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DeSantis Is ‘Begging’ Trump for Something to Do With His Life

Ron DeSantis and Donald Trump

The Florida governor is reaching the end of his current gig as the conduit for the MAGA agenda in the state of Florida. DeSantis will have to leave office in January when his second term is up and he is reportedly “begging” President Trump for a job in his administration. Specifically, DeSantis wants the open attorney general position, the job his state’s former attorney general, Pam Bondi, once held until Trump lost patience with what he apparently felt was her sluggish pace in investigating and prosecuting his political foes.

DeSantis is reportedly also interested in the Defense Department’s top job — watch out Pete Hegseth — and he’d even take a spot on the Supreme Court if the opportunity arises! But attorney general would do just fine, too, Axios reported in a new piece out this afternoon, citing six anonymous sources who were “briefed on the discussions.”

Florida’s Notorious “Alligator Alcatraz” Can Remain Open, Court Rules

Florida Concentration Camp in the Everglades

The infamous Florida immigrant detention center known as “Alligator Alcatraz” can remain open, an appeals court ruled Tuesday, overturning a lower judge’s decision to close the facility because it violated federal environmental laws.

The ruling is the latest development in the months-long legal battle against the center, which was constructed in the Everglades last summer by Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration when the Department of Homeland Security needed more detention space to house immigrants pending their deportations.

Desantis Gets 20 New Florida Bills On His Desk. Here’s The Full List

Florida Capitol

With nearly 40 new laws already approved so far this year, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is now looking at another 20 that were sent to his desk.

In addition, DeSantis signed off on two other bills on Tuesday, meaning they will both go into effect on July 1.

Florida Unemployment Rate Jumps 2 Months In A Row

Sign at the Unemployment Insurance Claims Office

Florida’s unemployment rate ticked up for the second consecutive month in February.

FloridaCommerce released the February jobless figure, which came in at 4.6%. That’s up from the January unemployment rate of 4.5%.

It’s also the second straight month the Florida unemployment figure was higher than the national rate. The U.S. figure for February was 4.4%, 0.2 percentage points below Florida’s.

Poll: Less Than Half Of Floridians Want To Vote For GOP Congressional Candidates

GOP elephant with the "No" strikethrough circle around it

The poll of 406 Florida voters, conducted by Echelon Insights, shows 49% of voters say they intend to vote for the Republican candidate while 46% say they want to vote Democrat.

Yet that’s not the worst news for Republicans in this survey.

When it comes to voters who definitely intend to show up in November, Democrats outperform Republicans, with 37% of respondents intent on voting blue while just 36% are ready and raring to vote red.

Florida Is Up For Grabs, One District At A Time

Florida Rising logo

Recent special elections show it clearly: Florida isn’t a solid red state. It’s a collection of highly competitive swing districts, where elections are being decided on the margins, and by voters who don’t belong to either party.

Poll Shows Donald Trump Approval Rating Underwater In Florida

President Donald Trump is polling underwater in his home state according to a new poll.

The survey also shows the Republican Commander in Chief is less popular than GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Emerson College Polling found the Mar-a-Lago Republican with a 46% job approval rating among likely voters in Florida. Meanwhile, 47% of voters in the Sunshine State disapprove of the job he’s doing.

That’s a poor showing in a state he won by more than 13 percentage points in 2024 on his way to becoming the first Florida resident to win the presidency.

Poll: Majority Of Floridians Do Not Want Congressional Redistricting

Map of Florida Congressional districts

A new survey from Emerson College shows Floridians would prefer not to have the state’s Congressional map redrawn, despite a Special Session being called to do just that.

But Republicans are more on board with the Gov. Ron DeSantis priority than other likely voters.

“Perception of potential redistricting is fairly split even within the parties: Republican voters think a redraw is a good idea at 57% and Democrats think it is a bad idea at 65%, similar to independent voters, who oppose 64% to 36%,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling said.

The Special Session will begin 12:00 p.m., Monday, April 20, and extend no later than 11:59 p.m., Friday, April 24, to consider legislation relating to a new congressional map and to allocate money for any legal challenges that may result.

Greed Flows South

Miami skyline from across Biscayne Bay

But the moneybags of Wall Street and Silicon Valley aren’t moving to Georgia, North Carolina, or Virginia. They’re moving to Texas and Florida, which have established themselves as America’s most reactionary major states. Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia, by contrast, have all inched toward Northern norms. What draws the Big Bucks to Florida and Texas is their neo-Confederate resistance to any form of economic egalitarianism.

Marc Elias Is ON IT: Pro-voting groups file lawsuits to block Florida’s SAVE Act

Marc Elias of Democracy Docket

Shortly after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed Florida’s version of the SAVE America Act into law, pro-voting groups* moved swiftly to challenge the severe new voting restrictions, asking a federal court to block the state from requiring voters to prove their citizenship status. 

With the GOP locked in a bitter struggle over the national SAVE America Act, Florida Republicans last month took matters into their own hands and easily approved a state version of the bill — much to the delight of DeSantis, who lauded its passage in a social media post: “Florida SAVE Act on the way!”

Two weeks later, he signed the bill into law. But his elation may have been premature. 

Immediately after the legislation was signed, the Florida chapter of the NAACP and the Florida Alliance for Retired Americans brought a lawsuit challenging the legislation. They argue that the law harms voters and will face an uphill battle in court.

Federal Judge Saves NPR and PBS, Delivers Massive Blow to Trump

Protest sign with Elmo, defending PBS and NPR from bullying

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from defunding National Public Radio and the Public Broadcasting Service. 

U.S. District Judge Randolph Moss ruled that President Trump’s executive order last May to end federal funding for the two public broadcasting networks is illegal and unenforceable, saying that the First Amendment to the Constitution “does not tolerate viewpoint discrimination and retaliation of this type.”

“It is difficult to conceive of clearer evidence that a government action is targeted at viewpoints that the President does not like and seeks to squelch,” Moss, who was appointed to the Washington, D.C., circuit by President Obama, wrote in his ruling.

Gov. Desantis’ Resolve To Pass His Vaccine Policies Strengthens As Measles Cases Continue To Rise

Arm of a person infected with measles, covered with a bright red rash.

HB 917 also would have forced a broad range of health care providers, including physicians, dentists, nurses, and therapists, to treat unvaccinated patients by amending the statutorily created “Patient’s Bill of Rights and Responsibilities” to make clear people have the right to access health care regardless of their vaccine status.

The House bill would have allowed Florida’s Department of Health (DOH), the agency with oversight over medical professionals, to discipline any health care provider who refuses to accept unvaccinated people as patients or to treat them.