WEEKLY DEBRIEF: DeSantis says white men need protection. Alligator Alley still in business. Is Florida's boom fading?

Your curated summary of the top news from the previous week, plus a look ahead to coming events--a new Tropic Press feature starting today

That Was The Week That Was

White men need protection, according to Ron DeSantis

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law a bill that bans local funding of initiatives aimed at helping minorities.

Why?

Because D.E.I. (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion) initiatives end up favoring some groups and disfavoring others, he said.

"The disfavored groups, No. 1, obviously, would be white males, and I think they've been discriminated against," DeSantis said.

DeSantis raked in $250,000 after rate hike was approved

Late last year, a regulatory board in Tallahassee appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis gave Florida Power & Light permission to raise electricity rates by roughly $7 billion over the next four years — a record-setting rate hike that allows the monopoly power company to pocket the highest profit margin in the country outside of Alaska.

A month later, FPL’s parent corporation gave Ron DeSantis a quarter of a million dollars.

Read the investigative report from independent journalist Jason Garcia on the Tropic Press website and here:

U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick quits

Florida Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick abruptly resigned from Congress on April 21 moments before a House Ethics Committee hearing that could have led to her expulsion, ending a turbulent tenure representing the state’s 20th Congressional District.

Her departure followed a sweeping scandal involving allegations that she diverted roughly $5 million in federal disaster funds—originally intended for COVID-19-related services—through her family’s healthcare company and into her 2021 congressional campaign. Federal prosecutors charged her with multiple counts, including fraud, money laundering, and illegal campaign contributions, accusations she has denied.

The resignation has immediate political implications for Florida. Her heavily Democratic district is now vacant, triggering a special election that is expected to remain in Democratic hands but could intensify intraparty competition.

Adding to the confusion, her district could be totally reconfigured during a special session of the state Legislature due to convene this week (more on that below).

Alligator Alcatraz will remain open for now

The Everglades concentration camp will remain open for now, largely because the federal government has stiffed the state for $600 million it promised.

A federal appeals court overturned a Miami judge’s order that would have required Florida to begin shutting down the Alligator Alcatraz and stop accepting new detainees. The Eleventh Circuit ruled that plaintiffs failed to show the federal government controls the facility, emphasizing that Florida has not been reimbursed for more than $600 million in state spending despite earlier federal funding promises.

Judges said the absence of federal funding means environmental review laws do not apply, allowing the state-run site to continue operating. The decision leaves the facility’s future open unless federal funding or control is established.

A coalition of Floridians helps save Endangered Species Act

Environmentalists from around the state travelled to Washington, D.C. to hand-deliver a letter to members of Congress urging them to oppose legislation that would undercut protections for Florida’s sensitive wildlife habitats.

And it seems their mission was a success. According to Politico:

The House on Wednesday abruptly shelved legislation that would overhaul the Endangered Species Act, in an apparent response to Republican opposition to the bill.

Speaker Mike Johnson yanked the ESA Amendments Act, H.R. 1897, from consideration without explanation. But opposition from six Florida Republicans and other GOP members triggered the delay…

Is Florida’s population boom cooling off?

The pace of Florida’s growth may be waning as the high cost of living is driving out middle-class residents.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Net migration plunged from 315,000 in 2022 to roughly 22,500 in 2025—about a 93 percent drop—as rising housing and insurance costs make the state unaffordable. While Florida still gains residents, the explosive growth is slowing. Some of the reasons:

• Declining Affordability: Skyrocketing housing costs are causing a “priced out” effect, especially for younger workers.

• Migration Slowdown: Net domestic migration has dropped significantly, with many leaving for more affordable states like Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee.

• Surplus Housing & High Costs: A surplus of homes in some areas hasn’t helped affordability, as high costs (home prices often nearing $400k) deter buyers.

• Reduced In-Migration: The high cost of living, including elevated insurance, is pushing middle-income earners out and causing many residents to consider leaving.

Yet another special legislative session on tap

Florida House and Senate leaders announced Thursday that they have agreed to spend about $52 billion in general revenue dollars in the next fiscal year on the state’s priorities, finally clearing the way for the Legislature to do the one thing it’s annually required to do: Pass a budget. Legislators will return to Tallahassee May 12-29 for an 18-day special session.

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Meme of the Week

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Quote of the Week

“If Florida Republicans proceed with this illegal scheme, they will only create more prime pick-up opportunities for Democrats, just as they did with Trump’s dummymander in Texas. We will aggressively target for defeat Mario Díaz-Balart, Maria Elvira Salazar, Carlos Giménez, Kat Cammack, Anna Paulina Luna, Laurel Lee, Cory Mills and Brian Mast. We are prepared to take them all on, and we are prepared to win.

“Maximum warfare, everywhere, all the time.”

— House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Gov. Ron DeSantis calling a special session of the Florida Legislature to redraw the state’s congressional boundaries.

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Letter of the Week:

Traditionally, it takes six nails to close a coffin lid. How many have we banged into the lid on our environment’s coffin so far? Who is wielding the hammer? How many nails are still in his mouth?

—Charles G. Masi

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Looking Ahead

April 26. Confederate Memorial Day. Sure, it’s the 21st century and, yes, the Civil War is in our distant past. But here in the so-called “free” state of Florida, a former slave state, this is an actual recognized state holiday, although the wage slaves working for the state government don’t get a day off for it, fittingly.

Tuesday, April 28. The Florida Legislature is scheduled to convene a four-day special session, called by Gov. Ron DeSantis. On the agenda: Redrawing the state’s congressional districts to gerrymander them even more favorably for Republicans, the regulation of A.I., and so-called “medical freedom” legislation that caters to the anti-vax crowd and could possibly result in the elimination or diminishment of requirements that children entering school be vaccinated against infectious and often-fatal diseases, thus weakening the general “herd immunity” of the state’s population at large.

May 1 is International Workers’ Day, focusing on the rights of labor, immigrants, and social justice issues. Although the holiday originated in our country, it is mostly celebrated overseas. Our official Labor Day is in September.

May 2. Kentucky Derby. Post time is 6:57 p.m. While watching the Run for the Roses, a mint julep is the beverage of choice for many. If you’re making one at home, here’s how you do it: Take a perfectly good glass of bourbon and ruin it by mixing in crushed mint leaves (or dandelion leaves, I suppose, if you’re fresh out of mint), throw in some sugar to up the diabetes factor, and add ice. Then throw it down the sink and make yourself a proper drink.

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Last Week’s Tropic Press Headlines

In case you missed it, here are some of the stories that headlined Tropic Press this past week.

As it turns out, Spaceship Earth is our only home; we need to take better care of it

With Trump’s approval rating in the dumpster, this is the chance for Democrats in Florida

Trump nemesis Alex Vindman is now officially a candidate for U.S. Senate

DeSantis now plans multiple special sessions; confusion reigns among Florida legislators

ASK THE BIRD: What’s with all these special sessions of the state Legislature?

Florida’s leaders see terrorists behind every bush -- and in the pews, too? No weirdness here

Why don’t you run for office?

The upcoming midterm elections provide a generational opportunity to change the complexion of Florida’s political makeup. But for that to happen, Republican candidates for the state Legislature must face Democratic opponents on the ballot. Currently, there are far too many seats where Republicans are running unopposed. You can change that. Find out how you can run and how to get help doing so:

Got questions on how to go about throwing your hat in the ring? Project 140 has the answers. Here’s their email address:

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Thanks for your support

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed if you are a rational person living in the “Free” State of Florida, but there are plenty of smart, reasonable people just like you here. The purpose of this newsletter and the Tropic Press website is to provide a source of news and commentary that shines a light through this irrational fog.

Thank you for your support as a subscriber. It is invaluable. This is especially so for those of you who have chosen to upgrade to paid subscriptions. Your contributions are making this possible.

J.C. Bruce