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DeSantis’s Ongoing Fight with the Mouse Continues
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to use Mickey Mouse as a political punching bag and the current special legislative session in Tallahassee appears to be the final body blow to everyone’s favorite mouse.
The Florida Legislature is set to strip Disney of its self-governance, and it doesn’t seem as if Minnie, Pluto, Donald Duck, or even Snow White, can do anything about it. READ MORE
Abortion Rights and the State of the Union
The State of the Union is tonight, and The Floridian will have several reporters on the ground covering the event and reactions from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz recently announced that her special quest to the SOTU would be Anabely Lopes, who had to leave Florida in order to have an abortion when genetic testing “revealed a deadly fetal anomaly” in the fetus she was carrying.
Rep. Wasserman Schultz stated that it was “MAGA Republicans” like Gov. DeSantis and his “abortion ban” in Florida that forced Lopes to seek the procedure outside of the state,
China has Some ‘Big Balloons’
The recent shooting down of a Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean proves that China has become so emboldened and has a big pair of “balloons.”
Now American lawmakers like Sen. Rick Scott and Marco Rubio, are warning of more potential Chinese aggression against the U.S. if President Joe Biden doesn’t act now. Sen. Scott wants his American drone bill passed.
Save the Date
Fort Lauderdale-based Tripp/Scott will be hosting Fox News Host Pete Hegseth on February 15th as he promotes his new book, “Battle for the American Mind.”
Rick Scott-I've been disgusted by the disturbing acts of hate & discrimination toward the Jewish community we've seen in our state. As your U.S. Senator, I stand with every member of the Jewish community against this heinous intolerance. America must ALWAYS stand with our great ally Israel.
US Rep Kathy Castor-The #StateoftheUnion address is a time-honored tradition to come together and take stock in America. I am honored to be accompanied by local #FL14 veteran advocate, DJ Reyes who urged Congress to pass the #PACTAct for vets.
Lauren Book-Here @CBSNews I’ll fix that headline for you: Teacher at Miami-Dade school facing charges in connection with allegations that he SEXUALLY ABUSED a student who was 12 years old at the time. “carried on a romantic sexual relationship” — it’s rape, not a relationship!
Casey DeSantis-Madison & Mason enjoyed visiting @fkyourdiet, a fun atmosphere that pairs great deeds & good food. They serve with a purpose - 5% of proceeds serve foster kids through the Every Child Initiative. After Hurricane Ian, they served 10k meals a day. If you're in SWFL check them out!
"Disney Loosing Reedy Creek Governance Appears Imminent" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich —READ MORE
"Scott, Manchin Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Stop Sale of Crude Oil to China" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) introduced a bipartisan bill that looks to ban the sale of crude oil from the United States, specifically from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to companies owned by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). It would also ban the sale of any crude oil from the SPR to China itself. READ MORE
"Florida Democratic and Republican Lawmakers Differ on Death Penalty Changes" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Democratic lawmakers have differing views on Republican proposals to change the state’s death penalty laws, including eliminating a requirement of unanimous jury recommendations before judges can impose death sentences, leaders said Monday. READ MORE
"Joe Biden’s Venezuela Deal Is Risky But Worth Trying" Opinion by Luis Fleischman, PhD—A few months ago, the Biden Administration granted five U.S. oil companies limited authorization to resume pumping oil from Venezuela. The decision came after the Venezuelan government and the opposition reached a humanitarian relief agreement and to resume negotiations to resolve the country’s political crisis, focusing on Venezuela’s 2024 elections. READ MORE
"Scott Urges Passage of his American Security Drone Act" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich — The delayed reaction by the Biden administration to the Chinese surveillance balloon continues to draw ire from Republicans. Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) says this whole affair is precisely why the American Drone Security Act, which he reintroduced in 2021, is vital in its passage. READ MORE
"Rubio Issues Stark Warning Over Chinese Balloon" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina — Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) has issued a stark warning about the Chinese balloon controversy. President Joe Biden (D) received criticism over his lax response to the balloon, but he ultimately ordered the U.S. military to shoot it down over the weekend. READ MORE
Gaetz Wants Biden to 'Blow Up TikTok' After Chinese Spy Balloon is Shot Down" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich — With the Chinese surveillance balloon having finally been shot down, concerns about how deep Chinese espionage against American interests has gone. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL-1) simply says that with the balloon destroyed, "now blow up TikTok." READ MORE
"Eskamani Scolds DeSantis Over Revoking Bar's Liquor License" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Tension continues to rise between Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) and House Democrats. Florida Rep. Anna V. Eskamani (D) took to Twitter to scold DeSantis over his recent feud with a drag show. READ MORE
"Wasserman Schultz: DeSantis Cutting AP African American Course Risks Repeating 'Slavery' and Holocaust (VIDEO)" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and the state Department of Education (DoE) excluded The College Board’s Advanced Placement (AP) African American Studies course for high school students, fueling the Democratic narrative that the Governor was racist against the Black community. READ MORE
"House Democrats Urge DeSantis Crackdown on Sex Traffickers in Florida" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina— Florida Rep. Lois Frankel (D) has issued a letter to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) expressing her concern over the sex trafficking of foster children in Florida. READ MORE
"Wasserman Schultz Speaks About the Importance of Black History Month" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—The month of February is Black History Month, and lawmakers across the country like Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz are out pointing out the accomplishments and contributions African-
"Taddeo Receives Flurry of Endorsements for FDP Chair" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich —READ MORE
"Republican-led Florida Legislature Calls Special Session on Reedy Creek, Other Issues" by News Service of Florida READ MORE
"House Republicans Demand Chinese Balloon be Shot Down" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich— The U.S. government has confirmed that there is a Chinese spy balloon hovering over U.S. airspace and a second balloon over Canada, and also heading towards Montana. Not only is this a blatant violation of American airspace, but the Biden administration does not seem to be taking action against it. READ MORE
"Scott Introduces Bill to Reduce America's $31 Million in Debt" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich— Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) has teamed up with Senator Jim Risch (R-ID) and other Republican Senators in order to introduce the Zero Based Budget Act, which looks to “reduce the more than $31 trillion of debt held by the general public and curb unjustified spending at the federal level.” The bill looks to cut spending of federal agencies that have spent perhaps more than they need to. READ MORE
"Frost Only Florida Democrat to Vote in Support of Socialism" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar's (R-FL) anti-socialism resolution was met with overwhelming support as the majority of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the House of Representatives voted 386-86 in favor of the measure. READ MORE
"DeSantis Files Complaint Against Florida Venue for Exposing Children to Sexualized Acts During Drag Show" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich and Javier Manjarres—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DPBR), has filed a formal 6-count complaint against the Orlando Philharmonic Foundation... READ MORE
"Mast: End the COVID Emergency Declarations" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—Now that the vast majority of the fear surrounding the coronavirus pandemic has subsided, Republicans such as Representative Brian Mast (R-FL) are calling for the emergency declaration to be suspended indefinitely. READ MORE
"House Passes Resolution Denouncing 'Horrors of Socialism'" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—With a vote total of 328 to 86, the House of Representatives has passed Florida Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar’s (R) "Denouncing the Horrors of Socialism" Act. The Florida Republican joined House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R) in introducing the resolution. READ MORE
"Wasserman Schultz, Waltz Reintroduce Anti-Maduro Regime BOLIVAR Act" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D) has joined forces with fellow Floridian, Rep. Mike Waltz (R), to reintroduce the BOLIVAR Bill...READ MORE
"Wasserman-Schultz Compares DeSantis to Socialist Dictators" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—The historical cruelties of socialism are too great to deny. As such, the House passes a resolution condemning the ideology. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz nonetheless uses this as an opportunity to take a shot at Governor Ron DeSantis. READ MORE
"Anthony Rubio Will Play College Football at University of Florida" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—READ MORE
"Moskowitz Says Antisemitism Poses Threat to Jewish Community, Society" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Jewish members of Congress continue to demand action against the rise of antisemitism across the U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz (D-FL-23) wrote a letter to Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) this week, urging him to form a Select Committee on Combating Antisemitism. READ MORE
"Republicans Continue to Overshadow Democrats With Massive Voter Registration Advantage" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse for the embattled Florida Democrats, Republicans now hold a 384,000 voter registration edge over them going into 2023. READ MORE
"Ilhan Omar Booted off Foreign Affairs Committee over Past Antisemitic Remarks, Democrats cry Racism" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—With a final floor vote of 218-211, the Republican-led House of Representatives voted to boot Rep. Ilhan Omar from her seat on the House Foreign Affairs Committee. READ MORE
"FIU Ranks Among Top 10 Colleges in America" by The Floridian's Jim McCool—University education has become a hotly contested political issue over the years in regard to high costs for students. Florida looks to be ahead of the game nationwide with multiple schools nationally recognized, but surprisingly Florida International University (FIU) is ranked as one the Top 10 schools in the country. READ MORE
"Buchanan, Soto Introduce Bipartisan, Bicameral Bill Combating Mexican Trade Practices" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Representatives Vern Buchanan (R-FL) and Darren Soto (D-FL) introduced bipartisan, bicameral legislation looking to counter Mexico’s one-sided trade practices, especially when it relates to fruit and vegetable growers. Senators Rick Scott (R-FL) and Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced companion legislation in the upper chamber. READ MORE
"DeSantis Accused of Declaring War on Blacks in Florida" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—February is Black History Month in America, and Black lawmakers, alongside activists, are playing the race card against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers for acknowledging the monthly celebration of African-American history in the U.S. Gov. DeSantis is being accused of declaring "war on Black people." READ MORE
"Haley Expected to Announce Presidential Run" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley (R) has long been rumored to be mulling a presidential run. This week, Haley signaled that she would be making a special announcement on February 15th, 2023 in Charleston, South Carolina, presumably announcing her 2024 presidential bid. READ MORE
"Scott Questions Why Leader McConnell Removed him From Top Senate Committee" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—With Republicans taking back the House of Representatives during the 2022 midterm election cycle, several House Democrats have cried foul after being removed from their respective committees. However, in the upper chamber, after Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) was removed from the Senate Commerce Committee, the former Florida Governor is now pointing the finger at his own party leadership.
"Rubio Reintroduces Bills to Fight Against China in 2023" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) has announced that he has reintroduced eight bills in order to combat the exploitations of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and to protect American companies and consumers from them. READ MORE
"Cubans 'Throwing Themselves to the Sharks' to Find Freedom in Florida" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres READ MORE
"DeSantis Unveils Framework for Freedom Budget" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) has unveiled his 2023-2024 fiscal year budget, dubbed it the "Framework for Freedom." This ambitious $114.8 billion plan covers multiple areas, from tax relief to education to environmental and infrastructure projects to law enforcement.
"House Democrats Oppose Pledge of Allegiance Recitation in House Judiciary (VIDEO)" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Florida Rep. Matt Gaetz has reintroduced an amendment in the House Judiciary Committee to allow for the Pledge of Allegiance to be recited before every meeting of the committee, and Progressive Democratic Ranking member Rep. Jerry Nadler opposed the measure. READ MORE
"Rubio Demands Blinken, Yellen Hold China Accountable in Upcoming Visit" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—Countering the threat of China is an international priority that America cannot overlook. As Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen gear up for a visit to Beijing, Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) urges them to hold China accountable not only for its aggression abroad but its human rights abuses within. READ MORE
"Rick Scott Introduces Bill to Create Bicameral Committee to Investigate Afghanistan Withdrawal" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced a bill that looks to create a bipartisan and bicameral committee into President Joe Biden (D) and his administration’s withdrawal of Afghanistan. READ MORE
"Waltz Urges DOD to Investigate School Military Programs" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina READ MORE
"Donalds: 'COVID is Over Now'" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) has become more than just a popular U.S. House Congressman among other legislators, but a nationally recognized name, and is now railing against the federal overspending tied to the COVID pandemic. READ MORE
"DeSantis Releases 2023. Education Agenda, Looks to ban CRT and Diversity and Equity Curriculums" by The Floridian's Jackson Bakich—Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) held a press conference in Bradenton today, and later released a statement regarding the introduction of his agenda for the 2023 Session, particularly his intentions to “further elevate civil discourse and intellectual freedom in higher education.” READ MORE
"DeSantis, Florida Lawmakers Target Unanimous Jury Recommendations in Death Cases" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—TALLAHASSEE — With backing from Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida lawmakers could scrap a requirement that unanimous jury recommendations are needed before death sentences can be imposed. READ MORE
"Rubio Comments on Biden's Classified Documents" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—Florida Senator Marco Rubio (R) appeared on the Fox News "Hannity" TV Show this week to discuss a number of issues, including the ongoing investigation into the classified documents President Joe Biden (D) had over several locations. READ MORE
"Buchanan, Wasserman Schultz Introduce Bipartisan Human Trafficking Bill" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich READ MORE
"Ashley Moody Issues Consumer Alert on Identity Theft" by The Floridian's Jim McCool—Identity theft is not a new obstacle that Floridians have had to deal with. Attorney General Ashley Moody (R-FL) has issued a Consumer Alert to warn Floridians this Identity Theft Awareness Week about the billions of dollars lost to identity theft each year. READ MORE
"Gimenez Demands Mayorkas Allow Border Agents Testify About Migrant Crisis" by The Floridian's Jim McCool—Rep. James Comer (R-KY) recently invited four Chief Patrol Agents of four U.S. Border Patrol sectors to testify about the southern border crisis in a hearing scheduled for February 7th. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas refused to let the four speak. READ MORE
"Trump Intends to One-Up DeSantis on Education in New Campaign Video" by The Floridian's Grayson Bakich—Governor Ron DeSantis' (R-FL) ongoing battle to reform education in Florida continues to draw attention on the national stage. More specifically, from former President Donald Trump and his campaign. READ MORE
"Florida Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against DeSantis Administration over Illegal Immigrant Flights" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—TALLAHASSEE — A Leon County circuit judge has dismissed a lawsuit alleging that the Florida Department of Transportation and a contractor did not fully comply with public-records requests about controversial state-funded flights of illegal migrants to Martha’s Vinyard in Massachusetts. READ MORE
"Florida Grand Jury Seeks to Curb Immigrant Releases" by The News Service of Florida—A Florida statewide grand jury is urging lawmakers to curb the releases of undocumented immigrants from county jails. A presentment released Friday alleged that a law has been “intentionally and flagrantly abused,” resulting in the release of inmates who had been held in county jails under detainers issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. READ MORE
"Florida Lawmaker Reasserts That Criminal Justice System is Built on Racism" by The Floridian's Javier Manjarres—When Tyre Nichols was pulled over by five Memphis Police officers and brutally beaten and killed, Americans were rightfully disgusted by the police brutality, but was the tragic incident anchored in racism? READ MORE
"Waltz Calls on Biden to Pressure Others in Funding Ukraine" by The Floridian's Daniel Molina—As the war between Ukraine and Russia continues, providing further funding for Ukraine has become a topic of contention in the United States. Congressional Democrats support sending more funding and resources to Ukraine, but Republicans have grown weary of the measures. Florida Rep. Mike Waltz (R) discussed sending tanks to Ukraine on Fox News this weekend, questioning recent support from Germany. READ MORE
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The JUICE is squeezed by Javier Manjarres, Jim McCool, and Daniel Molina
