High-angle aerial photo of single-family homes with swimming pools in a Tampa, Florida suburban neighborhood

Florida Realtors are bankrolling the $18 million effort to pass property tax-cutting Amendment 3

The two political committees opposing Amendment 3, Floridians for Shared Prosperity and Vote No on 3 Florida, have raised a combined $537,357.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

High-angle drone photograph showing rows of photovoltaic solar panels generating clean renewable energy in rural North Florida.

News & Views

Byron Donalds says ‘its a fad,’ but Florida utilities are expanding solar

The gubernatorial candidates have different takes on solar and small, modular nuclear reactors.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

News & Views

DeSantis administration removes child vaccine exemptions based on ‘moral or ethical beliefs’

The rule hearing was requested by the Florida chapters of the American College of Physicians and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

by Christine Sexton and Florida Phoenix September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

Vote Here sign on a sidewalk walkway leading to a polling place on Election Day.

News & Views

Voter registration deadline for general election is October 5

Early voting for Hillsborough and Pinellas counties runs Oct. 19.-Nov. 1.

by Leif Helland September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

News & Views

Pinellas sheriff arrests two deputies after TCPalm reporter sends Flock inquires

Reporter Jack Lemnus’ independent investigations have led to 27 officers disciplined over misuse of ALPR databases like Flock.

by Valerie Smith September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

A Google Maps screengrab of the entrance to the Florida State Prison in Raiford, Florida. Captured at road level from the front entrance, a paved two-lane asphalt road with double yellow lines passes beneath a black arched metal entry sign reading "FLORIDA STATE PRISON". The driveway is flanked by stone-and-stucco gatehouse pillars with official round seals and informational sign boards. In the background beyond manicured green lawns and chain-link security fencing, low-rise prison facility buildings stretch across the horizon beneath a partly cloudy blue sky.

News & Views

‘This is death by medical neglect’: Doctors, activists, urge DeSantis to provide care to ‘profoundly sick’ Death Row prisoner

William Lee Thompson, is the first known gravely ill prisoner who has been forced to live on death watch.

By Nichole Manna/The Florida TribSeptember 30, 2026September 30, 2026

News & Views

‘Everyone is in their cars, and they don’t really ever socialize’: World Car Free Day takes over Tampa

A 5.3-mile bike route connected Midtown, downtown, and Ybor City last Saturday.

by Daria Mironova and WMNF News September 30, 2026September 30, 2026

An aerial top-down photo shows a suburban residential neighborhood in Tampa, Florida, featuring single-family homes with private swimming pools, landscaped backyards, green lawns, and clean paved streets lined with palm trees.

News & Views

New calculator allows you to see how your local roads, libraries and more will be impacted if Florida’s Amendment 3 passes

“We really hope this will be a one-stop shop and something easy to use where people can see how the amendment would impact the community.”

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix September 29, 2026September 29, 2026

Former NFL head coach Tony Dungy speaking at a table during the AIA 2017 Bart Starr Award Super Bowl Breakfast in Houston, Texas.

News & Views

Tony Dungy to speak at Tampa’s controversial Life Surge seminar, which was recently accused of scamming attendees

Last weekend, former NFL quarterback and Heisman winner Tim Tebow announced he is “pausing” his relationship with the organization.

by Colin Wolf September 29, 2026September 29, 2026

A bodycam screenshot showing A still from bodycam footage showing St. Petersburg Police officer Daniel Poveda and Brian Pepal in St. Petersburg, Florida on Aug. 22, 2026. Captured in a wide-angle perspective on a concrete driveway outside a residential home, a uniformed police officer in dark attire stands with a yellow conductive energy device (Taser) pointed toward a man lying on his back on the pavement wearing a grey t-shirt and dark shorts. A white sedan is parked along the left side of the driveway, and timestamp text reading "2026-08-22 11:09:20" appears in the upper right corner of the frame under bright daylight.

News & Views

‘Keep popping him’: Before killing schizophrenic St. Pete man, officers repeatedly tased him as he appeared to comply

Brian Pepal, 48, had a history of mental health issues and initially attacked officers before they subdued him with tasers last August. A state attorney called his death an ‘excusable homicide.’

by Valerie Smith September 29, 2026September 29, 2026

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News & Views

Legal challenge in the works to overturn DeSantis’ effort to classify groups as ‘terrorists’

The designations take effect Nov. 5.

by Jim Turner and News Service of Florida September 29, 2026September 29, 2026

Aerial view of a flooded suburban Florida neighborhood after a tropical storm, showing houses, backyards, and cars partially submerged in floodwaters.

News & Views

Majority of Florida residents refuse to believe state’s property insurance crisis is any better, says poll

The poll comes as property insurance becomes a major issue in the Florida gubernatorial race.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix September 28, 2026September 28, 2026

A wide landscape photograph by the City of St. Petersburg showing Crescent Lake in St. Petersburg, Florida on Oct. 29, 2014. Courtesy of the City of St. Petersburg Flickr, the scenic view captures calm lake water framed by tall green reeds and marsh grass growing in the immediate foreground. Across the water, lush green trees and park grounds line the opposite shore, with a historic metal water tower rising centrally against a soft blue and orange sky illuminated by early morning light.

News & Views

At St. Pete’s Crescent lake, Stewards of our Urban Lakes’ work goes far beyond plantings

Monthly cleanups at Crescent Lake attract from 20 to 100 people, depending on the weather.

by Vicki Parsons and Bay Soundings September 28, 2026September 28, 2026

News & Views

David Jolly: ‘I need the national Democratic Party to come into Florida and start spending money’

Donalds has now raised more than $115 million via his political committee, while Jolly has raised $15.8 million.

by Mitch Perry and Florida Phoenix September 28, 2026September 28, 2026

A news photo by Dave Decker showing Gov. Ron DeSantis (L) and Casey DeSantis at Tampa Convention Center on Nov. 8, 2022. Captured from a low-angle medium shot, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stands at a wooden lectern bearing a navy sign with red and white text reading "FREEDOM LIVES HERE" alongside an outline of Florida. Wearing a dark suit, white shirt, and red tie, DeSantis gestures while speaking into microphones. To his right, First Lady Casey DeSantis stands smiling in a asymmetrical, off-the-shoulder metallic yellow dress with long wavy hair. Behind them hangs a large American flag under dark event stage lighting.

News & Views

The DCF division Hope Florida was built on top of is failing by nearly every federal measure

A scathing state audit also found cases in which the department wrongly cut off Medicaid for eligible children, failed to send legally required termination notices, and stalled the auditors’ own access to its records.

By Sharmila Venkatasubban/Florida TribSeptember 28, 2026September 28, 2026