The Florida Trident

Billionaire’s mining operation is blasting Collier homes with no relief. It may be about to get a whole lot worse. On Sept. 14, 2023, in the outskirts of Naples, a chain of timed explosions tore through limestone rock on farm land owned by West Palm Beach billionaire Jeff Greene, rattling nearby homes in Golden Gates Estates to their core.

“The house shook like a pirate ship on rough open seas,” recalled Robert Dixon, one of the homeowners affected. “I immediately went out to look at the walls, and I saw cracks.” #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/billionaires...

Lawmaker who led Hope Florida probe aims to end public records delays The DeSantis administration has gained a reputation for delaying and ignoring public records requests, and for producing huge cost estimates that tend to discourage folks from following through on …

State Rep. Alex Andrade, the Pensacola Republican who led a probe into the Hope Florida initiative, has filed a sweeping bill that takes aim at tactics used by the DeSantis administration to thwart public inquiries. #DefendDemocracy

Maxwell: Florida grand juries, at root of Epstein rot, may next target Trump foes Secretive grand jury proceedings in Florida were at the root of the Epstein rot where he was originally given a sweetheart deal. Now there are reports secretive grand juries in Florida may target T…

Favoritism towards Jeffrey Epstein began in a Florida grand jury room, where prosecutors downplayed his crimes. Now, another round of secretive grand jury proceedings may begin in South FL, targeting political figures who have angered Trump. #DefendDemocracy www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/19/e...

An audit on the Florida Department of Education's Family Empowerment Scholarship for the 2024-25 school year found a "myriad of accountability challenges," with millions of dollars in overspending #DefendDemocracy www.tallahassee.com/story/news/l...

Jeff Brandes: The architect has no plan — Florida’s $18B tax cut without a blueprint Florida risks an $18 billion disaster because no one produced real math.

The homestead property tax repeal being considered is "the policy equivalent of removing a load-bearing wall with no structural review and simply assuming the building will absorb the strain." #DefendDemocracy

Maxwell: $925/hr legal bills, $494,000 per degree. The costs of cronyism at Florida universities Political cronyism has gotten so extreme and costly in Florida’s university system that FAU is now paying one politically connected lawyer $925 an hour, and New College is spending $494,000 f…

"Over the last few years, Florida has gone from being the Sunshine State to the Political Patronage State." #DefendDemocracy www.orlandosentinel.com/2025/11/18/m...

For these Florida counties, eliminating property taxes would mean 'a dismemberment of vital services' Power Play: A series of special reports examining the push to reduce or eliminate property taxes in Florida. Local government officials statewide are

In small Florida counties, eliminating property taxes could cause a collapse of basic services -- everything from roadwork to fire departments. Read the third article in our Power Play series to learn more. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/for-these-fl...

ICE’s chilling surveillance tool hits home here | Editorial A little-known surveillance tool used by ICE will take your photograph and add it to the agency’s databases for 15 years. Refusal is not an option.

The Mobile Fortify app continues to enable ICE & Border Patrol agents to photograph anyone in public without their consent or ability to refuse. And if the image doesn’t match an immigration record, agents can forcibly gather fingerprints, too. #DefendDemocracy
www.sun-sentinel.com/2025/11/14/i...

Property tax crisis or a solution in search of a problem? DeSantis says property taxes are a severe burden on Florida homeowners and wants to abolish them, regardless of the potentially devastating effects on local government budgets. But if rising property taxes is a problem that needs fixing, lawmakers have yet to detail how big the problem is.

Are high property taxes truly a problem that needs fixing? Read the second installment of our Power Play series, investigating the motivations and repercussions of the push to eliminate property taxes. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/property-tax...

“Here we have the man who’s supposed to be defending our law and defending our rights under the law working to narrow that right of access,” [Trident publisher Barbara] Petersen said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic... #DefendDemocracy

Trident Analysis: Nearly two million Florida voters are being disenfranchised by write-in, ghost candidates About two weeks after Sandra Maddox qualified to run for county commission in Santa Rosa County, a campaign sign for the frontrunner in her own race –

Election Day was yesterday, but for millions the outcome may have already been decided. Last year we exposed how “ghost” write-in candidates are used to close FL primaries. It’s a legal loophole & a quiet form of disenfranchisement. Read more: floridatrident.org/trident-anal... #DefendDemocracy

Save Our Homes makes property tax reform less urgent for some residents There is talk in Tallahassee of giving new help to homestead property owners, more than 30 years after Florida voters approved a constitutional amendment to restrict increases in real estate tax assessments on owner-occupied residences.

"Two almost identical homes in Tampa illustrate the tax disparities created by Save Our Homes. One property owner pays 50 percent more in property taxes. The difference: the higher taxed home was purchased last year while the other 30 years ago. " #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/save-our-hom...

Today we're kicking off FLCGA’s #NewsMatch campaign! Donate by 12/31 and your gift will be DOUBLED. There’s never been a more critical time to stand up for nonprofit newsrooms – please support FLCGA & the Florida Trident today: www.flcga.org/donate #DefendDemocracy #TeamTrident

Editorial: Florida CFO’s overspending claims ignore necessity of local rule Blaise Ingoglia’s fuzzy math threatens local governance, especially in progressive areas like Orange County. Municipalities must join the battle to avoid state control.

Editorial: Florida CFO’s overspending claims ignore necessity of local rule #DefendDemocracy

"Uthmeier’s stint at the private practice...raises ethical and legal questions about the Republican attorney now running for the job of Florida’s top prosecutor." #DefendDemocracy

Sarasota Schools drafted a plan to prevent ‘Schools of Hope’ takeovers. Here’s what’s in it. - Suncoast Searchlight Sarasota County Schools has drawn up a sweeping plan to shrink its empty classroom space — and, in the process, try to shield itself from a new state law that allows charter schools to move into…

"Sarasota County Schools has drawn up a sweeping plan to shrink its empty classroom space — and, in the process, try to shield itself from a new state law that allows charter schools to move into underused public campuses." #DefendDemocracy suncoastsearchlight.org/sarasota-sch...

Ron DeSantis and Florida Cabinet members voted to give a campaign donor $83 million for 4 acres of barren land in the most recent case, where records show lobbyists wrote legislation that compliant politicians then passed. #DefendDemocracy

#DefendDemocracy

Revolving Door 101: Corcoran’s former firm is racking up contracts with state universities – including his own After Richard Corcoran left his role as Florida’s education commissioner in 2022, he joined the lobbying firm Continental Strategy LLC, where he began

The former lobbying firm of Richard Corcoran promised “new synergies” when he was named president of New College. Now the firm is snapping up public university contracts. #DefendDemocracy floridatrident.org/revolving-do...

#DefendDemocracy

"The law essentially says that, even if a provider negligently kills an adult patient, family members can’t sue for pain, suffering and answers — unless the dead patient has a spouse or minor children." #DefendDemocracy

Florida’s DOGE knockoff has the same blemishes as the original The leader of Florida’s Department of Government Efficiency appears to be relying on dodgy math to justify allegations of wasteful spending.

#DefendDemocracy www.msnbc.com/top-stories/...

Hidden consultants and hurried payments: Records reveal details of DeSantis' campaign against abortion and marijuana amendments Ron DeSantis employed campaign strategists as subcontractors, bent procurement rules, and took millions from reserves, in a taxpayer-fund ad campaign against two citizen-led ballot measures last year.

#DefendDemocracy jasongarcia.substack.com/p/hidden-con...

#DefendDemocracy

Despite budgetary pressures, this Florida school board spends big bucks on banned books The Escambia County School Board has spent nearly $1 million on legal fees to keep certain books out of school libraries.

The Escambia County School Board has spent nearly $1 million on legal fees to keep certain books out of school libraries.
#DefendDemocracy www.wusf.org/politics-iss...

Floridians with felony convictions can now contact the state to learn if they are eligible to vote • Florida Phoenix For the first time since Floridians voted to restore voting rights to most people with felony convictions, the state has agreed to provide timely information about which of them have paid the…

Floridians with felony convictions can now contact the state to learn if they are eligible to vote #DefendDemocracy floridaphoenix.com/2025/10/14/f...

Hope Florida grand jury begins work as nonprofit leader, Rep. appear at courthouse Amy Ronshausen, whose anti-drug nonprofit last year received $5 million from the Hope Florida Foundation, was called Tuesday to the Leon County Courthouse.

#DefendDemocracy www.bradenton.com/e-edition/li...

Suspended FAU professor: Outside law firm probing faculty social media to skirt Sunshine Law A FAU professor says the school hired a Tallahassee law firm to investigate faculty Charlie Kirk social media posts outside public view.

Outside law firm probing FAU faculty social media to skirt Sunshine Law #DefendDemocracy

Disgraced Kissimmee cop handed jail sentence in excessive force scandal The case involving Andrew Baseggio morphed into a KPD scandal, led to the dismissal of several officers and Monday resulted in a 9 month sentence for the former cop.

#DefendDemocracy

#DefendDemocracy