News

Today is Friday, July 26, the 208th day of 2024. There are 158 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 26, 1990, President George H.W. Bush signed the ADA, prohibiting discrimination based on mental or physical disabilities.

Also on this date:

In 1775, the Continental Congress established a Post Office and appointed Benjamin Franklin its Postmaster-General.

In 1847, the western African country of Liberia, founded by freed American slaves, declared its independence.

In 1863, Sam Houston, former president of the Republic of Texas, died in Huntsville at age 70.

In 1945, Winston Churchill resigned as Britain’s prime minister after his Conservatives were soundly defeated by the Labour Party. Clement Attlee succeeded him.

In 1947, President Harry S. Truman signed the National Security Act, which reorganized America’s armed forces as the National Military Establishment and created the Central Intelligence Agency.

In 1948, President Truman issued Executive Order 9981, which desegregated the U.S. military.

In 1953, Fidel Castro began his revolt against Fulgencio Batista (fool-HEN’-see-oh bah-TEES’-tah) with an unsuccessful attack on an army barracks in eastern Cuba. (Castro ousted Batista in 1959.)

In 1971, Apollo 15 was launched from Cape Kennedy on America’s fourth successful manned mission to the moon.

In 2002, the Republican-led House voted to create an enormous Homeland Security Department in the biggest government reorganization in decades.

In 2016, Hillary Clinton became the first woman to be nominated for president by a major political party at the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia.

In 2018, the last six members of a Japanese doomsday cult who remained on death row were executed for a series of crimes in the 1990s, including a gas attack on Tokyo subways that killed 13 people.

In 2020, a processional with the casket of the late U.S. Rep. John Lewis crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Alabama, where Lewis and other civil rights marchers were beaten 55 years earlier.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard is 85.
• Football Hall of Famer Bob Lilly is 85.
• Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Darlene Love is 83.
• Singer Brenton Wood is 83.
• The Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger is 81.
• Actor Helen Mirren is 79.
• Rock musician Roger Taylor (Queen) is 75.
• Olympic gold medal figure skater Dorothy Hamill is 68.
• Actor Kevin Spacey is 65.
• Actor Sandra Bullock is 60.
• Actor Jeremy Piven is 59.
• Actor Jason Statham is 57.
• Actor Olivia Williams is 56.
• Actor Kate Beckinsale is 51.
• Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is 44.
• Actor Juliet Rylance is 44.
• Actor Monica Raymund is 38.
• Actor Francia Raisa is 36.
• Actor-singer Taylor Momsen is 31.
• Actor Elizabeth Gillies is 31.
• Actor Thomasin McKenzie is 24.

General Daily Insight for July 26, 2024

Healing isn’t always a straight line. With the wounded Chiron entering its retrograde period in fiery Aries at 9:59 am EDT, old grudges, emotional wounds, or frustrations can reawaken, asking to be reexamined and soothed. Perfectionist Venus struggles with critical Saturn, encouraging the negatives to overtake the positives in our eyes. We could be quick to share criticism when it isn’t useful. Nervous Mercury then has issues with chaotic Pluto, leading to hasty decisions that only add fuel to the fire. Proceed with patience.

Aries

March 21 – April 19

What you feel about yourself could discourage you from progress. Your personal frustrations may be especially noticeable to you at present, but focusing on your perceived shortcomings would just add salt to the wound. Someone could ask you for help or pay you a compliment, and in your haste to reply, you might put yourself down or try to negate what they’re telling you, distancing you from them. Your insecurities don’t deserve to sabotage your connections! Accept kind perspectives on yourself with grace.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

What irks you, Taurus? Annoyances from your past and nagging emotional struggles may reenter your life without warning, and you could miss the silver lining on the dark cloud with frustration stealing your focus. Family or friends might try to sway you in one direction or another, but these offerings of advice may come served with unpleasantly pointed deliveries. Make an effort to remember that there’s a good chance that they’re projecting! You’ve got cosmic permission to do what makes you happy anyway.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

You might be reexamining your connection with someone else. Whether this involves a friend, an acquaintance, or even a group of people, a rift could have begun noticeably growing between you. This will likely be confusing or even painful to deal with. It might even feel like they’re criticizing you in an effort to get a reaction out of you or to try and discredit you in front of others. Do your best to stay cool in these situations. Take the high road!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Chaos may erupt when you share a bit too much. The comments that you make without thinking might create more problems for you than you’d expect. Be aware of how the people around you could be receiving the words that you are saying, because speaking too quickly or being brutally honest can end up with your words having painful unintended consequences. It’s okay to make mistakes, but it’s better to be patient and say what you need to say the right way.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

You might be refusing to learn a lesson. This lesson may be related to your friendships and relationships. Take a look at any social patterns you’ve experienced, either with multiple people or as part of a self-focused behavior. Something needs to give! When you’re able to be honest with yourself about whatever it is you need to change or let go of, you are then able to make more stable plans for your future. Otherwise, the lesson might just keep repeating itself.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

You might be making decisions too quickly just to get them over with. Instead of thinking through decisions, this means you’re gambling on random chance or letting someone else make the decisions for you. This is not a good strategy for success! No matter how stressful you perceive the decisions to be, it may be more stressful to deal with the consequences of the ones you didn’t make. Make sure that you have a say — and one that you have thought through.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Holding a grudge may be holding you back. It’s important to be aware of what’s consuming your thoughts right now. If you find that you are consistently in a mental argument with someone who frustrated you in the past, or that you are going over someone else’s actions in conversations with multiple people, it might be that this person is consuming too much of your time. Make sure that you are living your life for you and your happiness, not wallowing in the hurtful past.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Frustrations with someone else could lead to disorganization. You might believe that someone is not doing their fair share or the right thing, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. It becomes problematic if you focus so much on their flaws that you forget your duties! It’s easier to criticize than it is to pitch in, after all. That said, it’s important to focus on what you yourself are doing. Shine in your own way and rise above! You don’t need to highlight their mistakes.

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Unwanted criticism could be hurtful. There’s a chance that your creativity or your ideas are getting shot down by someone in your life. This person might be a teacher or a mentor — someone you respect. They may not realize what their opinion means to you or that their well-meant critique sounds much more destructive than constructive. Do your best to see what you can gain from whatever they have said to you, and let the rest roll off your back.

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Long-held emotional wounds may make themselves known at any moment. You likely already remembered them — maybe you believe that hanging onto such aches means that they won’t be able to surprise you or injure you in the future. The truth is that the more that you hold on, the more that you are likely to hurt yourself with knife-sharp memories. To avoid becoming bitter, it may be best to move on from the situation entirely, even if it temporarily pains you to do so.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Social connections are currently coming under a cosmic microscope at this time. It may be that when you speak with certain people in your life, you leave feeling more afraid of the world around you. This might be their influence on you, and despite how much you care about them, don’t downplay such dampeners of your hopefulness and positivity. Do what you can to focus on the positive with them — if they refuse, it could be time to move on.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

It’s important to fill your cup first. You may be someone who wants to create stability for yourself as well as for others. Unfortunately, they may not want such security for themselves, which could throw your life into chaos as well. Although you can offer your peers advice and resources, you cannot change their perspective on life or how they approach their specific goals. Prioritize building a firm foundation for yourself, then see if they’re willing to grow with you or not.

ESPN’s Jeff Passan was the first to report on Thursday night that the Miami Marlins had traded left-handed relief pitcher A.J. Puk to the Arizona Diamondbacks for two prospects.

According to Passan, the Marlins got 21-year-old power-hitting prospect Deyvison De Los Santos, a corner infielder, and 23-year-old center fielder Andrew Pintar in return.

De Los Santos, who turned 21 on June 21, has had a big year in Double-A and Triple-A this season, crushing 28 home runs in 342 at-bats and piling up a 1.011 on-base-plus-slugging percentage (OPS) to go with his .325 batting average.

In 551 career at-bats in the minor leagues, Pintar has hit .266 with a .768 OPS.

Puk, 29, hasn’t allowed an earned run in his past 16 2/3 innings, and while his 4.30 ERA looks pedestrian, it was decimated in the first month of the year when, miscast as a starting pitcher, he opened games for his first four appearances of the season, getting hammered for 14 earned runs in those 13 2/3 innings (9.22 ERA).

Since then, Puk has a 2.08 ERA in 30 2/3 innings.

In two seasons in Miami, Puk had a 4.11 ERA in 100 2/3 innings.

More than a dozen South Florida Sun Sentinel staffers were awarded eight prizes in the statewide Florida Society of News Editors contest for their reporting on numerous beats and their photography and video work.

The awards were presented at the annual luncheon in Orlando Thursday afternoon. The Sun Sentinel was among winners in the contest’s largest division, which includes the Orlando Sentinel, the Tampa Bay Times, the Miami Herald and the Palm Beach Post.

Winning first place in the niche site category were magazines editor Mark Gauert, Cassie Armstrong and Anderson Greene for “Explore Florida & the Caribbean,” and Gauert, Anderson and features editor Melina De Rose placed second in the category for their magazine, City & Shore PRIME.

Breaking news and public safety reporter Shira Moolten earned second place for her enterprise reporting “Across the Fence,” an investigation that found South Florida’s smaller airports top the country in lead emissions.

Moolten, senior reporter Rafael Olmeda and breaking news reporter Angie DiMichele won second place in the breaking news category for their reporting on a Georgia deputy who shot and killed Leonard Cure, the first man to be exonerated by the Broward State Attorney’s Office Conviction Review Unit after serving more than 16 years in prison.

Health reporter Cindy Krischer Goodman earned second place in beat reporting for her coverage of abortion, a story on how surviving a gunshot often depends on what happens in the first five minutes after being wounded and for reporting on the lasting trauma five years after the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Reporter Ron Hurtibise placed third in the business category for his reporting on the shutdown of Boston Market restaurants across South Florida, car insurance premiums sharply increasing and why and Florida spending $1.5 million developing smartphone ID apps that hardly anyone is using.

In the photo story category, photographer and videographer Joe Cavaretta placed second for his coverage of the historic storm in April 2023 that dumped 26 inches of rain on Fort Lauderdale in a matter of hours.

Feature and entertainment writer Ben Crandell, senior staff photographer Mike Stocker and photography director Sean Pitts placed third for their video feature on how a rat scampering into the Florida Panthers’ dressing room decades ago led to the fan rat-throwing tradition and the man who started it.

By HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH and JIM SALTER

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A man who was on the verge of walking out of prison this week after a judge found evidence of “actual innocence” and overturned his murder conviction now faces a fresh legal hurdle.

The person blocking Christopher Dunn’s freedom is Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey, who is fresh off an unsuccessful battle to keep another woman whose murder conviction was reversed imprisoned.

Political scientists say Bailey’s efforts are a way to appear tough on crime and shore up votes in advance of a tough primary race. Judges and defense attorneys are voicing frustration.

“His actions are causing undue harm to this innocent individual and is a stain on our legal system,” Michael Heiskell, president of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, said when asked about Bailey’s opposition to Dunn’s release.

Here are some things to know:

Who is Christopher Dunn?

Dunn, who is Black, was 18 in 1990 when 15-year-old Ricco Rogers was killed. Among the key evidence used to convict him of first-degree murder was testimony from two boys who were at the scene of the shooting. Both later recanted their testimony, saying they had been coerced by police and prosecutors.

Judge Jason Sengheiser on Monday overturned the murder conviction of the now 52-year-old and ordered his immediate release. Bailey’s office appealed, and prison officials declined to release Dunn.

Sengheiser then held an emergency hearing Wednesday and threatened to hold the warden in contempt if he didn’t free Dunn within hours. Dunn was signing papers, preparing to walk out the door, when the Missouri Supreme Court agreed to consider Bailey’s objections and halted his release, a corrections department spokesperson said.

“That is not justice,” the Midwest Innocence Project, which is representing Dunn, said in a statement.

A spokesperson for Bailey defended the attorney general in an email Thursday night.

“Throughout the appeals process, multiple courts have affirmed Christopher Dunn’s murder conviction,” the statement said. “We will always fight for the rule of law and to obtain justice for victims.”

Dunn’s case marks the second “actual innocence” ruling in the state in recent weeks. Sandra Hemme, now 64, spent 43 years in prison for the fatal 1980 stabbing of a library worker before a judge overturned her conviction.

Appeals by Bailey — all the way up to the Missouri Supreme Court — kept Hemme imprisoned at the Chillicothe Correctional Center for more than a month after that initial ruling. During a court hearing last Friday, Judge Ryan Horsman scolded an attorney in Bailey’s office for telling the warden not to release Hemme on her own recognizance pending an appellate court review.

“To call someone and tell them to disregard a court order is wrong,” Horsman said. He said that if Hemme wasn’t released within hours, Bailey himself would have to appear in court with contempt of court on the table.

Hemme, whose attorneys with the Innocence Project described her as the longest held wrongly incarcerated woman known in the U.S., was released later that day.

“The court has to be obeyed,” said Michael Wolff, a former Missouri Supreme Court judge and chief justice.

Bailey’s opposition to innocence claims

A Missouri law adopted in 2021 lets prosecutors request hearings when they see evidence of a wrongful conviction.

The law was passed after another judge, William Hickle, found in 2020 that a jury would likely find Dunn not guilty based on new evidence. But Hickle declined to order Dunn’s release, citing a 2016 Missouri Supreme Court ruling that only people on death row could make a “freestanding” claim of actual innocence.

In 2023, Bailey opposed the release of Lamar Johnson, who spent 28 years in prison for murder. Another St. Louis judge overturned Johnson’s conviction, and he was freed.

Stakes are even higher for a hearing next month. St. Louis County’s prosecutor believes DNA evidence shows that Marcellus Williams didn’t commit the crime that landed him on death row. DNA of someone else — but not Williams — was found on the knife used in the 1998 killing, experts said.

A hearing on Williams’ innocence claim begins Aug. 21. His execution is scheduled for Sept. 24.

Bailey’s office is opposing the challenge to Williams’ conviction, too.

Bailey’s appointment as attorney general

When Eric Schmitt was elected to the U.S. Senate in November 2022, Republican Gov. Mike Parson appointed Bailey, who at the time was serving as the governor’s lawyer, as Schmitt’s replacement.

Bailey’s first election test comes in next month’s primary. Ken Warren, a professor emeritus of political science at Saint Louis University, said fighting the release of people in custody advances Bailey’s agenda.

“This will only help him with his base,” he said.

Bailey’s opponent, Will Scharf, a former federal prosecutor who recently served as an attorney for former President Donald Trump, has been attacking Bailey as liberal, said Steven Puro, professor emeritus of political science of St. Louis University.

Puro said Bailey is balancing the need to look tough while avoiding being perceived as uncaring and not obeying the law.

“Most other prosecutors have thought the risk was not worth the reward,” Puro said.

Bailey’s use of the courts

Since taking office, Bailey has sued Planned Parenthood and President Joe Biden, tried to force clinics that provide gender-affirming care to hand over their records, and pushed a liberal prosecutor to resign.

When debate over transgender minors’ access to gender-affirming health care reached a fever pitch in Missouri in 2023, Bailey tried to restrict access to both minors and adults by regulation — a move typically reserved for the state’s health department.

He later pulled the rule amid legal battles and action from the Legislature. Most recently, Bailey sued the state of New York over its prosecution of Trump, arguing that Trump’s conviction constitutes election interference.

Richard Serafini, a former federal prosecutor now in private practice, called the lawsuit against New York “one of the silliest things that I think I’ve ever heard of in the practice of law.”

And Lindsay Runnels, an attorney who serves on the board of the Midwest Innocence Project, questioned the fight to free people once judges have ruled.

“The system doesn’t work if our highest law enforcement officer in the state flouts the court system and believes that they are not accountable to them for their orders and following orders,” she said. “It’s insane.”

___

Summer Ballentine contributed to this report from Columbia, Missouri. Hollingsworth reported form Mission, Kansas.

In preparation for the upcoming school year, 73 armed guardians participated in a back-to-school training program at Keiser University Pembroke Pines on Thursday, using a training simulator to practice responding to extreme scenarios.

In a dark classroom, two armed guardians held guns that pointed a laser onto a projected screen in front of them. With over a thousand different scenarios, the guardians navigated videotaped active shooter calls, having to communicate with a partner and quickly make “shoot or don’t shoot” decisions, according to Kevin Nosowicz, Broward County Public Schools Police Chief.

After each scenario, Detective Carl Schlosser discussed the approach the guardians took in their response and then the correct ways each scenario should be handled.

“We told him to drop the weapon. He didn’t, so I eliminated the target,” armed guardian Shalon Jackson said, explaining his response to address one shooter scenario.

Broward school armed guardians Shalon Jackson, left, and Franco Fernandez train with the MILO Range Simulator at Keiser University in Pembroke Pines on Thursday, as Keiser University Criminal Justice program director Carlos Vesco, second from left, and Broward County Public Schools Police Detective Carl Schlosser look on. The Multiple Interactive Learning Objective system can simulate active-shooter situations so guardians can train in what feels like real life. (Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel)

With the sixth-largest school district in the country, Broward County uses “more guardians than anyone else in the state,” Nosowicz said. “And the program’s only gotten stronger.”

Led by the Broward Schools Police, the training included instruction in firearms use, tactics and de-escalation, with the goal of providing safety to Broward County schools. The simulation training is in addition to the annual training the guardians receive two weeks before the start of the school year.

“Law enforcement — it’s always changing. The more training you get, the better off you’re going to be,” Robert Ung, a retired law enforcement officer with over 20 years of experience, said.

The guardian program was created in 2018 in the wake of the Parkland shooting. Before that, only sworn law enforcement officers were allowed to carry guns on school campuses, but the state Legislature passed a law requiring every school to have at least one armed officer per school, and guardians were an option.

The school district considered phasing out the guardian program last school year and creating a full-fledged police department, but the School Board rejected that. They could be used at more schools as cities like Pembroke Pines say they can’t afford to provide police at the current rate the district pays.

The armed guardians are the men and women in bright yellow shirts equipped with the necessary skills to act as the first line of defense in the school district’s efforts to protect students and staff. They are veterans, former law enforcement officers and former security personnel.

“I saw this as an opportunity to protect people. To protect the children and protect the future of our country,” Dwayne Jiles, a veteran who spent 20 years in the Army Military Police, said. “That’s really important to me, because I also have children and for them I would want someone that’s willing to sacrifice themselves for others.”

Broward Schools armed guardian Armando Acosta trains with the MILO Range Simulator at Keiser University in Pembroke Pines on Thursday. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

In a partnership with Keiser University, Broward Schools Police used the new Multiple Interactive Learning Objective Range simulator for Thursday’s training. The MILO system, a simulation learning tool, is designed for critical incident training, de-escalation tactics, decision support training, traditional tactical judgment training, and firearms proficiency training.

Jiles, who will be going into his seventh year as a guardian and has children of his own, has seen first-hand how the guardians benefit the school system.

“The kids, they come to you, they rely on you,” Jiles said. “They let you know if anything is going on.”

Broward Schools armed guardian Simona Burges trains with the MILO Range Simulator at Keiser University in Pembroke Pines on Thursday, as Keiser University Criminal Justice program director Carlos Vesco, center, and Broward County Public Schools Police Detective Carl Schlosser look on. (Amy Beth Bennett / South Florida Sun Sentinel)

TALLAHASSEE — A political committee leading efforts to pass a constitutional amendment on abortion rights has asked the Florida Supreme Court to invalidate a revised “financial impact statement” that would appear on the November ballot with the initiative.

The Floridians Protecting Freedom committee on Wednesday filed a petition contending that House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, and Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, did not have the authority to direct a panel to revise the statement after a circuit judge rejected an earlier version.

Financial impact statements provide estimated effects of proposed constitutional amendments on government revenues and the state budget. A panel known as the Financial Impact Estimating Conference issued a revised statement July 15, but Floridians Protecting Freedom contends the statement is politicized and inaccurate.

The petition filed at the Supreme Court said the statement could have only been revised after a court order, not because of direction from state leaders.

“The state’s lack of authority to unilaterally revise a financial impact statement does make good sense,” Floridians Protecting Freedom attorneys wrote. “Consider the chaos caused by the alternative: The state could change financial impact statements on a whim, at any time, for any reason — providing sponsors, litigants, and the public little or no time to digest the statements or to challenge them before they are irrevocably placed on the ballot.”

The Financial Impact Estimating Conference released an initial statement for the proposed amendment in November 2023. But on April 1, the Supreme Court issued a ruling that allowed a six-week abortion limit to take effect.

Floridians Protecting Freedom filed a lawsuit on April 5 arguing that the November financial-impact statement needed to be revised because it was outdated after the Supreme Court ruling. Leon County Circuit Judge John Cooper agreed and ordered the Financial Impact Estimating Conference to draft a new version.

State lawyers appealed, arguing that Cooper did not have legal authority to issue such an order. Amid the appeal, Renner and Passidomo directed the Financial Impact Estimating Conference to revamp the statement.

The revised statement led the 1st District Court of Appeal on Monday to dismiss the pending legal case, saying it was moot.

“The result is that, absent this (Supreme) Court’s intervention, the state intends to place a Financial Impact Statement on the ballot that is plainly misleading in contravention (of a Supreme Court precedent and a section of state law) and the circuit court order,” Wednesday’s petition said. “But here’s the thing. This (Supreme) Court need not — and should not — sanction this unlawful outcome, for one very simple reason: The state never had the power to reconvene the conference and revise the statement outside the parameters established by the circuit court.”

The proposed constitutional amendment will appear on the ballot as Amendment 4. It says, in part, that no “law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient’s health, as determined by the patient’s healthcare provider.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis and other state Republican leaders are fighting the proposed amendment. Representatives of DeSantis and the House spearheaded controversial revisions in the financial impact statement.

In part, the revised statement says there is “uncertainty about whether the amendment will require the state to subsidize abortions with public funds. Litigation to resolve those and other uncertainties will result in additional costs to the state government and state courts that will negatively impact the state budget. An increase in abortions may negatively affect the growth of state and local revenues over time. Because the fiscal impact of increased abortions on state and local revenues and costs cannot be estimated with precision, the total impact of the proposed amendment is indeterminate.”

By SOPHIE AUSTIN

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Justice Elena Kagan on Thursday became the first member of the U.S. Supreme Court to call publicly for beefing up its new ethics code by adding a way to enforce it.

In her first public remarks since the nation’s highest court wrapped up its term earlier this month, Kagan said she wouldn’t have signed onto the new rules if she didn’t believe they were good. But having good rules is not enough, she said.

“The thing that can be criticized is, you know, rules usually have enforcement mechanisms attached to them, and this one — this set of rules — does not,” Kagan said at an annual judicial conference held by the 9th Circuit. More than 150 judges, attorneys, court personnel and others attended.

It would be difficult to figure out who should enforce the ethics code, though it should probably be other judges, the liberal justice said, adding that another difficult question is what should happen if the rules are broken. Kagan proposed that Chief Justice John Roberts could appoint a committee of respected judges to enforce the rules.

Democrats, including President Joe Biden, have renewed talk of Supreme Court reforms, including possible term limits and an ethics code enforceable by law.

The court had been considering adopting an ethics code for several years, but the effort took on added urgency after ProPublica reported last year that Justice Clarence Thomas did not disclose luxury trips he accepted from a major Republican donor. ProPublica also reported on an undisclosed trip to Alaska taken by Justice Samuel Alito, and The Associated Press published stories on both liberal and conservative justices engaging in partisan activity.

Earlier this year, Alito was again criticized after The New York Times reported that an upside-down American flag, a symbol associated with former President Donald Trump’s false claims of election fraud, was displayed outside his home. Alito said he had no involvement in the flag being flown upside down.

Public confidence in the court has slipped sharply in recent years. In June, a survey for The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found that 4 in 10 U.S. adults have hardly any confidence in the justices and 70% believe they are more likely to be guided by their own ideology rather than serving as neutral arbiters.

Kagan, who was nominated to the Supreme Court in 2010 by then-President Barack Obama, said Thursday that having a way to enforce the ethics code would also protect justices if they are wrongly accused of misconduct.

“Both in terms of enforcing the rules against people who have violated them but also in protecting people who haven’t violated them — I think a system like that would make sense,” she said.

The Supreme Court ruled on a range of contentious issues this term, from homelessness to abortion access to presidential immunity. Kagan was in the minority as she opposed decisions to clear the way for states to enforce homeless encampment bans and make former presidents broadly immune from criminal prosecution of official acts. Kagan joined with the court’s eight other justices in preserving access to mifepristone, an abortion medication.

Kagan has spoken in the past about how the court is losing trust in the eyes of the public. She said after the court overturned Roe v. Wade in 2022 that judges could lose legitimacy if they’re seen as “an extension of the political process or when they’re imposing their own personal preferences.”

___

Associated Press writer Mark Sherman in Washington contributed to this report.

___

Austin is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Follow Austin on X: @sophieadanna

GAINESVILLE — The Florida men’s basketball team will headline the 2024 ESPN Events Invitational at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Kissimmee during the Thanksgiving holiday.

ESPN announced the Gators, coming off a 24-11 season in Todd Golden’s second year, will join Minnesota, Wake Forest and Wichita State during a four-team, two-day tournament running Nov. 28-29.

Matchups, along with game and TV times, will be announced at a later date.

UF returns starting guards Walter Clayton Jr., the team’s leading scorer in 2023-24, and Will Richards. The duo returned after exploring professional options during the offseason.

Junior point guard Denzel Aberdeen, a former Orlando Dr. Phillips standout who emerged late last season, and sophomore post players Alex Condon Jr. and Thomas Haugh also return.

Florida guards Will Richard (5) and Walter Clayton Jr. (center) return as starters for the Gators. (Grant Halverson/Getty)

The Gators added three intriguing transfers, including explosive FAU guard Alijah Martin — a key member of the Owls’ 2023 Final Four team. Power foward Sam Alexis, a 6-foot-9, 225-pound transfer from Chattanooga, and 6-foot-11 Washington State transfer Rueben Chinyelu provide length and athleticism inside.

Shooting guard Isaiah Brown of Orlando Christian Prep will join the Gators as a first-year freshman.

Florida last appeared in the event in November 2016, finishing third in an eight-team field, beating Seton Hall and Miami.

The Gators’ 2024-25 non-conference schedule also includes a Dec. 4 visit from Virginia in the SEC-ACC Challenge.

Tickets will go on sale later this summer, but fans can apply for pre-sale tickets at the ESPN Events Invitational website.

Edgar Thompson can be reached at egthompson@orlandosentinel.com

WEST PALM BEACH — The acting Secret Service director taking the helm of a department grappling with its failures after the Trump assassination attempt got his start as a local police officer fighting drug crimes during the crack cocaine epidemic.

Ronald Rowe always wanted to be in the Secret Service, assistant West Palm Beach Police Chief Tony Spatara recalled Thursday, ever since the two went through the police academy together in 1995. Now, the former patrol officer will take charge of the entire organization, replacing Kimberly Cheatle after calls for her removal and a tense appearance before Congress culminated in her resignation Tuesday.

“He told us in the police academy, his goal was to make it into the presidential protection detail,” Spatara said.

Rowe and Spatara had graduated in the same academy class out of what was once Palm Beach Community College, then worked together in the police department for close to four years as part of its “HOPE” or High Profile Police Enforcement unit, patrolling the streets in the city’s drug-stricken areas.

Ronald Rowe and Assistant Chief Tony Spatara graduated from the police academy together in the late 1990s. (West Palm Beach Police/courtesy)

Rowe’s experience as a local police officer will take on a new significance at a time when the coordination between the Secret Service and local police in Butler, Pennsylvania, the day of the assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, faces ever-heightening scrutiny.

Related Articles

• Crime and Public Safety | Secret Service director steps down after assassination attempt against ex-President Trump at rally

Once, when Rowe was working as part of a security detail at St. Mary’s Medical Center, a man went inside looking for drugs, pulled out a gun and threatened a doctor. Rowe managed to handle the situation before it got worse, Spatara said. Another time, in 1997, Rowe and Spatara and two other officers responded to a call about someone cooking up crack. When they arrived, the man opened the door and knew he was about to be arrested, fighting back until the officers were able to restrain him.

“Municipal or local law enforcement experience is very helpful in (the Secret Service) role because you learn to read people and deal with people and calm situations,” Spatara said.

Rowe also used to work under current Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw, who commended Rowe’s career and character Thursday.

“He’s a solid guy, great family man, good ethics. He’s got a great moral compass, and it will serve him well, without a doubt,” he said.

The organization’s “reputation took a hit” due to the assassination attempt of Trump, Bradshaw added, but Rowe is “perfectly equipped” to restore it.

Former colleagues remember Rowe as intelligent and astute. Nicole Abreu, an accreditation manager at the police department who once worked with Rowe on night patrol, described him as “very professional,” “very clean cut,” and “an excellent police officer.”

Ronald Rowe in 1999. (West Palm Beach Police/Courtesy)

After his four years in West Palm Beach, Rowe moved on to join the Secret Service in 1999. Over the years, he had kept in touch with some of his closer friends in the department, Abreu said, sending pictures of things like himself getting out of the helicopter with former President George W. Bush. Recently, Spatara called to congratulate him on the job.

Joining the Secret Service presidential detail alone is “no easy bar to get across,” Spatara said. Still, neither he nor Abreu were surprised when word got out that Rowe became the director.

“I knew Ron was going to accomplish it,” Spatara said. “But not many people in this country can make that claim.”

Staff writer Abigail Hasebroock contributed to this report.

Today is Thursday, July 25, the 207th day of 2024. There are 159 days left in the year.

Today’s Highlight in History:

On July 25, 1972, the notorious Tuskegee syphilis experiment came to light as The Associated Press reported that for the previous four decades, the U.S. Public Health Service, in conjunction with the Tuskegee Institute in Alabama, had been allowing poor, rural Black male patients with syphilis to go without treatment, even allowing more than 100 of them to die, as a way of studying the disease.

Also on this date:

In 1866, Ulysses S. Grant was named General of the Army of the United States, the first officer to hold the rank.

In 1943, Benito Mussolini was dismissed as premier of Italy by King Victor Emmanuel III, and placed under arrest. (He was later rescued by the Nazis and re-asserted his authority.)

In 1946, the United States detonated an atomic bomb near Bikini Atoll in the Pacific in the first underwater test of the device.

In 1956, the Italian liner SS Andrea Doria collided with the Swedish passenger ship Stockholm off the New England coast late at night and began sinking; 51 people — 46 from the Andrea Doria, five from the Stockholm — were killed. (The Andrea Doria capsized and sank the following morning.)

In 1960, a Woolworth’s store in Greensboro, North Carolina that had been the scene of nearly six months of sit-in protests against its whites-only lunch counter dropped its segregation policy.

In 1978, Louise Joy Brown, the first “test tube baby,” was born in Oldham, England; she’d been conceived through the technique of in-vitro fertilization.

In 1994, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin and Jordan’s King Hussein signed a declaration at the White House ending their countries’ 46-year-old formal state of war.

In 2000, a New York-bound Air France Concorde crashed outside Paris shortly after takeoff, killing all 109 people on board and four people on the ground; it was the first-ever crash of the supersonic jet.

In 2010, the online whistleblower Wikileaks posted some 90,000 leaked U.S. military records that amounted to a blow-by-blow account of the Afghanistan war, including unreported incidents of Afghan civilian killings as well as covert operations against Taliban figures.

In 2018, a study published in the journal Science revealed that a huge lake of salty water appears to be buried deep in Mars, raising the possibility of finding life on the planet.

In 2019, President Donald Trump had a second phone call with the new Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, during which he solicited Zelenskyy’s help in gathering potentially damaging information about former Vice President Joe Biden; that night, a staff member at the White House Office of Management and Budget signed a document that officially put military aid for Ukraine on hold.

In 2022, on a visit to Canada, Pope Francis issued a historic apology for the Catholic Church’s cooperation with the country’s “catastrophic” policy of Indigenous residential schools, saying the forced assimilation of Native peoples into Christian society destroyed their cultures, severed families and marginalized generations.

Today’s Birthdays:

• Elizabeth Francis, the oldest living American, is 114.
• Folk-pop singer-musician Bruce Woodley (The Seekers) is 82.
• Rock musician Jim McCarty (The Yardbirds) is 81.
• Reggae singer Rita Marley is 78.
• Musician Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire) is 73.
• Model-actor Iman is 69.
• Rock musician Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) is 66.
• Celebrity chef/TV personality Geoffrey Zakarian is 65.
• Actor Matt LeBlanc is 57.
• Actor Wendy Raquel Robinson is 57.
• Actor David Denman is 51.
• Actor Jay R. Ferguson is 50.
• Actor James Lafferty (TV: “One Tree Hill”) is 39.
• Actor Meg Donnelly (TV: “American Housewife”) is 24.

General Daily Insight for July 25, 2024

We’re making dreams real. With the emotional Moon working hand-in-hand with dreamy Neptune, our emotions may fluctuate, but our intuition expands. The Moon then moves into fiery Aries, activating the turbo drive for motivation. When communicative Mercury jogs into its home sign of meticulous Virgo at 6:42 pm EDT, we’re able to organize our thoughts and focus like a laser. Later on, the confident Sun supports driven Mars to make it obvious that we’re on a beeline for progress. No more waiting!

Aries

March 21 – April 19

Creativity can get you out of a bind. You might have been stumped by a problem that you needed to solve for quite some time, but you’ve likely been thinking about it in a rigid way. When you get out of the box, you’ll be able to see more pathways to a brighter future and better solutions. It may not be easy, but you can release whatever you once thought you needed to succeed. Don’t let a faulty plan block you from the right one.

Taurus

April 20 – May 20

Friendship makes it easier to pick yourself up. You may have been feeling listless lately, but the people who love you can lift you up when you’re feeling down. Even if you’re in a place where you feel alone, look back on past messages or cards from friends. Keep in mind that genuine friendship will always find you again if you seek it out. When you tap into your past to remember what you wanted from your future, you can discover valuable insights.

Gemini

May 21 – June 20

Hopes and dreams aren’t as far from reality as they may seem. You’re letting yourself open up to past ambitions that you had once held for yourself and your future, now that certain people, places, or situations are no longer holding you back. This clarity can carry you to amazing heights. It’s possible that you’ll be given the opportunity to express your creativity by working on some solo projects as well as with others, with maximum self-expression all around. Don’t hold yourself back!

Cancer

June 21 – July 22

Let your inspiration become part of your surroundings. There’s a strong benefit to creating personal vision boards at this time, as they’re a great way to manifest a more positive lifestyle, remind you of your goals, and invite inner change. Get creative! Even if you don’t have any physical supplies, you can find pictures online that inspire you and assemble them into a computer or phone background. Put the power of visualization to work for you by ensuring your dreams stay in view.

Leo

July 23 – August 22

Show the world what you’re capable of! You may have known what you wanted to do for a while, but were scared of what might happen if you opened yourself up to criticism after being seen for the genuine person you are. Everyone receives their fair share of critique in life, and as long as you’re not hurting anyone else, it’s important for you to do your best and then let the chips fall where they will. Don’t live with regret.

Virgo

August 23 – September 22

New knowledge is on the way. Whether you’re studying for a class for school, for fun, or to learn a life skill, it’s important to give it your full attention. There’s no need to waste your time worrying about being immediately good at what you learn. Give yourself grace when you fall, and allow yourself the freedom to go back and try again without feeling ashamed of your efforts. Seize the opportunity to learn — you never know when this knowledge might come in handy.

Libra

September 23 – October 22

Preserving your energy can protect you from chaos. You might be promising a lot to others or spreading yourself too thin on your own projects. Either way, the time has come to focus your energy into one area. Sometimes it’s easier to juggle multiple opportunities to pitch in, but other times, you’d be wiser to fully commit to one or two things. That way, vital tests or activities will be able to benefit from your full attention. Figure out your priorities for success.

Scorpio

October 23 – November 21

Other people may be the key to your inspiration. There might be something that you’re missing right now, whether it’s sprucing up your resume, decorating your house, or getting involved in any project where you’re too close to see what’s not right. Two heads would probably be better than one in this case, allowing you to recognize an outsider’s perspective and break through the fog. Once you see what you’ve been looking at through their eyes, your eureka moment could strike!

Sagittarius

November 22 – December 21

Routine might be providing space for freedom. It may feel unnatural for you, trying to squeeze yourself into a schedule to make more time for you to be creative or to rest, but sometimes setting up a pattern is necessary before you can freestyle. It would also be a good idea to look critically at any time-wasting bad habits and cut them out of your life. That should also give you more space for your true desires. Take charge of your day!

Capricorn

December 22 – January 19

Your family may inspire you to make moves you’ve been hesitant about. It might have been some time since you began dreaming of certain milestones. Pay attention to advice from relatives or those who have been close with you for a long time — they could remind you that you still have time to become the person you want to be! You’re also allowed to be proud of the strides you’ve already taken. You’ve worked hard to get here and can go even further someday.

Aquarius

January 20 – February 18

Let your heart lead you. Your mind may be racing at a million miles an hour with fresh ideas at the moment, but you can’t do everything at once. What could offer you the direction that you’re seeking is the compass within you, your heart, telling you to go the way that makes you feel alive while maintaining a sense of internal peace. There may also be several people giving you advice right now, but your path forward should begin from within.

Pisces

February 19 – March 20

Your mind is more powerful than you may know. That said, your mindset might need a bit of recalibrating, especially if you’ve been hard on yourself lately. This self-criticism could be valid, but don’t let it linger in your mind just to punish yourself. You can learn from your mistakes by ensuring you differentiate between your mistakes and the things that make you different from other people. Be true to yourself — and avoid comparing your progress to that of the people around you.

Name: Barbara Sharief

Campaign website: Shariefforflorida.com

Date, place of birth: November 7, 1971. Miami, Florida

Education:
⦁ Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP), Wilkes University, 2017
⦁ Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), Florida International University, 2000
⦁ Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner (ARNP) Certification, Florida International University, 2000
⦁ Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Florida International University, 1996
⦁ Associate of Science Degree (AS), Nursing, Miami-Dade Community College, 1994
⦁ Jackson Memorial Hospital School of Nursing, Diploma, 1992
⦁ North Miami Senior High School, Graduate, 1989

Occupation:
Doctor of Nursing Practice, Autonomous Advanced Practice Registered Nurse and Healthcare Business Owner

Work history past 15 years. List in reverse chronological order. 
Advanced Practice Registered Nurse, August 2000 to Present
Responsibilities: Primary Family Care
Doctor of Nursing Practice/ President/Owner- South Florida Pediatric Homecare Inc., July 2001 to 2022
Responsibilities:
Manage the daily operations of two multimillion-dollar home healthcare agencies.
In-depth knowledge of skills required in hiring and managing the appropriate staff within the agency.
Familiarity with complexities of cost-efficient decision-making and handling of resources.
Possession of technical proficiency in budget design and targeting health care grants and loans.
Competency in developing small businesses and a progressive visualization for creating jobs within the community.
Extensive background in pediatric, adult, medical surgical nursing, critical care, and management within the home health and healthcare industry

Have you been arrested, charged, or convicted of a crime, had an adjudication withheld, or had a matter sealed or expunged? If yes, please explain.
No

Have you been a plaintiff or defendant in a civil action, including bankruptcy or foreclosure, or had a restraining order issued against you? If so, please explain.
No

Why are you running for this office, and what specifically makes you a better candidate than your opponent(s)?
I want to put my education and experience to work serving the people of District 35 in Tallahassee, focusing on the issues important to our residents like access to quality healthcare, lower property insurance, affordable housing, social justice, voter rights, LGBTQ rights, women’s rights, water resources, strengthening education, creating good paying jobs for our residents, reasonable gun legislation, and providing financial assistance to those who were permanently financially damaged by the COVID 19 pandemic.

What makes me better is my experience serving in elected office as a City Commissioner, City Vice Mayor, County Commissioner, and County Mayor. This gives me a unique perspective on solving the issues facing our state. I have been involved in Statewide matters for over 14 years, including serving as the President of the Florida Association of Counties. As a member of the 16-county coalition on water resources, I know the challenges we face with Broward’s aging water infrastructure. I have worked with Presidents and Governors to bring resources to Broward. For example, affordable housing, trade, tourism, small business support, and handling of the homeless crisis are just a few. My opponents have no experience, have never been elected to office, and one has resorted to publishing negative mailers with lies in them to try to win. They have no record to run on. I am running on the issues that matter to this community.

What are the three most important issues currently facing your legislative district?
⦁ Affordable Housing: Many residents struggle with the high cost of living and finding affordable housing options. Addressing housing affordability and increasing the availability of affordable homes is crucial for ensuring that all residents have a place to live.

⦁ Economic Development and Jobs: Creating job opportunities and fostering economic growth, particularly in underserved areas, are vital for the district’s prosperity. Efforts to attract businesses, support local entrepreneurs, and provide job training programs can significantly improve residents’ economic outlook.

⦁ Healthcare Access: Expanding access to affordable healthcare, including mental health services, is a significant concern. Addressing disparities in healthcare delivery and ensuring that all residents have access to necessary medical services are essential for the community’s well-being.

After the 2024 session, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed all money for arts and cultural programs and projects, estimated at $32 million, to more than 600 organizations. Do you agree or disagree with this veto and why?
I strongly disagree with Governor DeSantis’ decision to veto the $32 million in funding for arts and cultural programs. This action strips our communities of valuable cultural and educational opportunities and undermines the economic benefits these programs bring. The arts are a powerful tool for education, expression, and community building, especially in marginalized communities where such programs can foster a sense of belonging and identity. The arts also have a significant economic impact. They create jobs, attract tourism, and stimulate local economies.

In the 2024 session, the Legislature passed a major change to Florida’s ethics law (SB 7014), requiring a complainant to have personal knowledge of the facts of a case. Would you have voted for or against this law and why?
I would have voted against SB 7014. This law also eliminates the ability to file complaints anonymously, which is particularly concerning. Allowing citizens to file anonymous complaints is crucial because it can protect individuals from potential retaliation. Such restrictions could deter people from coming forward with valid concerns, reducing overall accountability.

In the 2024 case, the Legislature passed a law (HB 1365) prohibiting homeless people from sleeping in public spaces. Would you have voted for or against the law, and why?
I also would have voted against this legislation, which effectively criminalizes the act of sleeping or camping in public spaces, which is not only cruel and inhumane but also fundamentally misguided. By penalizing our most vulnerable citizens for their mere existence in public spaces, we are not solving the crisis of homelessness; we are exacerbating it. Homelessness should not be a crime. We must focus on finding and adequately funding solutions: increasing affordable housing, expanding mental health services, and strengthening the social safety net.

Should state abortion laws include exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking, and why?
YES!!! First, I believe that everyone should have the right to decide if and when they wish to have a baby. The personal right to bodily autonomy and the right to privacy should be the floor, not the ceiling. People who are survivors of rape, incest or human trafficking should never be forced to carry a baby to term, nor should they bear the burden of having to prove that was the case. Additionally, there’s not one law that stops a man from having a vasectomy, which is a form of planned parenting, so why are there so many laws that prohibit a woman’s bodily autonomy? Make it make sense!

Do you support or oppose a proposed “open carry” or “constitutional carry” law for Florida and why?
I strongly oppose the idea of ‘open carry’ or ‘constitutional carry’ laws in Florida. It would be completely dangerous to people everywhere and to law enforcement. Less regulation of guns would only make us less safe; it would make it more difficult to identify active shooters and has the real danger of rapidly escalating to a wild, wild west shootout scenario. As a survivor of gun violence, I know the devastation it causes, and gun violence is becoming too frequent in America.

What additional measures do you support to address Florida’s property insurance crisis?
I believe there should be a cap on the annual premium increases that insurance carriers can charge homeowners. In some instances, right now, they are raising rates by as much as 50%. If there are no claims, there should be no reason to increase rates in every area of Florida.

Additionally, we need to guarantee that insurers provide affordable policies for Florida homeowners. This would require that the state enable the expansion of Citizens to spread the risk, which would require massive financial support from the state.

Describe in detail one demographic, economic or social factor about your legislative district that sets it apart from all others.
Senate District 35 stands out for its Black and Hispanic communities, which are currently facing increasing challenges due to rising living expenses, especially in housing and insurance.

The cornerstone of my campaign has been implementing a Social Justice Reform Plan to address these deep-rooted issues. By tackling the causes of social inequalities, we aim to bring about significant changes. Key aspects of this plan include creating job opportunities and improving access— measures that can help reduce youth incarceration rates and improve the overall welfare of our community. I am dedicated to empowering our minority communities as their progress is crucial for achieving fairness and prosperity across our district.

Name: Chad Klitzman

Campaign website: www.countonchad.com

Date, place of birth: November 10, 1993 / Hollywood, Florida

Education:
JD with honors, Columbia Law School (2018)
BA in Political Science, summa cum laude, University of Pennsylvania (2015)
I am the proud product of a Broward County Public Schools education and finished in the top 1% of my class at Cypress Bay High School in 2012.

Occupation: Attorney & Screenwriter

Work history past 15 years. List in reverse chronological order.
From April 2022 to June 2024, I worked as an equity capital markets lawyer at White & Case – one of the world’s leading law firms.
From September 2018 to October 2019 and from October 2020 to April 2022, I worked at another leading firm – Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP. I worked on several high-profile, multi-billion dollar corporate transactions and provided free legal services to those unable to afford a lawyer as part of my pro bono practice. I am admitted to the Florida, New York and Colorado Bars.
While in law school, from 2016 to 2018, I worked in the legal department at JetBlue Airways. I also served as the Executive Managing Editor of the Columbia Journal of Law and Social Problems and published a legal note dealing largely with administrative agency operations.
Additionally, I served in the Assistant Chief Counsel’s office at the Federal Highway Administration (2016) and was tasked with interpreting agency statutes and protocols. I also spent a summer in the litigation department of the Miami office of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP (2017).
I was selected to serve in the Obama White House in 2014 and was placed in the Office of Management and Administration, joining the East Wing team responsible for coordinating logistics for events on White House grounds. I managed dozens of volunteers and worked alongside senior staff in staging events on White House grounds, some of which brought tens of thousands of people to the mansion and gardens.
While in college, I received concurrent positions in the offices of Governor John Hickenlooper and Congresswoman Diana DeGette (2013). I also spent a summer analyzing agency processes at the Federal Aviation Administration (2014).
Finally, I wrote and co-produced the multi-million dollar Netflix original film “Candy Jar,” a production that employed over 100 people and starred Academy Award- and Emmy-winning actors. The film was released in April 2018.

Have you been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime, had an adjudication withheld or had a matter sealed or expunged? If yes, please explain.
No.

Have you been a plaintiff or defendant in a civil action, including bankruptcy or foreclosure or had a restraining order issued against you? If so, please explain.
No.

Why are you running for this office and what specifically makes you a better candidate than your opponent(s)? 
Senate District 35 is my home. I grew up here. I went to public school here. And my passion for public service is rooted in my early experiences in the district as Student Ambassador to the Broward League of Cities and President of Kids Voting Broward.

Despite lucrative opportunities to permanently move away, I made the decision to return to Florida after law school, because we’ve become far less affordable and inclusive and are desperately in need of new leadership. Getting voters activated is in my DNA and what we need now more than ever is a new generation of leadership equipped to tackle our growing list of challenges. If elected, I would be the youngest member of the Senate and one of its only LGBTQ+ members.

Having knocked on almost 8,000 doors personally, I have the energy to deliver that generational change and address key challenges like the insurance crisis and the assault on our rights. Additionally, as our websites show, I am the only person in this race with concrete proposals responsive to the needs of our community and have the backing of the greatest number of current and former legislators.

But this seat is about more than pressing buttons in Tallahassee. We need a fighter who stands ready to elect Democrats up and down the ballot, and I am the only person in this race with a demonstrated history of supporting candidates financially and also pounding the pavement for them. We have (unnecessarily) lost critical school board and city commission seats to extremists and need to undo the damage – and I’m not waiting to get elected to get started on that work.

My campaign is home to the largest voter outreach operation of any legislative campaign in the state, and over 50 young people (many of whom are receiving college credit) are making calls, knocking on doors and assembling biweekly on Zoom for lectures about campaigns and the legislative process.

What are the three most important issues currently facing your legislative district?
Property Insurance/Affordable Housing – Every day, I meet voters who can no longer afford to live in Senate District 35 (or anywhere in Florida). Multiple reports have shown that Florida is now one of the most, if not the most, expensive places to live in America – and our insurance premiums regularly set national records. We need to find innovative ways to decrease the cost of living in this state and incentivize the development of affordable housing so our hometown heroes – teachers, firefighters, police officers, etc. – can afford to live in the communities they serve.

Restoration of Rights – Our rights are under attack, and, in many cases, have been stripped away. As an LGBTQ+ person who hopes to raise a family in Florida some day, this fight is personal. Voters in this district are deeply concerned about Florida’s new abortion ban, the endless attacks on our ability to cast a ballot (especially with respect to vote by mail), the destructive rhetoric being hurled towards the LGBTQ+ community and the dangerous attacks on classroom learning (ie. book bans). On the voting front specifically, we need champions of democracy serving in state legislative offices who are committed to securely expanding access to the ballot. I spent a year of my life studying Supervisor of Elections offices while running for Broward Supervisor of Elections and visited all 67 Florida county elections offices in the process. I hope to use what I learned through that experience to make our elections more accessible and secure statewide.

Environmental Protection – We need to combat the impacts of sea-level rise and quickly improve our drainage infrastructure to mitigate the impact of flooding that seems to get worse each and every year. This work also needs to include preserving the Everglades, a significant portion of which is in the district.

After the 2024 session, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed all money for arts and cultural programs and projects, estimated at $32 million, to more than 600 organizations. Do you agree or disagree with this veto and why?
I strongly disagree with this veto and would be well-positioned to advocate for arts and cultural programs as a member of the Florida Senate. If elected, I would be the only professional artist in the Florida Legislature.

The reason behind Governor DeSantis’ veto is deeply disturbing but not very surprising given his track record. Governor DeSantis’ alleged concern was that some of the money – .002%, to be exact – would go to the Orlando and Tampa Fringe Festivals. Despite both Fringe Festivals offering to not accept their funds if it meant the rest of the allotted arts dollars would get to their intended recipients, Governor DeSantis has not budged and remains committed to flaming culture wars rather than making decisions that are in the best interests of Floridians and our economy.
Arts and cultural programs and projects are an important economic engine for our state – generating nearly $6 billion in economic activity every year and supporting over 90,000 jobs. We must support these initiatives given the powerful impact that the arts can have on a community – especially for young people. I have also been vocal in my support for increased funding for arts education and would support our state working to compete with Georgia and other states that offer tax incentives for film production.

In the 2024 session, the Legislature passed a major change to Florida’s ethics law (SB 7014) requiring a complainant to have personal knowledge of the facts of a case. Would you have voted for or against this law and why?
I would not have supported SB 7014. In an era when there is record distrust in governmental institutions, the last thing we should be doing is creating an environment that is less transparent and hinders the ability of our people to hold leadership accountable.

The new requirement that complainants have personal knowledge of the facts of a case will almost certainly result in a marked decrease in the number of complaints that are filed given that publicly available information will no longer be considered sufficient for the purposes of a valid complaint. With a requirement that folks have “personal knowledge” of an alleged violation, a small subset of government employees would likely be the only folks truly eligible to file complaints against public officers and employees for ethics violations but likely will not do so given fear of retribution (unless acting pursuant to whistleblower statutes).

In addition, SB 7014 significantly weakens the power of local ethics commissions – many of which are better equipped to tackle local issues than the State Commission on Ethics – and only increases the likelihood of corruption in local government. At a time when there are fewer and fewer journalists covering city hall, it is critical we empower citizens to take action if appropriate. This legislation does the opposite.

In the 2024 case, the Legislature passed a law (HB 1365) that prohibits homeless people from sleeping in public spaces. Would you have voted for or against this law and why?
I would not have voted for HB1365. We have an affordability crisis in this state and it is despicable that rather than tackle that issue head on, the Legislature effectively criminalized homelessness. We should be exploring “Housing First” options that have worked in other areas and reflect the basic principle that if someone doesn’t have a place to call home, every other aspect of their life becomes far more difficult. A study from 2019 showed that permanent supportive housing programs showed an up to 96% housing retention rate and participants had significant declines in the need for other social services, resulting in considerable savings to taxpayers. Having written a legal note at Columbia on the disturbing college student homelessness epidemic, this is a topic I am quite familiar with, and I hope to meaningfully address the underlying causes of homelessness as a member of the Florida Senate.

I also want to note another reason I would have voted against this law is because it is yet another unfunded mandate that unfairly burdens our local governments.

Should state abortion laws include exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking, and why?
Yes. State abortion laws should include exceptions for victims of rape, incest and human trafficking. After enduring truly traumatizing experiences against their own free will, victims of rape, incest and human trafficking should not then be forced to carry a child to term against their own free will. For such a position to now be state law speaks to the extreme nature of the Florida Republican Party under Governor Ron DeSantis. We also have to acknowledge that such bans increase the number of women seeking abortions illegally, and that poses a significant public health risk.

I support a woman’s right to choose and will do everything in my power to restore reproductive rights in the Sunshine State and codify reproductive rights in the Florida Constitution. This work begins by fighting to clear 60% on Amendment Four this November and then doing whatever we can to ensure the will of the voters is honored as the changes to state law get implemented.

Do you support or oppose a proposed “open carry” or “constitutional carry” law for Florida and why?

I oppose “open carry” laws and the recently passed “constitutional carry” law. These types of laws do not make our communities safer and only increase the likelihood there will be another tragic incident involving a gun. A Johns Hopkins study found that in states where weapons laws were pulled back, there was a marked increase in the number of assaults involving a firearm. And while I support someone’s right to own a gun, I also believe there is no need for a civilian to possess an assault rifle.

As a member of the Florida Senate, I would support the strengthening of red flag laws, the implementation of universal background checks on the purchases of firearms and a requirement for background checks on the sale and transfer of ammunition (“Jaime’s Law”). These are common-sense measures that the vast majority of Floridians support. I have also worked on school safety legislation with School Board Chair Lori Alhadeff – one of my supporters — over the years and hope to improve emergency response connectivity in as many places as possible to ensure help comes as quickly as possible when it is needed.

I am proud to be the only candidate in the race with the support of our firefighters, first responders and the Police Benevolent Association.

What additional measures do you support to address Florida’s property insurance crisis?
Having personally knocked on close to 8,000 doors, I know property insurance is the number one issue on voters’ minds. I am the only candidate that has publicly disclosed specific ways I would tackle the crisis and neither of my opponents include specific ways to address the crisis as a key issue on either of their campaign websites. Every day, I meet folks who are struggling to stay in their homes simply because they cannot afford to pay property insurance premiums or have just let their policies lapse. This is not sustainable and leaves our state vulnerable in the event of a disaster.

In the short term, we should expand access to and improve the administration of the My Safe Florida Home Program so additional homeowners – and an increased number of condo associations – are eligible for state funds to harden their properties. Folks who have participated in this program have not only secured their homes through the installation of items like impact windows but have also seen modest savings in their property insurance premiums; however, the program continues to have high demand and folks who have properties with an insured value of over $700,000 are unable to participate and the pilot program for condos only includes condos within 15 miles of the coast. This shuts out many Senate District 35 residents.

In terms of longer-term solutions, we should revive the recently proposed HB 1055 that would have created an insurance rebate program for low-income seniors, as well as HB 889 which would have increased the maximum value of homes eligible to be covered by Citizens from $700,000 to $1,000,000. We also need to stabilize the reinsurance market, and I would support exploring the option put forth last session that would have entailed Citizens becoming a provider of wind coverage for all.

Describe in detail one demographic, economic or social factor about your legislative district that sets it apart from all others.
Having literally walked up and down the streets of Senate District 35, from East Miramar to West Pines and everywhere in between, I have come to appreciate that this district is an incredible microcosm of Florida – more so than any other district in the state. While many districts are either majority White or majority minority districts, we are a melting pot of all different ethnic and economic backgrounds in a somewhat suburban setting nestled just miles away from the bustling cities of Fort Lauderdale and Miami. However, despite our proximity to these large cities, we also are home to vast areas of the Florida Everglades – one of the true natural wonders of our country and an ecosystem desperately in need of more funding to combat invasive species and the impacts of overdevelopment.

And I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that Senate District 35 is also home to the champions of the Stanley Cup – the Florida Panthers!

Name: Rodney W. Jacobs, Jr.

Campaign website: jacobsforsenate.com

Date, place of birth: Philadelphia, PA 12/08/1989

Education:
● Hiram College BA’12 in Political Science
● University of Dayton School of Law JD’15
● University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Masters of Public Health (MPH)’ 21
● University of Miami Masters Public Administration (MPA)’20

Occupation:
● Executive Director City of Miami Civilian Investigative Panel
● United States Army Reserve Captain
● Adjunct Professor Florida International University

Work history past 15 years. List in reverse chronological order. 
2015-Present: United States Army Reserve Captain
● Branch: Military Intelligence 2015-2020
● Branch: Special Operations and Civil Affairs (Military Government and Sustainability)
2020-Present
2022- Present: Executive Director of the City of Miami Civilian Investigative Panel
2022- Present: Adjunct Professor at Florida International University
● Responsible for conducting graduate school lectures and coursework for Administrative
Law and Public Policy for the Summer, Fall and Spring semesters.
● Courses: PAD 3431 Exploring Leadership; PAD 6436 Professionalism and Ethics; and
PAD 6605 Administrative Law.
2017-2022: Assistant Director of the City of Miami Civilian Investigative Panel

Have you been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime, had an adjudication withheld or had a matter sealed or expunged? If yes, please explain.
No

Have you been a plaintiff or defendant in a civil action, including bankruptcy or foreclosure or had a restraining order issued against you? If so, please explain.
No

Why are you running for this office and what specifically makes you a better candidate than your opponent(s)?
I am running for office because I understand firsthand the struggles of living paycheck to paycheck, balancing bills, and trying to provide for a family in the face of economic uncertainty.
I know what it’s like to worry if your week will outlast your money, to agonize over paying the
childcare bill at the end of the month—often as high as your rent or mortgage. I’ve experienced
the frustration of commuting for hours because the only affordable housing is in another county,
navigating the relentless South Florida traffic.

My friends and family are living these challenges too: hospital workers who can’t afford to get
sick, hospitality workers who clean hotel rooms they can never afford to stay in, and teachers
who educate our future yet struggle to repay their own student loans. I know what it’s like to be a
father and husband in a family of four, drowning in student loan debt, dreaming of a vacation but
settling for a moment of peace in your own living room.

I know soldiers who defend their nation, only to return home and realize their nation won’t
defend them. My military background gives me first-hand knowledge on what it means to serve
and protect, and I will always advocate for our service members and veterans. I have dedicated
my career to public service, and as a City government executive, I actively fight against radical
bills like HB601, which was implemented to eradicate police oversight and accountability in
Florida while instituting new mediation programs instead to bridge the divide between law
enforcement and community.

In education, I have firsthand experience navigating book bans, DEI challenges, and “Stop
WOKE” agendas in my classroom, and I will fight to ensure our schools have the resources they
need, that our educators are supported and empowered, and that our children are prepared for the
future. Furthermore, my expertise in health care policy allows me to address issues that impact
quality of life and disease burden in Broward County. From bolstering needle exchange programs to combating HIV/AIDS, I have worked on initiatives that directly improve community health and commit to expand affordable healthcare access and promote public health.

These aren’t just stories I’ve heard; they are my reality. I contend with these issues every day,
and that’s why I am committed to making a change. My opponents may speak about these
challenges, but I am living them. I am not just an advocate; I am a testament to the struggles we
face and the resilience we need to overcome them.

The best candidate for District 35 will truly understand the needs of our community to ensure
that our policies create actual solutions for them. I am running to fight for those who, like me,
are doing their best to make ends meet in an increasingly unaffordable world.

What are the three most important issues currently facing your legislative district?
The three most important issues currently facing our legislative district are affordability and housing, education that promotes prosperity, and environmental protection. These are not just
policy priorities but essential steps toward a stronger, more resilient community.

Affordability and Housing: Rising home insurance rates and rent instability are putting immense pressure on families in our district. Residents are struggling to keep up with increasing costs, which threaten their ability to stay in their homes. We need comprehensive policies that tackle skyrocketing rents,provide affordable housing options, and address our skyrocketing home insurance rates.

Education: The state of our education system is deeply concerning, especially as I raise my two
sons in this district. Book bans, school closings, and the misuse of public dollars to support private and for-profit education undermine the quality of and access to education for our students. We need to protect our schools from these harmful policies and ensure that our schools are properly funded and that our curriculum is based on facts and promotes critical thinking so that our students, and therefore our community, can be successful and prosper.

Environmental Protection: This is a Public Health Crisis! Protecting the Everglades and addressing environmental issues are vital for the health and well-being of our district. The Everglades are not only a natural treasure but also a critical component of our ecosystem. We must take decisive action to prevent pollution, particularly from phosphate runoff from Lake Okeechobee, and address the impacts of sea level rise. Environmental protection goes hand in hand with public health, as cleaner air and water directly contribute to a healthier community.

After the 2024 session, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed all money for arts and cultural programs and projects, estimated at $32 million, to more than 600 organizations. Do you agree or disagree with this veto and why?
I strongly disagree with Governor Ron DeSantis’s veto of arts and cultural funding. Eliminating funding for these projects deepens the division we have in our state around race, culture, and
identity. Arts and cultural programs are essential for fostering understanding and empathy among
diverse groups. They provide a unique platform for individuals from different backgrounds to
come together, engage in meaningful dialogue, and explore complex social issues. In a time
when our society is increasingly polarized, the arts connect us and help us appreciate our shared
humanity.

Moreover, arts and cultural programs contribute significantly to the economic vitality of our
communities. They create jobs, attract tourism, and stimulate local economies. By investing in
the arts, we are also investing in economic development and the overall well-being of our state.
The arts are a powerful tool to bridge divides, foster understanding, and build a more inclusive
and empathetic society. By reinstating and increasing funding for these programs, we can ensure
that Florida remains a vibrant and culturally rich state where all residents can thrive and connect.

In the 2024 session, the Legislature passed a major change to Florida’s ethics law (SB 7014) requiring a complainant to have personal knowledge of the facts of a case. Would you have voted for or against this law and why?
Not only would I have voted against SB 7014, I actively worked against this bill, as well as its close cousin, HB 601, throughout the legislative session. This legislation significantly undermines the ability of ethics departments to self-initiate complaints about misconduct, which is a crucial mechanism for ensuring accountability and transparency in government. By requiring personal knowledge of the action, the law creates an unnecessary barrier for individuals who may have important information but are not direct witnesses to the misconduct. This “chills” the ability of individuals with relevant knowledge to come forward, effectively discouraging whistleblowers and reducing the likelihood of unethical behavior being reported and addressed.

Ethics laws are meant to safeguard the integrity of our public institutions and ensure that public
officials are held accountable for their actions. In order to maintain trust in our government, it is
essential that we have robust and accessible mechanisms for reporting and investigating ethical
violations. This bill moves us in the opposite direction, which is why I firmly oppose it.

In the 2024 case, the Legislature passed a law (HB 1365) that prohibits homeless people from sleeping in public spaces. Would you have voted for or against this law and why?
I would have voted against HB 1365. This bill directly undermines the protections established by
the Pottinger Agreement, which I have also actively fought to preserve. Criminalizing homelessness does not address the root causes of the issue and only serves to perpetuate a cycle of marginalization and exacerbate tensions between our community and police departments.
Instead of providing real solutions, HB 1365 further marginalizes vulnerable individuals who are
already struggling with significant hardships. Quality of life issues cannot be solved through
punitive measures. Homelessness is a complex social issue that requires comprehensive and
compassionate responses, such as increasing access to affordable housing, expanding mental
health services, and providing job training and support programs.

By criminalizing the act of sleeping in public spaces, this bill fails to recognize the fundamental
human rights of homeless individuals and disregards their dignity. We should focus on policies
that offer support and pathways out of homelessness, rather than those that punish and
stigmatize.

It’s a misguided approach that does not solve the problem of homelessness but rather perpetuates
a cycle of criminalization and marginalization. I would have voted against HB 1365this bill and
continue to advocate for more humane and effective solutions to address homelessness in our
state.

Should state abortion laws include exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking, and why?
Yes, state abortion laws should include exceptions for rape, incest, or human trafficking. However, it is important to emphasize that, fundamentally, abortion should be legal and the decision should be left up to the physician and the mother without government intrusion. Medical decisions are deeply personal and complex, and they should be made by those directly involved, not dictated by legislation.

In an imperfect world where abortion access may be restricted, exceptions for rape, incest, and
human trafficking are crucial. These situations involve significant trauma and complicate the
circumstances under which a woman might seek an abortion. Forcing a woman to carry a pregnancy resulting from rape, incest, or human trafficking only compounds the suffering and
trauma she has already endured.

These exceptions are necessary to safeguard the rights and well-being of victims who are in dire
need of compassion and support. Denying them the option to terminate such pregnancies is a
profound injustice that disregards their autonomy and further victimizes them.

While I advocate for the broader principle that abortion access should be unfettered and
governed by the medical relationship between a woman and her healthcare provider, ensuring
that exceptions for rape, incest, and human trafficking are included in any restrictive laws is a
critical step towards providing some level of protection and support for those in the most
distressing and vulnerable situations.

Do you support or oppose a proposed “open carry” or “constitutional carry” law for Florida and why?
I oppose the proposed “open carry” or “constitutional carry” laws for Florida. These provisions,
combined with the existing “stand your ground” laws, create a potentially volatile and dangerous
environment in our state.

“Open carry” laws allow individuals to carry firearms openly without a permit or mandatory training. This lack of regulation increases the risk of firearms being misused, particularly in public spaces where misunderstandings and conflicts can quickly escalate into deadly encounters. In a state that permits individuals to use deadly force if they feel threatened, the presence of more openly carried firearms undermines public safety and will lead to tragic consequences.

Our communities are already grappling with the impacts of gun violence, and adding more firearms into the mix without proper oversight and training exacerbates the problem. Instead of
expanding access to firearms, we should be focusing on measures that promote responsible gun
ownership, such as comprehensive background checks, mandatory training, and safe storage
laws.

Furthermore, the proliferation of firearms in public spaces creates an atmosphere of fear and
anxiety, which is detrimental to our communities. Ensuring public safety should be our top
priority, and that means implementing sensible gun safety measures that protect all citizens.

What additional measures do you support to address Florida’s property insurance crisis?
First, we need to address the reinsurance issue in Florida. Reinsurance, which insurers purchase
to protect themselves from significant losses, is a major factor driving up property insurance costs. We should work on establishing a state-backed reinsurance program to stabilize the market and reduce the dependency on volatile private reinsurance markets. This would help lower overall costs and provide more predictable pricing for insurers and homeowners alike.

Second, creating caps for policy increases is essential. Homeowners are currently facing
exorbitant premium hikes that make it difficult to afford necessary coverage. By implementing
caps on how much insurers can raise premiums annually, we can protect residents from sudden,
unaffordable increases and provide more stability in their financial planning.

Third, we must focus on reducing risk through effective mitigation efforts. Incentivizing
homeowners to invest in hurricane-proofing and other protections can significantly lower the
likelihood of damage and, consequently, insurance claims. Providing grants or tax breaks for
these improvements will make it easier for homeowners to afford to take proactive steps in
protecting their properties.

Additionally, we need to allow Citizens Property Insurance Corporation to operate for its
intended purpose—serving as an insurer of last resort. By keeping Citizens’ rates actuarially
sound and not artificially low, we can ensure it remains financially stable and capable of
providing coverage to those who truly need it without distorting the overall market.

Describe in detail one demographic, economic or social factor about your legislative district that sets it apart from all others.
One standout factor about my legislative district is its vibrant diversity and unique cultural blend.
Unlike other areas that may be more homogeneous, our district is a true melting pot where
various cultures converge and coalesce into a rich tapestry of traditions, languages, and lifestyles.
From the annual Orange Blossom Festival in Davie, celebrating our agricultural heritage, to the
lively Caribbean beats and concerts in Miramar, reflecting our many Caribbean communities,
every corner of our district resonates with cultural vibrancy.

The diversity does not end with our residents, either. Our district is blessed with a variety of
ecosystems that support both urban and natural landscapes. We cherish our Everglades, where
residents enjoy boat rides and immerse themselves in the breathtaking beauty of this unique
wilderness. Environmental protection is not just a policy issue but a shared commitment to
preserving our natural heritage for future generations.

In business, education, and social endeavors, this cultural richness and environmental
consciousness define our district’s character. It’s a place where cultures mingle and the natural
world intertwines with everyday life, creating a community that is both dynamic and harmonious. This unique blend sets our legislative district apart as a beacon of multiculturalism, environmental stewardship, and inclusive community spirit.

Name: Gabrielle M. Fox

Campaign website: gabbyforflorida.com

Date, place of birth: 6/11/83; Glendale Heights

Education: Bachelors – Psychology; Minor – Business Admin

Occupation: Business Owner

Work history past 15 years. List in reverse chronological order. 
Business Owner: PB Ledger 2022- current
Business Owner: CG Premier Solutions 2020-2023
Consultant/Homemaker: 2016-2020
Student: 2012-2016
Farm Operator/Property Manager: 2005-2012

Have you been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime, had an adjudication withheld or had a matter sealed or expunged? If yes, please explain.
No

Have you been a plaintiff or defendant in a civil action, including bankruptcy or foreclosure or had a restraining order issued against you? If so, please explain.
No

Why are you running for this office and what specifically makes you a better candidate
than your opponent(s)?
After being involved in Conservative activism and journalism for 7 years, I saw concerning actions taking place within Florida regarding our laws. I was encouraged by friends and colleagues to get more officially involved. My “why’ is that I do not want to continue on the sidelines and leave the state worse for my future children. I am a better candidate for the following reasons: I do not take special interest money and am not beholden to corporate interests; I am self-made as is my husband; I have a proven track record of fighting for family values, small government, and Constitutional rights; I am truly grassroots and did not have to forge political alliances or pay anyone to support me.

What are the three most important issues currently facing your legislative district?
Cost of living ie property tax and insurance crisis, improper budget allocations for roads, and clashing of developers and rural residents on land use/property infringement

After the 2024 session, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed all money for arts and cultural programs and projects, estimated at $32 million, to more than 600 organizations. Do you agree or disagree with this veto and why?
I agree with Governor DeSantis’ veto of $32 million for arts and cultural programs, as it aligns with principles of small government and free-market beliefs. Government funding for arts and culture is not an essential function and should be minimized to reduce state spending and focus on core responsibilities like public safety and infrastructure. Encouraging private sector involvement can lead to more efficient and innovative funding models, with individuals and organizations who value these programs directly supporting them. This approach respects taxpayer dollars, ensuring they are used for broadly agreed-upon essential services rather than specific cultural initiatives that might not have universal support.

In the 2024 session, the Legislature passed a major change to Florida’s ethics law (SB 7014) requiring a complainant to have personal knowledge of the facts of a case. Would you have voted for or against this law and why?
I would have voted for SB 7014, which requires a complainant to have personal knowledge of the facts. This change ensures that ethics complaints are credible and based on firsthand information, preventing frivolous or malicious allegations. It promotes fairness and due process by ensuring investigations are grounded in substantial evidence. This law also helps focus the ethics commission’s resources on legitimate issues, maintaining the integrity and effectiveness of the state’s ethics oversight.

In the 2024 case, the Legislature passed a law (HB 1365) that prohibits homeless people from sleeping in public spaces. Would you have voted for or against the law and why?
I would have voted for. Allowing individuals to sleep in public spaces can lead to health and safety concerns, both for the homeless population and the general public. This law encourages local governments and communities to find more sustainable and humane solutions for homelessness, such as increasing funding for shelters, mental health services, and affordable housing initiatives.

Should state abortion laws include exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking, and why?
Keeping in alignment with my Christian faith, I am inclined to say no. However, providing exceptions does not negate the overall commitment to protecting unborn life but rather offers a compassionate response to exceptional and deeply distressing circumstances. I do believe there must be limits as far as weeks into the pregnancy.

Do you support or oppose a proposed “open carry” or “constitutional carry” law for Florida and why?
Yes. I am a second Amendment absolutist. It is unconstitutional to allow the “state” to be armed against its populace but place restrictions on citizens defending themselves from criminals or tyrannical government.

What additional measures do you support to address Florida’s property insurance crisis?
To address the property insurance crisis, advocate for legislative reforms that enhance competition among insurers, streamline regulatory processes to reduce overhead costs, and ensure fair pricing practices. Empower consumers with transparent information and options, fostering a market that offers affordable coverage across Florida.

Describe in detail one demographic, economic or social factor about your legislative district that sets it apart from all others.
One unique factor of the 94 western Palm Beach County district is its extremely rural population and landscape. Agriculture and trade businesses are meshed into the residential homesteads. This is quite different from the rest of the county. Almost all farmers in our county are located in this district.

MIAMI (AP) — Jazz Chisholm Jr. broke a seventh-inning tie with a two-run double and the Miami Marlins beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-3 on Wednesday night.

Xavier Edwards reached on a leadoff single against reliever Jacob Webb (1-5) in the seventh, and Cionel Pérez walked Nick Gordon. Ali Sánchez’s sacrifice bunt advanced both runners before Chisholm hit a high bouncer over third baseman Ramon Urías for a 5-3 lead.

Bryan De La Cruz capped the three-run inning with an RBI single.

Josh Bell homered and Edwards had three hits and a walk for the NL-worst Marlins (37-65), who have won four of six since the All-Star break — including the first two in a three-game series against the AL East-leading Orioles (60-41).

“We had phenomenal at-bats tonight,” Edwards said. “We didn’t give any at-bats away and put a lot of balls in play. It’s a lot of fun coming to the yard with this group. We’re playing good ball right now.”

Edwards has eight multi-hit games and is batting .381 since getting called up from Triple-A Jacksonville on July 2.

“I just try to keep it as simple as I can,” Edwards said. “I try to treat every at-bat as its own. Take the positive from each at-bat and swing at good pitches.”

Andrew Nardi (2-1) pitched a perfect seventh for the win and Calvin Faucher got three outs in the eighth. Tanner Scott closed for his 18th save.

“That’s one of the better teams we’ve faced all year,” Marlins manager Skip Schumaker said. “And for us to not only play with them the last two games, but end up winning two games, says a lot about that group. They’re trending the right way, playing the game the right way.”

Colton Cowser’s three-run double off Marlins reliever Huascar Brazoban in the sixth tied it 3-all. Brazoban entered with the bases loaded after starter Edward Cabrera allowed singles to Anthony Santander and Ryan O’Hearn and then walked Heston Kjerstad.

“We had three pretty good at-bats in front of it. Three good at-bats in a row, we haven’t had that in a few games,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said. “We need more of that.”

Cabrera gave up three runs and three hits in 5 1/3 innings. The right-hander walked four and struck out six.

Baltimore starter Chayce McDermott made his major league debut and threw three scoreless innings until Miami broke through with three runs in the fourth for a 3-0 lead.

Bell put the Marlins on the board with a solo shot. He drove McDermott’s slider to right-center for his 11th homer. Edwards added an RBI single and Gordon hit a sacrifice fly.

Promoted from Triple-A Norfolk earlier in the day, McDermott allowed three runs and five hits over four innings. The 25-year-old walked two and struck out three.

“A little bit nervous but at the same time, kind of overjoyed,” McDermott said. “It’s cool — not just for me, but my family, too.”

The Orioles optioned right-hander Bryan Baker to Norfolk and designated right-hander Jonathan Heasley for assignment.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Orioles: INF Jorge Mateo (left elbow pain) underwent an MRI but manager Brandon Hyde said he hadn’t been informed of the results yet. Mateo collided with shortstop Gunnar Henderson as they dove to catch a grounder in Tuesday’s game.

Marlins: RHP Sandy Alcántara threw approximately 20 pitches in his first bullpen since undergoing elbow surgery last October. The 2022 NL Cy Young Award winner is targeting a return at the start of next season.

UP NEXT

Orioles RHP Corbin Burnes (10-4, 2.38 ERA) will start the series finale Thursday against RHP Roddery Muñoz (1-5, 5.14).

___

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

Name: Anthony Aguirre

Campaign website: anthonyaguirre.com

Date, place of birth: 07/01/1984, Elizabeth, NJ

Education:
Florida State University, BS Economincs 06, Coral Springs Fire Academy, Fire Science II ‘12

Occupation: Healthcare Operations Manager and Consultant

Work history past 15 years. List in reverse chronological order. 
• Medtronic, Value Based Healthcare Consultant and Payer Relations Representative, 2020-Present
• Accountable Care Hospitalist Group, Operations Manager, 2016-Present
• Conviva Care Solutions, Network Manager, 2007-2020

Have you been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime, had an adjudication withheld or had a matter sealed or expunged? If yes, please explain.
Wreckless Driving, adjudication withheld, 2003

Have you been a plaintiff or defendant in a civil action, including bankruptcy or foreclosure or had a restraining order issued against you? If so, please explain.
NO

Why are you running for this office and what specifically makes you a better candidate than your opponent(s)?
Lifelong resident of the Western communities. Everything this community has given me I want to give back all that I can. Since becoming a community activist in 2006, when our family foundation began, I have been able with my family to impact so much and learn about the needs of many. I will take that experience, along with a professional business background from the private healthcare sector to impact our community, and fight to bring back more tax dollars while holding those accountable.

What are the three most important issues currently facing your legislative district?
Cost of living and housing affordability, preservation of agricultural land and private property rights, Property taxes and insurance rising

After the 2024 session, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed all money for arts and cultural programs and projects, estimated at $32 million, to more than 600 organizations. Do you agree or disagree with this veto and why?
Macrolevel, I disagree with funding organizations that impact youth development in the arts. With that being said, if these programs can be funded by county and city level funding, the governor may have made decisions based on that. We want to make sure all dollars allocated to projects get to where they need to.

In the 2024 session, the Legislature passed a major change to Florida’s ethics law (SB 7014) requiring a complainant to have personal knowledge of the facts of a case. Would you have voted for or against this law and why?
I would have voted in favor of this law. Our court systems our flooded already with frivolous lawsuits and I believe this laws intension is reduce this. The right to face your accuser should be part of the legal process and second hand knowledge becomes he said she said and puts the courts in a bad place to carry out the rule of law fairly.

In the 2024 case, the Legislature passed a law (HB 1365) that prohibits homeless people from sleeping in public spaces. Would you have voted for or against the law and why?
I would have voted against this law today. Proper resources need to be put in place to handle the homeless crisis. We are already seeing migration of the homeless from the eastern areas to the western communities that already are overwhelmed with homelessness. The facilities in the Glades are full as it is, and the problem is growing. Now allowing citizens to sue an already underfunded community wont solve the problem. When there are proper facilities and funding in place, then the rule can be enforced.

Should state abortion laws include exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking, and why?
Yes, there is already trauma associated in the crimes taking place and bringing that child into the world against the will of the victim isn’t a choice legislature needs to be involved in. These 1% of the cases should also have criminal charges associated with them so it doesn’t continue to happen.

Do you support or oppose a proposed “open carry” or “constitutional carry” law for Florida and why?
I support the open carry laws because more restrictive gun laws don’t solve the problems. Criminals don’t follow gun laws so more restrictions only make the responsible gun owners less safe in our communities.

What additional measures do you support to address Florida’s property insurance crisis?
I support tax free home hardening, expanding access to PACE and My Florida Safe Home to get vulnerable homes up to code, ultimately reducing exposure of insurance companies so that they can offer cheaper more competitive rates to the consumers. Regional participation of insurance companies needs to be encouraged so their entire book of business is not exposed to a single incident, causing them to ensure at hire rates.

Describe in detail one demographic, economic or social factor about your legislative district that sets it apart from all others.
Our agricultural community and the people that make it so special. The state benefits greatly from the commodities grown in our western palm beach county ag community and we need to support the continued sustainability it provides our residents. There is no other place in Florida like it.

Name: Christian Acosta

Campaign website: voteacosta.com

Date, place of birth: Bedford, England

Education:
B.S., M.S. Nuclear Engineering – Univ. Florida / M.S. Management – Univ. Florida

Occupation:
Adj. Professor – Palm Beach State College

Work history past 15 years. List in reverse chronological order.
Adj. Professor – Palm Beach State College ~2018 to present
Senior Project Engineer – Ansaldo STS ~2014-2018
Senior Engineer – Westinghouse Electric Company ~2006-2014

Have you been arrested, charged or convicted of a crime, had an adjudication withheld or had a matter sealed or expunged? If yes, please explain.
other than traffic citations, no

Have you been a plaintiff or defendant in a civil action, including bankruptcy or foreclosure or had a restraining order issued against you? If so, please explain.
never been a defendant, sued a contractor once for ~$4000 in damages

Why are you running for this office and what specifically makes you a better candidate than your opponent(s)?
I am running for State Representative because I loved growing up in Palm Beach County and want to give back. I especially want my 5-year-old daughter Violet, and everyone’s family, to have as great a time here as I have.

I have been learning from our current State Representative, Rick Roth, for the last two years and have earned his endorsement. I have committed all this time even before I was a candidate, and I will work even harder when voters send me to Tallahassee.

To my knowledge, my primary opponents have never been involved in Republican politics or local government until they decided to run for office. I believe this job is too important to be treated as a part time job or a shiny title. I am committed to being the full-time, hard working Representative that District 94 residents deserve.

What are the three most important issues currently facing your legislative district?
The three main issues facing my district are the need to lower home insurance costs, improving technical education options so people can get good-paying, local jobs, and defending our agricultural and rural land.

After the 2024 session, Gov. Ron DeSantis vetoed all money for arts and cultural programs and projects, estimated at $32 million, to more than 600 organizations. Do you agree or disagree with this veto and why?
I’m not opposed to specific exceptions from the veto, based on merit. With that said, I generally believe we have to put our discretionary funds into lowering home insurance costs, helping residents (especially seniors) adjust to the changes in condo reserve requirements, addressing sea level resilience, exploring options for cleaning lake Okeechobee, and further infrastructure spending.

In the 2024 session, the Legislature passed a major change to Florida’s ethics law (SB 7014) requiring a complainant to have personal knowledge of the facts of a case. Would you have voted for or against this law and why?
I support this law as it sets term limits on members of the Commission on Ethics. Additionally, I do believe that responsibility for attorney’s fees should not be one sided, and I support that a malicious claimant should have to cover defense fees.

In the 2024 case, the Legislature passed a law (HB 1365) that prohibits homeless people from sleeping in public spaces. Would you have voted for or against this law and why?
I am unsure if I would have supported it. I would need to see data/evidence that municipalities were, for some reason, ignoring their homeless populations. My preference would be to allow local governments freedom in the tools they use.

Should state abortion laws include exceptions for rape, incest or human trafficking, and why?
I support inclusion of the above exceptions. The abortion standards we select need to be as workable as reasonably achievable and the vast majority of voters support those exceptions.

Do you support or oppose a proposed “open carry” or “constitutional carry” law for Florida and why?
I support the current permitless concealed carry law. To support permitless open carry, I would first need to analyze the objections that were voiced by the Florida Sherriff’s Association.

What additional measures do you support to address Florida’s property insurance crisis?
I want to work together with industry groups to create a set of low-leakage and waterproofing standards. In the same way that wind mitigation studies help insurance companies lower risk estimates for houses that have them, I envision a low-leakage survey providing similar reassurance. If a builder follows the recommendations from our working group, we could certify that the roof is built with the best techniques available to reduce nuisance leakage and lower the likelihood of leak related claims. This would be a small part of our overall strategy to tackle home insurance costs, but the problem is too big for any one single solution. We have to approach it from many angles in order to convince insurers that we are serious about lowering risk exposure in Florida.

Describe in detail one demographic, economic or social factor about your legislative district that sets it apart from all others.
Palm Beach County is one of the largest agricultural districts (by production) outside of the State of California. My district is the heart of that agriculture and rural land. We produce the food and plants that are used for development, beautification, and nourishment for millions of people. I would be honored to represent the agricultural community and would work tirelessly to serve their unique needs.

By ZEKE MILLER, SEUNG MIN KIM and WILL WEISSERT, Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Joe Biden on Wednesday delivered a solemn call to voters to defend the country’s democracy as he laid out in an Oval Office address his decision to drop his bid for reelection and throw his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris.

Insisting that “the defense of democracy is more important than any title,” Biden used his first public address since his announcement Sunday that he was stepping aside to deliver an implicit repudiation of former President Donald Trump. He did not directly call out Trump, whom he has called an existential threat to democracy. The 10-minute address also gave Biden a chance to try to shape how history will remember his one and only term in office.

“Nothing, nothing can come in the way of saving our democracy,” Biden said, in a somber coda to his 50 years spent in public office. “And that includes personal ambition.”

It was a moment for the history books — a U.S. president reflecting before the nation on why he was taking the rare step of voluntarily handing off power. It hasn’t been done since 1968, when Lyndon Johnson announced he would not seek reelection in the heat of the Vietnam War.

“I revere this office,” Biden said. “But I love my country more.”

Trump, just an hour earlier at a campaign rally, revived his baseless claims of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election, which he lost to Biden. His refusal to concede inspired the Capitol insurrection of Jan. 6, 2021, which Biden called “the worst attack on our democracy since the Civil War.”

Biden skirted the political reality that brought him to that point: His abysmal performance in a debate against Trump nearly a month ago, where he spoke haltingly, appeared ashen and failed to rebut his predecessor’s attacks, sparked a crisis of confidence from Democrats. Lawmakers and ordinary voters questioned not just whether he was capable of beating Trump in November, but also whether, at 81, he was still fit for the high-pressure job.

Biden, who said he believed his record was deserving of another term in office, tried to outlast the skepticism and quell the concerns with interviews and tepid rallies, but the pressure to end his campaign only mounted from the party’s political elites and from ordinary voters.

“I have decided the best way forward is to pass the torch to a new generation,” Biden said, saying he wanted to make room for “fresh voices, yes, younger voices.”

He added, “That is the best way to unite our nation.”

It was a belated fulfillment of his 2020 pledge to be a bridge to a new generation of leaders — and a bow to the drumbeat of calls from within his party to step aside.

Biden’s address was carried live by the major broadcast and cable news networks. He spooled out an weighty to-do list for his last six months in office, pledging to remain focused on being president until his term expires at noon on Jan. 20, 2025. He said he would work to end the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, fight to boost government support to cure cancer, address climate change and push for Supreme Court reform.

The president sought to use the address to outline the stakes in the election, which both Biden and Harris have framed as a choice between freedom and chaos, but he tried to steer clear of overt campaigning from his official office.

“The great thing about America is here, kings and dictators do not rule,” Biden said. “The people do. History is in your hands. The power is in your hands. The idea of America — lies in your hands.”

Biden was also making the case for his legacy of sweeping domestic legislation and the renewal of alliances abroad. But the way history will remember his time in office and his historic decision to step aside is intertwined with Harris’ electoral result in November, particularly as the vice president runs tightly on the achievements of the Biden administration.

His advisers say he intends to hold campaign events and fundraisers benefiting Harris, whom Biden praised as “tough” and “capable,” albeit at a far slower pace than if he had remained on the ballot himself.

Harris advisers will ultimately have to decide how to deploy the president, whose popularity sagged as voters in both parties questioned his fitness for office.

Biden, aides say, knows that if Harris loses, he’ll be criticized for staying in the race too long and not giving her or another Democrat time to effectively mount a campaign against Trump. If she wins, she’ll ensure his policy victories are secured and expanded, and he’ll be remembered for a Washingtonian decision to step aside for the next generation of leadership.

Biden said he’s grateful to have served as president — nowhere else would a kid with a stutter grow up to sit in the Oval Office.

“I’ve given my heart and my soul to our nation,” he said. “I’ve been blessed a million times in return.”

Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Wednesday that any question of Biden resigning his office before the election — which would allow Harris to run as an incumbent — was “ridiculous.”

Jean-Pierre said Biden has “no regrets” about his decision to stay in the race as long as he did, or his decision to quit it over the weekend. She said Biden’s decision had nothing to do with his health.

Trump, who watched Biden’s remarks from his private jet, posted on his social media platform that the president “was barely understandable, and sooo bad!”

As he spoke inside the Oval Office, Biden was joined off-camera by family members, including his wife, Jill, son Hunter, daughter Ashley and several grandchildren. Hundreds of administration aides held a watch party in the White House and gathered in the Rose Garden afterward to hear Biden thank them for their service. Outside the gates, supporters of Biden gathered holding signs that read “We love Joe,” and a brass band played,