News from the South - Florida News Feed

Implementation begins on Florida’s new immigration enforcement laws | Florida

Published

6 months ago

February 18, 2025

www.thecentersquare.com – By Steve Wilson | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-02-18 11:41:00

(The Center Square) – Larry Keefe has been chosen to lead Florida’s newly created State Board of Immigration Enforcement.

In a Monday meeting, Keefe was named executive director. The board also passed two resolutions.

Gov. Ron DeSantis is chairman of the board that includes the state’s chief financial officer, attorney general and agriculture commissioner. Unanimous consent is required for any actions taken.

Keefe is best known as public safety czar and was also appointed as a U.S. attorney in northern Florida during President Donald Trump’s first term. Keefe was part of DeSantis’ plan to send people illegally in the state to areas of the country with Democrats in power, most famously among them Martha’s Vineyard off the coast of Cape Cod in Massachusetts.

“Larry Keefe is a great public servant who will do a fantastic job with immigration enforcement,” DeSantis said.

Recently sworn-in Attorney General James Uthmeier said at Monday’s meeting that Keefe had already worked with law enforcement leaders statewide on interdiction efforts and “has the relationships, the intellect and undoubtedly, the work ethic to get the job done.”

Legislative leaders chose the sheriffs to represent counties on the State Immigration Enforcement Council on Monday, which will be composed of four sheriffs and six police chiefs and will advise the state’s immigration enforcement board.

Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, appointed Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri and Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd to the board, while House Speaker Daniel Perez, R-Miami, added Duval County Sheriff T.K. Waters and Charlotte County Sheriff Bill Prummell.

DeSantis and legislative leaders rustled with immigration policy from the end of January until a resolution last week. Monday’s meeting began implementation of a package of bills aligning the state with federal government and immigration enforcement.

Senate Bill 4C and Senate Bill 2C created the State Board of Immigration Enforcement. It acts as a liaison with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on enforcement-related issues.

The measures signed into law last week appropriate $250 million to reimburse local law enforcement agencies for their costs to help with immigration enforcement efforts.

The laws mandate criminal penalties for people illegally in the state and would add harsher penalties for subsequent offenses.

For people illegally in the country, there’s a mandatory death penalty for murder or child rape; a ban on taking part in any post-arrest diversion programs; felony charge if voting in state elections; and prohibition of obtaining a driver’s license or identification card from the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.

The post Implementation begins on Florida’s new immigration enforcement laws | Florida appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com

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News from the South - Florida News Feed

Famine grips Gaza’s largest city and is likely to spread, authority on food crises says

Published

6 hours ago

August 22, 2025

Staff Editor

www.clickorlando.com – Sam Mednick And Wafaa Shurafa, Associated Press – 2025-08-22 04:02:00

SUMMARY: The Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) has declared famine in Gaza City, the largest city in the Gaza Strip, warning it could spread to other areas by next month without a ceasefire and humanitarian aid access. The famine results from Israel’s military offensive and blockade restricting food and aid, causing severe malnutrition and starvation, especially among children. Over half a million people face life-threatening hunger. Israel denies the famine, calling reports false, but aid deliveries remain insufficient. Medical staff report increasing malnourished patients, with families witnessing loved ones wasting away amid soaring food prices and limited supplies.

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The post Famine grips Gaza’s largest city and is likely to spread, authority on food crises says appeared first on www.clickorlando.com

News from the South - Florida News Feed

Florida mom: Teacher called son ‘dictator’ | Florida

Published

17 hours ago

August 21, 2025

Staff Editor

www.thecentersquare.com – By Esther Wickham | The Center Square – (The Center Square – ) 2025-08-21 17:30:00

(The Center Square) — At an Alachua County School Board meeting in Gainesville, Florida, this week, Crystal Marull, a mother of two students, claimed school officials targeted her sons for their conservative views.

According to Marull, her high school son was mocked in class for his interest in history and participation in the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.

During a class activity, her son’s history teacher reportedly tried to give the student a fake certificate and nominated him “Most Likely to Become a Dictator.”

The teacher also “let students label him a ‘Naziphile,’” Marull added.

Her other son, who is 6 years old, was allegedly prevented from sitting next to his friend on the school bus because the friend’s parent did not like the mother’s conservative views.

“I do apologize that [your son] was offended by the Class Superlative … To my knowledge, he did not ask to be removed when he was nominated or when the class voted. When I passed them out today, I reiterated that they were just for fun. These were not meant to be offensive. I do apologize,” was the teacher’s response to Marull about the incident in the high school history class.

The apology didn’t ease Marull’s concerns.

“This is just one incident emblematic of the litany of abuses and offenses that conservative families face in this district,” Marull said in a statement. “Not only was it wholly inappropriate, the apology was hollow, and although I reported this to a school board member at the time, the board failed to follow up with any consequences.”

Marull has always been an advocate for strong conservative values, especially gender ideology and banning woke books within school libraries.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier, a Republican, sent a letter Thursday to the School Board of Alachua County, asking for an investigation into the incident.

“Florida law prohibits bullying and harassment … This teacher violated Florida law, the School Board’s policy, and no less than six ethical principles. Her teacher’s certificate must be revoked,” Uthmeier wrote. “Teachers who bully and harass their own students are unworthy of the public trust. Despite this teacher’s nasty immaturity, we commend this young man for his strength in the face of rank political discrimination. Remove this teacher from the classroom. Parents and students in Alachua deserve better.”

Because of Marull’s story, many posted on social media, outraged, calling for accountability.

“It’s not enough for the teacher to be fired, though that’s a start. The teacher and Alachua School District should be sued for the intentional emotional distress of both boys,” one user commented.

The Center Square reached out to the Alachua School District but has yet to receive a response.

The post Florida mom: Teacher called son ‘dictator’ | Florida appeared first on www.thecentersquare.com

Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Right-Leaning

The article primarily reports on an incident involving a conservative mother alleging mistreatment of her sons by a school teacher, along with the response from a Republican state official. While it presents factual details and quotes from involved parties, the framing emphasizes the conservative perspective and highlights criticism of the teacher and school district from a right-leaning viewpoint. The language used, such as describing the teacher’s actions as “bullying” and “rank political discrimination,” and the inclusion of strong condemnations from a Republican Attorney General, suggests a sympathetic tone toward conservative concerns. Thus, the article leans right by focusing on conservative grievances and portraying them as victims of ideological bias, rather than maintaining a fully neutral stance.

News from the South - Florida News Feed

Here’s where all the legal cases against Trump stand since his return to the White House

Published

18 hours ago

August 21, 2025

Staff Editor

www.news4jax.com – Associated Press – 2025-08-21 16:26:00

SUMMARY: Before his return to the White House, Donald Trump faced numerous civil lawsuits and criminal charges threatening his finances and liberty. Many cases have paused or been dismissed since his reelection, though some remain unresolved. Highlights include Trump’s May 2024 conviction for falsifying business records in the New York hush money case, with sentencing deferred and an appeal underway. Georgia’s election interference case is stalled after the prosecutor’s removal. Federal charges related to the 2020 election and classified documents were dropped following Trump’s reelection. Trump lost a $5 million sexual abuse case, with an $83.3 million defamation judgment added and under appeal. A $515 million New York fraud penalty was overturned for excessive fines, but other sanctions persist.

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The post Here’s where all the legal cases against Trump stand since his return to the White House appeared first on www.news4jax.com