The Minor Football League returns to Florida’s Space Coast
This week, the Minor Football League is set to return to Florida’s Space Coast. The MFL assists players in transitioning from playing on the field to roles in the front office.
Victoria Jones of the Space Coast Black Chamber of Commerce stated, “This partnership has been strategically designed to create economic opportunities for businesses in Brevard County and stimulate tourism in the region.
The Minor Football League plans to establish three new teams in Florida, including one in Brevard County. This initiative aims to embed the league into local communities further and provide opportunities for local talent.
Florida is #2 in solar panel installations.
Florida is #2 in solar panel installations so far this year. Rick Glasby has the details:
Nearly 30,000 Floridians installed solar power in 2024, bringing the number of installations to over 253,000. The state as a whole has installed 3.1 gigawatts of solar-generation capacity through the first three quarters of this year. That’s the second most in the nation, ranking behind only Texas. Florida receives 8% of its electricity from solar while relying on natural gas for 75% of its energy needs - more than any other state.
The price of solar power has decreased by 43% over the past decade.
Berman files bill to allow childcare as a campaign expense
Boynton Beach Democratic Senator Lori Berman is proposing a bill in the coming legislative session that she hopes will encourage young parents to run for public office.
It would allow them to use their campaign funds to pay for child care, but only for campaign events such as canvassing, debates, and meeting with constituents or donors.
“I chose not to run for office until my children were much older, and I have some regrets that I waited to run until my children were in high school," Berman says. "And I think that we want to make it as easy as we can for parents to run for office. Because we want young people to be part of the political system here in our state.”
38 states and Washington, D.C., already have similar legislation in place.
Under Berman’s proposal, campaign funds couldn’t be used for childcare expenses unrelated to campaign activities, and the candidate would have to provide clear records and receipts, maintaining them for three years after the campaign.
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ampa's Susan Valdes jumps to GOP, adding to Florida House
Florida Rep. Susan Valdes, a Democrat member of the state House since 2018, announced on Dec. 9, 2024, that she would switch to the Republican Party.
The move drew a rebuke from House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell, D-Tampa who called the move “especially egregious, “Susan should have trusted her constituents, not pulled a bait-and-switch after the fact.”
The move expanded the GOP supermajority to 86 members in the 120-seat House.
Beginning of the end for landlines?
AT&T announced its plans to eliminate its traditional landline phone service across nearly all U.S. states, including Florida, in its service area by 2029.
The AT&T copper wire network is 70 years old and increasingly unreliable.
According to a survey, only 2.2% of Florida consumers surveyed solely use a landline. More than three-quarters of Americans do not have landlines.
AT&T has a new product named "AT&T Phone - Advanced, " a landline alternative. It can be used with an existing landline phone and connects to AT&T's wireless network at $45 a month.
More: www.floridatoday.com
