Tampa Bay

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the Department of Defense to begin constructing a “next-generation missile defense shield” similar to Israel’s Iron Dome.  Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth thanked Trump for leading the Iron Dome initiative, construction of which is set to begin immediately. President Trump has previously claimed he would lead […]

Colombian President Gustavo Petro has conceded to President Donald Trump after the latter imposed a series of tariffs on Colombia for refusing to accept the US’ immigrant deportation flights.  President Trump had levied tariffs on Colombia after President Petro prevented two illegal immigrant repatriation flights from landing in Colombia.  “Petro’s denial of these flights has […]

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was recently confirmed by a slim 51-50 Republican majority, dispelling doubts he would be able to secure an approval vote.  Hegseth thanked the Senate for their support and pledged to diligently lead America's military and promoting global peace through strength. President Donald Trump had reportedly antecedently doubted Secretary Hegseth’s approval […]

Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) released a statement announcing a Department of Defense grant to rebuild Tinker PreK-8 School on MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. The $86 million award will improve the quality of Tinker's campus and curricula and expand its capacity to accommodate the children of Air Force service members and ensure their education. […]

Russian officials have disclosed President Vladimir Putin is awaiting President Donald Trump’s invitation to meet and discuss potential avenues for ending the Russia-Ukraine war.  International media reported Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov disclosed President Putin “was waiting for signals” from President Trump to meet. "Putin is ready. We are waiting for signals (from Washington). Everyone is […]

Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth recently survived a Senate procedural vote enabling him to be considered for the Defense Secretary position. Hegseth obtained 51 votes in favor and 49 against, surpassing the procedural hurdle by razor thin margins.  Hegseth’s final and decisive confirmation vote is scheduled for Friday, January 24th.  Senate Majority leader John […]

President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered the termination of all of the US government’s Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) offices and employees. The move comes hours after President Trump’s team shuttered the government’s official DEI website.  An executive order signed by Trump on January 20th  directed “the termination of all discriminatory programs, including illegal DEI […]

President Donald Trump heralded a ‘golden age for America’ as he promised advances in the economy, immigration, foreign policy and other salient policy issues during his presidential inaugural address. President Trump, who has become only the second US president to ever hold nonconsecutive terms, laid out his vision and plan for his administration.  During the […]

President Donald Trump issued a sweeping pardon forgiving all Americans charged and convicted for their involvement in the January 6, 2021 capitol attacks.  The pardon also commuted the sentences of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leadership convicted for a series of crimes associated with the January 6 riots. Trump has referred to many of those […]

Inauguration Day :President-elect Donald Trump is set to be sworn in today as the United States’ 47th president.  President Trump was re-elected to the presidency after losing the 2020 elections to President Joe Biden.  Some have qualified Trump’s return as “the greatest political comeback in American history.”  Today, Trump will officially become the 47th US […]

The US Supreme Court unanimously rejected a first-amendment challenge brought by TikTok against a recently passed law mandating ByteDance, its parent company, divest from the app or cease operating it.  ByteDance now has until Sunday to divest from TikTok lest it be granted a one-time 90 day extension by the President.  President-elect Donald Trump, who’s […]

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has caught conservative lawmakers’ attention as it shutters its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives prior to President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration.  The FBI recently decided to shut down its DEI central office prior to President Trump’s inauguration on January 20th.  FBI DEI initiatives have been subject to harsh criticism […]

U.S. Senator and former Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody has assured Floridians she intends to fully support President-elect Donald Trump’s policies in her new role as US Senator.  “In the U.S. Senate, I will support President Donald Trump and fight for legislation that strengthens the border, builds the wall, and removes those who entered unlawfully,” […]

President Joe Biden is facing renewed criticism for his economic policies following the recently released Consumer Price Index’s (CPI) December 2024 report.  The CPI report outlines inflation rose 2.9% for the month of December, increasing the accumulated inflation Americans experienced under President Biden to 20.7%.  Conservatives have consistently criticized Biden’s economic policies as inciting inflation […]

Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) has written a letter demanding expedited housing repairs for servicemembers living at MacDill Air Force Base in Tampa. Rep. Castor explained in her letter that MacDill "is home to the 6th Air Refueling Wing and a number of additional mission partners, including U.S. Central Command, U.S. Special Operations Command, and the […]

A Florida Republican filed a new bill that would increase penalties for animal cruelty during a state of emergency, prompted by public outrage over a Florida man tying up and abandoning his dog as Hurricane Milton approached. Navarre Rep. Joel Rudman, who will leave office on New Year's Day to pursue a congressional seat, filed […]

On December 5, Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance participated in International Volunteer Day. The company provides its employees four days of paid time off “specifically designed to encourage the team members to serve their community in new ways.” This year, Heritage employees used their volunteer time to help the Tampa community and its local charitable organizations, […]

With the polls now closed, North and Central Florida have decided who will continue to serve in the House of Representatives in Congressional Districts 1 to 22, as called by NBC. All incumbents have won their respective races, frequently at double-digit margins, with the largest going to Representative Gus Bilirakis (R-FL) of District 12, who […]