St. Petersburg Councilmember Brandi Gabbard filed to run for mayor, setting up a challenge to incumbent Ken Welch as the Gas Plant redevelopment fight intensifies. Her campaign centers on housing, flood resilience and a planning‑first approach.

A Democratic bill to force immigration agents to show name-and-badge identification stalled in Tallahassee as the 2026 session wound down, leaving advocates disappointed.

A local bill would ask Hillsborough voters in 2026 whether to elect the county's schools chief, shifting the post from an appointed job to a partisan, four‑year office starting in 2028.

The Florida House passed SB 824, which would force school districts to inventory vacant property; supporters call it transparency while critics warn of charter pressure.

A Florida bill would bar taking threatened marine animals for exhibition after a viral video showed a giant manta hauled from Panama City waters.

Hillsborough officials unveiled a boundary plan Tuesday that could reassign thousands of students and put several Tampa schools at risk of closure. The district says the moves aim to balance enrollment and cut costs.

Florida’s unclaimed‑property program returned a record $88 million in February, with the Tampa–St. Petersburg area collecting about $23.8 million.

Florida’s top court refused to hear ARC Global’s venue challenge to Trump Media’s lawsuit, leaving an appeals‑court ruling intact and sending the fight back to Sarasota. The move keeps the dispute alive in the trial court.

Earle Ford, a U.S. Army veteran running in Florida's 13th, called trickle‑down economics a 'hoax' as his campaign touts $500K+ in grassroots donations.

EPA's FY2025 enforcement report shows thousands of cases, $6B+ in commitments and major pesticide seizures. Tampa utilities may see inspections and cleanup work next.

An Eleventh Circuit panel will hear arguments over Florida’s HB3 this week, testing whether a ban on kids’ social accounts and age-verification rules violate the First Amendment.

Gov. DeSantis’ latest Board of Medicine picks include Dr. John Littell, a vocal critic of vaccine mandates; the nominations sharpen the fight over medical rules in Tallahassee.

DOJ says it will review filings that show Mexico paid an Arizona law firm roughly $7.3M to run a program defending Mexican nationals facing execution in U.S. courts.