SUMMARY: A recent University of North Florida poll found that 25% of Duval County voters see housing costs as Jacksonville’s top issue, surpassing crime, which ranked second at 12%. Education, transportation, infrastructure, economy, and property taxes followed. Mayor Donna Deegan noted this is the first poll where crime wasn’t the leading concern, crediting Jacksonville’s crime reduction efforts but emphasizing the urgent need to address affordable housing. UNF professor Sean Freeder linked the shift to local economic pressures and national inflation concerns. Deegan said the city plans to add over 4,000 affordable housing units this year and explore new programs and funding to tackle the crisis.

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SUMMARY: Far-right Dutch lawmaker Geert Wilders withdrew his Party for Freedom from the four-party ruling coalition, triggering a political crisis just weeks before a NATO summit in The Hague. Wilders criticized the government’s failure to enforce stricter migration policies, demanding a 10-point plan including military border control and asylum seeker rejection. The coalition, led by Prime Minister Dick Schoof, now faces an uncertain future: continuing as a minority government or calling new elections. Other coalition leaders condemned Wilders’ move as irresponsible and self-serving. Wilders’ exit marks another withdrawal from power after similar past disputes, deepening instability amid global challenges.

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SUMMARY: Former Hialeah police chief Sergio Velasquez was arrested on charges of money laundering, organized fraud, and grand theft for allegedly stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from the department’s undercover narcotics fund between 2015 and 2021. Velasquez, who served as chief from 2012 until his suspension in 2021, reportedly made over 900 cash deposits under $10,000 to avoid reporting and used stolen funds for luxury purchases, including Rolex watches and designer brands. The Miami-Dade State Attorney described the case as shocking. Velasquez is currently jailed on a $30,000 bond, facing three felony charges.

Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said Sergio Velazquez, 62, who served as chief from 2012 until his suspension in 2021, is charged with structuring, grand theft and an organized scheme to defraud.

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