Florida students are heading back to school this year with a new addition to their history curriculum: a comprehensive study of communism, including its history, domestic movements, and the atrocities committed by communist regimes.
The new standards are the culmination of a five-year effort by Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida lawmakers to expand civics education and ensure students learn about the dangers of totalitarian ideologies.
The effort began in 2021, when DeSantis <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-signs-law-requiring-students-to-learn-evils-of-communism-real-patriots-who-escaped-it">signed a package</a> of legislation overhauling civics education in Florida. One of those measures required high school students to receive instruction comparing political ideologies such as communism and totalitarianism with the principles of freedom and democracy underlying the American founding. The legislation also created the state&#8217;s “Portraits in Patriotism” initiative, which uses the stories of people who fled persecution in countries including Cuba and Venezuela to teach students about the value of American liberty.
In 2022, DeSantis signed legislation <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/desantis-signs-law-requiring-lessons-on-victims-of-commmunism-in-florida-schools">establishing</a> Victims of Communism Day in Florida. Beginning in the 2023-24 school year, public schools were required to provide at least 45 minutes of instruction addressing communist regimes and the suffering of their victims, including poverty, starvation, migration, political violence, and the suppression of speech and religion.
Then, in 2024, DeSantis signed <a href="https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2024/governor-desantis-signs-legislation-further-enhancing-floridas-education-standards">Senate Bill 1264</a>, expanding the state&#8217;s existing requirements to include the history of communism in the United States, domestic communist movements and their tactics, as well as the atrocities committed by communist regimes around the world. 
“We’re going to tell the truth about communism in the state of Florida. We’re going to tell the truth about the evils of communism,” DeSantis <a href="https://www.fox13news.com/news/desantis-signs-bill-requiring-communism-education-courses-in-florida-public-schools">said</a> when signing the legislation in 2024.
The State Board of Education <a href="https://www.fldoe.org/newsroom/latest-news/state-board-of-education-approves-new-history-of-communism-standards-.stml">approved</a> the resulting History of Communism standards in November 2025, with implementation beginning during the 2026-27 school year. The standards are designed to extend across the K-12 curriculum, with the state emphasizing that instruction will be age-appropriate at each grade level. Then-Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas said at the time, “With the resurgence of communist ideologies across the United States and throughout the world, it is more important than ever for students to understand the catastrophic failures and human suffering caused by communist regimes.&#8221;
The curriculum will cover more than the familiar history of the Soviet Union. It includes communism&#8217;s development in the United States, domestic communist movements, the tactics used by communist organizations, and the consequences of communist rule internationally. It also requires students to compare communism and totalitarianism with the principles of freedom and democracy that underpin the American system of government. 
The reforms have particular resonance in South Florida, where generations of Cuban, Venezuelan, and Nicaraguan immigrants have personal or family histories of fleeing communist and socialist regimes. When DeSantis signed the 2024 legislation, he was joined by veterans of the failed 1961 Bay of Pigs invasion of Cuba. 
“The most important fight against communism is the one that’s done in the schoolrooms,” Rafael Montalvo, president of the Brigade 2506 Veterans Association, said at the time. “That’s where the battle is happening right now.” 
Florida&#8217;s effort represents a sustained attempt to make anti-communism and civic literacy a formal part of public education rather than leaving those lessons to individual teachers or schools.
As students return to classrooms for the 2026-27 school year, the reforms that began with DeSantis&#8217; 2021 civics push are finally becoming a regular part of what Florida students are taught about America&#8217;s founding principles — and the ideologies that have historically opposed them.

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Reading, Writing, Communism: Inside New Curriculum Teaching Kids About Evil

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Trump-backed Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) won the Republican nomination for governor Tuesday, clearing the way for a general election showdown to succeed Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) after a contentious primary that tested the future of Florida’s conservative movement.
With 90% of the vote counted, Donalds is cruising to victory with about 48%, well ahead of Lt. Gov. Jay Collins (R-FL) at 25% and businessman James Fishback (R-FL) at 10%. <a href="https://votes.decisiondeskhq.com/races/2026-08-18/florida-governor-republican-primary">Decision Desk HQ</a> called the race at 8 p.m. ET.
&#8220;I want to start by thanking God for all His blessings and protection over my family, and over my team,” Donalds said in a Tuesday night celebration speech. &#8220;Tonight, the primary is over. Tonight, we put aside our differences. Tonight, we are one united Republican Party.&#8221;
Donalds, like Trump, was born in New York City but has represented Florida’s 19th Congressional District — which covers Southwest Florida along the Gulf Coast — in Washington since 2021. Widely viewed as a rising star in the Republican Party, Donalds was even floated as a potential vice presidential pick during the 2024 election cycle, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/byron-donalds-on-vp-buzz-im-a-real-simple-dude-i-just-want-to-win">The Daily Wire</a> reported. 
“It’d be a great honor, but it’s his decision,” Donalds said in a Nashville interview with The Daily Wire at the time. “He’ll decide what he wants to do, and whatever his decision is, I’m going to support that. I just want to win,” he added. “I’m a real simple dude. I just want to win and be successful. That’s it.”
That attitude appeared to win over Trump, who jumped into the race in May, endorsing Donalds as a “highly respected” congressman who would help advance the “America First Agenda.”
“I know Byron well, have seen him tested at the highest and most difficult levels, and he is a TOTAL WINNER,” Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116642799421262985">said</a> on Truth Social. “Byron Donalds will be a truly Great and Powerful Governor for Florida, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — HE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN!” 
On the campaign trail, Donalds<a href="https://byrondonalds.com/issues/"> ran</a> on advancing President Trump’s agenda, cracking down on illegal immigration, ending “woke ideology” in schools, and calling for an<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR4qqMWegVs"> end</a> to Cuba’s communist regime in an effort to win over Florida’s large Latino electorate. 
The former Democrat has also spoken openly about his born-again Christian conversion, which he says happened in a<a href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2025/09/08/byron-donalds-cracker-barrel-parking-lot"> Cracker Barrel</a> parking lot. As a young man, Donalds faced charges at 18 for marijuana possession and again at 20 in connection with a bank fraud scheme involving a bad check. The marijuana charge was dismissed after Donalds completed a pretrial diversion program, and he later had the fraud record sealed and expunged.
Fishback, who has himself faced questions over <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/florida-school-gop-james-fishback-sexual-misconduct-allegations-rcna249963">sexual misconduct allegations</a>, <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/811578-judge-orders-james-fishback-to-pay-his-former-hedge-fund-employer-1-3m/">financial disputes</a>, and <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/politics/decision/james-fishback-stays-on-ballot-florida-governors-race-residency-claims/3839164/">residency requirements</a>, sought to capitalize on Donalds’ past but faced backlash after calling the GOP front-runner a “DEI hire” and a <a href="https://x.com/Patriot_Clips/status/2075663909227253891?s=20">“slave”</a> to corporate interests.
“I will apologize for calling Byron Donalds a slave when he gives back the $81 million he has taken from AIPAC, hedge-fund billionaires, and special interests who are trying to pave over the state and turn us into a concrete jungle,” Fishback <a href="https://x.com/Patriot_Clips/status/2075663909227253891?s=20">told</a> reporters. 
The 31-year-old, who is closely <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7vtjidiZRTg">aligned with Tucker Carlson</a>, ran a headline-grabbing, grievance-filled campaign built around issues he believed would resonate with the Gen Z right, including banning data centers, suspending aid to Israel, implementing a “sin” tax on OnlyFans, and ending what he called the H-1B visa &#8220;scam.&#8221;
DeSantis, barred from seeking a third term, largely stayed on the sidelines as the primary unfolded. He praised former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner while withholding an endorsement and took a pointed swipe at Donalds last year.
“We’ve achieved victories in Florida,” DeSantis <a href="https://www.wtsp.com/article/news/politics/elections/desantis-endorse-governor-candidates-florida-2026/67-d41d3df8-f85c-44e5-bbbc-82067c738590">said</a> during a press conference last year. “A guy like Byron, he just hasn’t been a part of any of the victories that we’ve had here over the Left over these last years.”
Donalds and DeSantis were once close allies, but their relationship fractured in 2023 after Donalds broke with the governor over controversial education standards. The standards said enslaved people developed skills that could later be “applied for their personal benefit,” according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/byron-donalds-donald-trump-florida-governor-desantis-7cf12bdb0899d0165c4cbd98e5b3abe3#">Associated Press</a>. 
Donalds pushed back publicly at the time, writing on social media: “The new African-American standards in FL are good, robust, &amp; accurate. That being said, the attempt to feature the personal benefits of slavery is wrong &amp; needs to be adjusted.”
Looking ahead, Donalds said <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/814808-byron-donalds-still-expects-ron-desantis-to-back-him-after-primary/">he expects</a> to earn the governor’s support as he prepares to carry the DeSantis legacy forward. Donalds has vowed to continue Florida’s fight against “woke” ideology in schools and state government. 
Under DeSantis, Florida has become a national battleground over culture-war fights, including DEI, abortion, and transgender issues. The state recently scored a major legal victory in its <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/three-year-culture-war-fight-ends-with-major-win-for-desantis?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=35&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Three-Year+Culture+War+Fight+Ends+With+Major+Win+For+DeSantis">three-year fight</a> over a law restricting minors from attending sexually explicit live performances, including drag shows.
November&#8217;s election will effectively mark the end of the DeSantis era, which transformed Florida from a purple swing state into a ruby-red bastion for conservatives nationwide. Florida’s Republican advantage has grown dramatically in recent years, holding a roughly <a href="https://dos.fl.gov/elections/data-statistics/voter-registration-statistics/voter-registration-reports/voter-registration-by-party-affiliation/?lv=true&amp;quot=&amp;utm_source=chatgpt.com">1.5 million-voter registration edge</a> over Democrats. To win statewide, the Democrats would need to overcome the GOP’s registration lead by winning back Hispanics and persuading a large bloc of conservative-leaning voters who have backed Republicans in statewide elections.
This fall, Donalds will face Democratic nominee David Jolly, a former Republican congressman turned Democrat who wants to repeal Florida’s abortion ban and is leaning into identity politics. 
“Culture wars divide and demonize. Florida should reject the politics of division and hate, and instead create a home where everyone is valued, respected, and welcomed,” Jolly’s <a href="https://davidjolly.com/issues/">campaign website</a> reads. “Florida should embrace our immigrant community and celebrate their contributions to our state&#8217;s culture and economy.”
The <a href="https://www.cookpolitical.com/governor/race/479481">Cook Political Report</a> rates the race as Solid Republican.

Florida Gubernatorial Candidate Byron Donalds Campaigns Ahead Of Primary Election

Byron Donalds Cruises To Victory In Fight To Succeed DeSantis As Florida Governor

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Michael Caruso, the Palm Beach County clerk of courts and former Republican Florida state representative, was arrested Tuesday on charges alleging he sexually abused his grandson, a child under the age of 12.
The arrest carries a dark political irony: Caruso was one of the Florida lawmakers who voted for a 2023 law making certain sexual offenses against children under 12 eligible for the death penalty. Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has indicated additional charges could follow.
Caruso, 67, faces charges of kidnapping, lewd or lascivious molestation, lewd or lascivious exhibition, luring or enticing a child, and child abuse causing mental injury, according to an <a href="https://www.flgov.com/eog/sites/default/files/shared/2026/08/EO_26-170_Caruso_Suspension_0.pdf">arrest affidavit</a>. The alleged victim, Caruso&#8217;s grandson, was under 12 at the time of the alleged abuse. Caruso has not been charged with sexual battery, which can be a capital offense under Florida law when committed by an adult against a child under 12. Florida law defines sexual battery to include certain forms of oral, anal, or genital penetration.
Caruso served in the Florida House from 2018 until 2025 and was appointed Palm Beach County Clerk of Courts by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis last year. DeSantis suspended him from office Tuesday following his arrest, with Shannon Ramsey-Chessman sworn in as interim clerk.
The allegations against Caruso date back to 2024, according to investigators. The boy&#8217;s father became aware of possible abuse in October 2025 after observing concerning sexual behavior involving the child and his younger brother. The child subsequently told investigators that Caruso had molested him during a 2024 fishing trip and &#8220;placed his &#8216;pp&#8217; in his mouth&#8221; while showering with the victim on a family cruise in August 2025. The alleged conduct described by the child could fall within Florida&#8217;s statutory definition of sexual battery, though Caruso has not been charged with that offense.
According to the affidavit, Caruso later acknowledged taking the child fishing and separating him from his parents during the cruise but denied abusing him. During a recorded conversation with the boy&#8217;s father in February, Caruso allegedly said the accusations were impossible because he is attracted to women and warned, “If you report this to the authorities there won&#8217;t be any of me left, I can tell you that.” The investigation remains ongoing.
The arrest comes three years after Caruso voted for HB 1297, legislation <a href="https://www.flgov.com/eog/news/press/2023/governor-ron-desantis-signs-third-consecutive-anti-crime-pro-public-safety">signed</a> by DeSantis in 2023 that created a capital offense for an adult who commits sexual battery against a child under 12. Under the law, such an offense can be punished by either death or life imprisonment. Caruso&#8217;s current charges include lewd or lascivious molestation, which is a separate offense under Florida law. 
Florida lawmakers approved the legislation by votes of 95-14 in the House and 34-5 in the Senate. The law was part of DeSantis&#8217; broader 2023 public-safety agenda and was explicitly designed to make certain child sex offenders eligible for capital punishment. 
Caruso&#8217;s case will now proceed in Orange County, where the alleged victim lives. He is being held without bond pending his first court appearance.

Florida Counties Face Deadline For Recount

Lawmaker Could Face Execution Under Law He Voted To Pass

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Chick-fil-A sparked some excitement this week when it announced that it&#8217;s adding a new all-day chicken and waffles breakfast sandwich, frosted coffee flavor, and milkshake to its menu this fall.
The breakfast sandwich has especially piqued Americans&#8217; interest as it will mark Chick-fil-A&#8217;s first nationwide attempt at chicken and waffles. The new sandwich features a chicken fillet and three strips of applewood-smoked bacon, plus honey butter spread and a side of syrup, with two waffles serving as the bun. The restaurant is also adding a S’mores Milkshake and a S’mores Frosted Coffee in celebration of the chain’s 80th anniversary. 
The new lineup will be available for order on August 24 and will run through November. The announcement has already racked up a wave of positive comments on social media. 
“Finally, some news I actually give a sh*t about,” <a href="https://x.com/Zeitresu/status/2087916845957599742">said</a> one user. 
“God loves us,” <a href="https://x.com/melancoptimist/status/2087945372035379364">wrote</a> another user. 
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis also chimed in, <a href="https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2087936587011109268?s=20">saying</a>, ”That’s going to cost me — three kids who will want both chicken and waffles and a s’mores milkshake. Can I get through the drive thru in under $50?” he wrote. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
That’s going to cost me — three kids who will want both chicken and waffles and a s’mores milkshake. Can I get through the drive thru in under $50? <a href="https://t.co/sS6zhgB0HD">https://t.co/sS6zhgB0HD</a>
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) <a href="https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2087936587011109268?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 13, 2026</a></blockquote>
DeSantis is known to be a huge Chick-fil-A fan and previously said that without the popular chain, his family’s everyday life would look different. 
“That’s probably our kids’ favorite thing. And look, it’s not like you just do it every day, but when you’re going from a baseball game to this or that, to be able to do it’s important,&#8221; he said.
Chick-fil-A Director of Menu and Packaging Allison Duncan said the restaurant decided on the new menu as nostalgia-based trends have recently taken off.
“In this year of Newstalgia-inspired celebrations, we wanted to bring something unique this fall by reimagining the comforting flavors our guests crave this time of year, delivering a taste that feels both familiar and new to appeal to all ages,” Duncan <a href="https://www.chick-fil-a.com/press-room/chick-fil-a-debuts-chicken-waffles-and-smores-flavored-treats">said</a>. 
“We have never done a seasonal breakfast entrée, so we’re excited about that — and I think it points back to that nostalgic idea of breakfast for dinner,” she added.

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Chick-fil-A Reveals Revamped Menu — And It Even Got Ron DeSantis Talking

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Former Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum is back behind bars after failing a drug test just one month after his arrest in Alabama on drug charges, the latest legal setback for the one-time Democratic star who narrowly lost to Republican Ron DeSantis in the 2018 race for the governor’s mansion.
The 47-year-old former Tallahassee mayor was booked again Thursday into the Baldwin County jail in Alabama, according to jail records reported by Pensacola ABC affiliate <a href="https://weartv.com/news/local/former-tallahassee-mayor-gillum-arrested-on-drug-charge-again">WEAR-TV</a>. A judge revoked Gillum’s bond after he reportedly skipped a drug test and later tested positive for methamphetamine. 
Gillum’s return to custody resulted from a random screening program known as “color code drug testing,” <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2026/08/07/andrew-gillum-ordered-to-return-to-jail-after-allegedly-testing-positive-for-methamphetamine/">according to TMZ</a>. Under the court-ordered program, Gillum is assigned a color and required to call a hotline each day. If his color is announced, he must report for a drug test that day.
Baldwin County Assistant District Attorney John Oxford told TMZ that Gillum failed to appear for a court-ordered drug test after his assigned color was called. He was later tested during a court appearance on Thursday, and the test came back positive, according to TMZ.
The failed test adds to the stunning fall for a politician who, just eight years ago, appeared destined for a bright future in Sunshine State politics. Gillum upset the Democratic establishment to win the 2018 gubernatorial nomination but ultimately fell short in the race against DeSantis by roughly <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2018/11/06/us/elections/results-florida-elections.html">32,000 votes.</a> 
Rather than becoming the face of a Democratic comeback in Florida, Gillum became engulfed in personal scandals, ethics investigations, and criminal proceedings, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-dem-golden-boy-arrested-again-just-three-years-after-he-was-let-off-the-hook">The Daily Wire</a> has reported. 
<a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article249009610.html">In 2020</a>, Miami Beach police found Gillum intoxicated inside a South Beach hotel room after a third man called 911 over concerns that Travis Dyson, a male escort also in the room, had overdosed. Officers recovered suspected methamphetamine and prescription pill bottles, though prosecutors ultimately declined to file charges because they could not establish ownership of the drugs.
Gillum later entered rehabilitation, saying he had developed an alcohol dependency after his election defeat. “This has been a wake-up call for me,” Gillum said at the time. “Since my race for governor ended, I fell into a depression that has led to alcohol abuse.”
Gillum’s legal troubles continued in 2022, when federal prosecutors <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndfl/pr/former-tallahassee-mayor-and-gubernatorial-candidate-and-associate-charged-conspiracy">accused</a> him of conspiracy, wire fraud, and making false statements as part of an alleged campaign finance scheme. A jury acquitted him of lying to federal agents in May 2023 and deadlocked on the remaining counts, and prosecutors dropped the case days later rather than retry him.
It remains unclear how the bond violation will affect Gillum&#8217;s pending drug case, in which he faces a felony possession charge stemming from the July traffic stop. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 13.
“This is really sad,” Democratic strategist Ameshia Cross <a href="https://x.com/AmeshiaCross/status/2085912674886369652?s=20">said</a>. “Addiction is an illness. He needs help. Not a podcast. Not a TV appearance. Clinical attention and support.”

Mayor Andrew Gillum Makes Major Announcement In Miami Gardens

Former Dem Golden Boy Back In Jail After Testing Positive For Meth

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A federal appeals court <a href="https://media.ca11.uscourts.gov/opinions/pub/files/202312160.enb.pdf">ruled</a> Tuesday that Florida can enforce its law banning children from attending sexually explicit live performances, delivering a significant win for the state&#8217;s effort to keep minors away from adult-themed drag shows.
“Huge victory for our team at the 11th Circuit! After 3 years of litigation, the full court affirmed the constitutionality of Florida’s ban on children attending sexualized drag shows,” Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier <a href="https://x.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/2084668048112341393?s=20">said</a>.  
Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) signed Florida&#8217;s Protection of Children Act into law in 2023. The measure makes it a misdemeanor to admit a child to an adult live performance featuring nudity, sexual conduct, sexual excitement, specific sexual acts, lewd conduct, or the lewd display of prosthetic or imitation genitals or breasts.
The law became a national flashpoint in the conservative movement&#8217;s campaign to protect children. Supporters argued it protected them from sexually explicit entertainment, while opponents said it threatened constitutionally protected expression.
Central Florida-based Hamburger Mary&#8217;s, a restaurant chain known for hosting drag performances, sued to block the law, arguing it violated the First and 14th Amendments because its definitions were unconstitutionally vague and overly broad. The restaurant said the law would chill protected speech rather than target only obscene performances.
A federal district judge agreed and issued a statewide preliminary injunction preventing Florida from enforcing the law.
Florida appealed, and the full U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit vacated that decision on Tuesday with an 8-5 ruling, concluding that Hamburger Mary&#8217;s was unlikely to succeed on the merits of its constitutional claims. In the decision, a six-judge bloc also concluded the district court lacked authority to issue a statewide injunction, one vote short of a majority on that question.
“[T]he district court lacked authority to impose a universal injunction that prevented the enforcement of the Act against everyone in Florida,” Judge Andrew Brasher, a Trump appointee, wrote in the majority opinion reinstating the law. “Second, Hamburger Mary’s was not entitled to even a more limited preliminary injunction to prevent the enforcement of the Act because its claims do not have a substantial likelihood of success on the merits.”  
The court also rejected the argument that the law&#8217;s reference to the &#8220;age of the child present&#8221; made it unconstitutionally vague.
“There is no doubt the Act is rational. We will not second-guess the Florida Legislature’s decision to regulate obscenity,” the majority wrote. 
Hamburger Mary&#8217;s could ask the U.S. Supreme Court to review the ruling. The Daily Wire reached out to Hamburger Mary’s for comment. 
Tuesday’s decision marks a significant legal victory for DeSantis, whose administration has defended the law as part of its effort to shield children from sexually explicit material. 
“We are going to protect the innocence of our children,&#8221; DeSantis <a href="https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2084691717341462979?s=20">said</a>. &#8220;Why would it be problematic to say you can&#8217;t do this stuff that&#8217;s sexually explicit in front of minors?&#8221;
 “I want Florida to be family-friendly,&#8221; he added.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, holds a press conference to speak

Three-Year Culture War Fight Ends With Major Win For DeSantis

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Florida is set to become the first state in nearly a decade to conduct two executions in a single day on Tuesday as Gov. Ron DeSantis&#8217; administration continues to move on death penalty cases at an unprecedented rate.
James Aren Duckett, 68, is scheduled to die by lethal injection at noon at Florida State Prison near Starke, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/florida-execution-duckett-occhicone-4c313a84631ad20a62998f7dd061dbcf">Associated Press.</a> Duckett, a former Mascotte police officer, was convicted of the <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/florida/supreme-court/2026/sc2026-0449.html">1987 kidnapping, rape, and murder</a> of 11-year-old Teresa Mae McAbee. Prosecutors said he abducted the girl, sexually assaulted her, strangled her, and drowned her in a lake less than a mile from the store where she was last seen.
About six hours later, Florida plans to execute 80-year-old Dominick Anthony Occhicone, who would become the second-oldest inmate put to death in the modern era of the U.S. death penalty, according to the Associated Press. 
Occhicone was convicted of the <a href="https://acis-api.flcourts.gov/courts/68f021c4-6a44-4735-9a76-5360b2e8af13/cms/case/4190fe57-e5c6-47b5-990f-773f93586035/docketentrydocuments/bc305c22-4efd-4801-9ab9-fd43568dd02a?utm_source=chatgpt.com">1986 murders</a> of his former girlfriend&#8217;s parents, Raymond and Martha Artzner, in Pasco County. Prosecutors said he returned to the family&#8217;s home armed with a handgun after his former girlfriend refused to speak with him, cut the home&#8217;s telephone lines, fatally shot Raymond Artzner outside the house, then forced his way inside and killed Martha Artzner.
The Florida Supreme Court earlier this week rejected emergency appeals from both Duckett and Occhicone. On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court also <a href="https://x.com/KelseyReichmann/status/2082146169627578589?s=20">denied</a> their final appeals, clearing the way for the back-to-back executions. No justice noted a dissent.
With six months left in office, DeSantis has presided over a record 19 executions in 2025, the most by any Florida governor in a single year since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976, according to an AP analysis. Tuesday&#8217;s two executions would raise the number of executions under DeSantis&#8217;s final two years in office to 31, with another scheduled for August.
“July 28 represents an unprecedented escalation of Florida’s use of the death penalty,” <a href="https://www.fadp.org/florida-set-to-execute-james-duckett-and-dominick-occhicone-tuesday-amidst-innocence-claim-and-7-5-jury-vote/">said</a> Grace Hanna, Executive Director of Floridians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty. “These are two profoundly different cases, but they point to the same troubling reality: Florida continues to expand the use of capital punishment, despite mounting evidence that it is not what Floridians want.&#8221;
The Florida Governor, however, is not alone. 
In April, President Donald Trump’s Department of Justice on Friday directed the Bureau of Prisons to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-commuted-death-sentences-trumps-doj-is-bringing-back-the-firing-squad?author=Jacob+Wheeler&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=Biden+Commuted+Death+Sentences.+Trump%E2%80%99s+DOJ+Is+Bringing+Back+The+Firing+Squad.">bring back the firing squad and lethal injection</a> for federal executions.
Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche <a href="https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-takes-actions-strengthen-federal-death-penalty">announced a series of new measures</a> to strengthen enforcement of the federal death penalty, clearing the way for the DOJ to carry out executions once inmates exhaust their appeals.
“Among the actions taken are readopting the lethal injection protocol utilized during the first Trump Administration, expanding the protocol to include additional manners of execution such as the firing squad, and streamlining internal processes to expedite death penalty cases,” the Justice Department said in a press release.
The directives fulfill a campaign promise for Trump, who on his first day back in office <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/restoring-the-death-penalty-and-protecting-public-safety/">issued</a> an order to “pursue the death penalty for all crimes of a severity demanding its use” and marks a reversal from the Biden administration’s handling of federal executions.
In 2021, former President Joe Biden&#8217;s DOJ imposed an indefinite moratorium, effectively blocking all federal executions. In December 2024, he commuted the sentences of 37 of 40 inmates on federal death row at the urging of then-Attorney General Merrick Garland.
Those granted mass clemency included Thomas Sanders, who was convicted of murdering <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-commutes-sentences-of-dozens-of-murderers-two-days-before-christmas">12-year-old Lexis Roberts</a> and hiding her body in the woods. Another included Daryl Lawrence, who killed 33-year-old Ohio police officer Bryan Hurst during a 2005 bank robbery in Columbus.
“These decisions inflicted untold damage on victims of crime and, ultimately, to the rule of law itself,” Blanche <a href="https://www.justice.gov/ag/media/1437806/dl?inline">said</a>.

Lethal Injection Room at Huntsville

Red State Set To Carry Out Rare Double Executions On Same Day

Capital Punishment

After President Joe Biden outraged millions of Christians by declaring Easter Sunday as the “Transgender Day of Visibility,” former Republican representative David Jolly stood by him. 
Jolly, now running for governor in Florida as a Democrat, did a media tour to defend Biden and lecture conservatives about their theology. Now, Democrats are running him to replace Ron DeSantis as governor of Florida as he attempts to sweep culture war issues under the rug. 
Many Democrats have been quiet on the transgender issues this election cycle after polling showed that the issue hampered Kamala Harris in 2024. Jolly was vocal about the topic during his post-Republican days, attacking his former party for passing laws banning transgender procedures on kids and keeping gender-confused boys off of girls&#8217; sports teams.
Jolly even vigorously defended Biden after he called in March 2024 for Americans on Easter Sunday to “join us in lifting up the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation.” Biden’s decision prompted significant pushback from prominent Republicans like House Speaker Mike Johnson and the Trump campaign. Jolly said their politics and theology were wrong. 
“The Jesus they celebrate today would be inclusive of the transgender community, and would be supportive of the transgender community,” he said while <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaAJMq4_gdg">appearing</a> on MSNBC, adding that “all Christians, including Donald Trump, Mike Johnson, and others who celebrate today, that, in fact, they should love the transgender community as they love their own God. I am not sure the theology upon which they rely to criticize Joe Biden.”
“I think it&#8217;s wrong theologically, it&#8217;s wrong morally, and it&#8217;s absolutely stupid politically,” he added. 
In another appearance on the Stephanie Miller Happy Hour podcast, he said conservatives turned Biden’s proclamation into the latest “culture war” flash point. 
“First, theologically and doctrinally, I think the Right is wrong when it comes to biblical theology. I think they&#8217;re a long ways from what Jesus would do, the bracelets they used to wear,” he said. “ The reality is Jesus is a loving God who would support the trans community and be proud of their bravery and the struggle that they have gone through for recognition and equity.”
In other media appearances reviewed by The Daily Wire, Jolly attacked a law shielding kids from transgender procedures and claimed that kids would be ripped away from their parents if they obtained transgender medications from outside of Florida. 
“That&#8217;s the real consequence of this war on gender-affirming care and the trans community,” he said on the Joe Walsh <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0HXaFr8uaE">podcast</a>. “I don&#8217;t have a personal appreciation or understanding of what all that is like. But I know what it would feel like if the state stepped in and say, ‘Hey, Jolly, you&#8217;re not allowed to make decisions for your kid?’”
Jolly also said he was fine with biological boys competing on girls’ sports teams during an interview with radio host Charlie Sykes. 
“I think it&#8217;s been pretty disgusting what we&#8217;ve seen from Republicans in the past several years on this. Look, I don&#8217;t think we need to knock down that youth soccer player who is working with their family and their doctor on whatever their current, you know, crisis is personally,” he said. “I think it can be supportive of them to allow them to play in youth sports.”
Ultimately he said he thought that the case should be decided by the Supreme Court.
&#8220;I think some latitude among the sports leagues to make decisions, but ultimately, it&#8217;s a constitutional question that the courts are going to have to decide,&#8221; he said. 
Jolly, whose issues page on his website does not mention &#8220;transgender&#8221; or LGBTQ, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weY8ycv-6dc">recently predicted</a> that he would be criticized by Republicans for being pro-transgender.
The Democrat is expected to face off against Rep. Byron Donalds, who was endorsed by President Donald Trump. Donalds has a large lead against GOP rivals including <a href="https://floridapolitics.com/archives/768484-woman-says-james-fishback-dated-her-while-she-was-underage-then-harassed-her-after-breakup/">James Fishback</a>, Lt. Governor Jay Collins, and former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner.

Key Speakers At National Action Network Convention

Dems’ ‘Ex-Republican’ Governor Hopeful Is A True Believer In Gender Radicalism

David Jolly

Transgender

A new Republican-backed bill that would grant amnesty to illegal immigrant agricultural workers is facing an onslaught of criticism from immigration hawks.
House Agriculture Committee Chair Glenn &#8220;GT&#8221; Thompson (R-PA) recently introduced the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act to provide illegal immigrant farmworkers with a path to temporary legal status.
Gregory Bovino, who led the Trump administration&#8217;s aggressive deportation sweeps in Minneapolis and other major cities before his recent retirement from Border Patrol, <a href="https://x.com/GregoryKBovino/status/2079545595359092890">said</a> the Republican lawmakers backing the bill &#8220;just stabbed Trump’s deportation promise in the back.&#8221;
&#8220;They’re only gonna get the message one way. Vote every single one of them out in a massive wave, and replace them with real immigration hawks. Anything less, and they’ll never take us seriously,&#8221; Bovino wrote on X Tuesday.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Trump tells me he doesn&#8217;t know about Securing Agriculture&#8217;s Workforce Act of 2026, a bill that would allow illegals in farming, meat packing and lodging industries to gain legal status.
He says he will look into it. <a href="https://t.co/VJNiIujIhy">pic.twitter.com/VJNiIujIhy</a>
— Reagan Reese (@reaganreese_) <a href="https://x.com/reaganreese_/status/2079595048665026660?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 21, 2026</a></blockquote>
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When asked about the bill Tuesday, President Donald Trump said he &#8220;didn&#8217;t know about it,&#8221; but would &#8220;take a look at it.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I will fight AGAINST any amnesty proposal in Congress.
Illegal aliens BROKE our laws, and they MUST go home.
AMNESTY is betraying the trust of the American people. <a href="https://t.co/aJJwwD4h6U">pic.twitter.com/aJJwwD4h6U</a>
— Rep. Andy Ogles (@RepOgles) <a href="https://x.com/RepOgles/status/2080007704966209633?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 22, 2026</a></blockquote>
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In a recent Newsmax appearance, Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) came out in opposition to the bill, saying it provides illegal immigrants with a &#8220;pathway to citizenship&#8221; without offering &#8220;comprehensive reform.&#8221;
&#8220;So we have a lot of work to do on immigration. Look, we know the immigration system is broken, that&#8217;s why I carry most of the legislation on immigration, fixing immigration. But as we have this conversation, there can be no amnesty as part of that conversation,&#8221; Ogles said.
&#8220;Look, if you want to get a work visa, that&#8217;s one thing, but you also have to understand that if you want to become a citizen, you need to go back to your country, and you need to apply the right way and you need to stand in line like everyone else,&#8221; he added.
Jeremy Beck, co-President of NumbersUSA, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/no-amnesty-calls-grow-over-bill-to-aid-immigrant-farm-workers-12223448">told</a> Newsweek that the bill is &#8220;an amnesty for employers engaged in illegal hiring,&#8221; adding that &#8220;It allows hundreds of thousands of illegal workers to stay as long as they indenture themselves to the agricultural industry.&#8221;
&#8220;Then the bill lowers workers&#8217; wages and deducts the cost of housing from their paychecks,&#8221; Beck said.
&#8220;No amnesty!&#8221; Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said in response to the bill. &#8220;Amnesty is NOT what people voted for in 2024!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
No amnesty. <a href="https://t.co/rgghloBMux">https://t.co/rgghloBMux</a> <a href="https://t.co/wHEjV8s3fu">pic.twitter.com/wHEjV8s3fu</a>
— House Freedom Caucus (@freedomcaucus) <a href="https://x.com/freedomcaucus/status/2079297177097027977?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 20, 2026</a></blockquote>
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The bill would meet the demands of farm industry giants, including by allowing farms to employ H-2A migrant farmworkers for year-round labor, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2026/07/22/no-amnesty-migrant-farmworker-bill-opens-major-rift-within-gop-01007072" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Politico.
“[The bill] does acknowledge that dairy farmers have never had a workable ag-labor visa program, and it provides a short-term mechanism that will avoid massive disruptions to its workforce, which would in turn devastate family farms, create supply chain disruptions, and increase consumer costs,” Gregg Doud, president and CEO of the National Milk Producers Federation, said in a statement.
John Hollay, president and CEO of the National Council of Agricultural Employers, said the bill “follows through on President Trump’s promise from last Spring to protect American agriculture and seeks to codify a system that will ensure all of agriculture has access to a legal workforce when Americans won’t do the job,&#8221; according to Politico.
Thompson argues that the bill is needed to address a years-long farm &#8220;labor crisis.&#8221;
&#8220;They can&#8217;t get the help they need to harvest their crops and astronomical labor costs have pushed many lifelong farmers to the brink of bankruptcy,&#8221; Thompson <a href="https://www.facebook.com/reel/872828202078448">said</a>.
&#8220;This is happening because the very program that once kept farmers in business is sinking under the weight of bureaucratic costs. Without reform, the H-2A visa program may now be the reason these same farms cannot be passed on to the next generation,&#8221; he said.

Rep. Glenn ‘GT’ Thompson

New Republican Amnesty Bill Ignites Ire Of Immigration Hardliners

Agriculture

amnesty

Congress

Farmers

Farming

illegal immigrants

Illegal Immigration

Illegals

Immigration

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is moving to impeach a judge for acquitting a mother who drowned her baby daughter. 
Judge Miguel de la O found 43-year-old Precious Bland not guilty on grounds of insanity, ruling that she was suffering from a “psychotic episode” caused by COVID-19. Bland reportedly drowned her 15-month-old daughter Emii in a bathtub after screaming, &#8220;Jesus Christ is coming, and COVID is going to kill us all,&#8221; and insisting that the children needed to be baptized. 
When Bland’s husband tried to intervene, she stabbed him several times with a knife. He escaped the scene with four of the couple’s children, but not before Bland stabbed their 16-year-old daughter in the forearm. 
Bland waived her right to a jury trial and was instead given a bench trial, which gives the judge absolute authority in handing down the verdict.
The defense argued that Bland was suffering from temporary insanity caused by COVID-19 and was unaware of what she was doing. The prosecution vigorously rejected this claim.
&#8220;She was verbalizing that the baby needed to stop breathing. So she was holding her down to make sure she stopped breathing,&#8221; a prosecutor said during opening statements. 
Despite using an insanity argument, Bland&#8217;s attorney Larry Handfield did not seek to have Bland institutionalized. He <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/bench-trial-begins-for-south-florida-mother-accused-of-drowning-toddler-defense-cites-covid-induced-psychosis/">argued</a> that her bout of insanity was entirely temporary and that institutionalization was unnecessary.
Uthmeier posted on social media that his office would be drafting articles of impeachment for the judge. &#8220;This was a bench trial. It’s time to impeach this judge,&#8221; Uthmeier wrote. &#8220;My office will be drafting articles of impeachment, and we look forward to working with all legislators who will support.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This was a bench trial. It’s time to impeach this judge.
My office will be drafting articles of impeachment, and we look forward to working with all legislators who will support. <a href="https://t.co/Pxj9P3fUzS">https://t.co/Pxj9P3fUzS</a>
— Attorney General James Uthmeier (@AGJamesUthmeier) <a href="https://x.com/AGJamesUthmeier/status/2070117331276112067?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 25, 2026</a></blockquote>
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Republican Governor DeSantis <a href="https://x.com/RonDeSantis/status/2070132417482920332?s=20">expressed</a> his support for impeaching the judge and called on the Florida House &#8220;to do its duty.&#8221; 
Handfield argued that COVID-19 can cause paranoia and suicidal thoughts in some people. He <a href="https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/woman-found-not-guilty-after-claiming-covid-made-her-kill-daughter-and-stab-loved-ones/3825334/?amp=1">said</a> he believes this to be the first successful COVID-related insanity defense in the country. 
Judge de la O has yet to decide whether Bland will be institutionalized or require any further treatment.

Untitled design – 2026-06-25T112054.435

Judge In Hot Seat After COVID Insanity Claim Clears Mom Who Drowned Her Baby

Judge

In a massive victory for Florida Republicans, a Leon County circuit judge rejected a desperate, last-minute bid by Left-wing voting groups to block the state’s newly drawn congressional map ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.
Circuit Judge Joshua Hawkes handed down the <a href="https://www.commoncause.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/248949428-Order.pdf">stinging defeat</a> on Tuesday, denying motions for a preliminary injunction filed by a coalition of liberal outfits — including Equal Ground, Common Cause Florida, the League of Women Voters of Florida, and LULAC. The activist groups had desperately clawed to sideline the map, complaining that the districts were &#8220;overtly partisan&#8221; and illegally engineered by Governor Ron DeSantis and the GOP-led Legislature to favor Republicans.
But Judge Hawkes wasn&#8217;t buying the partisan hysteria. In his ruling, Hawkes declared that the challengers utterly failed to meet the incredibly high legal bar required for the courts to intervene before a full trial. Despite the plaintiffs dumping mountains of paper onto the court — including a staggering 1,900 pages of evidence from Equal Ground alone — Hawkes concluded that they simply did not have the goods.
&#8220;The Court concludes that from this record, there is insufficient evidence of impermissible intent to show substantial likelihood of success on the merits,&#8221; Hawkes wrote.
The legal dogfight centered on Florida’s controversial &#8220;Fair Districts Amendments,&#8221; which ban drawing lines to favor a political party. Activists claimed the map&#8217;s sole architect, Jason Poreda, weaponized partisan data. However, the court found that those claims relied on weak inferences rather than direct proof. Furthermore, Hawkes noted that the map was drawn to fix unconstitutional, race-based lines in South Florida&#8217;s CD-20 — noting that federal equal protection guarantees override partisan complaints.
“Plaintiffs’ evidence focuses on challenging the constitutionality of the 2026 map, but does not sufficiently challenge the political branches’ finding that CD-20 in the 2022 map was drawn with impermissible racial intent,” Hawkes wrote.
Hawkes also threw real-world logistics on the activist groups, pointing out that the state’s election machinery is already revving its engines. With Florida&#8217;s primary less than three months away and the general election less than six months away, the judge ruled that changing the rules of the game now would inflict total chaos on voters.
Turning the state&#8217;s massive election apparatus around at this late hour, Hawkes argued, would be like trying to turn a battleship on a dime. He wrote:
<blockquote>
The election machinery of the state is already underway. Similar to the town election in Walker v. Best, it is more difficult for the much larger ship of statewide elections to change directions at this juncture. The primary is less than three months away, and the general less than six months. The public interest weighs more in favor of certainty than a haphazard judicial mandate of discarded maps.
</blockquote>
Defiant liberal groups vowed to drag out the fight, <a href="https://www.wptv.com/news/politics/leon-county-circuit-judge-lets-floridas-new-congressional-map-stand-for-2026-elections">threatening</a> to take their grievances as far as they can. But with the clock ticking and the 2026 election cycle locked in, the ruling ensures that DeSantis’ map stands — giving Sunshine State Republicans a major structural advantage as they look to dominate the upcoming midterms.
Florida&#8217;s congressional redistricting map could give the GOP an additional four seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Judge Stops The Left’s Effort To Cause Redistricting Chaos In Republican State

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fTJacT6zPq0

Redistricting

A newly approved Florida congressional map could eliminate up to four Democratic-held seats ahead of the November midterm elections, intensifying a nationwide redistricting fight.
Florida Republicans, who hold supermajorities in both chambers of the state legislature, passed the map on Wednesday <a href="https://x.com/FLVoiceNews/status/2049508175368315113?s=20">over loud liberal opposition</a>, sending it to Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’s desk. DeSantis is expected to sign the bill. 
The redrawn districts target Democratic seats in the Tampa, Orlando, and South Florida areas, aiming to flip them to Republican control. Democrats currently hold seven of Florida&#8217;s 28 districts. 
Under the plan, Florida Democratic Reps. Kathy Castor, Darren Soto, Jared Moskowitz, and Debbie Wasserman Schultz could face significantly tougher re-election fights. 
If enacted, the map would reflect the Sunshine State&#8217;s broader political shift in recent years. Once a swing state that backed Barack Obama twice, Florida has moved decisively to the Right, with Republicans now holding a roughly 1.5 million-voter registration advantage.
&#8220;Florida got shortchanged in the 2020 Census, and we’ve been fighting for fair representation ever since,&#8221; <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/ron-desantis-unveils-new-florida-congressional-map-would-give-gop-extra-four-seats">DeSantis told Fox News Digital</a>. &#8220;Drawing maps based on race, which is reflected in our current congressional districts, is unconstitutional and should be prohibited.&#8221;
The push to redraw Florida&#8217;s map coincides with a <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/25pdf/24-109_21o3.pdf">bombshell</a> Supreme Court ruling sharply limiting the use of race in congressional redistricting. 
In a 6-3 decision, the court struck down Louisiana&#8217;s map, which included two majority-black districts, as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. Writing for the conservative majority, Justice Samuel Alito said the Constitution generally forbids race-based line drawing absent a compelling justification.
Wednesday’s ruling clears the way for other states with majority-minority districts to change course. New maps in states including Louisiana, Florida, Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Tennessee could net Republicans as many as 12 seats in Congress, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/10/15/upshot/supreme-court-voting-rights-gerrymander.html">according to a New York Times analysis. </a>
Democrats decried the decision as an attack on democracy, despite pursuing partisan gerrymandering in California and, more recently, Virginia. 
“Now we&#8217;re now at a point where affirmative action is gone, diversity is gone, equity gone, inclusion gone, racial tolerance gone, the Voting Rights Act largely gone, but guess what, extremists, we’re still here, and we’re not going anywhere,” House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Hakeem Jeffries: “We&#8217;re now at a point where affirmative action is gone, diversity is gone, equity is gone, inclusion is gone&#8230;” <a href="https://t.co/4b9Bm7KNwy">pic.twitter.com/4b9Bm7KNwy</a>
— TheBlaze (@theblaze) <a href="https://twitter.com/theblaze/status/2049567900688605318?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
Florida’s map is likely to face legal challenges. A provision in the state constitution effectively bars partisan gerrymandering, according to The New York Times. DeSantis has argued that recent court rulings from both the state and U.S. Supreme Court have laid the groundwork to uphold the maps.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The SCOTUS ruling also invalidates the below provisions of the FL Constitution requiring the use of race in redistricting:
”…districts shall not be drawn with the intent or result of denying or abridging the equal opportunity of racial or language minorities to participate in… <a href="https://t.co/IqrLoWdO0L">https://t.co/IqrLoWdO0L</a>
— Ron DeSantis (@RonDeSantis) <a href="https://twitter.com/RonDeSantis/status/2049510607108358651?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2026</a></blockquote>
Zack Smith, a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, said Wednesday’s Supreme Court ruling did not address political gerrymandering. 
“So at least from a federal constitutional perspective, the federal constitution isn&#8217;t going to have anything to say about political gerrymanders,” Smith said in an interview with The Daily Wire. 
“That&#8217;s going to be left to the states and really depend on what each state&#8217;s laws in each state&#8217;s constitution says about how their state legislatures draw their legislative maps,” he added.

Florida Passes New Maps That Could Threaten Multiple Democratic Seats