Florida
PEN America: Nearly 12,000 school book bans in a year, a record high
NEW YORK | Nearly 12,000 bans took place in public schools over the past year, according to a new study from PEN America, the highest total since the free expression organization began tracking removals five years ago. For the second straight year, Stephen King was the author most likely to have his work withdrawn. Many […]
Trump’s ‘grand conspiracy’ probe presses on with subpoenas after the lead prosecutor’s exit
WASHINGTON | Before taking over the sprawling Justice Department investigation into foes of President Donald Trump, Joe diGenova decried the lack of progress in bringing indictments. Five months later, diGenova has left his position without charging a single case, clouding the future of an investigation that has animated right-wing commentators eager to prove an ill-defined […]
Ex-CIA Director John Brennan issued subpoena in Trump “grand conspiracy” investigation, lawyer says
WASHINGTON | Former CIA Director John Brennan has been subpoenaed to testify before a Florida grand jury in a Justice Department investigation into whether former law enforcement and intelligence officials conspired against President Donald Trump, and is the target of a separate inquiry into whether he made false statements before Congress, one of his lawyers […]
Federal judge rejects Ghislaine Maxwell’s ‘miscarriage of justice’ claim and bid for prison release
NEW YORK | Claims by Jeffrey Epstein’s former girlfriend and longtime associate Ghislaine Maxwell that her sex trafficking conviction was a “complete miscarriage of justice” were rejected Tuesday by a federal judge who said her assertions were based on “speculation, distortions, and/or outright falsehoods.” Judge Paul A. Engelmayer said in a written ruling that Maxwell’s […]
Investigators examining foes of Trump seek interviews related to Mar-a-Lago search, AP sources say
WASHINGTON | Justice Department investigators have sought to interview law enforcement officials related to the FBI search of Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate as part of a Florida-based inquiry aiming to establish a conspiracy against the Republican president, multiple people familiar with the matter said Thursday. The requests for interviews, made in recent weeks, suggest that […]
Americans have only elected 3 Black governors. This year, 8 major party candidates are on the ballot
ORLANDO, Fla. | Across 250 years, only three elected governors out of thousands have been Black –- all Democrats and all men, including current Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. But Moore could soon have company. With Florida Republicans nominating U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds on Tuesday, there are seven Black major party gubernatorial nominees in addition to […]
What to watch Tuesday: Alaska pits Dan Sullivan v. Dan Sullivan as redistricting scrambles Florida
As a long and contentious primary season nears its end, attention is turning to Florida, Wyoming, California and Alaska, where primaries Tuesday will highlight Republican-led redistricting efforts that have scrambled congressional maps and new battles between the Democratic establishment and progressive left. Also in the mix are a handful of scandal-plagued candidates, multiple people running […]
Mission Improbable: A onetime Republican is trying to prove Democrats can win in Florida
LEESBURG, Fla. | Cyn Doyle is a self-described political cynic. So when David Jolly, the Republican-turned-independent who is now running for Florida governor as a Democrat, swung through this town dotted by lakes and Spanish moss, she had doubts. “How can you assure us,” the 71-year-old pressed, “that you won’t become another John Fetterman?” As […]
Sydney Towle, content creator who documented life with cancer, dies at 26
Sydney Towle, a social media content creator who projected enduring optimism as she chronicled her life with a rare form of cancer, has died, according to her family. She was 26. Towle was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma, an aggressive form of cancer in the bile ducts, in August 2023. Her mother, Elizabeth Morrow, and brother, Austin […]
Republicans won the redistricting battle. Now voters will decide whether they win Congress
A no-holds-barred bout of partisan redistricting has been won by Republicans. Now it’s up to voters to decide whether it matters for control of Congress. Republicans could net about 10 additional U.S. House seats in the November elections if redrawn voting districts perform as they were intended. The question is whether that’s enough for the […]