From left, former state Sen. Don Gaetz hugs his son, then-state Rep. Matt Gaetz, after he was sworn into the Florida House of Representatives on April 15, 2010, in Tallahassee, Fla. | AP Photo/Steve CannonTALLAHASSEE — Before Matt Gaetz burst onto the national political scene as the sharp-tongued, attention-grabbing defender of Donald Trump, he was best known in Florida as “Baby Gaetz.”The nickname underscored how much he lived in the shadow of his dad, former Florida state Sen. Don Gaetz, AKA “Papa Gaetz,” a powerful and hard-nosed negotiator who lorded over politics in the Panhandle for a...…From left, former state Sen. Don Gaetz hugs his son, then-state Rep. Matt Gaetz, after he was sworn into the Florida House of Representatives on April 15, 2010, in Tallahassee, Fla. | AP Photo/Steve CannonTALLAHASSEE — Before Matt Gaetz burst onto the national political scene as the sharp-tongued, attention-grabbing defender of Donald Trump, he was best known in Florida as “Baby Gaetz.”The nickname underscored how much he lived in the shadow of his dad, former Florida state Sen. Don Gaetz, AKA “Papa Gaetz,” a powerful and hard-nosed negotiator who lorded over politics in the Panhandle for a...WW…

In this screenshot from the RNC’s livestream of the 2020 Republican National Convention, Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses the virtual convention. | Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty ImagesRep. , mired in an ongoing federal sex trafficking investigation, is headed to former President Donald Trump’s resort in Doral this Friday where he will be a featured speaker at a summit hosted by a conservative pro-Trump women’s group.Women for America First announced late Tuesday that Gaetz would be a speaker at the three-day “Save America Summit.” This is the same...…In this screenshot from the RNC’s livestream of the 2020 Republican National Convention, Rep. Matt Gaetz addresses the virtual convention. | Committee on Arrangements for the 2020 Republican National Committee via Getty ImagesRep. , mired in an ongoing federal sex trafficking investigation, is headed to former President Donald Trump’s resort in Doral this Friday where he will be a featured speaker at a summit hosted by a conservative pro-Trump women’s group.Women for America First announced late Tuesday that Gaetz would be a speaker at the three-day “Save America Summit.” This is the same...WW…

A new poll of Cuban-American voters in Florida shows that an overwhelming majority is solidly opposed to the Biden administration reengaging with the island dictatorship. | AP Photo/Ramon EspinosaTALLAHASSEE — A of Cuban-American voters in Florida shows that an overwhelming majority is solidly opposed to the Biden administration reengaging with the island dictatorship — and their brief drift toward Democrats has been totally reversed.During Barack Obama’s presidency, studies, exit polls and voting patterns indicated that the exiled community’s hardline positions about Cuba had begun to...…A new poll of Cuban-American voters in Florida shows that an overwhelming majority is solidly opposed to the Biden administration reengaging with the island dictatorship. | AP Photo/Ramon EspinosaTALLAHASSEE — A of Cuban-American voters in Florida shows that an overwhelming majority is solidly opposed to the Biden administration reengaging with the island dictatorship — and their brief drift toward Democrats has been totally reversed.During Barack Obama’s presidency, studies, exit polls and voting patterns indicated that the exiled community’s hardline positions about Cuba had begun to...WW…

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. | Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesTALLAHASSEE — Republican lawmakers in Florida are starting to look for ways to rein in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ emergency powers nearly a year into the public health crisis that has crippled the state and killed more than 28,000 residents.As Florida’s tourism-centered economy crumbled and the rate of new Covid-19 infections climbed last summer, the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature let DeSantis, a fellow Republican, call the shots. Like legislators in other states, they deferred to their governor on the pandemic for months, on...…Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. | Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesTALLAHASSEE — Republican lawmakers in Florida are starting to look for ways to rein in Gov. Ron DeSantis’ emergency powers nearly a year into the public health crisis that has crippled the state and killed more than 28,000 residents.As Florida’s tourism-centered economy crumbled and the rate of new Covid-19 infections climbed last summer, the state’s Republican-controlled Legislature let DeSantis, a fellow Republican, call the shots. Like legislators in other states, they deferred to their governor on the pandemic for months, on...WW…

A video of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene harassing David Hogg, a gun control activist and Parkland shooting survivor, years ago surfaced online Wednesday. | Erin Scott-Pool/Getty ImagesTALLAHASSEE — A video of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene confronting David Hogg, a gun control activist and Parkland shooting survivor, years ago surfaced online Wednesday, fueling a new wave of outrage over the Georgia Republican’s history of questioning a dark chapter in Florida that left 17 dead.Greene, in the video, which was apparently filmed just weeks after the 2018 Parkland shooting, calls Hogg a “coward”...…A video of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene harassing David Hogg, a gun control activist and Parkland shooting survivor, years ago surfaced online Wednesday. | Erin Scott-Pool/Getty ImagesTALLAHASSEE — A video of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene confronting David Hogg, a gun control activist and Parkland shooting survivor, years ago surfaced online Wednesday, fueling a new wave of outrage over the Georgia Republican’s history of questioning a dark chapter in Florida that left 17 dead.Greene, in the video, which was apparently filmed just weeks after the 2018 Parkland shooting, calls Hogg a “coward”...WW…

Former Mayor of Miami Manny Diaz, a prominent Miami Cuban, made a splashy entrance into the race in late November. | Brynn Anderson/AP PhotoTALLAHASSEE — Florida Democrats pinned their hopes to Manny Diaz on Saturday, entrusting the former Miami mayor to revive the party’s fortunes after a disastrous election cycle where President Donald Trump won the state and Democrats lost congressional and legislative seats.Diaz defeated two other candidates for the chairmanship during the annual meeting of the Florida Democratic Party, which was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.“Our...…Former Mayor of Miami Manny Diaz, a prominent Miami Cuban, made a splashy entrance into the race in late November. | Brynn Anderson/AP PhotoTALLAHASSEE — Florida Democrats pinned their hopes to Manny Diaz on Saturday, entrusting the former Miami mayor to revive the party’s fortunes after a disastrous election cycle where President Donald Trump won the state and Democrats lost congressional and legislative seats.Diaz defeated two other candidates for the chairmanship during the annual meeting of the Florida Democratic Party, which was held virtually due to the coronavirus pandemic.“Our...WW…

September’s jobs report showed a slowdown in Covid-19 recovery. But Biden still faces challenges talking about an economy that’s been rebounding.President Donald Trump.President Donald Trump’s much heralded economic rebound is showing signs of fizzling out.The U.S. added 661,000 jobs in September, a performance that ordinarily would be seen as stellar. But it was well below expectations for close to 1 million and represents a further slowdown in monthly job growth from the initial 4.8 million gained back in June and leaves the economy over 10 million short of restoring the 22 million jobs...…September’s jobs report showed a slowdown in Covid-19 recovery. But Biden still faces challenges talking about an economy that’s been rebounding.President Donald Trump.President Donald Trump’s much heralded economic rebound is showing signs of fizzling out.The U.S. added 661,000 jobs in September, a performance that ordinarily would be seen as stellar. But it was well below expectations for close to 1 million and represents a further slowdown in monthly job growth from the initial 4.8 million gained back in June and leaves the economy over 10 million short of restoring the 22 million jobs...WW…

"I Voted!" stickers sit atop a ballot box. | Marc Piscotty/Getty ImagesTALLAHASSEE — A new book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward contends that Russian hackers successfully penetrated the voter files of St. Lucie County in 2016, a claim election officials in the county previously denied in interviews with POLITICO and again on Thursday.The identity of two counties accessed by Russians during the last presidential election has been a mystery since special counsel Robert Mueller disclosed in 2019 that Russian hackers had penetrated voting registration systems in the battleground state.The...…"I Voted!" stickers sit atop a ballot box. | Marc Piscotty/Getty ImagesTALLAHASSEE — A new book by veteran journalist Bob Woodward contends that Russian hackers successfully penetrated the voter files of St. Lucie County in 2016, a claim election officials in the county previously denied in interviews with POLITICO and again on Thursday.The identity of two counties accessed by Russians during the last presidential election has been a mystery since special counsel Robert Mueller disclosed in 2019 that Russian hackers had penetrated voting registration systems in the battleground state.The...WW…

Gov. Ron DeSantis | Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesTALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis, in his push to reopen classrooms this fall, said Thursday that if retailers are allowed to operate, schools should be, too.The risk of children getting sick is “extremely, extremely low,” DeSantis said, and if fast food eateries and hardware stores could operate as “essential” businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, then schools should reopen as well.“We spent months saying that there were certain things that were essential,” DeSantis told reporters in Jacksonville. “That included fast food restaurants. It...…Gov. Ron DeSantis | Joe Raedle/Getty ImagesTALLAHASSEE — Gov. Ron DeSantis, in his push to reopen classrooms this fall, said Thursday that if retailers are allowed to operate, schools should be, too.The risk of children getting sick is “extremely, extremely low,” DeSantis said, and if fast food eateries and hardware stores could operate as “essential” businesses during the coronavirus pandemic, then schools should reopen as well.“We spent months saying that there were certain things that were essential,” DeSantis told reporters in Jacksonville. “That included fast food restaurants. It...WW…

A voter drops off a ballot | Nati Harnik/AP PhotoTALLAHASSEE — Democrats have opened up a 302,000-voter advantage over Republicans in vote-by-mail enrollment, an edge that could pay big dividends in President Donald Trump’s newly adopted must-win state.Five months before Election Day, more than 1.46 million Democrats have signed up to vote by mail compared to 1.16 million Republicans, according to an analysis of state Division of Election data released Friday. By comparison, in 2016, Democrats held an advantage of about 8,800 in vote-by-mail enrollment.The reason for the success is twofold....…A voter drops off a ballot | Nati Harnik/AP PhotoTALLAHASSEE — Democrats have opened up a 302,000-voter advantage over Republicans in vote-by-mail enrollment, an edge that could pay big dividends in President Donald Trump’s newly adopted must-win state.Five months before Election Day, more than 1.46 million Democrats have signed up to vote by mail compared to 1.16 million Republicans, according to an analysis of state Division of Election data released Friday. By comparison, in 2016, Democrats held an advantage of about 8,800 in vote-by-mail enrollment.The reason for the success is twofold....WW…