Florida State Wide

Washington, D.C. — The U.S. House of Representatives passed the One Big Beautiful Bill Act—a historic package that secures our border, cuts taxes, strengthens rural communities, and delivers real results for Americans. Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) released the following statement following its passage:

“Florida’s Third District is home to hardworking families, first responders, small businesses, and rural communities—and this bill reflects their priorities.

It permanently extends the Trump Tax Cuts, preventing the largest tax hike in U.S. history. Without these provisions, more than 452,000 taxpayers in FL-03 would face higher rates, over 81,000 families would see their Child Tax Credit cut in half, and local small businesses and farms would be devastated by rising taxes. This bill stops that.

It also puts money back in families’ pockets by eliminating federal taxes on tips, overtime, and car loan interest. It protects rural hospitals, cleans up waste in programs like SNAP and Medicaid, and ensures benefits go to those who truly need them—not illegal immigrants or elite institutions gaming the system.

Most importantly, this bill secures our southern border with the strongest enforcement measures in a generation—deploying new technology, adding more boots on the ground, and reinstating policies that stop the flow of illegal crossings and fentanyl at the source.

This is what Americans voted for last November. They demanded tax relief, secure borders, and real accountability in Washington, and that’s exactly what this bill delivers. This is what the America First agenda looks like, and I’m proud to support it.”

Washington, DC — Today, Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) released the following statement following U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins’ announcement of $675.9 million in federal disaster assistance for Florida farmers impacted by Hurricanes Idalia, Debby, Helene, and Milton:

“Florida’s agriculture industry isn’t just the backbone of our state’s economy—it’s a cornerstone of our national food security. From citrus growers and cattle ranchers to timber operations and family farms, the devastation from back-to-back storms has been overwhelming. This $675.9 million investment will go a long way in helping our producers rebuild infrastructure, recover lost income, and stay in business,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “I want to thank President Trump, Secretary Rollins, and our state partner, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, for recognizing the urgent needs on the ground and delivering the targeted, meaningful relief our ag community needs and deserves.”  Continue reading

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution has added a count of victim tampering against a defendant already charged with human trafficking of a minor. While in pretrial detention at Wakulla County Jail, authorities intercepted three letters sent by Sky Skidmore to the victim, the victim’s mother, and Skidmore’s mother. These letters were intended to intimidate the victim.
“This defendant, who is currently in pretrial detention for committing heinous acts of human trafficking against a minor, chose to escalate his terrible situation by sending letters to intimidate and deter the victim from testifying at trial,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Our Statewide Prosecutors have added this additional charge for this human trafficker and will continue to work diligently to hold him accountable for his atrocious crimes.”
Last year, the Office of Statewide Prosecution charged Skidmore with human trafficking, lewd and lascivious bat-tery, encouraging the sexual performance of a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device. Skidmore remains in pretrial detention.
Senior Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Guillermo Vallejo is handling the case.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued subpoenas to RAD Diversified REIT, Inc., its subsidiaries, and its owners, Brandon “Dutch” Mendenhall and Amy Vaughn, arising out of allegations that RAD Diversified REIT, Mendenhall and Vaughn have violated Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act or other laws. Mendenhall and Vaughn are internet personalities who advertise seminars that encourage Floridians to invest in real estate through the RAD Diversified REIT and its subsidiaries.

“Our office has received complaints that a popular internet duo selling real estate investment services through their fund is pocketing cash instead of buying properties as advertised,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “This appears to be a Ponzi scheme, and with several individuals claiming they’ve been exploited, we are investigating to ensure Floridians are not being deceived by greedy fraudsters.”

Mendenhall and Vaughn, owners of RAD Diversified REIT, Inc. and its subsidiaries, post videos online and on social media to promote their fund, which is supposed to pool investor funds and invest in real estate. Additionally, Mendenhall and Vaughn host periodic in-person seminars that advertise RAD Diversified REIT, Inc. as a way for Floridians to invest in real estate if they do not have enough funds to buy property outright. However, many investors have complained that they cannot collect returns or get their money back due to roadblocks by Mendenhall and Vaughn. The investigation and subpoenas seek to gather information about these complaints and whether the company owns real estate equivalent in value to the amount invested by RAD Diversified REIT customers. Continue reading

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General James Uthmeier is launching an investigation into Robinhood Crypto, LLC. and issuing a subpoena to uncover internal documents. Robinhood Crypto allegedly is breaking Florida’s Deceptive and Unfair Practices Act by falsely promoting its crypto platform as the least expensive way to purchase crypto—when there is evidence to suggest that is not true.

“Crypto is a vital component of Florida’s financial future, and President Trump’s efforts to advance the crypto market will make America stronger and wealthier. When consumers buy and sell crypto assets, they deserve transparency in their transactions,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Robinhood has long claimed to be the best bargain, but we believe those representations were deceptive.”

Robinhood is a cryptocurrency and stock trading platform. Instead of charging a commission, Robinhood generates revenue by routing customers’ trades to third-party firms. These firms pay Robinhood for the opportunity to take the opposite side of its customers’ trades, also known as payment for order flow or PFOF.  Continue reading

Congresswoman Kat Cammack (FL-03) released the following statement following the U.S. Department of Commerce’s termination of the 2019 Suspension Agreement on fresh tomatoes from Mexico:

“For far too long, American tomato growers—especially those in Florida—have been forced to compete against artificially low prices driven by unfair trade practices,” said Congresswoman Cammack. “The termination of this agreement sends a clear message: we’re standing up for American farmers and restoring integrity to our agricultural markets. Food security is national security. Our farmers deserve a fair shot to compete—and this marks a critical step forward in making that possible. I am grateful to the Trump Administration and Secretary Lutnick for their unwavering support.”

Background:

Florida is one of the nation’s largest tomato-producing states, and growers have long raised concerns about the impact of dumped Mexican imports on their ability to stay in business. The 2019 Suspension Agreement halted anti-dumping duties on Mexican tomatoes in exchange for price and volume restrictions from Mexican exporters. With yesterday’s decision, those duties will now go into effect, with most imports subject to a 20.91% tariff. This decision is widely seen as a victory for domestic agriculture and a meaningful step toward fairer trade enforcement. Continue reading

The Golden Age of America begins right now. From this day forward, our country will flourish and be respected again all over the world. We will be the envy of every nation, and we will not allow ourselves to be taken advantage of any longer. During every single day of the Trump administration, I will very simply put America first. Our sovereignty will be reclaimed. Our safety will be restored. The scales of justice will be rebalanced. The vicious, violent and unfair weaponization of the Justice Department and our government will end. And our top priority will be to create a nation that is proud, prosperous and free. America will soon be greater, stronger and far more exceptional than ever before.

Hi AI

Can you set up a local emergency alert system for a fifty mile radius for a flood?

From TomL

In my opinion they need to build Cell tower while rebuilding along the flood area! To make sure emergency alerts work. They could even put sirens on the towers.

I ask AI if a localized (50 miles or less) emergency alert with that blast sound that goes through you, could it be set up. What was in place in Texas was not effective for a disaster like this.

Here what AI’s response was.

Yes, AI and related technologies can help localize emergency alerts within a 50-mile radius, and in fact, systems like Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) already do so with a high degree of accuracy.

Here’s how this is achieved: Continue reading

Many Americans have been celebrating the ascendancy of the first American Pope, Leo XIV. However, that ascendancy highlights some problems with the Internal Revenue Code and brings to light an additional reason why we need to eliminate the federal income tax. In an article in Tax Notes, the following information was provided:

* Beyond saving souls, the new pope might need to save his receipts in the event of an IRS audit.

* A primary question arises over the treatment of his papal salary. We don’t know exactly how much the pope earns, although it’s rumored to be in the vicinity of $400,000 per year.

* It’s unclear whether the pontiff has chosen to accept or decline the salary or to accept and donate the funds to charity. For US tax purposes, a decision to decline salary may not be sufficient to prevent the earnings from being treated as gross income.

* Additional concerns involve the application of section 107 (rental value of parsonage), section 119 (meals and lodging furnished for the convenience of employees), section 170b (percentage limitations on charitable deductions), section 911 (the foreign earned income exclusion) and section 6039F (the duty to report gifts from non U.S. persons) Continue reading

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed legislation aimed to strengthen protections for children against sexual crimes. “Florida has zero tolerance for criminals who exploit children,” said Governor Ron DeSantis. “Throughout my time in office, we’ve worked with the legislature to strengthen penalties for child abuse, hold predators accountable, and ensure that Florida remains a safe place to raise a family.”

Governor Ron DeSantis signed House Bill 777, House Bill 1351, House Bill 1455 and House Bill 1161 into law; and committed to signing Senate Bill 1804 into law in the coming days.

House Bill 777 Offenses Involving Children strengthens Florida’s laws against luring or enticing children. The bill:

  • Expands victim age: Applies the offense to any child under 14, instead of a narrower age group.
  • Expands offense scope: Includes luring or enticing a child out of a structure, dwelling, or vehicle—not just into one.
  • Eliminates certain defenses: Ignorance of the child’s age, misrepresentation of the child’s age and bona fide belief about the child’s age.
  • Enhances Penalties: First offense is raised from a 1st-degree misdemeanor to a 3rd-degree felony and second or subsequent offenses are raised from 3rd-degree felony to 2nd-degree felony.

House Bill 1351 Registration of Sexual Predators and Sexual Offenders enhances registration, reporting, and verification requirements for sexual predators and offenders in Florida. The bill: Continue reading

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