Abortion amendment could boost Democrats in November

On Friday, Floridians Protecting Freedom said their bid to have adult reproductive rights enshrined in the Constitution will be Amendment 4 on the 2024 ballot.

“We received official notice today from the Secretary of State,” the group posted to social media Friday. “The amendment to limit government interference is official! We got our number! Now, all eyes are on the Supreme Court of Florida to let us vote Yes on 4 in ‘24!”

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Dems need the urban youth vote to win in 2024, but do they know how to get it?

If Donald Trump wins in 2024, he will appoint cronies to control our national military and law enforcement, and he will use that power to stay in office until he dies. Our constitutional democracy has roughly even odds of surviving into next year.....Read More

Gov. DeSantis says he’s open to sending his Florida State Guard to Texas southern border

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis reinstated on Friday his willingness to send the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard to the U.S.-Mexico border as Texas openly defies U.S. Supreme Court orders.....Read More

Florida House Approves Bill Penalizing Students That Supports Hamas, Terrorists

A House panel Thursday approved a bill that could financially penalize state university and college students if they take actions that back “foreign terrorist” organizations such as the Palestinian group Hamas.....Read More

Top U.N. court stops short of ordering cease-fire in Gaza, demands Israel contain deaths

The United Nations' top court stopped short Friday of ordering a cease-fire in Gaza in a genocide case but demanded that Israel try to contain death and damage in its military offensive in the tiny coastal enclave.....Read More

Gasparilla Parade Route and Parking Information

Saturday, January 27, 2024

11:30am-1:30pm Gasparilla Invasion

2-6pm Gasparilla Parade of Pirates

$20 Event Parking

Pam Iorio Parking Garage (S. Florida Ave & Channelside Dr.)

  8 a.m. – Limited spaces

Tampa Convention Center Garage (Tampa St. & Brorein St.)

  Open 24/7

Fort Brooke Garage (Whiting St. between Franklin St. & Florida Ave.)

  8 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Whiting St. Garage (N. Morgan St.)

  8 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Selmon Expressway Downtown parking lots

  8 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Royal Regional Lot (Tampa St. & Fortune St.)

  Open 24/7

Scott Street Lot (Morgan St. & Scott St.)

  Open 24/7

Poe Garage (N. Ashley Dr. & W. Cass St.)

  Open 24/7 - Due to the parade route, this garage will close from 1:00 –

  6:00 p.m.

  No entry or exit will be allowed during this time.

Twiggs Street Garage (Twiggs St., west of Nebraska Ave.)

  Open 24/7, Standard hourly rate with a $12.00 maximum

**Centro Ybor Garage (5th Ave. & 15th St.)

  Open 24/7, Standard hourly rate with a $12.00 maximum

**Palm Ave. Garage (13th St. & 9th Ave.)

  Open 24/7, Standard hourly rate with a $12.00 maximum

On-street parking meters will be enforced from 8:00 a.m. until midnight

**The FREE TECO Line Streetcar (8:30 a.m. – 2:30 a.m.) and the FREE HART bus shuttle service (9:30 a.m. – 7:00 p.m.) will be available to transport between Ybor and Downtown Tampa.

City Council set to vote on teen curfew in Tampa

The Tampa City Council is expected to vote today on a city-wide curfew for teens 15 years old and younger.....Read More

LGBTQ+ advocates are watching these Florida bills with concern

The proposed legislation comes on the heels of what advocates said was a particularly brutal year for LGBTQ+ rights and signals that at least some members of the Republican-controlled legislature intend to go even further.....Read More

Homeless advocates say citations hinder efforts to address homelessness

The Supreme Court has agreed to make a decision on whether it is unconstitutional to ticket homeless people who sleep on public property. The case is considered to be the most significant Supreme Court case relating to the rights of homeless individuals in decades. Advocates for the homeless population say that such citations are hindering efforts to address homelessness.....Read More

Beware of job scams targeting Veterans

It’s no secret that job scams are on the rise, but did you know that Veterans are often the top targets of job scams? Although job scams are widespread, Veterans often report more significant financial losses. Why is that?....Read More

Maxwell Frost GOES OFF In Career-Defining Beatdown

44 House Democrats express support for 2-state solution after Gaza war

Nearly four dozen House Democrats have signed onto a letter calling for a two-state solution to resolve the long-standing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians as war rages in Gaza.....Read More

Youth climate activists come to Tallahassee, calling for ‘immediate and bold action’

Kim Ross with ReThink Energy Action Florida speaking at a press conference in Tallahassee on Jan. 24, 2024 (photo credit: Mitch Perry)

Youth climate activists gathered on the steps of the Old Capitol building in Tallahassee Wednesday morning with a direct message for state lawmakers: Start taking “immediate and bold action on climate change.”....Read More

Rick Scott says ‘swatting’ callers wanted him to shoot cops

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is giving more insight into a so-called swatting call dispatched to his house in Naples last month, saying that if it happened to him, it could happen to others.....Read More

Police review boards are targeted by Florida Legislature

A Senate committee Tuesday signed off on an effort to ban review boards that investigate local law enforcement, with the sponsor of the proposal arguing that the panels are “divisive” and “second-guess” internal probes.

The proposal (SB 576) would do away with existing boards and bar counties and cities from creating panels to delve into complaints of police wrongdoing.

 

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Florida call these legislatures

Please take 2 min and call these legislatures to let them know not to ruin our industry! The patients need us cause the corporate cannabis companies aren't there for them!

Tampa-based nonprofit Project Dynamo reunited family who were in Gaza

Tampa Locavore

Wayne at NYNY Pizza in Ybor City

WITNESSES: Matt Gaetz back in the crosshairs of House Ethics Committee

 

Allegations have been hanging over the head of  Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) for years already.

Representative Gaetz has been under investigation by the House Ethics Committee, and the matter just got more serious. The congressional probe had been dropped, then reopened, and now there are new witnesses who could blow the whole thing up.....Read More

Gen Z Florida Democrats launch PAC to flip seats in 2024, ‘build a renewed bench’ for future cycles

Florida’s younger Democrats want to make 2024 a big chapter in the party’s comeback story, and they’ve got a new PAC up and running to make it happen.

It’s called Florida Future Leaders, and its goal is to energize, mobilize and recruit high school and college progressives to turn back a rising red tide in the Sunshine State.

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Hemp bill banning alternative cannabinoids, capping THC advances in Senate with bipartisan support

Florida legislators are again attempting to put guardrails on the hemp industry, continuing an effort begun in previous Legislative Sessions.....Read More

House panel advances resolution urging ‘disassociation’ from CAIR

The House is moving toward removing any ambiguity regarding the Council for American Islamic Relations (CAIR).

The State Affairs Committee moved forward a non-binding House resolution (HR 1209) strongly encouraging “all executive agencies of the State of Florida, all law enforcement agencies, and all local governments in this state to suspend contact and outreach activities” with CAIR. That stop was the measure’s sole committee of reference before the House floor.

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Pro-Palestinian protesters say they were attacked with stink bomb at Columbia University

A group of pro-Palestinian protesters at Columbia University have filed a police report after they claimed two students sprayed them with a powerful stink spray.

The New York Police Department confirmed Monday that a report for assault was filed, alleging that the impacted protesters were sprayed Friday with a foul-smelling odor that caused nausea and headaches. The investigation is ongoing, the department said.

Protest organizations Students for Justice in Palestine and Jewish Voice for Peace — both of which were suspended by the university in November, sparking national outrage — claimed the spray was “Skunk,” a crowd control chemical developed by the Israeli military.

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We’re still waiting for FL Supreme Court to decide about abortion rights

Amid the weekend’s commemorations of Roe v. Wade and lamentations over Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, some observers acknowledged the elephant in the room: two pending Florida Supreme Court rulings governing abortion rights.....Read More

Biden has forgiven billions in student loans. Who has gotten the relief?

Under the Biden administration, more than 3.7 million student loan borrowers have had their debt forgiven by various executive actions.....Read More

Early Learning Coalition pilot grant program supports childcare in Hillsborough at crucial time

The Early Learning Coalition of Hillsborough County has launched a pilot grant project to fund an array of programs and services at the county’s child care centers during a critical time for the industry. 

Outdoor gardens, playground upgrades and safety improvements are in the mix. There is a voucher program to cover the costs of spring break and summer break programs for parents. Grants are available to add more classrooms for infants and toddlers as more families move to Hillsborough.

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As primary season approaches, election workers urge voters to check status ahead of time

As we head into the primary election season, there have been some important changes to consider before requesting a ballot or heading out to the polls.

A Florida law now requires a vote-by-mail ballot application after each general election cycle. So, if you want to vote by mail, you likely need to renew that request.

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