A state labor report shows Florida’s unemployment climbed to 4.5% in January, about 499,000 people out of work and uneven gains across industries. Regions and sectors are diverging.

Sumter County Sheriff Pat Breeden endorsed Byron Donalds on April 8, a pickup the campaign says puts a majority of Florida sheriffs behind the Trump‑backed front‑runner. The move adds to a string of law‑enforcement endorsements and big‑name supporters.

A pro‑Crist committee, St. Pete Shines, reported roughly $1.2 million before Crist files for mayor — and a large share of those donors are from outside St. Petersburg.

The EPA finalized rollbacks to 2024 oil-and-gas rules that the agency says will save industry billions while loosening monitoring and flaring requirements.

A Florida parents' group that started with school‑board fights now has White House access, drawing praise from allies and warnings from critics over funding and influence.

Lawmakers approved short‑term lot‑rent aid, but broader rules to force park owners to justify hikes failed in committee, leaving mobile‑home residents uneasy.

The FBI says a breach of an unclassified surveillance system has been labeled a FISMA "major incident" after hackers used a third‑party provider to access phone metadata and PII.

The Interior Department said it will merge BOEM and BSEE into a Marine Minerals Administration to speed offshore permitting; advocates warn the move echoes the old MMS and could raise safety concerns.

Hillsborough County school leaders reviewed a proposal to add AI-capable "smart glasses" to the district's banned devices list, citing cheating and distraction concerns.

Florida’s attorney general issued an opinion saying state bans on funding religious institutions are unconstitutional, potentially opening charter schools and scholarships to faith-based institutions.

Judge Mark Walker gave GOP hopeful James Fishback two weeks to hand over personal financial records as efforts continue to enforce a $228,988 judgment tied to his former employer.

The Second Amendment Foundation and allied groups filed an amicus brief asking the Supreme Court to review Peterson v. United States, challenging NFA rules for suppressors.

Sydney Gruters — wife of RNC chair Joe Gruters — launched a bid for Florida’s open 16th District and immediately drew a high-profile Trump endorsement. Her entry reshapes the GOP primary in Manatee and nearby suburbs.