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Florida officials announced the results of a state test for heavy metals in candy products, expanding a broad effort to evaluate foods marketed to children and provide information to consumers. The Florida Department of Health (DOH) tested 46 candy products from 10 companies for heavy metals, including arsenic. The state said arsenic was detected in 28 of the products analyzed, prompting further investigation into potential exposure risks, especially to children. The testing was conducted under the state’s Healthy Florida First initiative, which aims to increase transparency about food safety and product composition. Governor Ron DeSantis, First Lady Casey DeSantis, and…

The University of Florida has been ranked No. 1 in the nation for online bachelor’s degree programs in the latest U.S. News & World Report Best Online Programs rankings, marking another milestone in the university’s expansion of its digital education footprint. The university also received top rankings in several professional categories, including No. 1 for online bachelor’s programs for business and veterans, and No. 3 for online bachelor’s programs in psychology. Multiple graduate-level online programs were also ranked among the leaders in the U.S., with education programs ranked No. 2 and online MBA programs ranked No. 5. University officials said…

Data from our partners at Open The Books reveals some of the spending and DEI information that occurred during the Biden administration. 1. NASA spent $24 billion in fiscal year 2024, most of which ($14.6 billion) came from contracts. Accounting for inflation, government spending remained relatively stable in the decades following the moon landing. 2. The second largest contractor was Boeing, which received $6.4 billion in federal contract spending from fiscal years 2021 to 2024. 3. NASA has relied on private contractors to deliver cargo to the ISS since 2012 and personnel since 2020. The two contractors used to transport…

A new report from the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) shows the country’s murder rate has fallen to historic levels. CCJ analyzed monthly crime data from 40 cities over the past eight years. In 2025, 11 out of 13 crime categories decreased compared to 2024. Nine of the 13 categories saw declines of 10% or more, with homicides down 21%. The CCJ states that drug offenses were the only crime category that increased (up 7%). Sexual assault remained egalitarian. Key points from CCJ: Looking at changes in violent crime, the reported homicide rate in 2025 was 21% lower than in…

Lionel Richie fans can prepare to sing along “all night long” when the legendary singer-songwriter takes the Kia Center stage this summer. Richie will join Earth, Wind & Fire in Orlando on July 25th during a 26-city North American tour. As one of the best-selling bands of all time, fans can rock out to hits like “September,” “Let’s Groove,” and “Boogie Wonderland.” Since 1969, Earth, Wind & Fire has stood the test of time as a musical organization, winning nine Grammy Awards and releasing 23 albums. Known for hits such as “All Night Long,” “Stuck on You,” and “Hello,” Richie…

Sunrise, Fla. – The Florida Panthers announced today that they will host “Vamos Gatos!” A night presented by Ford on Monday, February 2nd at Amerant Bank Arena. Panthers ‘Vamos Gatos!’ This initiative celebrates the rich culture of South Florida’s Hispanic community and its continued efforts to promote inclusivity and diversity in hockey and beyond. All participating fans will receive a “Vamos Gatos”! A mini pennant at the time of admission. Fans can enjoy a pregame party at Publix Plaza with two food trucks, salsa dancers and authentic cuisine from Vamos Gatos. Scarf giveaway at Ford’s Section 128/129 Plaza Level Activation…

Written by Tom Gatens – Florida Citizens Against Litigation Abuse (FL CALA) Executive Director Florida legislators have a unique opportunity to build on their successful leadership as smart civil justice reform leaders. In fact, they are responsible for protecting the integrity of our courts and the economic well-being of families and businesses across the state by passing House Bill 1157, sponsored by Rep. Fabian Basabe (R-Miami Beach), and Senate Bill 1396, sponsored by Sen. Colleen Barton (R-Lakeland). These common-sense reforms shed much-needed light on the growing and problematic practice of third-party litigation financing (TPLF), which is becoming a major trial…

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia adopted the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) initiative proposed by billionaire Elon Musk during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term. The federal DOGE effort relied on audits and line-by-line reviews of federal spending, pointing to overspending and making budget cuts based on information gathered from within federal agencies. More than 20 years ago, Florida Senate President John McKay and House Speaker Tom Feeney, with the enthusiastic support of then-Governor Jeb Bush, did something similar, but through a different process called zero-based budgeting. Because Florida, like every other…

Is your county prepared for natural disasters? The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has ranked which counties in Florida are ready and which are not. The FEMA Community Resilience Score for each Florida county found the most and least prepared counties for natural disasters based on factors such as housing, access to health care, education, communication, and poverty. The most prepared county in the state is St. Johns County. Glades County had the least. FEMA gives each county a resiliency score out of 100, with lower scores indicating a county is less likely to prepare for, adapt to, and recover…

A new study conducted by IT Asset Management Group (IT-AMG) analyzed the privacy policies of more than 5,000 apps in the Apple App Store. These apps were selected from an extensive list of the top 100 apps in each category, and duplicate or missing data was removed. To determine which apps are the most intrusive, we created a 100-point index based on 46 metrics, including 35 types of data, six data collection purposes, and five different types of user relationships. The level of privacy violation was measured by whether each data type was tracked and linked, tracked and linked, unlinked…