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WFIT's Local News Update January 31, 2025 AM

DeSantis suggests he will back challengers to GOP lawmakers who spurned him on immigration

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested he would support opponents to incumbents in the next primary election in retaliation for the Legislature’s recent rebellious move on the special session and the immigration bill.

The Florida Freedom Fund, a political fundraising committee was used by DeSantis to help defeat proposed state constitutional amendments 3 and 4 in the last election.

Since its creation, it has raised $8.6 million and spent $6.5 million.

DeSantis insinuated that he may back GOP challengers to those who rebuffed him, saying, "For the 2026 cycle, the FFF will raise even more resources (1) to ensure support for a strong conservative gubernatorial candidate and (2) to support strong conservative candidates in legislative primaries," he added.

Charles Zelden, a history and political science professor at Nova Southeastern University in Broward County, stated that a threat to primary DeSantis' antagonists was clear. "He's playing political hardball."

 
New technologies to kill red tide unveiled at Mote Marine in Sarasota

Once red tide starts, there's not much people can do stop it. But there are some new approaches that could help blow this toxic and expensive organism out of the water.

Steve Rowley is with Heartland Energy Group. His product is called Xtreme, but he says it's actually less harsh than chlorine or bleach. He says it's already used on pig farms to prevent the spread of viruses.

"We use it as a disinfectant to, you know, clean the buildings out. We use it to basically fend off really horrible diseases, like one in the hogs is called PRRS, which is very similar to a COVID. It's a respiratory disease that the animal can get, and it can kill them within a day."

In water tanks with red tide and clams, tests showed it killed red tide but the clams were not toxic.

Another technology on display this week at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota is called Ozonix [oh-ZAH-nix]. It's a truck bed full of machinery that uses no chemicals, just water and air.

Steve McKenzie with Prescott Clean Water says the system sucks up water, creates nanobubbles that consume the toxin, and spits out clean water.

McKENZIE: "The bubble collapses. It causes a shock wave, it destroys the cell, and at the same time, oxidizes the toxin."

Richard Pierce, a vice president for research at Mote, says these technologies are safe and ready to go. The question is, who will pay for them to be used in the next red tide?

PIERCE: "Who cleans up the dead fish? You know, that costs millions of dollars. We can avoid that if we use this first so I think there's a real economic benefit if people see that."

He hopes cities and counties will pay to avoid the high cost of cleanup -- and the loss of tourism dollars.

 
Florida Rep Files Bill to add President Trump’s Face to Mount Rushmore

Florida Representative Anna Paulina Luna has introduced legislation to add President Donald Trump’s face to Mount Rushmore. The iconic national monument currently features the 60-foot-tall faces of four U.S. presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln.

Adding a new face to Mount Rushmore is no small feat. The original sculpting process involved extensive drilling and dynamiting, and the mountain’s geology would need to be carefully assessed to determine if it could support another carving.

Historically, there have been discussions about adding other figures to Mount Rushmore, but none have come to fruition due to the logistical and financial challenges. The cost of such a project would be substantial, potentially running into hundreds of millions of dollars, and would require congressional approval. The bill is unlikely to receive the bipartisan support needed to pass Congress.

More:www.floridatoday.com

Terri Wright held the position of General Manager at WFIT from 1998-2023.