Tampa-based CAIR-Florida sues DeSantis after ‘terrorist’ designation

The Muslim civil-rights organization claims the governor’s order blocking the group from state resources is unconstitutional.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix December 16, 2025December 16, 2025

A group of protestors stands outside holding yellow and black signs. A cameraman films a man holding a large yellow banner featuring a monarch butterfly and the text, "A BETTER WORLD IS POSSIBLE."

News & Views

Charges dropped against Tampa photojournalist arrested covering Miami ICE protest

Dave Decker faced charges of trespassing and resisting arrest despite showing press credentials.

by Selene San Felice December 16, 2025December 16, 2025

A close-up of a media event on an airfield. The central figure wears a red hat and a dark suit, flanked by two others. The person on the left is speaking with an open hand gesture, while the person on the right is looking toward the press.

News & Views

DeSantis: Florida can beat Trump in a fight over AI

Trump signed an executive order on AI last week to create a federal standard for regulation.

By Liv Caputo/Florida PhoenixDecember 15, 2025December 15, 2025

Close-up of a child wearing a face mask being prepared for a vaccination by a person wearing white medical gloves, who is swabbing the child's upper arm with cotton.

News & Views

Hearings to repeal Florida’s school vaccine mandates begin

Heated debates began last week in the Panhandle.

by Christine Sexton and Florida Phoenix December 15, 2025December 15, 2025

A Dunkin' disposable coffee cup sitting on a railing or ledge, with a blurred sign (mostly red and white) in the foreground to the left. The cup has a seasonal design, featuring a snowflake pattern and what looks like a tiny leaf or berry drawing.

News & Views

‘No contract, no coffee’: Downtown Clearwater Starbucks closed as unionized workers join nationwide strike [PHOTOS]

Unlike past one-day strikes, this one is open-ended with a to-be-determined end date for the work stoppage.

by Ray Roa and Dave Decker December 15, 2025December 15, 2025

News & Views

Clearwater Starbucks workers join nearly 4,000 baristas on strike

Workers are asking customers and their communities to boycott Starbucks for as long as they’re on strike—meaning no gift cards, no coffee and no holiday merch.

by McKenna Schueler December 12, 2025December 13, 2025

News & Views

‘He does not deserve this honor:’ Tensions erupt over proposed Charlie Kirk Day

Charlie Kirk would be the second person—after Ronald Reagan—commemorated in Florida statute.

By Liv Caputo/Florida PhoenixDecember 11, 2025December 11, 2025

News & Views

Florida AG sues Starbucks over what he says is race-based hiring

The suit alleges Starbucks has violated a state civil-rights law.

by News Service of Florida December 11, 2025December 11, 2025

News & Views

Nikki Fried: ‘The pendulum is swinging towards Democrats’ after Miami victory

Florida Dems are focused on flipping Tampa Bay congressional seats.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix December 11, 2025December 11, 2025

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis speaking at a press conference. He is wearing a dark blue suit with a patterned blue tie and a white shirt. An American flag pin is on his lapel. He has short, dark brown hair and is gesturing with his right hand as he speaks into a microphone. In the blurred background, there's a golf cart and what appears to be a large, taxidermied animal. The image is credited to Dave Decker.

Florida News, News & Views

DeSantis’ proposed state budget includes bans on ‘social justice,’ Net Zero policies

It also includes a record increase for teachers’ salaries.

By Christine Sexton and Liv Caputo/Florida Phoenix December 11, 2025December 11, 2025

A black and white colobus monkey sits on a wooden beam structure, cradling a tiny, white infant against its chest. The adult monkey has dark fur with a long mantle of white hair flowing from its shoulders and back, while the baby has a pale face and white fur. The pair is framed by wooden poles with a blurred background of foliage.

News & Views

ZooTampa shares photos of the baby monkey born last weekend

The occasion marks the first birth of the ‘vulnerable’ species there since 2018.

by Selene San Felice December 10, 2025December 12, 2025

News & Views

Trump says ‘One Rulebook,’ but DeSantis has objected to the possibility of the feds preempting state AI laws

DeSantis was among opponents of a proposal in the federal ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ that, for a decade, would have prevented states from regulating artificial intelligence.

by Jim Turner and News Service of Florida December 9, 2025December 9, 2025