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
U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, (R-FL) is leading a Florida delegation in a letter addressed to President Trump outlining the many reasons why he should choose Florida as NASA’s new headquarters location. Scott notes that NASA’s current headquarters lease in Washington, D.C., will expire in 2028 and points out that the agency plans to build a […]
Lu, an African hippopotamus and movie star who had lived at the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park for six decades, passed away peacefully on Sunday, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. The 65-year-old hippo, born at the San Diego Zoo on Jan, 26, 1960, came to Homosassa Springs at four-years-old. He […]
Climate activist Greta Thunberg was recently detained in the eastern Mediterranean by Israel’s government during a voyage she and other activists were taking towards Gaza with the hopes of protesting the ongoing war. The vessel Thunberg was on belongs to an anti-Israeli group called the Freedom Flotilla Coalition (FFC), which has criticized Israel’s blockade of […]
Representative Neal Dunn (R-FL) has introduced legislation preventing the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) from attempting to "claw back" public assistance grants from natural disaster areas. Specifically, Rep. Dunn's Streamlined FEMA Cost Exemption Act renders project costs to FEMA Public Assistance projects executing a grant with the agency exempt while also prohibiting the recoupment of […]
Venezuelan Democratic opposition leader Maria Corina Machado personally thanked Republican South Florida Representatives Maria Elvira Salazar, Mario Diaz-Balart, and Carlos Gimenez for hosting three Venezuelan dissidents who recently fled Venezuela. The three Republican representatives hosted Venezuelan democratic dissidents Pedro Urruchurtu, Claudia Macero, and Humberto Villalobos. The dissidents had been sheltering inside Argentina’s embassy in Venezuela […]
President Donald Trump and Elon Musk’s ongoing political row over the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ is causing intense debate over whether Republicans should pass the act in an upcoming Senate vote. The ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ was recently passed in the House of Representatives, and includes a variety of policies including no taxes on tips, […]
For the first four days of June, Israel has been forced to defend its civilian population from consecutive Houthi missile attacks. Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and the Israeli Air Force (IAF) reported having to respond to presumptive Houthi attacks every day since the beginning of June. “It’s only June 3, and for the third time […]
State Secretary Marco Rubio recently announced the State Department will be restricting the Visas of foreign government officials partaking in Cuba’s medical doctors forced labor initiatives. For months, reports have alleged that the Communist Cuban regime is profiting off the forced labor of Cuban doctors. More than 40,000 Cuban doctors are reportedly spread worldwide in […]
President Donald Trump has warned the state of California it will face consequences after a trans athlete dominated California’s recent statewide high school track and field championship. AB Hernandez, a biological male, won gold in two competitions for female track athletes. Parents had protested against Hernandez’s participation in the competition to no avail. “A Biological […]
June 1 marks the start of the 2025 hurricane season, and an effort to curb looting following a natural disaster has been introduced as the Law On Offender Transgressions During Emergencies and Recovery (LOOTER) Act. The bill was proposed by U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, (R), as a means “to protect communities from criminals who exploit […]
State Secretary Marco Rubio has warned that immigrants sympathizing with the recent wave of antisemitic attacks could have their visas revoked and face deportation. Secretary Rubio’s comments follow an attack in Boulder, CO, against pro-Israel demonstrators calling for the release of all hostages in Gaza. During the attack, illegal immigrant Mohamed Sabry Soliman approached a […]
The US is restarting diplomatic operations in its embassy in Damascus, Syria, as relations between Syria’s interim government and the US improve. The embassy had been closed since February 2012 due to internal conflict and violence caused by former Syrian President Bashar al-Assad’s government. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) reported how “Ambassador Thomas Barrack raised […]
Lawmakers are condemning a recent antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado, against pro-Israeli demonstrators rallying in support of efforts to release the remaining hostages in Gaza. During the rally, Mohamed Sabry Soliman approached and began setting protestors and nearby areas on fire after shouting “Free Palestine!” Soliman’s attacks left eight injured with no reported deaths. The […]
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced on Thursday the opening of a criminal investigation into Gulf World Marine Park after the suspicious death of a fifth dolphin at the park. "Today, my office opened a statewide criminal investigation into Gulf World Marine Park in Panama City Beach and its Mexico-based parent company, The Dolphin Company," […]
Representative Maria Elvira-Salazar (R-FL) recently wrote to President Donald Trump’s administration requesting they block the proposed sale of the Venezuelan democratic opposition's control over oil company CITGO. CITGO is a US-based oil refiner, transporter, and marketer of transportation fuels, lubricants, petrochemicals, and other industrial products. PDVSA, a state-owned oil company of the Venezuelan government, is […]
The Houthis recently fired ballistic rockets at Israel, continuing a month-long trend of missile attacks against Israeli civilians. According to the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF), civilians across eastern Israel had to shelter in place due to projectile fire originating in Yemen. Meanwhile, the US is diminishing its military presence in the region as its USS […]
The ‘penny’ coin has been in circulation for nearly as long as the US’s existence and is worth one cent. Penny production has long sparked intense debate as lawmakers have quarreled over the coin’s benefits. Producing pennies costs more than they are worth, as each one costs over three cents. Recently, Senators Mike Lee (R-UT) […]
Lawmakers are suggesting the general public make preparations for hurricane season, which begins June 1st and lasts until November 30. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has estimated that this 2025 Hurricane season will likely feature stronger hurricanes and storms than previous seasons. NOAA predicts a 60% chance of an above-normal season, with a […]
