Eatonville council considers a transparency push asking HostDime for details on water, power use, noise and appearance as a new data center rises along I‑4.

DeSantis and AHCA rolled out a statewide Medicaid Integrity Initiative requiring provider revalidation, enrollment moratoria and a SentiLink identity‑screening pilot to curb fraud.

Two county commission seats and three school‑board posts will be decided in Marion County’s Aug. 18 primary after qualifying closed June 12. A handful of write‑ins and crowded GOP fields have reshaped the ballot.

State Rep. Paula Stark was declared ineligible after state officials said her qualifying paperwork was incomplete, even as her campaign and county GOP insist she filed on time. The dispute could hand House District 47 to Democrats if unresolved.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier sued TikTok and ByteDance, accusing the app of allowing underage accounts and misleading parents about harmful content. The 66‑page complaint seeks injunctions and penalties under the state’s minors‑protection law.

Florida’s high court issued a reprimand for Kenneth Chesebro instead of suspending him, citing Georgia’s First Offender Act and prompting a sharp dissent from Justice Jorge Labarga.

Former state senator Annette Taddeo launched a bid for Florida CFO, pledging to take on insurance companies and make the office a watchdog for homeowners.

Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the Florida GOP’s debate thresholds that left Byron Donalds as the lone qualifier, warning the rules could alienate voters ahead of the Aug. 18 primary.

Gov. DeSantis signed six bills on June 12 that change public‑records rules, court reporting, child‑care data and create a new rental‑fraud crime. Most take effect July 1; the fraud law starts Oct. 1.

DeSantis ordered state offices closed July 2 and July 6, stretching Independence Day into a five‑day holiday for nearly 100,000 state workers as part of America 250.

Mayor Jerry Demings has reassembled a citizen panel to weigh how Orange County spends a surge in tourist-tax revenue. The task force begins meetings July 21.

Depositions and a local podcast reveal how the DeSantis‑Disney feud paused Walt Disney World expansions and revived last‑minute Reedy Creek deals that reshaped development plans.

A coalition of Central Florida newsrooms and press advocates say OCPS’ media rules chill staff speech and slow reporting. They’ve sent a June 8 open letter asking the district to revise how employees talk to the press.