Florida Phoenix

The findings suggest that improved street lighting may help cities reduce violence in targeted areas, but that infrastructure upgrades alone may not be enough to sustain those gains. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/27/r...

It is a rejection of reality for ideology; an angry swipe at a minority and, by extension, the plurality that rebukes a vision of conformity. Contradictory evidence does not disturb a zealot’s convictions. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/27/r...

“We’re not saying that 49% of people are poor. We’re saying that they’re not secure,” said Gregory Acs, an Urban Institute fellow who worked on the research project. “Even if they’re paying all their bills, they’re paying all their bills at best.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/26/r...

“Somehow the district court was supposed to resolve all this in a matter of hours by noon on October 22?” Sanchez said, referring to the deadline the Justice Department requested for a decision from the district court judge. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/26/r...

First Street Technology Inc., the complaint filed Friday alleges, posts “alarmist” risk data and “is marketing fear to advance a climate activism agenda while exploiting the same fear to line their pockets.” The venue is state trial court in Polk County. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/26/u...

“While this arrest marks a significant step forward, our work is far from over. We remain committed to holding those responsible accountable and getting answers for every family impacted by this tragedy.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/26/j...

In addition to winning control of the U.S. Congress, Democrats are looking to flip hundreds of state legislative seats this November following years of Republican dominance in statehouses. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/26/r...

“This is the free state of Florida, where people come to escape communists and not to elect them,” he said. “The Sunshine State is not going to send a Marxist maniac to the Senate.” He later referred to Nixon as “a lunatic.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/23/t...

“Especially with recent attacks on voting rights, I feel like this has made our campus more urgent to vote,” Jones said. “FAMU is definitely down with going to the polls.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/23/c...

“Some, in a panic, might react that the Department is trying to deny certification of an election in a state. Of course that’s what the Department is trying to do. But the legal claim is so absurdly thin, there’s essentially no likelihood of success floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/23/r...

The feds have shut down at least two groups in the past two years, citing questionable practices and saying that there were cases in which workers ignored signs of consciousness in donors. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/23/r...

Title readability ranges from a fifth-grade level for an Idaho question asking voters to choose an official state gun to a 48th-grade level for a Colorado constitutional amendment that would establish a right to hunt and fish." floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/23/r...

“We’re making the assumption that the president is not going to accept the results of what looks to be a very challenging election for him and his party,” Himes said. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/23/r...

While gerrymandering has led to more hyper-partisan House districts, there are other factors as well, including that voters tend to focus more on political party than the specific characteristics and policy proposals of an individual candidate, he said. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/23/r...

Florida Justice Reform Institute President William Large said he was disappointed by the ruling but that it should put to rest any future disputes as to whether a law, insurance-related or otherwise, can be applied retroactively. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/22/f...

“These are the smartest data engineers in the world. If a pedophile is shut off their account, they’ve got to make sure that that person does not come back and if they fail they will face damages,” Uthmeier said. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/22/u...

“Though someone decided to more broadly disseminate the post, Respondent did not make that decision, and the consequences of posting to a ‘public’ account cannot be attributed to her.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/22/a...

“That’s a major-league dirtbag, and I’m going to ensure that he ends up suffering a very stinging defeat in November." floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/22/j...

“If the goal is for there to be gender equity in these legislatures, it’s not going to happen by only electing Democratic women. The Republican Party has to do more. For women to be exercising political power, they need to be there on both sides of the aisle.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/22/r...

Rosenblum emphasized in his analysis how many non-criminals have been either forcibly deported or pressured to leave voluntarily. Only 20% overall — and 28% of those in the U.S. for at least two years — have a criminal conviction. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/22/r...

More than a third of home builders said immigration enforcement activity caused construction delays and discouraged legal workers from reporting for work, said Bill Owens, chairman of the home builders group, in a statement. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/22/r...

“That’s good news that people are still kind of proud to say they work for the government,” said Elizabeth Linos, faculty director of The People Lab. But 40% of employees reported experiencing at least one symptom of burnout. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/22/r...

The amount of money an employee pays toward an individual health insurance plan rose by $232, or 16%, from 2025 to 2026. The price an employee pays for a family health insurance policy increased by $621, or 9%, according to the survey. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/22/r...

Martínez-Olguín found that the importance of the public voting free of intimidation outweighed the Trump administration’s interest in rooting out noncitizen voting. But she paused her order until Friday, presumably to give the Trump administration time to appeal. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/22/r...

“It was definitely a moment where I realized, once again, how close humans and wildlife exist in this state,” she told me. “I don’t remember it as visually remarkable, but the import of what it means for the future of Florida’s wildlife was massive.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/22/t...

“You’re seeing a lot of local governments basically coming out of it and try to tell people that the sky is going to fall. ‘You’re not going to have any services, you can’t do this, it’s just the worst thing ever.'" floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/21/d...

Republicans have about a 8-point voter registration lead in the district, but Democratic data analyst Matt Isbell notes that it contains a large block of moderate voters. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/21/d...

“The denial of medically necessary health care, including gender-affirming health care, to people in prison is a violation of their fundamental constitutional rights.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/21/r...

The executive branch has no authority to assert authority over states’ maintenance of their own voter rolls and determinations of who is qualified to vote, they say. The U.S. Constitution assigns states the responsibility of administering elections. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/21/r...

“If you want to vote, we believe — philosophically, ideologically — that you should be a citizen before you get a say in how a city, state or country runs things.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/21/r...

“Deaths due to fentanyl have declined by almost 60% since this program went into effect in 2023,” the governor said. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/d...

“Amendment 3 would eliminate up to 30% of resources for Florida’s rural counties, gutting essential services for law enforcement, emergency response services, and critical infrastructure.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/s...

Donalds has blown Jolly away in fundraising. The Naples Republican has raised nearly $149 million and already spent more than $110 million. Jolly has raised less than $22 million. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/d...

“The Trump administration’s decision to launch a highly publicized federal sweep just two weeks before Election Day is the latest escalation in a coordinated campaign meant to sow fear and confusion amongst voters." floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/r...

The Florida Education Association said the ruling “strongly upholds Florida educators’ fundamental right to due process.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/j...

The proposed new rule, the plaintiffs argue, runs afoul of the DOH’s authority and isn’t supported by science. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/p...

The federal Roadless Area Conservation Rule has been in place since 2001, but is under threat. In August, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins announced her agency’s plans to rescind the rule “in its entirety.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/r...

“I stand by my original statement — New Mexico does not need a new name,” Hull said in a statement. “Our identity is defined by our rich culture, our beautiful landscape, and the resilience of our people. That identity is never up for negotiation. EVER.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/r...

Now, nearly 20 years into her tenure, Castor, 60, faces the biggest challenge of her career as she runs against Republican Mike Beltran, who served in the Florida House for six years and won a contested eight-person primary in August. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/20/i...

School board members claimed legislative privilege to avoid depositions. The appeals court agreed with the trial judge: Board members acted as administrators and not legislators when removing books and do not enjoy legislative privilege in this case. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/19/s...

“When you see those thousands of marches, you understand people everywhere are not OK with this, but it’s nice to have a different approach for this event. ” floridaphoenix.com?post_type=re... floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/19/r...

The Trump administration has sought to reshape NIH to align with its political priorities and has sought to cut its funding, prompting pushback from Congress. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/19/r...

Florida Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) data show that about 87% of the residential claims remained open and no payment had been made as of Oct. 15. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/19/h...

The motto is an unapologetic assertion of states’ rights to treat certain people as badly as we want. It had a wide-ranging influence on the most important events in American history. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/19/t...

Democrats and voting rights groups have previously raised alarms about the possibility of the Trump administration attempting to interfere with voting. For some, the legal action against California only exacerbates their concerns. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/18/r...

“I’m hopeful we won’t have any problems here in Tallahassee, but no one should assume anything. We just have to have monitors, we need to have people present. People need to come out and vote. That’s how we’re going to take care of all this stuff."

“I’m hopeful we won’t have any problems here in Tallahassee, but no one should assume anything. We just have to have monitors, we need to have people present. People need to come out and vote. That’s how we’re going to take care of all this stuff." floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/17/i...

“I think the fact that the Trump administration has not yet issued new restrictions on mifepristone is primarily because Republicans think it’s dangerous to do that politically. I think if they do impose new restrictions, it’ll be to cater to the base.” floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/17/r...

The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter, an elections forecaster, shifted 11 additional House races in the direction of Democrats on Friday — in congressional districts in Florida, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New York, Ohio and South Carolina. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/16/r...

The lack of an announcement would put Ukrainian and Sudanese TPS holders in the same situation as 200,000 Salvadorians, who are still in limbo after DHS did not renew protections set to expire on Sept. 9. floridaphoenix.com/2026/10/16/r...