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Florida Panthers, Team USA staff member arrested and suspended
The Florida Panthers have suspended head equipment manager Teddy Richards following his arrest.
Now or never: Spending exceeds fundraising in race for GOP gubernatorial nomination
Closing arguments are being made and reserves are being tapped.
ESPN announces NHL opening night tripleheader
The 2026-27 NHL season begins on Tuesday, September 29, and ESPN will celebrate the festivities with an opening night tripleheader. ESPN recently announced that the network will televise three NHL games on opening night, beginning with the banner-raising ceremony for the defending champion Carolina Hurricanes. The Hurricanes will host the Florida Panthers at 5 p.m.…
How Ron DeSantis turned Florida’s governor race into a Republican family feud
On paper, the Republican primary to be Florida’s next governor appears to be little more than a formality. But Ron DeSantis has refused to endorse a successor.
Charlie Crist’s political committee unloads $286K as St. Pete Mayor’s race enters final stretch
Overall, Crist holds roughly $1M across his campaign and political committee, more than 6 times Welch’s approximately $164K.
Florida politics weekly recap: Voter data, campaign cash and 2 lawmakers in court
President Donald Trump's national address renewed the debate over election security this week, while newly released intelligence records put a spotlight on publicly available Florida voter-registration data.
Army gets commitment from athletic Florida QB Onrique Archie
Winter Park (Fla.) quarterback Onrique Archie recently gave a verbal commitment to Army. The Black Knights get a 6-foot-2, 185-lb prospect who reports a 4.67 forty and had over 1,400 all-purpose yards and 15 touchdowns as a junior. He had an offer from Navy along with several other programs, but had a good relationship with […]
Local sports facility developer’s home, business raided by FBI
Federal prosecutors allege Andy Card engaged in a wire-fraud scheme involving the development of the Mishawaka Fieldhouse and used proceeds from it to help purchase a home in Florida.
How accurate are political betting apps? Florida professors weigh in
Prediction markets heavily favor Congressman Byron Donalds right now, with above a 90% chance to become the GOP nominee on some sites.
How accurate are political betting apps? Florida professors weigh in
Prediction markets heavily favor Congressman Byron Donalds right now, with above a 90% chance to become the GOP nominee on some sites.
USF marine science fire: St. Pete recovery operations save vital scientific research despite heavy damage
University leaders announced that recovery operations have yielded remarkably successful results two months after a lightning fire heavily damaged the University of South Florida St. Petersburg's College of Marine Science in May.
FBI raids home, business of Westfield estate developer
U.S. attorney seeks to seize developer Andy Card's waterfront property in Florida.
Not All Scientific Papers Advance Science
This article was first published in The Montreal Gazette. Research is the engine of science. But that engine should not be idling, it should be steadily propelling science forward. The extent of that
County Environmental Health issues closure notice of Coronado's Glorietta Bay
Beachgoers were advised the ocean water in the area contains sewage and may cause illness.
3 Florida women taken into custody related to taking $7 million
Three women were taken into custody in connection to taking nearly $7 million from a local business. Here's what to know about the case.
Florida's SAVE Act faces legal challenges as federal version stalls
Governor Ron DeSantis signed Florida’s SAVE Act into law on April 1.
Sports without politics is a fantasy and the World Cup proves it
From ancient Greece to Nazi Germany, sport and politics have long been intertwined. Nevertheless, we still imagine that international sport can be kept above the fray and serve as a neutral arena where nations compete on merit alone. In this article, diplomacy scholar Geoffrey Allen Pigman argues the 2026 FIFA World Cup shows this is a dangerous illusion. When international sport is left entirely to revenue-maximizing private bodies like FIFA, it doesn't escape politics, but rather surrenders to its worst expressions. With the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics fast approaching, the IOC must decide whether to learn that lesson or repeat the same mistakes. The largest and most lucrative FIFA World Cup ever draws toward its climactic conclusion amidst a swirl of controversy. Team members, staff, fans, and spectators have been denied their right to enter the United States to participate, and US President Donald Trump intervened with FIFA boss Gianni Infantino to overturn a referee’s call that Trump believed disadvantaged the US national team. It is a moment to step back and reflect on what the purposes of international sport mega-events like the World Cup, and international sport more broadly, are, and what they should be. Does international sport serve public purposes? Is there a public interest? Or is it primarily a private endeavor organized by commercial enterprises to entertain the global public (and generate profit in the process), which is occasionally used by governments and leaders for raisons d’etat? Central to the idea of sport is the principle of fair play, which in the international context demands that games be free from political interference. However, it is impossible to separate sport from politics, all claims to the contrary notwithstanding. The most positive political use of international sport through the millennia has been to facilitate diplomacy. The use of international sport for diplomatic objectives has existed since at least the time of the ancient Olympic Games, around which was instituted the custom of the Ekecheiria, or Olympic Truce, between participating states to facilitate fair competition and diplomatic achievements by ensuring that participants could travel safely to the Olympiad. In his seminal work On Diplomacy (1987), diplomacy scholar James Der Derian characterized the objectives of diplomacy as overcoming alienation and mediating estrangement between governments and between peoples. One increasingly important diplomatic tool in the technology-infused media environment over the past century has been public diplomacy, under which governments and non-state diplomatic actors (e.g. transnational corporations) communicate to global publics about their international policy objectives and to shape their global brand image. Political scientist Michał Kobierecki, in his important book Sports Diplomacy (2020), views sports diplomacy as falling broadly within the ambit of public diplomacy, as international sport intimately involves the participation of global publics as spectators and consumers of global media. Diplomacy scholar Stuart Murray and this author, in a 2013 article, distinguish between international sport used for diplomatic purposes and international sport-as-diplomacy, which encompasses the range of diplomacy that occurs as teams and competitors, spectators and fans, and government officials all converge for international sporting events like the Olympic Games and FIFA World Cup. Diplomacy scholar H.E. Chehabi, in a 2001 article on US-Iran sports diplomacy, describes the interaction between spectators and fans at international sporting events as “people-to-people diplomacy,” in which relationships develop independently of governments and their objectives. Diplomacy by the aforementioned definitions is often unsuccessful. Moreover, all too often the tools of diplomacy may be employed by governments and other actors to thwart or oppose the objectives of diplomacy as characterized by Der Derian. Governments routinely use the tools of public diplomacy to disseminate propaganda, spreading misinformation in the attempt to deceive global publics about their objectives and to create misleading impressions about their brand identity. Within sports diplomacy, the term “sportswashing” has been coined recently to describe how governments invest in and promote international sport to create positive global public impressions of their nations and, in doing so, to distract the global public from their deficient records in areas such as human rights and democratic governance. Murray, in his 2018 book Sports Diplomacy: Origins, Theory and Practice, introduces the concept of sports anti-diplomacy, wherein governments intentionally use international sport to advance aggressive and nationalistic objectives. Obvious historical examples include Hitler’s use of the 1936 Berlin Olympics to glorify his Third Reich and the 1969 El Salvador-Honduras football “war.” SUGGESTED READING The beautiful game made ugly By Emily Ryall FIFA argues that it is and seeks to be apolitical in its stewardship of international Association Football (soccer). FIFA policies governing bids to host the World Cup require uninhibited and non-discriminatory access for players, team staff, and spectators of all participating countries to host nations and venues. It became clear soon after Trump returned to power in the United States in January 2025 that Trump’s political intentions and objectives to limit non-US citizens from living and working in the United States and, in numerous cases, even visiting the country, would collide with FIFA’s host nation policies. Beginning soon after the start of the second Trump administration, US federal authorities imposed restrictions on entry to the United States of citizens of between 20 and 40 countries for any purpose, with only limited exceptions. Federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) began arresting non-US citizens in the United States, including persons with and without legal status, holding them in jails, concentration camps, and other detention facilities until they were deported to their home or third countries, where they faced substantive risks to their personal safety. FIFA boss Gianni Infantino, in an effort to ensure the most successful and lucrative World Cup in history, engaged diplomatically with President Trump in an attempt to facilitate entry to the US for World Cup participants. Infantino did all in his power to ingratiate himself with Trump, to the extent of creating a FIFA “Peace Prize,” which he awarded to Trump in December 2025 at a ceremony in the then Trump-controlled John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC, on the occasion of the World Cup draw. The prize was an ersatz consolation for someone who aspired in vain to win the rather more prestigious and well-known Nobel Peace Prize. And in the run-up to the World Cup, conditions became worse. In February 2026, Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu launched a war of aggression against Iran, illegal under international law, under the false pretence that Iran’s government was preparing to attack the United States and Israel. During the US aerial bombardment of Iran, US planes bombed Azadi Stadium, the facility where Iran’s national football team trained. As the 2026 FIFA World Cup began, it was clear that Infantino’s efforts had been for naught: the Trump administration would not adhere to FIFA policies governing access to World Cup host nations. World Cup referee Omar Artan, a citizen of Somalia, was denied a US visa to enter the United States to participate in the World Cup. Trump’s government only granted US visas to Iran’s football team ten days before they were scheduled to arrive for the tournament. Numerous members of the support staff for Iran’s team were denied US visas. Iran’s team, which had been scheduled to train in Arizona, was directed to shift its training site to Tijuana, Mexico, notwithstanding that all three of their group stage matches took place at US venues. The US Department of Homeland Security only permitted the Iranian team to enter the US on the day before each scheduled match and then to return to Mexico immediately after playing. Members of Iraq’s and Switzerland’s football teams were delayed for hours by US officials at the US border, and an Iraqi team photographer was refused entry. Spectators and fans from Haïti and Iran were denied entry to the United States altogether. A large number of fans from a range of countries had their applications for US visas rejected. There were multiple off-ramps through which participants could have avoided the negative consequences of Trump’s decisions for the 2026 World Cup. Once it was clear that the Trump government intended to violate the established expectations for World Cup hosts, FIFA could have shifted the matches scheduled to take place in the United States to Mexico and Canada. The three nations were already designated as co-hosts, and host cities and venues had been selected. Once it was clear that FIFA, governed by FIFA boss Gianni Infantino’s dependent and dysfunctional relationship with Trump, would never consider this option on its own, it fell to the national football federations to act. The national federations, particularly some combination of federations of the leading contenders (France, Spain, Brazil, Argentina, Morocco, England, Germany, etc.), could have refused to participate under the US-imposed conditions or, at the least, demanded an ironclad agreement with the Trump government that FIFA policies on access would be respected. ___ International sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. ___ Why did neither FIFA nor the national football federations act to protect the interests of players, team staff, referees, fans, and spectators? In essence, the relentless engines of capitalism prevailed over norm observance, ethics, and fair play. The revenue interests of FIFA, sponsors, global media, and host cities won out. FIFA’s managers viewed hosting another World Cup principally in the United States as a veritable pot of gold for FIFA and its collaborators. FIFA has estimated its own revenue over the 2023-26 budget cycle, which includes the 2026 World Cup, at $13 billion, revised up from an initial projection of $11 billion, and 72% higher than the previous revenue cycle. Of that total, FIFA is estimated to have generated $8.9 billion from the Cup itself in revenue from TV rights ($3.92 billion), sponsorships ($2.69 billion), ticket sales ($3.1 billion), licensing rights, and other sources. A joint study by FIFA and the World Trade Organization estimates that the World Cup will contribute over $40 billion to global GDP, including nearly $14 billion in direct visitor spending in the three host countries (but principally in the United States, which hosted the lion’s share of the matches). The FIFA World Cup is now reportedly “the single most lucrative recurring commercial property in global sport.” And yet, notwithstanding the Trump government’s uses of the World Cup for sports anti-diplomacy, and the climate of anxiety that this created for participants and spectators, diplomacy that did not depend upon governments was able to thrive at the World Cup. Examples of successful people-to-people diplomacy were legion, as citizens of towns and cities across the States, as well as in Mexico and Canada, welcomed team members, their families and supporters, to training sites across North America. Fans of different teams joined together in person in stadiums for matches, at watch parties and bars, and at welcome events sponsored by host cities. The joy and camaraderie shared between the citizenry of Boston and Scotland’s “Tartan Army” of fans is but one example of how the “Beautiful Game” brings people together. Friendships forged across continents are likely to endure well beyond the Cup final. Even those achievements cannot be seen as unalloyed, however. As South African football fan Byron Pillay commented to Al Jazeera, “Football is called the Beautiful Game for a reason, for its ability to unite people. But it’s hard to believe in that magic with the politics and war rhetoric off the field of play, especially when one of the tournament hosts is central to that.” Ultimately, the experience of the 2026 FIFA World Cup illustrates that, as international sport is inextricably entangled with diplomacy of different sorts, for good or ill, it cannot be considered to be in the purely private realm and left to revenue-maximizing private actors. As long as there is the possibility of diplomatic progress in mediating estrangement between governments or between peoples, there is a broad and overarching public interest in international sport. Likewise, as it would be difficult to put on an international sport mega-event without international sporting organizations like FIFA and the International Olympic Committee (IOC), global media firms, and companies purchasing sponsorships, public and private interests in international sport must coexist, most likely somewhere on a shifting spectrum between partnership and rivalry or cross purposes. As the World Cup wraps up, the IOC needs to consider its lessons before the scheduled 2028 Los Angeles Olympics if they want to avoid a media-hyped Trump version of the 1936 Berlin Olympiad. The IOC and the National Olympic Committees need to set conditions on and make demands of Trump’s government with clearly articulated consequences for non-compliance, up to and including cancellation of the Games. Time is running out for the IOC, as unlike with the FIFA World Cup, there is no at-the-ready alternate venue for Los Angeles.
At the Podium: Duce Robinson’s Comments from ACC Kickoff
The 6-foot-6 All-ACC receiver details passing on the NFL to refine his route tree, embrace a fourth starting quarterback, and cement a lasting legacy in Tallahassee.
2026 Mets Draft profile: John Smith III
With their 19th pick in the 2026 Draft, the Mets selected John Smith III, an OF from the University of Central Florida.
Californian pair indicted for operating darknet drug trafficking business in U.S. and South Florida
Two suspects from California accused of running a darknet drug trafficking business throughout the U.S. and in Miami-Dade and Broward counties were indicted on Wednesday, authorities said.
Residents ask Hillsborough to stop funding Israeli business nonprofit
The Florida Israel Business Accelerator has helped nearly a dozen Israeli businesses open offices in Hillsborough County.
Former Marine running for Congress says Trump is the Antichrist and 'must be killed' in shocking video
William Upham, a Florida 5th District write-in candidate, posted a video on social media calling President Trump "the Antichrist" and saying he "must be killed."
'Block out the noise': Byron Donalds takes political lessons from Donald Trump
Endorsements aren't the end. They're just the beginning.
Former Gators QB Retires From NFL Career
The former Florida Gators quarterback had been signed with the Carolina Panthers before retiring
NFL QB courted for Cowboys coaching staff announces sudden retirement
Former Florida and West Virginia quarterback Will Grier, 31, retired from the NFL. He appeared in 2 games, both in 2019.
NYU Langone Health Expands South Florida Footprint With New Practice in Palm Beach Gardens
NYU Langone is opening new physician practices in Florida’s Palm Beach Gardens and Boynton Beach this summer.
DOH-Miami-Dade Lifts Water Quality Health Advisory - Florida Department of Health in Miami-Dade County
DOH-Miami-Dade has lifted the water quality advisory for Golden Beach, Bark Beach, and North Shore Ocean Terrace.
Florida falls slightly in CNBC business rankings
Florida is No. 8 among U.S. states.
Health inspections lead to 5 Central Florida restaurant shutdowns
The Department of Business and Professional Regulation shut down five Central Florida restaurants for health code violations during the week from July 5-11.
These are the best things to do in Brevard this weekend, July 17-23
Find your weekend adventure! Science Sunday and 'Soundtrack of Summer' top our list of fun things to do in Brevard.
Even more Central Florida restaurants shut down over health problems
One of the eateries — a Chinese restaurant in Orlando — suffered its fourth closure this year, according to state records.
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics
An espresso shot of Florida politics.
Where USA TODAY Sports ranks Florida among SEC programs entering 2026
USA TODAY Sports' latest SEC program rankings pin Florida in the conference's middle tier as Jon Sumrall takes the helm in Gainesville.
Major Montana healthcare organizations exploring partnership
St. Peter's Health and Billings Clinic-Logan Health announced Tuesday that they are exploring ways to partner that they believe will strengthen and expand local healthcare services.
Florida State adds former SEC head coach to its staff
Florida State has added a new piece to its coaching staff by hiring Tom Herman, who was head coach at Texas, Houston, and Florida Atlantic.
'State of States' analysis shows Florida outperforms in small business development
Insurance costs pose a challenge, but that's largely mitigated by low taxes.
CBS Sports names Florida one of college football's biggest wild cards
Florida enters Jon Sumrall's first season with one of the widest ranges of outcomes in college football, according to CBS Sports.
Fun Science Projects: Elephant Toothpaste, Unpoppable Bubbles
Emily Calandrelli, science advocate and bestselling author, joins TODAY’s Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones to share some easy experiments from her upcoming book “Stay Curious and Start Exploring.”
Leonard Spencer lands support from West Orange Political Alliance
Spencer touted his support for small businesses and investments in workforce development.
Yahoo Sports opens registration for new college fantasy football game
Yahoo Sports has opened registration for its new college fantasy football platform, giving Florida fans another way to follow the Gators.
How Chicken Bog became a beloved Horry County staple
While crowds of 30,000-40,000 people flock to Loris for its annual “Chicken Bog-Off” festival every third weekend of October to enjoy the savory rice, chicken and sausage-based one-pot dish, few may know when or how the cuisine was created and why it has sustained such popularity throughout Horry County.
Solis Mammography opens 2 new imaging centers
On top of two other centers opened in Florida earlier this year, Solis now operates 15 locations across the Sunshine State and over 170 outposts nationwide.
The Quintessential Trump-era Politician
In 2020, I wrote an article about collaboration and collaborators. The title was History Will Judge the Complicit, and it started with the story of two famous East Germans, Markus Wolf and Wolfgang Leonhard, who both landed in East Berlin just after the end of the war. Although they came from very similar backgrounds, the former stuck with the regime, eventually becoming its spy boss; the latter, horrified by the brutal reality of Soviet-style communism, escaped. By way of juxtaposition, I also wrote about Lyndsey Graham and Mitt Romney. These two men also made very different decisions when confronted by Donald Trump’s assault on the ideals that they had both grown up believing: A glance at their biographies would not have led many to predict what happened next. On paper, Graham would have seemed, in 2016, like the man with deeper ties to the military, to the rule of law, and to an old-fashioned idea of American patriotism and American responsibility in the world. Romney, by contrast, with his shifts between the center and the right, with his multiple careers in business and politics, would have seemed less deeply attached to those same old-fashioned patriotic ideals. Most of us register soldiers as loyal patriots, and management consultants as self-interested. We assume people from small towns in South Carolina are more likely to resist political pressure than people who have lived in many places. Intuitively, we think that loyalty to a particular place implies loyalty to a set of values. But in this case the clichés were wrong. It was Graham who made excuses for Trump’s abuse of power. It was Graham—a JAG Corps lawyer—who downplayed the evidence that the president had attempted to manipulate foreign courts and blackmail a foreign leader into launching a phony investigation into a political rival. It was Graham who abandoned his own stated support for bipartisanship and instead pushed for a hyperpartisan Senate Judiciary Committee investigation into former Vice President Joe Biden’s son. It was Graham who played golf with Trump, who made excuses for him on television, who supported the president even as he slowly destroyed the American alliances—with Europeans, with the Kurds—that Graham had defended all his life. By contrast, it was Romney who, in February, became the only Republican senator to break ranks with his colleagues, voting to impeach the president. “Corrupting an election to keep oneself in office,” he said, is “perhaps the most abusive and destructive violation of one’s oath of office that I can imagine.” In the wake of Graham’s unexpected death on Saturday, I wrote about him again. He was, in many ways, the quintessential politician of Trump’s Washington, a man who shifted 180 degrees. Graham had been a fervent American patriot, proud reserve officer and military lawyer; he became one of the most important defenders of a president who believes soldiers are “suckers and losers” and shows no respect for law of any kind. As his politics changed, his language grew coarser and his behavior grew worse: He urged Israel to “level the place” in Gaza, and insulted the Danish prime minister in Munich, prompting a colleague, Senator Elissa Slotkin, to issue an apology. Here’s an excerpt from the article, which you can read in The Atlantic (gift link here) Like his close friend John McCain, Graham believed that America should stand at the center of a broad democratic alliance. The few times I met him were in that context, at the Munich Security Conference or at other European-American gatherings, which he once attended with great regularity. He also took seriously the practice of American democracy at home. In a 2014 conversation with The Atlantic, he described himself as a pragmatic politician who eschewed populist slogans. “I know Washington is broken, but what’s broken about it is everybody yelling and nobody trying to fix it,” he said. “I’m trying.” When Donald Trump first appeared in U.S. politics, Graham recognized him immediately for what he was: the spokesman for an alien ideology, one radically different from the idealistic patriotism that Graham had practiced and preached since childhood. Trump privately mocked the military that Graham loved as nothing but “suckers and losers.” He put falsehoods, cynicism, and personal greed at the center of his politics, while expressing disdain for transparency, accountability, and democracy itself. In 2015, Graham described Trump as a “race-baiting, xenophobic, religious bigot” who should “go to hell.” Also as a “nutjob.” When Trump won, Graham understood, as did so many others, that he would have to make some important choices. For a while, he went silent. In the spring of 2016, I saw him at one of those conferences in Europe. He seemed too depressed to speak. But then, like many other Republicans—and, more important, like many other people who have lived under political occupation or experienced radical regime change—he made the decision to abandon his previous ideals, to bury the patriotism that was once so important to him, and to become, instead, a loud, opportunistic collaborator. As I wrote in 2020, it’s very hard to look in to anyone’s heart and to understand their motivations from the outside. But it does seem that Graham had a deep need to be relevant, to be in the game, to be a player, at any cost. And that, rather than any particular achievement, is what he will be remembered for. Continuing to monitor conflicts of interest, ostentatious emoluments, outright corruption and policy changes that will facilitate outright corruption. (Read my original article, Kleptocracy Inc and check out the SNF Agora Institute chart) June 27 Trump diverted funds from more than 900 projects nationwide—including safety upgrades at national parks—to finance beautification projects around Washington, including $700,000 used to fix a White House walkway. June 28 After a years-long Department of Justice investigation into Abbott Laboratories over its management of a baby formula facility where potentially deadly bacteria turned up enough evidence to criminally charge the firm, top department officials instead opted for a financial penalty—illustrating the department’s move away from strict corporate enforcement under the Trump administration. June 29 Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stacked the Defense Policy Board—which is charged with providing independent national security recommendations to the Office of the Secretary of Defense—with Trump allies, including tech billionaire Marc Andreessen, who has invested in defense contractors like OpenAI and SpaceX, after purging the panel last year. Trump purchased between $1 million and $5 million worth of stock in Axon—which makes about 90% of US tasers—two weeks before ICE solicited bids for a $220 million taser contract. The White House unveiled limited-edition US passports for America’s 250th birthday, featuring a portrait of Trump overlaid on the Declaration of Independence. June 30 Trump made around $1.2 billion from his various crypto companies last year, including more than $500 million from World Liberty Financial and $600 million from sales of his meme coin. Trump is considering issuing 250 pardons to commemorate America’s 250th birthday. These are expected to be largely doled out through the Office of the Pardon Attorney’s informal network of intermediaries. White-collar defense attorneys say they can typically win pardons for clients for $2 million. Last year, Trump administration officials awarded a no-bid contract worth up to $500 million to Clark Construction for the White House ballroom—negotiations in which the president was directly involved. July 1 The Amazon MGM Studios documentary about Melania Trump earned the First Lady more than $10 million. Trump made hundreds of individual stock purchases worth as much as $12.8 million the day before his announcement pausing “Liberation Day” tariffs for 90 days sent the S&P 500 soaring nearly 10%—one of the largest single-day gains ever. Mar-a-Lago and Trump National Doral saw record surges in revenue during Trump’s first year in office, earning $77.5 million and $121.9 million respectively, compared to average annual revenues of $25 million and $75 million during Trump’s first term. Entities across the Persian Gulf paid more than $300 million to Trump’s businesses last year, including $263 million from the sale of half his stake in World Liberty Financial to a firm backed by Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed Al Nahyan, a top UAE royal and brother of the country’s president. Kash Patel failed to properly disclose his stock purchase of a Department of Justice contractor, MicroStrategy, worth up to $250,000 last year, despite laws requiring disclosure within 45 days of the trade. July 2 Trump has been directing administration officials to steer more government contracts—so far worth more than $2.4 billion—to Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin aerospace firm, after Amazon gave $1 million to Trump’s inaugural fund, donated to the White House ballroom project, and reached a $40 million deal to license a Melania Trump documentary. Alongside the billions he made from cryptocurrency last year, Trump earned millions of dollars from real estate licensing fees, including $21 million from organizations in the UAE and $9.2 million in Saudi Arabia, along with smaller sums from merchandise sales, including $4.7 million from Trump Watches and $35,920 from 45 Guitar, a guitar brand endorsed by the president. House Democrats accused consultants tied to the Trump administration of financial fraud, alleging they gave prospective donors to America250—the bipartisan committee created by Congress to celebrate the nation’s semiquincentennial—the banking and routing numbers for Freedom 250, the White House’s fund for events like the UFC cage fight. Democrats also allege that Freedom 250’s CEO traveled to the World Economic Forum in Davos to solicit donations from foreign government officials and business leaders. The Trump administration’s proposed rollback of gun regulations would lift the prohibition on mailing handguns to individuals, a significant win for GrabAGun—the direct-to-consumer firearm retailer on whose board Donald Trump Jr. sits and in which he holds a 1.1% ownership stake. GrabAGun currently must rely on a middleman to transfer firearms to customers. Trump’s financial disclosure revealed that he made more than 21,000 securities trades during his first year back in office, growing his investment account to at least $858 million across stakes in around 1,600 companies, compared to the 13 total trades Joe Biden made during his entire presidency. July 4 Nearly 1 million people who bought the president’s meme coin—Trump Coin—collectively lost $3.8 billion on the token, while he walked away with $636 million. July 6 Shares of Dell closed up 4.4% after Trump recommended people buy the firm’s computers during a speech announcing the launch of Trump investment accounts for children, boosting the more than $1 million worth of shares the president owns in the company. July 9 Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh named crypto investor and Trump ally Marc Andreessen to a task force aimed at modernizing the Federal Reserve, including rethinking its approach to inflation—a key factor keeping interest rates elevated. Palm Beach International Airport has officially changed its name to Trump International Airport—a move that will require Florida to pay royalties to the president’s family for licensing his name. I was there a few months ago, during a trip to Barcelona. The sculptures were a revelation, I’d never seen so many together before. Each one has its own personality. Enjoy the good weather, if you are lucky enough to have it. History Will Judge the Complicit The Quintessential Politician Autocracy Inc Open Letters, from Anne Applebaum is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber. Subscribe
FSU researcher creates seawater isotope database to improve climate reconstructions, projections
A Florida State University paleoclimatologist led the creation of a global database hosting thousands of seawater isotope measurements collected over
A New Habitat at the Bottom of the Ocean Is Waiting for Its First Aquanauts
Four scientists could soon live and work beneath the Florida Keys for days.
Florida business establishment remains quiet on property tax amendment
Less than four months before Floridians vote on a proposal to phase out property taxes for homeowners, there’s no organized campaign seeking to move the measure past the 60% vote required for passage....
‘Crystal Lake’ first look: Linda Cardellini dives into ‘Friday the 13th’ prequel (exclusive)
‘Crystal Lake’ exclusive first look reveals Linda Cardellini’s Pam Voorhees in the ‘Friday the 13th’ prequel series. The Emmy nominee talks exploring the original killer’s origin story.
Florida football's projected bowl game, opponent for 2026 postseason
The 2026 season hasn't even begun, but Athlon Sports already projects Florida football to face Penn State in the ReliaQuest Bowl.
NEW DATA: Florida Small Business Owners Display Higher Optimism than National Average
State-specific data shows heightened optimism and positive business conditions in Florida.
Fentrice Driskell grows cash lead over Michele Rayner as clock winds down on SD 16 race
Driskell has a cash advantage of nearly $257,000.
UNE business dean leaving for post in Florida; interim leader named
Norm O’Reilly, inaugural dean of the University of New England’s College of Business, will leave his post after Aug. 28. Amir Mousavian will serve as acting dean.
A Dozen And A Half Decisive ‘Dawgs: #16 Chauncey Bowens
Chauncey Bowens quietly turned into one of the better stories on the Bulldog offense during the 2025 season, and the sophomore now looks poised to take another step forward for the Bulldogs in 2026. Bowens, a former four star recruit out of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, barely saw the field as a true freshman in […]
Calling all business leaders and innovators: The Trailblazer Awards are open for nominations
For a second year, the Jacksonville Daily Record will honor the boldest, brightest minds and highest achievers in Northeast Florida’s business community.
The surprising science behind fireworks...and Florida
Every Fourth of July, fireworks fill the night sky with brilliant colors. But behind every red, blue, green, and white burst is a little chemistry—and a surprising connection to naturally occurring minerals, including one mined right here in Florida.
LVMH Partners With IFM on Research Chair in Science and Creation
LVMH teams up with IFM to launch a research chair exploring the intersection of science, AI, and creativity in fashion design and innovation.
George Washington's prayer life, private struggles take the spotlight in New Museum of the Bible play
As the United States marks its 250th anniversary, the Museum of the Bible is inviting audiences behind the scenes of the American Revolution with A General s Prayer, a new one-man play exploring
4 Bold Predictions for Florida State Football in 2026
After a disappointing 2025, Mike Norvell faces a brutal schedule, a looming quarterback controversy, and a high-stakes clash in Tuscaloosa that could define his coaching future in Tallahassee.
Seminoles P Bryson Moore Drafted in 7th Round by Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh completes the sweep of Florida State’s starting rotation, snagging the command-driven right-hander to bolster their system as the Seminoles' draft haul continues to climb.
Reds Draft Seminoles P Brodie Purcell in the 12th Round
Cincinnati continues its Florida State pipeline, snagging the hard-throwing reliever after a dominant season featuring 58 strikeouts and a stingy .207 opponent batting average for the Seminoles.
Leon County Ranks 21st in Florida, 6th in Peer Group for Business Growth
Leon County added more than 1,700 business establishments between 2019 and 2025, posting one of the strongest growth rates among a group of comparable Florida...
Inside the $85M James Bond-inspired Florida mansion
Villa Skyfall, a James Bond-inspired mansion by Aldo and Fiorenna Stark in Delray Beach, Florida, is on sale for $85 million.
At Family Science Night, Wonder Comes Before Answers.
BAR HARBOR—Family Science Night isn’t really about science. It’s about wonder. It’s about watching a five-year-old realize that the tiny creature under a microscope is a real living thing. It’s about a teenager discovering that the scientist explaining genetics or regeneration isn’t much older than they are. It’s about parents seeing curiosity spread across a child’s face the way excitement spreads across a crowd at a Fourth of July parade. For one evening, families realize that the laboratory isn’t some secretive place where knowledge is hidden behind white coats and closed doors. They learn that the lab is a place their neighbors work, their friends’ parents work, and it becomes a place where questions matter more than answers. It’s a place where wonder is the origin for knowledge. At the lab, children learn that it’s okay not to know. Adults remember that they once asked “Why?” about everything. Scientists are reminded why they fell in love with discovery in the first place. There are experiments, games, obstacle courses, and demonstrations, of course. But those are really just invitations—to touch, to explore, to laugh, to make mistakes, and to ask one more question. In a world that often rewards certainty, Family Science Night celebrates curiosity. And perhaps that’s its greatest gift. Long after the microscopes are packed away and the experiments are over, what families take home isn’t just a few new facts about biology. They take home the feeling that discovery belongs to everyone—that science isn’t something happening somewhere else by someone else. It’s simply what happens when people are given permission to wonder. A Family Science Night at the Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory is one of those rare community events where children and adults can experience science as something they do, not just something they read about. Hands on discovery allows hands-on learning and joy. Real scientists, some local, some scientist-interns (but still scientists) just in college make science real, approachable, and exciting. And there, complex ideas like forever chemical-filtration, DNA and so much more become not complex. Instead, they become fun. Summer fellows are challenged to explain cutting-edge biomedical research in ways a first-grader—and their grandparent—can understand. Past activities have explored gene expression, kidney function, axolotl regeneration, worms, microplastics, and phytoplankton through games and creative demonstrations. Though it’s called family night, you can also see adults going from station to station, exploring, learning together across ages. Family Science Night reflects the laboratory’s broader mission of breaking down barriers between researchers and the public, helping people understand how scientific discoveries relate to everyday life and the health of Maine’s environment. Family Science Night transforms a world-class research laboratory into a giant interactive classroom, where curiosity is encouraged, questions are celebrated, and families discover that science isn’t just something that happens in a lab—it’s an adventure anyone can join. About MDI Biological Laboratory For more than 125 years, MDI Bio Lab has been a center for training and research in comparative biology. In the last two decades its biomedical research has focused on aging, regeneration, and environmental toxins. The Laboratory houses 11 research groups staffed by an international team of world-class scientists and graduate students. It also leads a statewide network of colleges, universities and research institutions that collaborate to provide training, research experiences and financial support to help young Mainers play a bigger role in today’s biomedical revolution. Located on Maine’s rugged coast, the Laboratory’s 100+ acre campus houses research facilities, cottages and dorms that house visiting scientists and students. It is also home to MDI Bioscience, a subsidiary working to design innovative techniques to speed the drug discovery process. LINKS TO LEARN MORE NIH INBRE MDI BIOLOGICAL LABORATORY Photos: Carrie Jones and Shaun Farrar/Bar Harbor Story HELP SUPPORT THE BAR HARBOR STORY When we started The Bar Harbor Story, we didn’t know if anyone would read it. But you showed up. You shared. You sent tips. Now—over 400,000 views every month later—it’s clear: people here care about their community and each other. We’ve kept everything free because news should never be out of reach, but every one of our stories takes time to write, and your support keeps The Bar Harbor Story going. If you value our work, please consider a paid subscription, a founding membership, or a sponsorship. It truly helps us cover one more meeting, tell one more story, shine one more light. Even $5 a month makes a difference. Click here to become a one-time supporter now. Thank you so much for being here. Founding member information can be found here. Have questions about sponsorships? Just send Shaun an email at sfarrar86@gmail.com, he’d love to hear from you. Subscribe Share Bar Harbor Story Share Leave a comment
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