Springfield rhetoric reverberates in Florida’s Haitian community
Over a third of all 1.1 million Haitian Americans live in Florida, with over half dwelling in the state’s three major counties in the southern portion: Palm Beach County, Broward County and Miami-Dade County. Sharon Austin, political science professor at the University of Florida, says the voting power of the Haitian community has grown in the last 20 years as more immigrants become citizens and start families. While Austin said Haitians tend to lean more Democratic as a whole, they are more likely to vote Republican than some other minority communities. More from The Hill.
Book bans decrease in Florida schools
Some speculate that the losses of Moms for Liberty supported candidates signaled a weariness in local communities with the organization’s hot-button issues. Another possibility is that all the challenged books are gone. Still, the American Library Association intends to remain vigilant in what it calls an ongoing fight. More from Tampa Bay Times and Florida Politics.
Operation Blue Roof offers free emergency roof protection after Hurricane Milton
The Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) announced Operation Blue Roof on Tuesday, stating that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has made it available for homeowners or those permanently living in rental properties who experienced damage to their roofs from Hurricane Milton. The program will provide residents with fiber-reinforced, industrial-strength sheeting to protect storm-damaged roofs until the homeowners can make permanent repairs. More from WTVX.
DeSantis praises Milton recovery efforts as rising flood waters persist in Florida
“President (Ronald) Reagan used to say the most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’ There’s a lot of wisdom in that, but I don’t think The Gipper ever saw Florida respond to a natural disaster, because we get after it and we do make a difference,” DeSantis said at a news conference. At the time, there were still about 170,000 customers without electricity, rivers continued to rise in some flooded areas and the state was still providing free gas to residents struggling to top of their tanks. But DeSantis pointed out that more than 4 million customers had power restored less than a week after the Category 3 storm. More from the Associated Press.
Florida election supervisors request rule flexibility after hurricanes
The Florida Supervisor of Elections association sent a letter to Secretary of State Cord Byrd requesting temporary changes for several counties in Florida that were impacted by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. Gov. Ron DeSantis allowed for some changes after Hurricane Helene but declined to extend Florida’s voter registration deadline. The Florida Department of State did not respond when asked if some or all of this week’s proposed changes would be allowed. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Funding Rebuilding
Comcast NBCUniversal Donates $500,000 to Hurricane Milton Relief in Florida
The donation will help with disaster relief and recovery efforts following the storm's landfall and the ongoing work after Hurricane Helene's damage and destruction across the state. Comcast will donate $250,000 total in cash: $100,000 will go to the Florida Disaster Fund and $150,000 will go to 11 community-based organizations.
» More from Comcast.
Home Sweet Home
The stingrays sheltered at Tropicana Field during Milton are now safely home
When the Milton ripped off the stadium’s fabric roof last Wednesday night, the stingrays remained safe in their 10,000 gallon, 35-foot habitat, which was located off right-center field. Animal care experts with The Florida Aquarium successfully relocated the male stingrays from Tropicana Field back to the Aquarium in downtown Tampa.
» Read more from WUSF News.