State & Local

Along with up-to-date political coverage, The Floridian takes the opportunity to post about issues, legislation, and lawmakers in local municipalities and at the state level
In a major win for democracy, a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge has ruled in favor of mayoral candidate Emilio Gonzalez and the voters of the City of Miami, restoring the 2025 election for Mayor and City Commissioner. The court struck down the controversial ordinance that sought to delay the election to 2026 — a move […]
Gov. Ron DeSantis defended Friday the state agency that constructed the Alligator Alcatraz migrant detention center without fully notifying local officials. He lauded the Florida Division of Emergency Management for not "twiddling their thumbs" and building the Everglades center in just eight days—even though local officials in Collier and Miami-Dade counties were still chasing down […]
The US Treasury has announced new sanctions against the Venezuelan ‘Tren de Aragua’ gang. Tren de Aragua began its criminal operations inside Venezuela’s porous jail system and eventually grew its operations across Latin America and the whole globe. Today, Tren de Aragua is Venezuela’s largest gang with an estimated 5,000 members and has recently been […]
MIAMI—In a high-stakes virtual courtroom showdown, City of Miami mayoral candidate Emilio Gonzalez took on City Hall yesterday in a legal fight over whether voters will have the right to elect a new Mayor and Commissioner this November, as originally scheduled. The hearing, conducted via Zoom, was overseen by Miami-Dade Circuit Court Judge Valerie Manno […]
Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) introduced a bill to ban immigration from countries with laws requiring their citizens to cooperate with foreign intelligence services. Senator Scott claimed the bill is motivated by reports that countries, like China, target the US through pernicious intelligence gathering efforts. “Communist China”, said Scott, “is not just our competitor, they are our […]
The US military is shifting its naval assets in the Middle East after months of confrontations with Iran and its proxies. Reports tracking the US’s deployed carrier strike groups (CSGs) reveal the recent departure of the Vinson CSG from the North Arabian Sea. Vinson had patrolled the North Arabian Sea for months to combat Houthi […]
MIAMI – Florida Democratic Representatives Darren Soto, Debbie Wasserman Schultz, Maxwell Frost, and Jared Moskowitz, along with a bipartisan Florida legislative delegation, launched an investigation into inhumane conditions at the newly opened detention center in the Everglades. The detention center referred to as “Alligator Alcatraz” has been a controversial topic among many, with Rep. Soto […]
Former Republican Representative and National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has begun Senate confirmation hearings for his nomination to become the US’s next ambassador to the United Nations (UN). UN Ambassador appointee Mike Waltz, a former Green Beret, is known for his hardline policy approach to countries hostile to the US. President Donald Trump appointed Waltz to the UN […]
The Supreme Court of the US (SCOTUS) recently ruled to allow President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Linda McMahon to continue shrinking the Department of Education (DOE). President Trump issued an Executive Order last March to “facilitate” the DOE’s termination. Since then, Secretary McMahon had been downsizing the DOE while acknowledging that its complete abolishing […]
Representative Maria Elvira-Salazar (R-FL) announced she will soon re-introduce her ‘Dignity’ Act to update the US’s legal immigration framework and address the illegal immigration crisis. Representative Salazar’s ‘Dignity’ Act arrives amid President Donald Trump’s nationwide efforts to deport illegal immigrants. President Trump has repeatedly pledged to maximize deportations and recently began mass deportations. Deportation efforts […]
Questioning if weather modification created deadly floods in Texas, Florida's attorney general reminded state airports Monday to report any flights planning to alter the Sunshine State's atmosphere. James Uthmeier, appointed to the chief legal role earlier this year, sent letters to all public-use airports demanding monthly reports to the Florida Department of Transportation on aircraft […]
Republicans are focused on outperforming China in critical minerals procurement and are proposing laws to ensure the US can quickly expand its supplies. During former President Joe Biden’s administration, Republicans persistently warned that China enjoyed a growing chokehold on the world’s critical mineral supplies. Currently, China is the largest producer of processed critical minerals, processing […]
US Representative Maria Elvira-Salazar (R-FL) has requested President Donald Trump impose sanctions on Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes. Justice Moraes is notorious for making unilateral rulings curtailing free speech and investigating former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro. Representative Salazar has previously criticized Moraes’s rulings and claims he uses judicial authority to promote progressive policy. […]
The Houthis recently sank a commercial ship traversing the Red Sea, reportedly destined for Israel. The attack marks the second time Houthis have sunk a commercial ship in less than a week. Houthi-released videos demonstrate the Eternity C and Magic Seas ships sinking after suffering heavy damage from Houthi attacks. Additionally, Houthi missiles rained down […]
The American Conservative Values ETF (NYSE: ACVF), an ‘activist’ investment fund promoting conservative ideology, recently announced that it fully divested its holdings in Elon Musk’s Tesla Inc. ACVF justified its Tesla divestment on its underwhelming business results and Musk’s increased political participation. “We believe Musk’s distraction with political activity is damaging shareholder value,” said William […]
The US Treasury Department has announced new sanctions against North Korean nationals working in foreign countries who allegedly remitted their earnings to North Korean authorities. According to the Treasury Department, Song Kum Hyok (Song), orchestrated a network of fraudulent North Korean technology workers in foreign countries. Song, a malicious cyber actor working for the North […]
Representative Kathy Castor (D-FL) recently urged the reinstatement of Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gordon in a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi, who had been leading the prosecution of Leo Govoni, who is accused of embezzling from medical trust funds. As WFLA described, Govoni and his accountant, John Witeck, were arrested and indicted in late […]
Representative Maria Elvira-Salazar (R-FL) continues condemning Colombian President Gustavo Petro for his threats against the US. The US recently recalled its top diplomat in Colombia following accusations from President Petro and political allies that south florida Representatives, including Representative Salazar, were interfering in his government. State Secretary Marco Rubio called the accusations “baseless and reprehensible,” […]
