As a record crowd cheered, American Pharoah rallied from behind and took aim at his remaining two rivals in the stretch. The bay colt and jockey Victor Espinoza surged to the lead with a furlong to go and thundered across the finish line a length ahead in the 2015 Kentucky Derby. “There’s nothing like winning the Kentucky Derby,” recalled Espinoza, a three-time winner. “To me it’s the most important thing in horse racing.” America’s longest continuously held sporting event turns 150 years old this Saturday. By age, it’s got the Westminster dog show beat by two years. The Derby has survive ..read more

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is behind a bipartisan and bicameral effort to boost Taiwan’s military preparedness. And it’s necessary, he says, due to the depredations of the “evil dictator” of “communist China.” “It is no secret that Communist China’s evil dictator, Xi Jinping, is planning to invade Taiwan and continue his attacks against democracy in a quest for world domination. The United States cannot sit back and let this happen, and that starts with supporting our peaceful and democratic ally Taiwan and its military. I am proud to join my colleagues in introducing the Taiwan Security Act an ..read more

Florida’s Governor is griping about a proposal that could transfer the 114th Electronic Warfare Squadron of the Florida Air National Guard to the jurisdiction of the Space Force, with his office calling it “federal overreach, a violation of the federalist design of the National Guard,” and a hindrance to “Florida’s ability to appropriately prepare for and respond to domestic emergencies.” While the squadron was already redesignated as one to give support to the Space Force, Gov. Ron DeSantis believes that the proposed move is a bridge too far. DeSantis writes Secretary of Defense Llo ..read more

U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost has formally announced he’s running for re-election. The freshman Democrat held an event at the IBEW Union Hall in Downtown Orlando. There, he cast his campaign not just as a personal campaign but as an effort to build a progressive movement. “It’s not the Maxwell Frost show,” he said. “It’s about all of us.” The move wasn’t a shock. Frost signaled he would seek re-election when he held a concert fundraiser in the district, and he has raised nearly $2.4 million for his campaign through March. At the formal launch, he was surrounded by local Democratic officials supporti ..read more

This weekend brings the first Saturday in May and with it, the Kentucky Derby. That means fancy hats, icy cocktails and, yes, the 150th running of the most exciting two minutes in sports. While most of the fanfare may be in Louisville, there’s always a Florida connection—or, more specifically, a Florida lobbying connection. The Kentucky Derby is one of the biggest sports betting events out there. Last year, bettors placed $189 million in tracked wagers on the derby, smashing a record set only the year prior. Indications are the 2023 record could be equally short-lived. There are many gaming ou ..read more

Do you smell what the Lincoln Project is cooking? A new spot takes aim at what’s supposedly inside Donald Trump’s pants. “We know Donald ‘Von ShitzInPants’ Trump will hate that this commercial is going to be seen by all his top donors this weekend as they do Apprentice-style tryouts with potential Vice Presidential picks,” said Rick Wilson, Lincoln Project co-founder. “He’s farting and falling asleep in the courtroom because he’s lost control of his faculties. When his donors see this ad, they will see him for what he is: weak and feeble.” Thankfully, the ad lacks a scratch-and-sniff comp ..read more

University graduation ceremonies across Florida are near and for some college seniors, the diploma symbolizes overcoming particularly difficult challenges. Here are the personal stories of a few inspiring graduating seniors around the state. ‘Fighting the world’s fight’: University of Florida Raised by his immigrant grandparents in Sioux City, Iowa, Nick Blumenthal found most meals from his culture in the back aisles of gas station convenience stores. As nutrition labels were largely in English, Blumenthal and his caregivers, native to India, failed to understand what a healthy diet looked lik ..read more

Former White House official and Donald Trump adviser Hope Hicks took the stand Friday at the former President’s hush money trial and recounted how his 2016 campaign became embroiled in a political firestorm over a recording in which he boasted about grabbing women without their permission. Hicks, once one of Trump’s closest confidants, was subpoenaed by prosecutors, who are trying to show that the uproar over the infamous leaked “Access Hollywood” tape hastened Trump’s then-lawyer to pay off a porn actor to bury a negative story that could imperil his 2016 presidential bid. Hicks’ testimo ..read more

Gov. Ron DeSantis has reappointed Moshe Popack to the Florida Development Finance Corporation. Popack gave the Governor’s now-closed political committee $225,000 worth of in-kind contributions in 2022. He also chipped in $25,000 to the PC and another $300 to DeSantis’ campaign account through the real estate company he owns with his wife Yaffa Popack, Lauderhill Lakes-based YMP Real Estate Management. Also in 2022, the couple hosted an event at their 10,000-square-foot waterfront mansion to raise funds for DeSantis’ re-election campaign. The couple each gave ..read more

State Sen. Vic Torres is recovering after collapsing and requiring medical attention at U.S. Rep. Maxwell Frost’s re-election campaign launch. The 76-year-old Democrat fell to the floor at the IBEW Union Hall in Orlando. He had stood by Frost as several local officials gave speeches about the freshman Congressman. As Frost neared the end of his speech, Torres fainted and abruptly brought the event to a temporary halt. Staff at the event called 911. Torres regained consciousness quickly and briefly was sitting up, but then laid on the ground near a rear entrance to the hall before paramedics ar ..read more