Palm Bay Councilman Chandler Langevin speaks out.
A packed special Palm Bay City Council meeting last night called to address anti-Indian American comments made by Councilman Chandler Langevin ended early due to a lack of quorum. Councilman Kenny Johnson had called for Langevin removal from office. Langevin did not attend the meeting, but he took to social media, saying that expressing his political opinions on social media did not warrant his dismissal. The issue will be discussed again at tomorrow night’s Palm Bay council meeting.
Government shutdown impacts NASA.
The Federal Government shutdown leaves NASA in limbo. While the astronauts stay safe, future missions may be affected. WFIT’s Terri Wright shares details.
With most NASA employees facing furloughs, a small crew will remain to safeguard astronauts on the ISS, maintain climate and weather satellites, and protect spacecraft in orbit. But long-planned missions will stall, including preparations for Artemis 2, the next crewed mission to the moon. A prolonged shutdown could delay launches into spring and drive-up costs. Contractors face uncertainty as well—some may continue briefly with existing funds, while others will be sidelined without access to facilities or NASA staff, and some will be tasked with shutting down equipment until further notice.
In related news, Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex reports it will be open as usual during the shutdown. The visitor center is not supported by government or taxpayer funding.
Another Brevard teacher accused of using student’s preferred name.
A second teacher at Satellite High is under investigation for allowing a student to use a “preferred name.” Kerry Clapper could see her teaching license suspended. Brevard Public Schools says Clapper allegedly did not stop a then-17-year-old student from writing their chosen name on homework and class assignments without parental permission. A formal hearing has been requested, and the Florida Commissioner of Education will seek a suspension of her license. Clapper told the Brevard school district she could not recall using the student's chosen name, though she said the student sometimes wrote their chosen name on assignments.
Florida gives land in Miami for Trump Library.
A prime piece of land in downtown Miami may become the Trump Presidential Library. The land, possibly worth hundreds of millions of dollars, was gifted by the state to the non-profit raising money for Trump’s library. Gov. DeSantis and the Florida cabinet approved donating the land to the non-profit in a three-minute discussion yesterday. Minutes later, Eric Trump posted on social media that the library would be built in Miami.
It’s right next door to Miami’s Freedom Tower - where Cuban refugees were processed after the revolution. The donation drew immediate backlash from many in Miami’s Cuban American community, who say the tower, known as the “Ellis Island of the South,” represents the opposite of Trump’s mass deportation campaign and tough immigration policies.
New laws that go into effect today.
A slew of new laws went into effect today in Florida. Here’s a rundown of those dealing with criminal offenses: there’s new penalties for people who endanger animals during natural disasters. Another outlaws flipper devices that allow drivers to automatically switch their car tags to evade traffic cameras. A new law increases penalties for people who disable ankle monitors. Another involves trafficking in lewd images, particularly child pornography or “altered sexual depictions” of identifiable persons without consent. Yet another targets people who threaten or attack utility workers, including electric-line workers.
