Florida State Wide
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody is calling on the U.S. Congress to study artificial intelligence and the technology’s potential harmful effects on children. Attorney General Moody, along with 53 other attorneys general, is urging congressional leaders to establish a commission to examine AI more fully and how it is being used to exploit children through child sexual abuse material and to propose legislation to protect children from those abuses.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “The rapid onset of artificial intelligence is raising concerns about how child predators may use the high-tech tool to prey on minors. We need a full congressional investigation into the capabilities of AI and what we can do to reduce the ability of predators to exploit this tool to harm children.”
Attorney General Moody and the coalition are concerned with the dangers of AI as it relates to CSAM in three main categories: a real child’s likeness who has not been physically abused being digitally altered in a depiction of abuse, a real child who has been physically abused being digitally recreated in other depictions of abuse, and a child who does not even exist being digitally created in a depiction of abuse that feeds the market for CSAM. Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody and the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers are teaming up with John Walsh from “America’s Most Wanted” and “In Pursuit with John Walsh” to fight crime. At the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office today, Attorney General Moody, Walsh and Crime Stoppers announced a new partnership to encourage Floridians to use **TIPS, the state’s anonymous crime tip reporting line. The crime-fighting trio are encouraging Floridians to be proactive in helping law enforcement solve cases by reporting information related to crimes. Over the past three years, PBCS received more than 2,000 tips from Crime Stoppers, with more than 400 tips leading to an arrest.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “John Walsh has been the relentless force behind America’s Most Wanted and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children—I am excited that he is helping us recruit Floridians to join our fight against crime. Through this new partnership with Florida Crime Stoppers, we will be spreading the word about **TIPS and encouraging Floridians to anonymously report information to help law enforcement solve crimes.” Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody continues to uncover evidence of the Biden administration’s intentional destruction of the nation’s border with Mexico. Recently-obtained U.S. Border Patrol emails outline new proposed “bookout targets” for field chiefs and deputies to “bring in-custody numbers to manageable levels.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Acting Deputy Chief emailed the new targets on Aug. 8, following a field leadership call to discuss “in-custody numbers.” During the call, CBP leaders revealed that “the rate of daily encounters continues to surpass the daily permanent bookouts and the in-custody numbers continue to rise.” Continue reading
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—This National Preparedness Month, Attorney General Ashley Moody is urging Floridians to remain vigilant. National Preparedness Month raises awareness about the importance of preparing for disasters and emergencies that could happen at any time. September also marks the peak of hurricane season. Currently, there are multiple tropical systems in the Atlantic Ocean, including Hurricane Lee. Florida just endured the effects of Hurricane Idalia late last month and recovery efforts will be ongoing for the foreseeable future. To help Floridians solidify storm-readiness plans, Attorney General Moody is highlighting the 2023 Hurricane Preparedness Guide.
Attorney General Ashley Moody said, “In emergency situations, proper preparations can make all the difference. As we recognize National Preparedness Month, move through the peak of hurricane season, and see heavy storm activity in the Atlantic, I encourage all Floridians to take another look at our 2023 Hurricane Preparedness Guide to solidify storm preparations.” Continue reading
September is National Suicide Prevention Month. Nationwide, first responders are 10 times more likely to attempt suicide than the general population. This week, we urged officers struggling with mental health challenges to seek help. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister, State Senator Jay Collins and representatives from the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay joined me to highlight free resources available to first responders.
As the wife of a law enforcement officer, I understand the stigma officers may perceive when struggling with the unseen scars of their service. We have lost way too many of our bravest to suicide. In fact, more first responders take their own lives than die in the line of duty. Just this year, five Florida officers died by suicide—in contrast to three officers lost in the line of duty. Continue reading
This week, I teamed up with renowned crime fighter and victims’ advocate John Walsh and the Florida Association of Crime Stoppers for a new statewide public-safety initiative. We are encouraging Floridians to be proactive in helping law enforcement solve cases by reporting crime using **TIPS.
**TIPS is our state’s anonymous tipline. Before launching this line, Floridians needed to look up the specific region’s Crime Stoppers number to report a crime—there are 27 different offices each with separate phone numbers.
But now, by simply dialing **TIPS on a cellphone, citizens are automatically rerouted to the nearest regional Crime Stoppers office. Crime Stoppers USA has also adopted the phone number for nationwide use!
Now, anyone in the United States can report crime anonymously with this easy-to-remember number and possibly collect a reward for tips that lead to an arrest. Continue reading
Dear Neighbor,
The last two weeks have been trying in North Central Florida—first with the expected hurricane and then with the aftermath. After visiting all of our communities and hearing from emergency management officials, small business owners, residents, and leaders, one thing is clear: our district is strong and resilient.
In Cedar Key and Horseshoe Beach, homes and businesses were washed away in just a couple of hours. Further inland, extreme wind and water damage ripped buildings from their foundations and flooded homes. Our agricultural producers—some of the hardest-hit after Idalia—saw fields flooded, crops demolished, and equipment damaged. Despite all of these challenges, we’re so proud of how our neighbors worked to support each other. We have a long way to go, but we are stronger when we work together. Continue reading
ear Neighbor,
Tomorrow, members of Team Kat will be in Cedar Key and Horseshoe Beach to assist residents with disaster claims following Hurricane Idalia.
In Cedar Key, visit us at 450 2nd Street from 9am-3pm. In Horseshoe Beach, visit us at the Horseshoe Beach Fire Department at 83 5th Avenue E from 9am-3pm.
We’ll be there in-person to assist residents with filing federal claims with FEMA, the Small Business Administration (SBA), the USDA, and others. If you need help filing a claim or sorting through paperwork, we’re standing by to help. Please continue reading for information about documents needed to expedite the process. Continue reading
FARMS is an agricultural cost-share reimbursement program that reduces groundwater withdrawals from the Upper Floridan aquifer through conservation and alternative water supply best management practices (BMPs). In conjunction with water conservation BMPs, water quality and natural systems improvement BMPs also may be cost-shared in priority areas.
The program is designed to serve as an incentive to the agricultural community to promote water quantity, water quality and natural systems BMPs to conserve groundwater use and promote resource sustainability.
Examples of commonly used BMPs include:
- Weather stations and soil moisture sensors with telemetry
- Riser culverts and water-controlled structures
- Surface water or tailwater irrigation pumps and filters
- Remote irrigation zone controls and soil moisture and climate sensor telemetry
- Fertigation systems
- Cold protection measures
FARMS is a public/private partnership developed by the District and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Program Goals
The FARMS Program focuses on Upper Floridan aquifer withdrawal savings throughout the District as well as water quality and natural systems improvements in targeted Water Use Caution Areas and priority watersheds.
- Improve water quality within the Shell, Prairie and Joshua Creek (SPJC) Watersheds
As of July 2023, the 87 Board-approved projects located within the SPJC watershed are projected to offset approximately 11.9 million gallons per day (mgd) of groundwater through BMP implementation. An additional water resource benefit is reductions in the potential for groundwater mineralization of surface waters while improving water quality in the City of Punta Gorda’s drinking water reservoir. Prairie Creek has been removed from the list of impaired waterbodies by the Department of Environmental Protection, indicating the success of the program. - Improve natural systems in the Upper Myakka River Watershed (UMRW)
As of July 2023, nine projects have been approved and are operational offsetting 2.8 mgd through conservation and the reuse of tailwater. These projects are reducing the contribution of groundwater to this volume-sensitive basin. - Reduce groundwater use by 40 mgd within the Southern Water Use Caution Area (SWUCA)
As of July 2023, 195 projects have been approved with 174 operational projects having offset 22.4 mgd. These projects are reducing the amount of groundwater pumped from the Upper Floridan Aquifer. - Reduce groundwater use within the Most Impacted Area (MIA)
The MIA is an area specifically affected by groundwater withdrawals within the SWUCA. It’s about 700 square miles and located along the southern Hillsborough, Manatee and northwestern Sarasota counties. As of July 2023, 18 projects have been approved with 18 operational projects having offset 3.4 mgd. - Reduce groundwater use within the Central Florida Water Initiative (CFWI) region
Although not fully incorporated within the SWUCA, the CFWI has been identified as a priority area in which the implementation of agricultural BMPs to reduce Upper Floridan groundwater use will help to ensure future water needs are met. As of July 2023, 27 projects have been approved with 24 operational projects having offset 1.5 mgd. - Reduce cold protection groundwater use within the Dover/Plant City Water Use Caution Area (DPCWUCA)
The DPCWUCA was established in 2011 as a result of an extended freeze event in 2010 that resulted in numerous dry well complaints and sinkholes due to agricultural-related groundwater pumping for cold protection. As of March 2023, 24 projects have been approved with 21 operational projects having offset 72.4 million gallons per freeze event. - Implement agricultural BMPs to reduce groundwater use and reduce nutrient loading
As of July 2023, 15 operational projects having offset 0.7 mgd and reducing nutrient loading by approximately 5,182 pounds per year.
The approved projects support the District’s Regional Water Supply Plan, SWUCA Recovery Strategy, Strategic Plan and the Springs Management Plans.
Program Funding Qualifications
To qualify for funding, projects must be located in the District and include one or more of the following BMP strategies:
- Utilize an alternative water supply or technology to reduce groundwater use.
- Improve irrigation water quality and watershed ecology by reducing reliance on poorer quality groundwater.
Project Guidelines
- Growers manage their projects and are reimbursed for approved expenses.
- Reimbursement can amount to as much as 75 percent of total project costs with water quality and groundwater quantity savings / conservation BMPs; and as much as 50 percent with water quality or groundwater quantity savings / conservation BMPs.
- District and grower(s) enter into a signed and executed contractual agreement for the FARMS project with a contract duration generally 5–10 years.
- Growers are responsible for obtaining all project-related permits and must have District authorization prior to incurring approved reimbursable expenses.
- Permitted water use allocations are not reduced. Southwest Florida Water Management
Find out more at https://www.swfwmd.state.fl.us/
This week, Floridians endured the wrath of Hurricane Idalia. The storm made landfall as a dangerous Category 3 hurricane Wednesday morning in the Big Bend region.
The wreckage left by Idalia is truly devastating, leaving many communities in ruins that will take months to recover fully. But Floridians are resilient; and while visiting Dixie, Levy and Taylor counties, I heard many inspiring stories of Floridians coming together and rebuilding immediately after the storm.
Unfortunately, we still need to remain alert, as scammers may try to exploit this tragedy to rip off Floridians through contractor fraud, debris removal scams, price gouging or even looting. I have already been in touch with local law enforcement and state attorneys in the hardest hit areas of our state. We will not allow criminals to exploit this crisis to target Floridians trying to rebuild their lives. Continue reading