Federal judge says "gender identity is real" in narrow ruling against Florida ban on gender-affirming care for minors

Disney lawsuit judge removes himself from case but not for reasons cited by DeSantis

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge overseeing the First Amendment lawsuit that Walt Disney Parks filed against Gov. Ron DeSantis and others is disqualifying himself, but not because of bias claims made by the Florida governor. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said in a...

Editorial Roundup: Florida

Palm Beach Post. May 26, 2023. Editorial: Florida legacy bodes ill for DeSantis presidency So, he’s officially in the race. Here in Palm Beach County and throughout Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis has made no mystery of what he stands for. The only mystery...

Police in Florida say they fatally shot armed woman who 'ambushed' them in park

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Police in a Florida park fatally shot an armed woman who “ambushed” them as they were searching for a suspect in a drug investigation, officials said. The shooting happened around 10:30 p.m. Thursday at Tom Brown Park in Tallahassee. Tallahassee police...

Disney opposes DeSantis request to disqualify judge in free speech lawsuit

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Disney is opposing a request by Gov. Ron DeSantis to disqualify a judge overseeing the company's First Amendment lawsuit against the Florida governor and others in which Disney says it was punished for speaking out against Florida legislation that critics have dubbed...

Civil rights groups warn tourists about Florida in wake of 'hostile' laws

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The NAACP over the weekend issued a travel advisory for Florida, joining two other civil rights groups in warning potential tourists that recent laws and policies championed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers are “openly hostile toward African Americans, people of...

DeSantis asks that judge be disqualified from Disney's free speech lawsuit

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking that a federal judge be disqualified from the First Amendment lawsuit filed by Disney against the Florida governor and his appointees, claiming the jurist's prior statements in other cases have raised questions about his impartiality on the state's...

Editorial Roundup: Florida

Orlando Sentinel. May 14, 2023. Editorial: DeSantis treats presidential jobs like party favors So. It looks as if South Florida State College — which, less than a month ago, was in the endgame of a presidential search that had been narrowed to three highly qualified...

Ex-Democrat Florida gov nominee not guilty of lying to FBI

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Former Florida Democratic candidate for governor Andrew Gillum, who came within a whisker of defeating Republican Ron DeSantis in 2018, was acquitted Thursday of lying to the FBI in a corruption case that also involved illegal use of campaign contributions. ...

Ex-Democratic Florida governor nominee Gillum not guilty of lying to FBI