Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced on Thursday that he has chosen Florida Republican Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Sen. Marco Rubio, the likely incoming Secretary of State, in the U.S. Senate.
Moody, 49, has served as Florida&#8217;s AG under DeSantis since 2019 and has been at the forefront of multiple issues recently. In November, she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-sues-fema-for-conspiring-to-deny-disaster-relief-to-trump-supporters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued FEMA</a> over its alleged discrimination against Trump supporters during the disaster relief efforts after Hurricane Milton. She also took on special prosecutor Jack Smith &#8220;for his politically motivated persecution of the former president,&#8221; DeSantis said at a press conference in Orlando.
&#8220;In appointing a U.S. senator, I initially put out several different criteria,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;One, I want somebody that&#8217;s going to work with President Trump to deliver on the mandate he earned from the American people. I want a senator that&#8217;s going to be willing to lean in against the excessive spending and cut spending and stop the inflation. I want somebody that understands that the federal bureaucracy is run amok and it must be held to account.&#8221;
&#8220;And we need somebody that understands the fight against illegal immigration, is willing to shut the border, and importantly, make sure any legal immigration to this country is putting Americans first,&#8221; he added. &#8220;We can&#8217;t be bringing foreigners in to displace our own people in key positions.&#8221;
The attorney general vowed to &#8220;bring the same persistence and passion and tenacity as a United States senator as that I have brought as Florida&#8217;s attorney general.&#8221;
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&#8220;Governor, I want you to know I will not let you down, I will not let the citizens of Florida down, and I will not let my country down,&#8221; Moody said at the press conference.
DeSantis said he considered many candidates for the open Senate seat, but after looking at one final criterion, the Florida governor decided to go with Moody.
&#8220;I wanted somebody with a demonstrated record of delivering results on those important issues,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;Talk is cheap. We need people that have demonstrated fidelity to these principles with their actions.&#8221;
Moody won two statewide attorney general elections by large margins. Before she became attorney general, Moody served as a federal prosecutor and was the youngest judge in Florida when she was elected to the Circuit Court in Hillsborough County in 2006. Assuming the Senate confirms Rubio to serve as Trump&#8217;s Secretary of State, Moody will serve in the Senate seat until a special election is held in 2026 when she can decide to run for re-election. Rubio has served in the Senate since 2011, and Republicans have controlled both of Florida&#8217;s Senate seats since 2019.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Governor Ron DeSantis Makes an Announcement in Orlando <a href="https://t.co/7dNbFdoiau">https://t.co/7dNbFdoiau</a>
&mdash; Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1879912849012818245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2025</a></blockquote>
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Ashley Moody

DeSantis Taps Florida AG Ashley Moody To Replace Marco Rubio In The Senate

Congress

Florida

Marco Rubio

Politics

Ron DeSantis

Senate

U.S. Senate

Two teachers union heads in Florida have been indicted on fraud and conspiracy charges, accused of stealing more than $2 million from union members.
The indictment against Terrie Brady, who was president of Duval Teachers United, and Ruby George, who was executive vice president, was unsealed on Monday.
Brady, 69, and George, 81, could face decades in prison if convicted of the charges, which <a href="https://jaxtoday.org/2025/01/13/teachers-union-fraud-indictment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">include</a> conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud, and three counts of aiding and abetting mail fraud.
The indictment accuses the two women of cheating the union out of <a href="https://www.jacksonville.com/story/news/local/2025/01/13/florida-teachers-union-execs-terrie-brady-ruby-george-indicted/75914930007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more</a> than $1.2 million each between 2013 and 2022, in part by claiming much more unused vacation time than they had. According to the indictment, they tag-teamed on signing each other&#8217;s union checks for fraudulent vacation time payments and additional bonus payments.
Brady was also charged with two counts of money laundering for allegedly using nearly $44,000 of the money to pay personal American Express credit card debt.
Then, the women filed false documentation to a union auditor, the indictment claimed.
The bombshell charges come after agents from the FBI and Internal Revenue Service raided the union&#8217;s headquarters in San Marco in September 2023, sparking confusion and speculation. Agents were spotted carrying computers, bags, and boxes of financial documents out of the building.
Brady and George resigned just weeks later after leading the union for 24 years, saying they wanted to spend more time with their families.
Back in 2023, Brady <a href="https://www.actionnewsjax.com/news/local/governor-ron-desantis-takes-aim-teachers-unions/XEPIGBHODZB7PEWRRJNWN2XYCE/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">complained</a> about Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis trying to impose new financial transparency requirements on the unions.
“We think we’re pretty transparent in the work that we do,” Brady said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Terrie Brady, President of the Duval Teachers United union, put in a rare appearance at the DCPS school board meeting to discuss…not receiving dues for 12 days because of the new Florida law making teacher dues opt in and not mandatory. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MomsForLiberty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MomsForLiberty</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Florida?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Florida</a> <a href="https://t.co/71OLVS4MSc">pic.twitter.com/71OLVS4MSc</a>
&mdash; Moms For Liberty &#8211; Duval Co., FL (@DuvalMoms) <a href="https://twitter.com/DuvalMoms/status/1686628447953555456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 2, 2023</a></blockquote>
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DeSantis had accused the unions of being too political and promised better pay for teachers and a cap on the salaries of teachers union officials.
“Having partisan groups basically get special privileges for deductions and all these other stuff, you know, that doesn’t work and so, I think this will be a huge, huge boon for transparency and efficiency in our school system,” DeSantis said at the time.
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Duval Teachers United represents about 13,000 teachers and other school employees in the Jacksonville area. The local union is affiliated with both the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the National Education Association (NEA).
The union <a href="https://jaxtoday.org/2025/01/13/teachers-union-fraud-indictment/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">brings</a> in about $5 million in revenue a year.
In 2022, Brady received a lifetime achievement award for “a long record of excellent leadership” from the Florida Education Association.
She also chaired the Florida Democratic Party in the 1990s.

Money

Teachers Union Heads Indicted For Fraud, Stealing More Than $2M From Union

Teachers Union Heads Indicted For Fraud, Stealing Millions From Union

Crime

DeSantis

Education

Fraud

Public Schools

Teachers Unions

U.S.

Tennessee Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/bill-lee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Bill Lee</a> announced Wednesday that he would convene a special session of the state’s General Assembly to consider public safety and immigration legislation to prepare the state for the incoming Trump administration. 
The announcement did not say what specific immigration legislation would be considered, but noted that “the incoming Trump Administration has called on states to prepare for policy implementation.” The special session will also focus on a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/is-this-the-year-tennessee-wins-on-school-choice" target="_blank" rel="noopener">school choice</a> proposal backed by Lee, and Hurricane Helene disaster relief. 
“The Tennessee General Assembly will consider public safety measures related to immigration to ensure the state is prepared for federal policy implementation,” the governor’s office said in a statement. “Last year, Gov. Lee directed key state agencies to begin making preparations and stand ready on Day One of the Trump Administration to support efforts to secure our Nation’s borders and keep communities safe.”
Lee’s call comes after Governor Ron DeSantis said Monday that Florida would have a special session to ready the state to implement Trump&#8217;s planned crackdown on illegal immigration. Following the announcement, Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-praises-desantis-for-leading-on-his-agenda-urges-other-governors-to-follow" target="_blank" rel="noopener">praised</a> DeSantis, saying that “hopefully other Governors will follow!”
In a joint statement, Lee, Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, House Speaker Cameron Sexton, Senate Majority Leader Jack Johnson, and House Majority Leader William Lamberth said that they would focus on making sure the state had the resources to aid Trump. 
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“Finally, the American people elected President Trump with a mandate to enforce immigration laws and protect our communities, and Tennessee must have the resources ready to support the Administration on Day One,” they said. 
Trump’s plans reportedly include building the border wall, constructing facilities to hold migrants, imposing new asylum restrictions, reimplementing Title 42, and authorizing local law enforcement and state law enforcement to assist ICE.
Tennessee lawmakers will also consider the “Education Freedom Scholarship Act,” which would create 20,000 scholarships of around $7,000 that can be used for tuition at private schools. The legislation was introduced by Johnson in the Senate and Lamberth in the House. 
Lee also asked the legislature to add $240 million in funding to the state’s Disaster Relief Grant fund, create a $110 million Hurricane Helene Interest fund, fund $100 million for Governor’s Response and Recovery Fund, and allocate $20 million to rebuild a Tennessee destroyed by the hurricane.
&#8220;In this special session, we will ensure the state is best positioned to coordinate with federal, state, and local law enforcement to implement the Trump Administration&#8217;s plan to enforce the federal immigration laws on the books,&#8221; said Lee spokeswoman Elizabeth Johnson. &#8220;President Trump has made it clear that states will play a major role in partnering with his Administration to make our communities safer. Tennessee is heeding the call.&#8221;

Border Security Remains Key Issue In Presidential Campaigns

Tennessee To Look At Implementing Trump’s Immigration Agenda In Special Session

Bill Lee

Donald Trump

Illegal Immigration

School Choice

Tennessee

President-elect Donald Trump praised Florida Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ron-desantis" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ron DeSantis</a> (R) on Tuesday for calling an emergency special session so Florida could getting funding lined up so the state is ready to implement Trump&#8217;s agenda shortly after he takes office.
DeSantis noted in a statement announcing the special session that Trump was elected &#8220;with a mandate to stop illegal immigration and deport illegal aliens already in our country.&#8221;
&#8220;State and local officials in Florida will actively facilitate the Trump Administration’s policies against illegal immigration, and to do that we need to immediately set aside and approve the necessary funding and resources now,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;As part of the special session I called for January 27, the week after President Trump is sworn in, I am calling on the legislature to appropriate funding for detention, relocation, transportation infrastructure, local law enforcement support, and everything else needed for Florida to carry out this mission.&#8221;
Trump responded to the announcement: &#8220;Thank you Ron, hopefully other Governors will follow!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
President-elect Trump was elected with a mandate to stop illegal immigration and deport illegal aliens already in our country.
State and local officials in Florida will actively facilitate the Trump Administration’s policies against illegal immigration, and to do that we need to… <a href="https://t.co/PHvNYvjAH6">pic.twitter.com/PHvNYvjAH6</a>
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovRonDeSantis/status/1878950673766814116?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 13, 2025</a></blockquote>
Trump has promised to act swiftly when he returns to the White House on Monday for what is expected to be a display of &#8220;shock and awe with executive orders,&#8221; <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/barrasso-trump-to-unleash-shock-and-awe-with-day-1-executive-orders">according to</a> Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso (R-WY).
Longtime Trump immigration adviser Stephen Miller reportedly told senators on Wednesday night that they plan to use executive power toward fixing the border on the very first day.
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That includes building the border wall, constructing facilities to hold migrants, imposing new asylum restrictions, and reimplementing Title 42, the COVID-era rule that allows authorities to rapidly remove migrants apprehended at the border. It also includes using part of the Immigration and Nationality Act that allows local law enforcement and state law enforcement to help assist ICE, according to Axios.
He’s expected to begin the process of mass deportations, suspend refugee admissions, end the visa-free parole process for people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela (which allowed 530,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans to enter the United States as of August), and to roll back a memo from Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas directing ICE officers to learn “the totality of the facts and circumstances” about illegal immigrant’s criminal convictions before deciding to deport them.
Mary Margaret Olohan contributed to this report.

President-Elect Trump Holds Press Conference At Mar-A-Lago

Trump Praises DeSantis For Leading On His Agenda, Urges Other Governors To Follow

Executive

Two dead bodies were discovered inside a JetBlue plane&#8217;s landing gear after it flew from New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport in Florida on Monday night.
The bodies were found during a routine post-flight maintenance inspection when Flight 1801 landed in South Florida after 11:00 p.m., The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/01/07/us-news/2-found-dead-in-jetblue-planes-landing-gear-after-nyc-flight/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Authorities have not identified the two people found dead as they continue to investigate the incident.
&#8220;The circumstances surrounding how they accessed the aircraft remain under investigation,&#8221; JetBlue said, according to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/two-people-found-dead-in-jetblue-plane-landing-gear-at-fort-lauderdale-hollywood-international-airport/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab7e&amp;linkId=707314746" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CBS News</a>. &#8220;This is a heartbreaking situation, and we are committed to working closely with authorities to support their efforts to understand how this occurred.&#8221;
The JetBlue Airbus A320 departed New York City at 8:20 p.m. and arrived in Fort Lauderdale less than three hours later, CBS News reported. The plane began its day in Jamaica before flying to JFK in New York, then flew to Salt Lake City, and then back to JFK before its flight to South Florida. Broward County, Florida, Sheriff homicide detectives are seeking to determine how the two people accessed the landing gear compartment before the flight took off.
The JetBlue incident is similar to when a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/body-found-in-wheel-well-of-plane-after-9-hour-flight-to-hawaii" target="_blank" rel="noopener">body was discovered</a> in the wheel well of a United Airlines flight that landed in Maui after taking off from Chicago on Christmas Eve. Authorities are still investigating how the person got onto the tarmac and then accessed the wheel well of the plane in Chicago.
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In the past, people attempting to hitch a ride on an airplane have been crushed in the wheel well when the landing gear retracts, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/25/us/united-airlines-plane-body-found-hawaii/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. The wheel well is a compartment under an aircraft that stores the landing gear and is usually a tight space — often smaller than the trunk of a car.
Dozens of stowaways have attempted to hitch illegal rides on airplanes by climbing into the wheel well, but multiple factors make it nearly impossible for a stowaway to survive a ride in that space. As a plane reaches higher altitudes, oxygen levels drop, and stowaways lose consciousness. Temperatures can also drop to 75 degrees below zero. Nearly 80% of the roughly 130 people who have attempted to catch a ride on the outside of an airplane since 1947 have died, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/06/us/airplane-stowaways/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to the Federal Aviation Administration.

JetBlue Airbus

2 People Found Dead In Plane’s Landing Gear After Flight From NYC To Florida

2 People Found Dead In Plane's Landing Gear After Flight From NYC To Florida

Air and Space

JetBlue

New York

As we prepare to enter the new year, we’re taking you back to some of The Daily Wire’s best reporting from 2024. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">This article</a> was originally published on November 8. 
A federal disaster relief official ordered workers to bypass the homes of Donald Trump’s supporters as they surveyed damage caused by Hurricane Milton in Florida, according to internal correspondence obtained by The Daily Wire and confirmed by multiple federal employees.
A FEMA supervisor told workers in a message to “avoid homes advertising Trump” as they canvassed Lake Placid, Florida, to identify residents who could qualify for federal aid, internal messages viewed by The Daily Wire reveal. The supervisor, Marn’i Washington, relayed this message both verbally and in a group chat used by the relief team, multiple government employees told The Daily Wire.
The government employees told The Daily Wire that at least 20 homes with Trump signs or flags were skipped from the end of October and into November due to the guidance, meaning they were not given the opportunity to qualify for FEMA assistance. Images shared with The Daily Wire show that houses were skipped over by the workers, who wrote in the government system messages such as: “Trump sign no entry per leadership.”
It is unclear whether the same guidance was issued elsewhere in the country. The employees were part of a Department of Homeland Security surge capacity force team, meaning they volunteered from other DHS agencies to help an understaffed FEMA as it dealt with a second major hurricane in a span of just a few weeks.
<div id="attachment_826343" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-826343" class="wp-image-826343 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/fema-avoid-trump-1-1024x576.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/fema-avoid-trump-1-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/fema-avoid-trump-1-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/fema-avoid-trump-1-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/fema-avoid-trump-1-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/fema-avoid-trump-1.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Microsoft Teams chat used by FEMA workers. / The Daily Wire</div>
“I know they’re short-staffed, I thought we could go help and make a difference,” one of the employees said. “When we got there we were told to discriminate against people. It’s almost unbelievable to think that somebody in the federal government would think that’s okay.”
The employee said it felt wrong to discriminate against Trump supporters when they were at their “most vulnerable.”
“I volunteered to help disaster victims, not discriminate against them,” the employee said. “It didn’t matter if people were black, white, Hispanic, for Trump, for Harris. Everyone deserves the same amount of help.”
The guidance came as the Biden administration was criticized over its sluggish response to Hurricane Helene in rural areas across the country. In Roan Mountain, Tennessee, for example, locals <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-a-small-tennessee-town-survived-helene-after-the-emergency-response-floundered">told</a> The Daily Wire it took nearly two weeks for FEMA to show up. The town is located in Carter County, which <a href="https://www.politico.com/2024-election/results/tennessee/">voted 81%</a> for Trump.
The FEMA agents ordered not to help houses with Trump signs were operating in Highlands County, a deep-red area located in south central Florida that backed Trump by 70%. It was hit with tornadoes, torrential wind and rain, and flooding when Milton hit in October.
In the chat, Washington said that it would be “best practice” to “avoid homes advertising Trump,” according to photos of the messages viewed by The Daily Wire. No explanation was given for this guidance, which included other recommendations like telling the workers to “practice de-escalation and preventative measures,” and to “avoid high salt diets and coffee.”
Photos from the system used by federal relief workers to track what homes they visit showed that relief workers followed Washington’s guidance. Several addresses were marked “not able to access property” with listed explanations such as: “Trump sign no entry per leadership,” “Per leadership no stop Trump flag,” “Trump sign,” and “Trump sign, no contact per leadership.”
<div id="attachment_826363" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-826363" class="wp-image-826363 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-1024x512.jpg" alt="" width="1024" height="512" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-300x150.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-768x384.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/11/MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-17-PM-8891-2048x1024.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />One of the homes skipped by FEMA/ FEMA app tracking what homes were visited.</div>
“If they had damage or lost power for over thirty-six hours, it was my duty to inform them of benefits to which they are entitled through FEMA,” one team member wrote in a complaint filed to DHS about the guidance.
Washington is the Disaster Survivor Assistance crew leader for Highland County, a leadership chart reviewed by The Daily Wire shows. She did not respond to multiple phone calls or an email seeking comment on the guidance.
Chad Hershey, Washington’s FEMA supervisor, told The Daily Wire that the agency is looking into the situation.
“We are aware of it and we are taking proper action in this situation currently,” Hershey said.
Pressed to confirm the messages, Hershey said: “We are aware of it and we are taking action at this moment regarding the situation that you’re talking about.”
Hershey added that FEMA would be providing a fuller statement though none was yet provided by press time. He said that officials in Washington, D.C., would be reaching out to The Daily Wire.
After publication of this story, a FEMA spokesperson told The Daily Wire it was “deeply disturbed” and “horrified” by the employee’s actions, and that it has “taken extreme actions to correct this situation.”
“While we believe this is an isolated incident, we have taken measures to remove the employee from their role and are investigating the matter to prevent this from happening ever again,” the spokesperson said in an emailed statement. “The employee who issued this guidance had no authority and was given no direction to tell teams to avoid these homes and we are reaching out to the people who may have not been reached as a result of this incident.”
“This is a matter that we take extremely seriously and we are doing everything we can to make sure all survivors receive support from FEMA. To date, we have helped over 365,000 households impacted by both Hurricanes Helene and Milton in the state of Florida and have provided over $898 million in direct assistance to survivors.”
“We are horrified that this took place and therefore have taken extreme actions to correct this situation and have ensured that the matter was addressed at all levels. Helping people is what we do best and our workforce across the agency will continue to serve survivors for as long as it takes.”
In addition to the statement, a FEMA spokesman clarified that Washington is not actively working for the agency, pending an investigation.
The guidance was first issued by Washington verbally on October 22, and again in the group chat on October 27, according to one of the federal employees. The Trump-related instructions were deleted from the chat a few days later, photos of the chat reviewed by The Daily Wire show.
By October 30, Washington had started walking back the instructions about skipping Trump supporters’ homes, one of the federal employees told The Daily Wire. The relief workers said Washington denied that homes were being skipped after a meeting with other FEMA administrators.
The employees say that Washington has not been punished for the guidance, but has been shifted to another county in Florida.
The whistleblower complaint says that the Trump guidance further undermines trust in FEMA and its response to the hurricanes.
“This behavior raises significant concerns of discrimination against United States citizens because of their political views,” a copy of the complaint obtained by The Daily Wire said. “These actions not only undermine the integrity of our agency and create a hostile work environment for those who may hold differing political beliefs but they also threaten the very democracy of our country.”

MixCollage-08-Nov-2024-03-07-PM-8035

FEMA Official Ordered Relief Workers To Skip Houses With Trump Signs

EXCLUSIVE: FEMA Official Ordered Relief Workers To Skip Houses With Trump Signs

FEMA

Hurricane Milton

Trump Supporters

President-elect Donald Trump on Christmas day nominated a Miami-Dade County commissioner to serve as the next ambassador to Panama.
Trump announced his nomination of Kevin Cabrera in a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/113715222973394340">post</a> on Truth Social. The nomination comes as Trump and Panama’s president trade barbs over Trump’s call to reduce prices for U.S. ships traveling through the Panama Canal.
“I am pleased to announce that Kevin Marino Cabrera will serve as the United States Ambassador to the Republic of Panama, a Country that is ripping us off on the Panama Canal, far beyond their wildest dreams,” Trump wrote. “Few understand Latin American politics as well as Kevin &#8211; He will do a FANTASTIC job representing our Nation’s interests in Panama!”
Cabrera, the son of Cuban immigrants, has been a staunch Trump ally. He won the Miami-Dade County District 6 commissioner’s seat on the back of a Trump endorsement. Trump won District 6 by 33 points in the 2024 presidential election. Cabrera was the first GOP commissioner in Florida to back Trump in the 2024 Republican primary against Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
Cabrera served as Trump’s 2020 campaign director and, later, as the Florida director of the America First Policy Institute, a Trump-aligned think tank. He also serves as vice chairman of Miami-Dade County’s International Trade Consortium.
Cabrera accepted the nomination in a Wednesday statement. He did not address Trump’s recent spat with the Panamanian government or give his thoughts on the future of the Panama Canal.
“I am committed to supporting President Trump’s America First vision and will work tirelessly every day to uphold his bold approach to international diplomacy,” Cabrera said in a statement, according to the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article297463273.html">Miami Herald</a>. “Representing the United States abroad is a duty I take with the utmost pride.”
If confirmed by the Senate, Cabrera will likely serve underneath another Florida native, Sen. Marco Rubio, Trump’s nominee to be the next head of the State Department.
Last week, Trump said that the U.S. could retake control of the Panama Canal unless rates for U.S. shipping passing through it are reduced.
“Our Navy and Commerce have been treated in a very unfair and injudicious way. The fees being charged by Panama are ridiculous, especially knowing the extraordinary generosity that has been bestowed to Panama by the U.S. This complete ‘rip-off’ of our Country will immediately stop,” Trump said in a statement.
Panama’s president, José Raúl Mulino, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/panamas-president-hisses-after-trump-threatens-to-take-back-the-u-s-built-panama-canal">addressed</a> Trump’s comments in a statement a day later. The statement, which did mention Trump by name, promised that “every square meter of the Panama Canal and its adjacent area belong to PANAMA, and will continue to be.”
“The sovereignty and independence of our country are not negotiable,” Mulino said.

Kevin Cabrera

Trump Taps Miami-Dade Commissioner As Panama Ambassador After Row Over Canal

Panama

The trial for the man accused of plotting to assassinate President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> at his West Palm Beach golf course has been delayed for months to give the lawyers more time to go over evidence in the case. 
Federal Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Monday that the trial for 58-year-old Ryan Routh would begin on September 8, 2025, instead of the originally scheduled February 10. Routh is facing multiple charges including the attempted assassination of a presidential candidate. 
Cannon said that Routh’s defense team “had not meaningfully responded” to prosecutors&#8217; requests for evidence, the Washington Examiner <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/3269503/judge-delays-trial-september-suspect-trump-assassination-attempt/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Cannon also noted that Routh’s lawyers maintained that “mental health evaluations are ongoing” but hadn’t yet decided if they would be pursuing an insanity defense. 
Routh’s team has until February 3 to officially announce “an insanity defense” or “note of expert evidence of a mental condition.” 
Routh is accused of hiding in the bushes with a rifle near Trump’s golf course on September 15 allegedly with the intent of killing the then-presidential candidate. Law enforcement said Routh fled after being confronted by a Secret Service agent who shot at him after he saw a rifle barrel poking out of the bushes. 
He also <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ryan-routh-charged-with-attempting-to-kill-donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">faces charges</a> of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, assaulting a federal officer, felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, and possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.
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In a separate case, Florida has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-hits-ryan-routh-with-attempted-murder-charge-after-alleged-trump-assassination-plot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">charged</a> Routh with attempted murder over a car crash that occurred as he was apprehended by law enforcement. 
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said that Routh was to blame for an accident that occurred on Interstate 95 as he tried to evade law enforcement after the alleged assassination attempt. The accident, which left a 6-year-old girl severely injured, occurred as the interstate was shut down due to the chase. 
The charge was brought as part of Florida’s investigation into the attempt on Trump’s life in Florida. Moody and Republican Governor Ron DeSantis have accused federal authorities of impeding their investigation. 
 “Despite the federal government frustrating our efforts, which we continue to challenge in court, we found that Mr. Routh’s actions caused catastrophic injuries to a six-year-old girl,” Moody said. “My heart breaks for the child and her family, and while we continue to seek justice for President Trump, we will fight just as hard to ensure Mr. Routh pays for the tragedy his criminal actions brought on this Florida family.”

TOPSHOT-US-VOTE-TRUMP-GUN-SUSPECT

Trial For Ryan Routh Over Attempted Assassination Of Trump Delayed

assassination attempt

Courts

FEMA Director <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/heres-what-we-learned-from-fema-chiefs-day-of-congressional-grilling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Deanne Criswell</a> confirmed that there were multiple ongoing federal investigations into <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-fema-official-ordered-relief-workers-to-skip-houses-with-trump-signs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">instructions</a> from a relief worker to skip homes with Trump signs, according to a letter to Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) first shared with The Daily Wire. 
Criswell <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/Senator-Blackburn-Response.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a> to Blackburn on Tuesday confirming that Department of Homeland Security Inspector General Joseph Cuffari and the U.S. Office of Special Council were actively investigating FEMA supervisor Marn’i Washington’s written and verbal commands for workers in Lake Placid, Florida to “avoid homes advertising Trump.” The guidance led to workers skipping at least 20 homes in the small community.
Criswell referred to the instructions as “unacceptable” and a “clear violation” of FEMA’s values. 
“This employee’s conduct was reprehensible, and this type of behavior and action will not be tolerated at FEMA,” she wrote. “The work we do at FEMA is not, has never been, and should never be partisan — emergencies and disasters don’t respect geographic or political boundaries.”
The letter came after Blackburn <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-blackburn-says-fema-trump-guidance-confirms-worst-fears-about-government" target="_blank" rel="noopener">urged FEMA</a> last month to comply with any investigation into potential discrimination over hurricane relief. 
Criswell said that the FEMA’s Office of Professional Responsibility (OPR), the U.S. Office of Special Council, and Cuffari were currently investigating aspects of the incident. 
According to Criswell, OPR began an internal investigation the same day it learned of a complaint about the instructions and referred the matter to the Office of Special Counsel. This investigation was stopped on November 15 at the request of the Inspector General, who later said it could continue on December 3. 
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A whistleblower complaint was first filed on October 26, yet Washington faced no disciplinary action until November 8, the day The Daily Wire first reported on the anti-Trump guidance. 
“On November 19 I personally requested Inspector General Cuffari ‘to conduct an independent inquiry to include all Helene and Milton disasters,’” Criswell told Blackburn. That was the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/whos-lying-top-republican-not-satisfied-with-fema-answers-on-trump-home-scandal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">same day</a> that she testified before congressional lawmakers and was pressed about the status of an Inspector General investigation. 
Criswell told Blackburn that the Inspector General would be “reviewing some aspect of this matter’ through its Office of Audit and noted that the Office of Special Council investigation was ongoing. 
The FEMA chief also promised to cooperate with <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tennessee-to-investigate-fema-after-guidance-to-skip-trump-homes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tennessee’s investigation</a> into &#8220;potential discrimination against Tennesseans,&#8221; as Blackburn requested. 
Other whistleblowers have since come forward to Republican lawmakers alleging similar discrimination by FEMA workers against Trump supporters in Georgia and North Carolina.

Senate Appropriations Committee Holds Hearing On Disaster Funding Needs

EXCLUSIVE: FEMA Chief Confirms Multiple ‘Ongoing’ Federal Investigations Into Trump Instructions

Discrimination

Marsha Blackburn

The state of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a> has charged the man suspected of plotting to assassinate President-elect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> at his West Palm Beach golf course with attempted murder over a car crash that occurred as he was apprehended by law enforcement. 
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody said Wednesday that Ryan Routh was being charged with attempted murder over an car accident that occurred on Interstate 95 as he tried to evade law enforcement after he was spotted with a firearm near Trump&#8217;s golf course, allegedly with the intent of killing the then-presidential candidate. Law enforcement said Routh fled after being confronted by a Secret Service agent he shot at him. The interstate had been closed during the pursuit, and a 6-year-old girl was severely injured in the crash. Moody said Routh was at fault.
“When Routh fled the scene and drove north into Martin County, it foreseeably caused law enforcement to shut down Interstate 95 to preserve the life and safety of others,” the <a href="https://www.myfloridalegal.com/sites/default/files/2024-12/arrest-affidavit_redacted-final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">affidavit</a> says. “Routh&#8217;s actions were the cause of a horrific car crash that severely injured the minor child, Routh’s intentional act of escaping the scene of his attempted act of terrorism could have easily resulted in the death of [the child], but fortunately did not.”
The affidavit revealed that the young child was still in the hospital due to the life-threatening injuries she received when the vehicle she was in was rear-ended. 
 “Despite the federal government frustrating our efforts, which we continue to challenge in court, we found that Mr. Routh’s actions caused catastrophic injuries to a six-year-old girl,” Moody said. “My heart breaks for the child and her family, and while we continue to seek justice for President Trump, we will fight just as hard to ensure Mr. Routh pays for the tragedy his criminal actions brought on this Florida family.”
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The charges were brought as part of Florida’s investigation into the attempt on Trump’s life in Florida. Moody and Governor Ron DeSantis (R) have accused federal authorities of impeding their investigation. 
 “The federal government has stonewalled Florida’s investigation of the Trump assassination attempt at every turn, and I appreciate Attorney General Ashley Moody and her team for plowing forward despite such resistance,” DeSantis said Wednesday. “The tide will turn on January 20th and we fully expect that the federal roadblocks will be removed. The would-be assassin needs to face the full force of justice, and the people deserve the truth about the defendant’s history, motivations and plan.”
The trial for Routh is slated to begin in February, and he has pled not guilty to the charges of attempting to kill Trump.

Police shares footage of suspect in apparent assassination attempt on Trump caught in Florida

Florida Hits Ryan Routh With Attempted Murder Charge After Alleged Trump Assassination Plot

Law Enforcement

Secret Service

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sylvester-stallone" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sylvester Stallone</a> has upset his neighbors in the Palm Beach area over a proposed addition to his sprawling $35 million estate that would include a barrier in the Intracoastal Waterway near his home.
Stallone and his wife Jennifer Flavin left California for Florida, buying the estate in 2020, which includes a two-story mansion along with a private 262-foot beachfront, the <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/12/16/real-estate/sylvester-stallone-wants-to-install-a-floating-barrier-near-his-home/">New York Post </a>reported. It is situated on the North End of Palm Beach, a popular area for paddle-boarders, boaters, and kayakers.
According to documents submitted to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Stallone filed paperwork in 2023 to create an “L-shaped” floating barrier in an effort to block seaweed, trash, and organic debris from entering the property.
It would involve creating a barrier stretching 191 feet southward from the dock and turning 50 feet toward the shore, that would still allow marine life to pass through.
However, the DEP public notice neighbors have received states the project’s main objective is “to exclude boaters” from getting to the estate, with seaweed listed as second, the outlet noted.
And now neighbors claim the barrier is Stallone’s way to block boaters and kayakers from using the waterway &#8212; something they aren’t happy about.
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“A lot of neighbors are concerned,” neighbor Bradford Gary told the Daily News, “Usually when your neighbors are gonna do something, we’ve found in Palm Beach, usually they call.”
“He bought a beautiful property,” he added. “One of the nicest West Indies houses. I can see why you’d want to protect it. But you can’t just kind of stake your claim and think you own the water.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
ROCKING THE BOAT: Sylvester Stallone wants to keep moving forward with plans to build an underwater barrier near his Palm Beach home, despite the wrath of neighbors in his affluent, water-front community. <a href="https://t.co/baVCcjuu1P">https://t.co/baVCcjuu1P</a> <a href="https://t.co/lkkHV6GO9n">pic.twitter.com/lkkHV6GO9n</a>
— Fox News (@FoxNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoxNews/status/1868481450061828147?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 16, 2024</a></blockquote>
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has pointed out its concerns as well, the outlet noted. The proposal is also under scrutiny as the Army Corps decides whether a barrier to keep boaters out can be legally allowed in the public waterway.
Speaking to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/sylvester-stallones-wife-florida-move-wasnt-really-anything-left-for-me-in-california">Fox News</a>, Stallone’s wife Jennifer previously talked about their decision to leave California for Palm Beach, as previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sylvester-stallones-wife-says-shes-really-glad-they-moved-out-of-california">reported</a>.
“I was born and raised there [CA], two of our kids were born there, but now everyone’s out, our daughters have moved to the East Coast … so there wasn’t really anything left for me in California,” Flavin told the outlet.
“A few of our best friends also moved, so I think it’s [a] good change, just making new friends and living a totally different lifestyle, I love it, I’m really happy,” she added, noting that the move wasn’t just about the increase in crime in the state.
“There’s crime everywhere, there’s crime in Florida, too, so I didn’t move because of crime,” Flavin continued. “You can find it anywhere you look, even in small towns.”
Related:<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sylvester-stallones-wife-says-shes-really-glad-they-moved-out-of-california" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Sylvester Stallone’s Wife Says She’s Really Glad They Moved Out Of California</a>

Sylvester Stallone

Sylvester Stallone’s Neighbors Upset Over Addition To Sprawling Estate

Sylvester Stallone's Neighbors Upset Over Addition To Sprawling Estate

California

Celebrities

Entertainment

Hollywood

A woman in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/florida" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida</a> was charged by police this week for allegedly threatening her health insurance company after they denied a claim.
The Lakeland Police Department was contacted by the FBI on Tuesday about the threat that 42-year-old Briana Boston allegedly made to BlueCross BlueShield after they denied a recent claim.
WFLA <a href="https://www.wfla.com/news/polk-county/lakeland-woman-threatens-insurance-company-says-delay-deny-depose-police/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that at the end of the recorded phone call, Boston could allegedly be heard saying: “Delay, Deny, Depose. You people are next.”
&#8220;Delay, Deny, Depose,&#8221; were the same words that an assassin allegedly wrote on the shell casings of the three 9mm bullets that were used to murder UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson last week.
The arrest affidavit noted the words have quickly come to be widely recognized as a threat “directed against insurance companies.”
“She’s been in this world long enough that she certainly should know better that you can’t make threats like that in the current environment that we live in and think that we’re not going to follow up and put you in jail,” said Lakeland Police Chief Sam Taylor.
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When law enforcement questioned her at her home, she allegedly admitting to making the statement and said that “healthcare companies played games and deserved karma from the world because they are evil.”
She admitted to using the phrase “because it’s what is in the news right now,” but claimed she was not a danger because she did not own firearms.
“She readily admitted that, ‘Yeah that’s exactly what I said but I didn’t mean anything by it,’” said Taylor. “Well, you don’t get to pull that back after you say it.”
She was charged with threats to conduct a mass shooting or an act of terrorism.
The judge in the case set bond to $100,000, citing &#8220;the status of our country at this point.&#8221;

Mugshot

Woman Arrested For Alleged Threat Made To Insurance Company Over Denied Claim

Health Insurance

Luigi Mangione

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