun sales. 

“We understand the political reality of Tallahassee, so we know these ideas aren’t likely to go anywhere, regardless of how good they are,” Driskell said in her pre-recorded remarks.

“It isn’t easy being in the minority party in the Legislature, but we aren’t Democrats only when it’s easy. We’re here to advocate for our communities and make our voices heard, and that’s what we’ll be doing.”

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.

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