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Will she or won’t she? Casey DeSantis keeps her counsel on gubernatorial bid

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floridaphoenix.com – Christine Sexton – 2025-02-28 13:52:00

Will she or won’t she? Casey DeSantis keeps her counsel on gubernatorial bid

by Christine Sexton, Florida Phoenix
February 28, 2025

Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis didn’t say Friday that she will run for governor in 2026.

But she didn’t rule it out, either.

DeSantis was appearing with her husband Gov. Ron DeSantis at Florida International University to tout a plan to redirect cancer funding when a reporter asked about a potential gubernatorial run. Rep. Byron Donalds, who has already been endorsed by President Donald Trump, jumped into the race earlier this week.

“When you come to a fork in the road, you take it,” quipped Casey DeSantis, repeating a remark made famous by the late Yogi Berra, the legendary Yankees catcher and manager.

“You guys can read into that what you want,” Gov. DeSantis added. He then offered extensive comments about Casey DeSantis’ work as first lady, which has included the Hope Florida program designed to help people find assistance from nonprofit and religious organizations.

When asked to explain the first lady’s comment, Gov. DeSantis said, “I think she’s leaving that to the imagination and to start talking about good old Yogi Berra, because you know he had a lot of perceptive comments.”

Gov. DeSantis, who mounted an unsuccessful bid for president last year, is term-limited and cannot run again for governor next year. But DeSantis and Donalds had an apparent falling-out caused in part by Donalds’ endorsement of Trump in the Republican presidential primary and the governor recently chided Donalds for worrying about the governor’s race instead of Trump’s agenda in Congress.

Without mentioning Donalds, DeSantis repeated those criticisms on Friday while extolling the work of his wife. Multiple news outlets in recent weeks have reported that Casey DeSantis is seriously considering running for governor even as Donalds has put together a campaign team and begun to ramp up his effort.

A Donalds vs. Casey DeSantis primary contest would be seen as a proxy battle between Trump and Gov. DeSantis for supremacy among Florida Republicans. For his part, Donalds has sidestepped talk about Casey DeSantis and during a Fox News appearance on Friday said that he expects competition for governor.

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News from the South - Florida News Feed

Europe and Canada are eyeing alternatives to American-made fighter jets. Here’s why

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www.clickorlando.com – Stefanie Dazio And Tara Copp, Associated Press – 2025-03-19 01:17:00

SUMMARY: Concerns are rising in Canada and Europe regarding the strategic value of U.S. defense technology, particularly the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, amid U.S. policy shifts under President Trump. NATO allies are questioning U.S. commitment to mutual defense as the war in Ukraine persists. Some nations, like Canada and Portugal, are reevaluating their F-35 purchases, considering alternatives such as European-made jets (Saab Gripen, Eurofighter Typhoon, and Dassault Rafale). Experts suggest that the unpredictability of U.S. relations may trigger European countries to enhance their defense capabilities independently, potentially diminishing demand for U.S. military aircraft and affecting companies like Lockheed Martin.

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Massive brush fire in SW Miami-Dade causing traffic headaches for motorists

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www.youtube.com – CBS Miami – 2025-03-18 21:10:43

SUMMARY: A massive brush fire in southwest Miami-Dade caused severe traffic delays for motorists heading to and from the Florida Keys. Authorities shut down Card Sound Road and US 1 due to heavy smoke and flames, leaving drivers stranded for hours. Many travelers, including those from Wisconsin and South Korea, were heading to vacation destinations but were caught in the traffic jam. The situation improved late in the evening when traffic began to flow again, but some road closures remained. Authorities warned of possible further delays as firefighters continue to battle the blaze and weather conditions change.

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Traffic is slowly moving in both directions Tuesday evening on U.S. 1’s 18-Mile Stretch after a massive brush fire forced authorities to shut down the only highway linking the Florida Keys to the mainland for hours.

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Judge blocks Trump administration from terminating $14 billion in ‘green bank’ grants

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www.news4jax.com – Michael Phillis And Matthew Daly, Associated Press – 2025-03-18 20:12:00

SUMMARY: Summarize this content to 100 words: FILE – Vice President JD Vance, right, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, left, listen as Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin, center, speaks in East Palestine Fire Station on Feb 3, 2025, in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)FILE – Former Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-N.Y., President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to head the Environmental Protection Agency, appears before the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee on Capitol Hill, Jan. 16, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, File)Copyright 2025 The Associated Press, All Rights ReservedFILE – Vice President JD Vance, right, and Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, left, listen as Environmental Protection Agency administrator Lee Zeldin, center, speaks in East Palestine Fire Station on Feb 3, 2025, in East Palestine, Ohio, Feb. 3, 2025. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar, File)WASHINGTON – A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from terminating $14 billion in grants awarded to three climate groups by the Biden administration.The order by U.S. District Judge Tonya Chutkan prevents — for now — the Environmental Protection Agency from ending the grant program, which totaled $20 billion.Chutkan’s order also blocks Citibank, which holds the money on behalf of the EPA, from transferring the money back to the government or anyone else.Climate United Fund and other groups had sued the EPA, its administrator Lee Zeldin and Citibank, saying they had illegally denied the groups access to $14 billion awarded last year through the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, commonly referred to as a “green bank.” The program was created by the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act to finance clean energy and climate-friendly projects.Zeldin accused the grant recipients of mismanagement, fraud and self-dealing and froze the grants. Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

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