Congressional hearing targets ‘NIL chaos’ in college sports
March 29, 2023 GMTA congressional hearing Wednesday targeting “NIL chaos” in college sports drifted into the ramifications of athletes being deemed employees of their schools and mostly highlighted those who support congressional intervention to protect the collegiate model.
Georgia bill is latest GOP effort targeting prosecutors
March 28, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — A new Georgia commission to discipline and remove wayward prosecutors would be the latest move nationwide to ratchet up oversight on what Republicans see as “woke prosecutors” who aren't doing enough to fight crime.
Lawsuit challenges Florida ban on gender-affirming care
March 23, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Four families challenging Florida’s prohibition against puberty-blocking hormones and gender-affirming surgeries for minors filed a federal lawsuit Thursday against state health officials.
Transgender youth: ‘Forced outing’ bills make schools unsafe
March 23, 2023 GMTTULSA, Okla. (AP) — Al Stone-Gebhardt worked hard in school to make sure he graduates in May, and he spent hundreds of dollars on commencement regalia, but he is fully prepared not to participate in the ceremony.
Wichita State hires ORU’s Paul Mills to lead hoops program
March 22, 2023 GMTWichita State hired Paul Mills away from Oral Roberts on Wednesday to turn around its languishing men's basketball program, landing what has been one of the hottest names among mid-major coaches.
DeSantis to expand ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law to all grades
March 22, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis ' administration is moving to forbid classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in all grades, expanding the controversial law critics call “Don't Say Gay” as the Republican governor continues to focus on cultural issues ahead of his expected presidential run.
DeSantis to get 5th Supreme Court pick as Polston retires
March 20, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis' already strong stamp on the Florida Supreme Court will be even greater for years to come after Justice Ricky Polston retires at the end of this month.
DeSantis will have appointed five of the court's seven justices when he replaces Polston, who sent DeSantis a three-sentence letter Monday announcing his resignation.
Trump silent on abortion as 2024 campaign pushes forward
March 20, 2023 GMTDAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — No elected Republican has done more to restrict abortion rights in the U.S. than Donald Trump.
But in the early days of the 2024 presidential contest, no Republican has worked harder to avoid the issue than the former president.
Texas, Florida push border laws as governors eye presidency
March 17, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — Led by tough-talking Republican governors weighing presidential runs, Texas and Florida are debating especially strict legislation on border security as the GOP tests federal authority over immigration.
Trump returns to Iowa aiming for more disciplined campaign
March 14, 2023 GMTDAVENPORT, Iowa (AP) — To outsiders, they looked like simple stacks of paper. But for Donald Trump's first presidential campaign, they represented a missed opportunity.
DeSantis bills on diversity, gender pass Florida committees
March 13, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republicans on Monday advanced two key initiatives of Gov. Ron DeSantis as he prepares for an expected presidential run — banning gender affirming care for minors and eliminating diversity programs in colleges.
DeSantis sets execution for ‘ninja killer’ in 1989 murders
March 13, 2023 GMTST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — A man convicted of a 1989 double slaying in Florida for which he was dubbed the “ninja killer” is set for execution next month under a death warrant signed Monday by Republican Gov.
Is DeSantis darkening Florida’s sunny open-records laws?
March 13, 2023 GMTFlorida has long been known for sunshine -- not only the warm rays that brighten its beaches but also the light of public scrutiny afforded by some of the nation's strongest meetings and records laws.
Florida abortion ban could have impact beyond the state
March 10, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSE, Fla. (AP) — Less than a year after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, an expected GOP presidential contender, signed a ban on abortions after the 15-week mark of pregnancy, he’s showing support for an even stricter ban introduced this week by state lawmakers.
SUPREME COURT NOTEBOOK: Justice Jackson gets hometown honor
March 7, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The naming of a Miami-area street for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson brings to four the number of sitting Supreme Court justices similarly honored and makes possible a high court-focused road trip between Florida and New York.
Florida blogger registration bill ‘insane,’ Gingrich tweets
March 6, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A Republican lawmaker in Florida wants bloggers who write about elected officials to register with the state, a proposal that's raised First Amendment concerns and the ire of GOP firebrand Newt Gingrich.
Street near Miami named for Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson
March 6, 2023 GMTCUTLER BAY, Fla. (AP) — U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson came home to South Florida on Monday to celebrate the renaming of a street in her honor in the community where she grew up.
Paid express lanes grow more popular in once-reluctant South
March 4, 2023 GMTTrucker Tim Chelette has been making the same twice-daily drive for 16 years hauling empty whiskey barrels from Louisville, Kentucky, to the Jack Daniels distillery in Tennessee, yet his workday keeps getting longer due to time lost in Nashville traffic.
Records show suspect in TV attack had many juvenile arrests
March 3, 2023 GMTORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A 19-year-old suspect charged in last week's fatal shootings of a TV reporter, a 9-year-old girl and a woman was arrested at age 15 for battering a high school student during an armed robbery, according to police reports released Friday through a public records request.
DeSantis takes aim at prosecutor after TV crew attack
March 2, 2023 GMTORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Fresh off removing one Democratic prosecutor, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis is eyeing another over how she handled cases involving a suspect charged with fatally shooting a TV reporter, a 9-year-old girl and a woman last week.
Trump set to headline diminished gathering of conservatives
March 2, 2023 GMTOXON HILL, Md. (AP) — The annual Conservative Political Action Conference was once one of the premier gatherings on the GOP campaign calendar — a must-stop for serious contenders testing the waters on presidential runs.
States move to crack down on nurses with bogus diplomas
March 1, 2023 GMTALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — Medical licensing officials in multiple states are scrambling to stop nurses with fraudulent academic credentials from caring for patients, after three Florida schools were accused of selling thousands of bogus diplomas.
DeSantis takes over Disney district, punishing company
February 27, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill that gives him control of Walt Disney World's self-governing district, punishing the company over its opposition to the so-called “Don't Say Gay” law.
GOP leaders, stung by losses, plan to wade into Senate races
February 27, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A football legend who held a gun to his ex-wife’s head. Rivals who nearly brawled during a televised debate. A venture capitalist who voiced sympathy for the Unabomber.
Casinos and consulting? Pandemic spurs tribes to diversify
February 26, 2023 GMTMASHANTUCKET, Conn. (AP) — When the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered Foxwoods Resort Casino in Connecticut for three months in 2020, its owners, the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, had to reckon with decades of relying heavily on gambling as the tribe's main source of revenue.
Florida Dems pick Fried to lead party after tough midterms
February 25, 2023 GMTMIAMI (AP) — Florida Democrats selected former state Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried as their new party chair on Saturday, hoping to move past a disastrous midterm performance in the onetime presidential battleground state where high-profile Gov.
Nursing home chief acquitted in patients’ hurricane deaths
February 24, 2023 GMTFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A judge acquitted on Friday a Florida nursing home administrator accused of causing the overheating deaths of nine patients after Hurricane Irma in 2017, saying that his employees had provided care and prosecutors had not proven he should have known their lives were in danger.
Police: ‘Random’ shootings leave woman, child, reporter dead
February 24, 2023 GMTA man riding in a car with his cousin shot and killed another passenger then returned to the same neighborhood near Orlando hours later and shot four more people, killing a journalist covering the original shooting and a 9-year-old girl, Florida police and witnesses said.
Florida executes man for 1990 murder while a fugitive
February 24, 2023 GMTSTARKE, Fla. (AP) — Florida executed a man on Thursday for murdering a woman in 1990 after he escaped from prison, stabbing her to death in a shopping mall parking lot in an attempted carjacking.
Donald Dillbeck, 59, was pronounced dead at 6:13 p.m.
Mental evaluation ordered for man tied to Lyft driver death
February 23, 2023 GMTRUTHERFORDTON, N.C. (AP) — A judge has ordered a mental evaluation at the request of the attorney for a man who was arrested in North Carolina while driving the car of a dead Lyft driver from Florida and who is also charged with murder in a separate case.
Supreme Court wrestles with lawsuit shield for social media
February 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — In its first case about the federal law that is credited with helping create the modern internet, the Supreme Court seemed unlikely Tuesday to side with a family wanting to hold Google liable for the death of their daughter in a terrorist attack.
Prosecutor suspended by DeSantis asks court to reinstate him
February 16, 2023 GMTFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — An elected Florida prosecutor who says he was suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis for political gain — and because he is a Democrat — is asking the state Supreme Court to reinstate him, citing a federal judge's ruling that DeSantis violated state law and his First Amendment rights.
DeSantis signs migrant relocation, election fraud bills
February 15, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday signed bills to expand his migrant relocation program and enhance the prosecutorial power of his election police unit, furthering key components of his conservative agenda ahead of his expected White House run.
Sharpton to DeSantis: Stop censoring Black history
February 15, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The Rev. Al Sharpton led a march to the Florida Capitol on Wednesday to protest Gov. Ron DeSantis' rejection of a high school African American history course, accusing the Republican of censoring a fundamental chapter of the nation's past.
US proposes removing wood stork from endangered species list
February 14, 2023 GMTST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The ungainly yet graceful wood stork, which was on the brink of extinction in 1984, has recovered sufficiently in Florida and other Southern states that U.S. wildlife officials on Tuesday proposed removing the wading bird from the endangered species list.
Bolsonaro says he may return to Brazil in the coming weeks
February 12, 2023 GMTBRASILIA, Brazil (AP) — Former President Jair Bolsonaro said Saturday he intends to return to Brazil “in the following weeks.”
The comment during an event at an evangelical church in Florida was the first time that Bolsonaro has made a statement in public about returning home.
Former Baltimore state’s attorney’s trial on hold until fall
February 11, 2023 GMTBALTIMORE (AP) — Attorneys say the trial of former Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn Mosby is on hold until at least the fall.
News outlets report that prosecutors and Mosby's federal public defender said in court Friday that neither side is available until at least September due to scheduling conflicts.
Florida backs off athlete menstrual data, but debate lingers
February 10, 2023 GMTFlorida has backed off its effort to force athletes to give their high schools information about their menstrual cycles after the debate sparked opposition nationwide, and now, the state is facing questions about whether the plan was based on politics or policy.
DeSantis to run Disney district after ‘Don’t Say Gay’ feud
February 10, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will soon take control of Walt Disney World's self-governing district after Senate Republicans approved a bill Friday punishing the company over its opposition to the law critics call “Don't Say Gay.”
DeSantis nears takeover of Disney government in Florida
February 9, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis moved closer to taking over Walt Disney World's self-governing district Thursday after House Republicans approved legislation meant to punish the company over its opposition to the law critics have dubbed “Don't Say Gay."
US forward Alex Morgan supports transgender kids in sports
February 9, 2023 GMTForward Alex Morgan says the U.S. national team should have internal discussions about playing games in states that restrict transgender kids from participating in sports.
The team is currently preparing for the SheBelieves Cup, a round-robin tournament with Canada, Brazil and Japan that starts next week.
Florida GOP advances Disney district, migrant flight bills
February 9, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers advanced proposals on Wednesday to strip Disney of its self-governing status, expand a controversial migrant transportation program and strengthen prosecutions tied to the state’s election police unit.
High school sports group rethinks menstrual cycle questions
February 8, 2023 GMTORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Facing blowback, the director of Florida’s high school sports governing body is backing away from using an eligibility form that requires female athletes to disclose their menstrual history in order to compete.
Missouri proposal goes farther than ‘Don’t Say Gay’ bill
February 7, 2023 GMTJEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — K-12 public school teachers and counselors would be largely outlawed from talking about LGBTQ people under a Missouri proposal more restrictive than what critics call Florida's “ Don't Say Gay ” law.
DeSantis expected to control Disney district governing board
February 6, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis would take control over the board of a special governing district Walt Disney World operates in Florida under a bill introduced Monday, as the Republican governor punishes the company over its opposition to the so-called “Don't Say Gay” law.
Florida teen pleads guilty to fatally stabbing classmate
February 6, 2023 GMTST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida teenager faces a possible life sentence after he pleaded guilty Monday to fatally stabbing a 13-year-old classmate 114 times and leaving her body in a wooded area near their homes in 2021.
Bolsonaro ponders election defeat, as crowd chants ‘fraud’
February 4, 2023 GMTMIAMI (AP) — Only a few weeks after his supporters stormed the seat of his country's government, former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro on Friday expressed bafflement at how he could have lost October's election, then smiled silently as a crowd of supporters cried, “Fraud!”
DeSantis eyes 2024 from afar as GOP rivals move toward runs
February 3, 2023 GMTDES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis may be months away from publicly declaring his presidential intentions, but his potential rivals aren't holding back.
Ally claims Bolsonaro plotted coup to block Lula presidency
February 3, 2023 GMTRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A Brazilian magazine on Thursday released audio of a senator claiming then President Jair Bolsonaro sought help in a plot to annul the October elections and keep himself in power.
Florida could end unanimous jury requirement for executions
February 2, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers proposed legislation making it easier to send convicts to death row by eliminating a unanimous jury requirement in capital punishment sentencing — a response to anger from victims’ families following a verdict sparing a school shooter from execution.
DeSantis injects politics into $115B Florida budget proposal
February 1, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis promised tax relief Wednesday on children’s books, pet food and even the gas stoves that have become a rallying cry for Republicans while assuring that the state has plenty of reserves to withstand any economic downturn.
DeSantis pushes ban on diversity programs in state colleges
February 1, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced plans to block state colleges from having programs on diversity, equity and inclusion, and critical race theory in his latest step onto the front lines of the nation's culture wars.
‘School choice’ is culture-war focus for Kansas lawmakers
January 31, 2023 GMTTOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Top Republican legislators in Kansas are focusing on helping conservative parents remove their children from public schools over what's taught about gender and sexuality rather than pursuing a version of what critics call Florida's “Don't Say Gay” law.
Teen who fired at Florida deputies sentenced to 20 years
January 27, 2023 GMTDAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — A teenage girl who, along with a younger boy, engaged in a shootout with Florida deputies from a home they had broken into in 2021 was sentenced Friday to 20 years in prison after reaching a plea deal.
Ex-Florida police officers accused of beating homeless man
January 26, 2023 GMTMIAMI (AP) — Two former South Florida police officers turned themselves in Thursday morning to face felony charges over the beating of a homeless man who had been drinking outside a shopping center last month, officials said.
2 charged with vandalizing anti-abortion health facilities
January 24, 2023 GMTTAMPA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man and woman accused of vandalizing several anti-abortion reproductive health services facilities are facing federal charges.
A federal grand jury in Tampa returned an indictment last week accusing a 27-year-old man and a 23-year-old woman of spray-painting threatening messages last summer at facilities in Hollywood, Winter Haven and Hialeah.
15-week abortion ban set to go before Florida Supreme Court
January 24, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s ban on abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy will be allowed to stand until a hearing before the state Supreme Court.
The court said late Monday it will hear the case, which has been part of a legal fight since the law took effect last July.
State lawmakers: Teach ‘American exceptionalism’ in schools
January 23, 2023 GMTPIERRE, S.D. (AP) — A group of South Dakota lawmakers pushed forward an initiative on Monday that offers an optional social studies curriculum for K-12 and university students rooted in “American exceptionalism” and the founding ideals of the U.S.
Harris rallies against GOP push to roll back abortion rights
January 22, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris railed against efforts in Washington and in Republican-led states to restrict abortion on what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe vs.
Brazil’s right-wing movement persists without Bolsonaro
January 21, 2023 GMTRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazil’s defeated former president, Jair Bolsonaro, was in Florida this month when his supporters tried — but failed — to overthrow the country’s young democracy.
March for Life eyes Congress for post-Roe abortion limits
January 20, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A half century after Roe v. Wade, March for Life supporters on Friday celebrated the Supreme Court's dismantling of that constitutional right to abortion and heralded the political struggle set loose by the court's decision.
Soccer player Anton Walkes, 25, dies in Florida boat crash
January 20, 2023 GMTMIAMI (AP) — Professional soccer player Anton Walkes has died from injuries he sustained in a boat crash off the coast of Miami, authorities said Thursday.
Walkes, who was 25, was found unconscious and taken to a hospital after the crash between two boats Wednesday near the Miami Marine Stadium basin, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Florida Supreme Court upholds gun law banning restrictions
January 19, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida lawmakers can fine local government officials who attempt to restrict gun and ammunition sales under a state law upheld by the state Supreme Court on Thursday.
Harris to push abortion fight in Florida on Roe anniversary
January 18, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — With few options available for ensuring abortion access, Vice President Kamala Harris will demonstrate that Democrats aren't giving up on the issue as she marks the 50th anniversary of Roe v.
DeSantis awards $100M for hurricane erosion recovery efforts
January 18, 2023 GMTDAYTONA BEACH SHORES, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday awarded $100 million for beach erosion projects and other restoration efforts in 16 coastal counties damaged by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole.
Perjury trial looms for Baltimore’s former top prosecutor
January 17, 2023 GMTBALTIMORE (AP) — With a March trial date quickly approaching in the federal perjury case against Baltimore’s former top prosecutor Marilyn Mosby, a series of rulings Tuesday created significant new hurdles for her defense team, including the possibility of criminal contempt charges against her lead attorney.
Fans get Bolsonaro autographs as ex-leader rests in Florida
January 13, 2023 GMTKISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — A couple dozen fans scored autographs from Jair Bolsonaro on Friday, but the controversial former Brazilian president didn’t emerge to greet them after a stint in the hospital earlier this week.
DeSantis tested on immigration as he weighs 2024 candidacy
January 12, 2023 GMTTAVERNIER, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sent dozens of immigrants from Texas to an island off the Massachusetts coast last year in a high-profile effort to highlight illegal immigration on the eve of the midterm elections.
NJ governor rebuffs Republican critique over being ‘woke’
January 10, 2023 GMTTRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Inviting a national political spotlight, New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy on Tuesday took implicit aim at GOP rivals who criticize blue states for being “woke" while also calling for responsible government and bipartisanship in his annual state of the state address.
Political vacuum in Haiti deepens as senators’ terms expire
January 10, 2023 GMTPORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Haiti awoke Tuesday stripped of its last democratically elected institution — this time, its Senate — an alarming development that solidifies what some call a de facto dictatorship nominally in charge of a country wracked by gang violence.
New NC congressman says Cawthorn didn’t forward casework
January 10, 2023 GMTASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) — New U.S. Rep. Chuck Edwards of North Carolina says the office of his predecessor, Madison Cawthorn, left Edwards' staff unaware of pending constituent requests and government casework before Cawthorn formally left the seat.
Gas tax collections resume in Georgia after 10-month break
January 10, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — State gasoline and diesel taxes make their return in Georgia on Wednesday.
The state will resume collecting a tax on gasoline of 29.1 cents per gallon and tax on diesel of 32.6 cents per gallon from wholesalers.
EXPLAINER: Roots of the Brazilian capital’s chaotic uprising
January 10, 2023 GMTSALVADOR, Brazil (AP) — Thousands of Brazilians who support former president Jair Bolsonaro invaded the Supreme Court, presidential palace and Congress on Jan. 8 in an episode that closely resembled the U.S.
Indiana lawmakers return for session of spending decisions
January 10, 2023 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Indiana lawmakers returned Monday to the Statehouse for the start of this year’s legislative session with a large budget surplus and a long list of big-ticket spending wishes to sort through.
Ex-North Carolina Rep. Cawthorn says he’s moved to Florida
January 9, 2023 GMTRALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Former U.S. Rep. Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina has moved to Florida, according to his recent social media post.
Cawthorn, a Republican from Henderson County, officially left Congress last week, months after he lost his GOP primary to Chuck Edwards, the eventual 11th District general election winner.
Authorities probe who was behind uprising in Brazil capital
January 9, 2023 GMTRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Brazilian authorities said Monday that they were looking into who may have been behind the shocking uprising that sent protesters storming into the nation’s halls of power in a riot that had striking similarities to the Jan.
As Brazil reels from riots, Bolsonaro finds home in Florida
January 9, 2023 GMTKISSIMMEE, Fla. (AP) — As Brazil reels from mobs of rioters swarming its seats of power, its former leader has decamped to a Florida resort, where droves of supporters flocked to cheer on their ousted president.
Pro-Bolsonaro rioters storm Brazil’s top government offices
January 9, 2023 GMTRIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Supporters of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro who refuse to accept his election defeat stormed Congress, the Supreme Court and presidential palace Sunday, a week after the inauguration of his leftist rival, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.
From Trump to governor: Sanders prepares to take on new role
January 8, 2023 GMTLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — After running a campaign heavily focused on national politics and her time as President Donald Trump's spokeswoman, Sarah Huckabee Sanders says she wants to keep her attention on Arkansas as she takes charge as the state's 47th governor.
Conservatives take aim at tenure for university professors
January 8, 2023 GMTMISSION, Kan. (AP) — When Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick asked Texas colleges to disavow critical race theory, the University of Texas faculty approved a resolution defending their freedom to decide for themselves how to teach about race.