The Paradise Progressive

18/11/2025

Given the importance of wetlands to Florida and specifically to the southern half of the state, this retreat from overesight by Trump's Environmental Protection Agency will have a bad effect on a place strluggling to keep its life-giving waters clean.

The Environmental Protection Agency says it is redefining the scope of the nation’s bedrock clean water law to limit the amount of wetlands it covers.

18/11/2025

While this article doesn't mention Florida specifically, given the importance of FEMA to the state and southwest region, this latest game of musical chairs bears watching.

The acting chief of the Federal Emergency Management Agency has left his post just six months in, officials say, marking another disruption in a year of staff departures and policy changes.

18/11/2025

Duly noted: In north Florida the fallout from COVID closures reverberates to this day.

A federal appeals court ruled Monday Walton County must compensate private beach owners whose use of their property was restricted by county officials during the COVID-19 state of emergency. A three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit overruled a federal trial judge, fi...

17/11/2025

FL Toplines:
Year in review; Don’s Epstein reversal; Renner seeks relevance; Kirk clash; FL goes Heritage; secesh statues in next sesh?

17/11/2025

It's not too early to look back on a turbulent year - and evaluate this page's predictions made at its outset.

Nov. 17, 2025 by David Silverberg Sometimes clearly seeing the future brings no joy. There is such a thing as being too prophetic. Since 2022, as each year has dawned, The Paradise Progressive has tried to look ahead at domestic political trends and likelihoods in the year to come, trying to

17/11/2025

In case you missed it, at 10:26 last night, after returning from Mar-a-Lago and facing defeat in the US House of Representatives, President Donald Trump suddenly reversed himself on releasing the Epstein files. Or, as this headline put it: "Trump does Epstein U-turn as House Republicans prepare to spurn him."
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/16/jeffrey-epstein-vote-house-republicans-00652460

17/11/2025

For the record: The full text President Donald Trump's X-post reversing his opposition to release of the Epstein files.

17/11/2025

Republican candidate Paul Renner seeks relevance in Florida gubernatorial race.

'Our plan will lower costs, strengthen communities, and open doors for every Floridian to succeed.'

17/11/2025

In Florida the fallout over irreverant Charlie Kirk commentary continues.

The ruling came in a lawsuit filed by Brittney Brown, who worked for the FWC, alleging that her Sept. 15 firing — five days after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed — violated her First Amendment rights.

17/11/2025

The Heritage Foundation's "Phoenix Declaration" of educational principles was drafted in part by Erika Donalds, wife of the current 19th District congressman and gubernatorial candidate.
“The Phoenix Declaration is the latest thinly veiled attempt by billionaire-backed special interests to dismantle and politicize Florida’s public education system,” the Florida Education Association claimed in a statement following the board vote.

CRAWFORDVILLE — Florida became the first state to adopt The Phoenix Declaration, a product of The Heritage Foundation, the conservative think tank that formulated the Project 2025 plan for Donald Trump’s second term. During a state Board of Education meeting Thursday in Wakulla County, members u...

17/11/2025

Next sesh: The South tries to rise again in Florida.

A Florida Republican has re-filed a measure to prevent and penalize local governments attempting to remove or destroy Confederate monuments and other historic memorials.

17/11/2025

New Marlette!