Hurricane Ian Grows Into Monster Storm

As of 5 am Tuesday, Hurricane Ian slammed western Cuba and is expected to move into the very warm waters of the Gulf on its way to Florida.

The storm could hit Florida on Wednesday as a Category 4 storm or stronger.

While the Tampa area is expected to get a direct hit, remember that these are unpredictable storms and a slight movement or stall, or change in speed, will change the storm's trajectory.

Gov. Ron DeSantis will be holding another press conference at 8:30 am at the State Emergency Operations Center with FDEM Director Kevin Guthrie, FDOT Secretary Jared Perdue, and Major General James O. Eifert, to update Floridians on the storm and what the state is doing to prepare of what appears to be an imminent impact.

Southeast and Southwest Florida should expect to continue to be pummeled by heavy outer rain bands from Hurricane Ian.

Former Gov. and U.S. Senator Rick Scott visited the Collier County Emergency Operations Center in Naples for a briefing on what that county, which includes the City of Naples, is doing in preparation for tropical storm conditions, or worse.

Coming Together

We are right smack in the middle of the 2022 midterm elections and it's comforting to see both Republicans and Democrats coming together to warn and keep voters in the loop with hurricane preparedness tips and sharing important, life-saving information from emergency management personnel. READ MORE

Make no mistake about how Florida fairs after the storm landfall.

All eyes are on Gov. DeSantis and how he manages the storm.

How he reacts and addresses the aftermath will dictate his re-election as governor, and any future run for President. Fact.

Showdown in Central Florida

The State House race in Central Florida between Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith and Susan Plasencia has gotten downright ugly.

Rep. Smith appears to solely attack Plasencia on abortion and is now on defense after Plasencia mailed a campaign mailer putting Smith's education bona fides into question.

Smith claims that he is not some "Leftist," but is he? READ MORE

"Florida Elected Officials Unite in Preparation for Hurricane Ian" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Hurricane Ian is blowing its way to Florida, expecting to make landfall this mid-to-late this week. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) has already declared a state of emergency for all 67 Counties and called for the deployment of 2,500 National Guard. Monday morning, Gov. DeSantis tweeted a reminder to Floridians to have proper preparation and supplies ready for the coming days.

"Progressive Carlos Smith Voted for DeSantis's Budget While Voting Against Anti-Socialism Bill" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—In one of Florida’s most competitive swing State House seats in the 2020 midterm election (HD 37), Progressive Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith (D) has come out swinging against his Republican opponent Susan Placensia over accusations she has made against him in a campaign mailer.

"Gallego Calls Salazar "Hypocritical" Despite Lacking Evidence" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—The Hispanic and Latino community is becoming contentious voting demographic in the 2022 midterms. Thursday, Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R-FL-27) tweeted that "Hispanics are law-abiding, God-fearing, hardworking people" who are "rejecting the extremist, socialist policies of the radical Democrats."

"Joe Biden Alleges Congressional Republicans Will Jail Doctors for Doing Their Jobs" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Last week, Charlie Crist's pick for Lieutenant Governor Karla Hernandez-Mats mockingly compared the Florida legislature to special education students. She describes herself as trained to work with emotionally handicapped students, thus is qualified to deal with the "dysfunctional" legislature.

"Kat Cammack Introduced JASON Act, Looks to Curb Illegal Immigration" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—As the nation debates whether the southern border is secure, a Republican member of Congress from Florida has brought forth legislation in hopes to curb entry of undocumented immigrants in the case of a mass influx scenario.  Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) introduced the Justified Action for Securing Our Nation (JASON) Act.

"Rubio Sends Letter to Blinken, Yellen Demanding Sanctions on North Korea" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—As the world watches statesmen navigate the geopolitical issues that concern the United States such as our relations (or lack thereof) between nations such as China and Russia, many forget to include North Korea and the threat it poses to countries around the globe. However, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) alongside Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) sent a letter to Secretary of State Tony Blinken as well as the Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen...

"Republican Leaders Appear to Side with DeSantis over Trump in Potential 2024 Matchup" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

"Rick Scott Demands Biden Prosecute Iranian President Raisi for Assassination Plots Against US Citizens" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—As the Islamic Republic of Iran’s government continues cracking down on protestors, killing many demonstrators for denouncing the regime’s recent killing of Mahsa Amini, Florida Senator Rick Scott has called on President Joe Biden to prosecute Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi “horrific crimes” committed and for planning assassinations.

"Greg Steube Champions 'Commitment to America' Policy" by The Floridian's Jim McCool

"Karla Hernandez-Mats Doubles Down on Comparing Legislature to Special Education Students" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Last week, Charlie Crist's pick for Lieutenant Governor Karla Hernandez-Mats mockingly compared the Florida legislature to special education students. She describes herself as trained to work with emotionally handicapped students, thus is qualified to deal with the "dysfunctional" legislature.

"Scott, Steube Condemn New 'Woke' Air Force Academy Diversity Training" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—As the United States appears to become more and more “woke” and commonly used words and phrases are changed on a regular basis, many Americans fear when the wokeness creeps into our armed forces. Recently, Fox News has reported that the Air Force Academy has instructed their cadets to use more gender-neutral language such as “parent or caregiver” rather than mom and dad. “Color conscious” is now preferred over colorblind as well.

"Rubio Team Says Demings is in ‘Hiding’ by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Since the midterm general election is fast approaching, Democrats across the country are vying to campaign with President Joe Biden (D). However, the Rubio campaign is warning that Florida Rep. Val Demings (D) is avoiding campaign stops with the president. Saying that Rep. Demings will be “hiding in her office in Washington,” the Rubio campaign inferred that her voting record could come back to haunt her in November.

"Taddeo Challenges Salazar to 4 Debates" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina

"DeSantis Moves to Prohibit Communist China From Buying Farmland, Land Around Military Bases" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

"Rep. Stephanie Murphy Endorses Ultra-Progressive Karen Green" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—With just under two months until voters head to the polls, retiring Rep. Stephanie Murphy's (D) will not be facing the Republican congressional nominee Cory Mills .

"Senator Rick Scott joins Senator Roger Marshall to Introduce the Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamont—Washington – U.S. Senators Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS) and Rick Scott (FL) introduced the Drug Cartel Terrorist Designation Act to formally designate certain drug cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.

"Wasserman Schultz Slams Tlaib over Antisemitic Remark" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Progressive Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-MI-13) recently spoke at an event saying "that you cannot claim to hold progressive values yet back Israel’s apartheid government." Rep. Tlaib further added, "we will continue to push back and not accept this idea that you are progressive except for Philistine [sic] any longer."

"Rubio Defends DeSantis, Outlines Media Hypocrisy After Martha's Vineyard Illegal Immigrants sue" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Democratic senatorial nominee and Rep. Val Demings is accusing Senator Marco Rubio of pulling a “shameless and cynical stunt” for posting a video outlining the fact that illegal immigrants from Venezuela are now suing because they were flown to Martha’s Vineyard after breaking U.S. immigration law.

"Waltz, Ernst Introduces the PUNISH Act" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Florida Rep. Mike Waltz (R) has introduced the Preventing Underhanded and Nefarious Iranian Supported Homicide (PUNISH) Act. The bill would enact stricter sanctions against the Iranian Regime.

"New Polling Suggests Most Americans Support Banning Late-term Abortions" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamont—Novel polling recently published by the Trafalgar Group demonstrates that most Americans do not agree with late-term abortions.

"Florida Democrat Accuses Crist of Supporting Defunding Police" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Democratic gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist aka "Chain gang Charlie" continues to work hard in displaying his progressive credentials in the weeks leading up to the 2022 midterm elections. In August, the Republican Party of Florida posted a video from a May 2022 interview conducted by the podcast "Your Brother John," where Crist says he is in favor of St. Pete police chief Anthony Holloway's initiative to reallocate funds for policing to creating a unit of social workers to respond to nonviolent calls.

"Tennessee Transgender Health Clinic Sparks National Outrage" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamont—Last Tuesday, political figure Matt Walsh published investigative results regarding gender-transition surgeries performed on minors.

"DeSantis Proves Relocation to Martha's Vineyard was Voluntary" by The Floridian's—Florida Rep. Mike Waltz (R) has introduced the Preventing Underhanded and Nefarious Iranian Supported Homicide (PUNISH) Act. The bill would enact stricter sanctions against the Iranian Regime.

"Report Targets Funding Shift to Private Schools" by News Service of Florida

"DeSantis Jabs at Crist's Running Mate for Opposing U.S. Embassy Moving to Jerusalem" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke to several hundred supporters at an “Education Freedom Event” hosted by Florida’s Jewish and Faith Communities, where he took a solid jab at Democratic gubernatorial Lt. Governor nominee, Karl Hernandez-Mats. In a video captured by South Florida activist Chris Nelson, Gov. DeSantis needles Hernandez-Mats for her show of sympathy for the late Dictator Fidel Castro, and for her opposition to moving the U.S. Embassy to Jerusalem in Israel.

"DeSantis Takes Victory lap, Lands Endorsement from Key Democratic Elected Official" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—As the American electorate progresses deeper and deeper into election season, endorsements are becoming more and more apparent to Election Day hopefuls. However, major endorsements usually don't come from politicians across the aisle. Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) has just secured one of those endorsements. While former President Donald Trump (R) won the state of Florida by about 3%, it was now-President Joe Biden (D) that claimed Palm Beach County by about 13 points in 2020.

"Jay Collins' Senate Bid Endorsed by Ashley Moody" by The Floridian's Jim McCool—Wounded combat veteran Jay Collins (R-14) who is running for Florida state Senate, has just solidified his campaign even further after receiving the endorsement from Attorney General Ashley Moody (R-FL) today.

"Embattled Progressive Texas Sheriff Investigates DeSantis Over Immigration Flights, Promotes Open Borders" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Embattled Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar’s recent declaration that he is criminally investigating Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for flying 48 illegal immigrants or aliens to Martha’s Vineyard, appears to be politically motivated.

"Florida Appears to see Drop in Veteran Suicides, But Number is Still Tragically High" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich

"Fight Over Suspended Prosecutor Andrew Warren Headed to Trial" by News Service of Florida

"Rubio Questions USAID About Wuhan Practices" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) is being accused by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) of paying the EcoHelath Alliance in taxpayer dollars in order facilitate funds (including federal grants) to foreign researchers such as the Wuhan Institute for Virology. According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the research activities at the Wuhan Institute were “serious bio-safety concerns.”

"Texas Authorities Open Criminal Investigation into DeSantis" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina

"30+ GOP Senators Call for Special Counsel Investigation into Hunter Biden" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—On Monday, over 30 Senate Republicans called for the investigation of President Joe Biden’s (D) son, Hunter Biden, due to his documented nefarious actions including alleged felonious offenses. The GOP members, including Florida’s Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), wrote Attorney General Merrick Garland asserting that U.S. Attorney David Weiss be given “special counsel protections and authorities to conduct the investigation into Hunter Biden.”

"New DeSantis ad Tackles Illegal Immigration" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—A new advertisement supporting the reelection effort of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has been released. The advertisement titled Protecting Florida discusses the issue of illegal immigration.

"Salazar Calls Biden Hypocrite on Immigration" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (R) has issued a letter to President Joe Biden (D), calling him a hypocrite on the issue of immigration. The Florida Republican alleged that the president is “pointing fingers at others on immigration,” adding that Biden has not provided any solutions.

"DeSantis fed and Housed Homeless Illegal Immigrants Before Flying Them to Martha's Vineyard" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—New details surrounding Gov. DeSantis' moving of 50 illegal immigrants to Martha's Vineyard continue to emerge. Democrats nationwide furiously allege DeSantis engaged in "human trafficking" and "kidnapping" of these migrants, and, as we reported earlier, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) sought to press charges against the Florida Governor. The DeSantis administration denies these accusations and has provided some context to the decision that refutes Democratic talking points.

"Vicki Lopez Endorsed by Coral Gables Mayor Lago" by The Floridian's Jim McCool

"Cammack Claims Gov. Newsom is "Jealous" of DeSantis While Discussing Border Crisis" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Governor Ron DeSantis's decision to send 50 illegal immigrants to Martha's Vineyard last week continues to stir up emotions. Monday morning, Congresswoman Kat Cammack (R-FL-3) tweeted her segment on Fox News' Faulkner Focus discussing the fallout of the move, specifically how California Governor Gavin Newsom sought to press kidnapping charges against DeSantis. Rep. Cammack points out that Newsom seems to be focused more on getting back at DeSantis than he is on fixing California's myriad of problems.

"DeSantis Opponent Charlie Crist Loaded up With 'Special Interest' Cash" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres

Left vs Right: The Congressional Race Between Progressive Eric Lynn and Conservative Anna Paulina Luna" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—The congressional contest between Air Force Veteran Anna Paulina Luna and former President Barack Obama advisor Eric Lynn (pictured) will be one of the most closely-watched races in the country, and will arguably become one of the most ideologically-driven races of the year.

"PART 2: Exclusive Interview With Montez Clark Concerning BLM, CRT, and More" by

The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—As the general election draws nearer and nearer, Americans are starting to pay more and more attention to their local races and how they are going to use their vote at the ballot box this year. That is why we sat down with Dr. Drew Montez Clark (R), the District 20 Republican congressional nominee challenging incumbent Rep. Shelia Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) in November.

"Crist Urges DeSantis to Apologize Over Anti-Semitic ad" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) released an advertisement titled "Results," which has received criticism over the appearance of Pastor Larry Jinks of the First Baptist Church of St. James City, Florida. In the advertisement, Jinks praises DeSantis for protecting the right of religious congregation, but Jinks’ appearance in the advertisements has drawn controversy over the anti-semitic views that he’s shared in the past.

"Rubio Says Democrats Will 'Destroy the Country'" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Over the weekend, Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) held a campaign rally in Melbourne, Florida. In the rally, Rubio discussed the upcoming race, his time in the Senate, and Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey also praised Senator Rubio’s efforts in office. In speaking about Democrats in the upcoming midterm election, Senator Rubio said that “they will destroy the country.”

"DeSantis Criticizes Newsom's 'Brain Function'" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina

"DeSantis Breaks Fundraising Record While Crist Raises $20 Million in Just Over one Month" by The Floridian's Mateo Guillamont

"Crist Contradicts VP Harris Regarding Border Crisis" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Just as Vice President Kamala Harris asserted that there was not an illegal immigration border crisis along the U.S. southern border, Rep. Charlie Crist, who is running for Governor of Florida, contracted the Vice President during a recent interview on CNN.

"DeSantis's Criticism of Rogue Media Outlets is Nothing New" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—President Donald Trump broke the mold when it comes to pushing back against rogue media outlets and reporters who tend to keep a progressive slant in their reporting. But while President Trump has famously taken on the media when he first ran for office in 2015, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was also taking shots at “Legacy media” outlets.

"Marco Rubio, Rick Scott Stand Behind Florida Sugar Industry" by The Floridian's Jim McCool—Amid changes to the United States' sugar policy at the national level, the sugar industry has sat on the sidelines and waited for changes that could potentially change the landscape of the industry. In a penned letter to the US Department of Agriculture, US Senators Marco Rubio (R-FL) and Rick Scott (R-FL) defended Florida's sugar industry.