Politics

AP source: Pelosi attacker carried zip ties, in Jan. 6 echo

Published

4 years ago

October 30, 2022

WASHINGTON (AP) — The man accused of attacking House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband carried zip ties with him when he broke into the couple’s San Francisco home, according to a person briefed on the investigation, in what is the latest parallel to the Capitol riot of Jan. 6, 2021.

The person was not authorized to publicly discuss the Pelosi case and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity Sunday.

The attack on Democratic leader’s 82-year-old husband, Paul Pelosi, less than two weeks before before the Nov. 8 election that will determine control of Congress as well as key statewide and local offices, was an unsettling reminder of the nation’s toxic political climate. With threats to public officials at an all-time high, members of Congress were being urged to reach out for additional security resources, including increased police patrols of their neighborhoods.

U.S. Capitol Police Chief J. Thomas Manger said in a weekend memo to lawmakers that the attack “is a somber reminder of the threats elected officials and families face in 2022.”

Police in San Francisco said the assault of Paul Pelosi was intentional. Authorities said the suspect, identified as David DePape, 42, confronted Paul Pelosi in the family’s Pacific Heights home early Friday and, the AP has reported, demanded to know, “Where is Nancy?”

The two men struggled over a hammer before officers responding to a 911 call to the home saw DePape strike Paul Pelosi at least once, police said. DePape was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, elder abuse and burglary. Prosecutors plan to announce the charges on Monday during a new conference and expect his arraignment on Tuesday.

Eerie echoes of the Jan. 6 riot were apparent in the incident at the Pelosi home.

Rioters who swarmed the Capitol trying to overturn Joe Biden’s election victory over Donald Trump roamed the halls and shouted menacingly, demanding “Where’s Nancy?” Some in the siege were seen inside the Capitol carrying zip ties. The presence of the zip ties on the suspect in Paul Pelosi’s assault was first reported by CNN.

Nancy Pelosi was in Washington when her husband was attacked at home. She soon returned to San Francisco, where her husband was hospitalized. He had surgery for a skull fracture, and suffered other injuries to his arms and hands, her office said.

“Our children, our grandchildren and I are heartbroken and traumatized by the life-threatening attack on our Pop,” she said in a letter late Saturday to colleagues. “We are grateful for the quick response of law enforcement and emergency services, and for the life-saving medical care he is receiving.”

Paul Pelosi remains hospitalized and “continues to improve,” she told colleagues.

With Election Day nearing and Trump relentlessly promoting claims he did not lose to Biden in 2020, federal agencies warned on Friday that domestic extremists fueled by election falsehoods “pose a heightened threat” to the midterms. The Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies said the greatest danger was “posed by lone offenders who leverage election-related issues to justify violence.”

Biden and other officials, Democrats and Republicans, condemned the attack on Paul Pelosi and said violence has no home in American politics.

“Enough is enough is enough,” Biden said while campaigning in Pennsylvania on Friday night.

Trump, in an interview taped Friday with Americano Media, a conservative Spanish-language network, called the attack on Paul Pelosi a “terrible thing,” but the former president also tried to link it to crime in U.S. cities.

For years, Republicans have tried to make Pelosi a campaign boogeyman, using the 82-year-old’s image as a recurring caricature in countless ads against Democrats, including many now airing in races nationwide during a hostile election season.

The head of the Republican National Committee, Ronna McDaniel, said Sunday it was “unfair” to blame the GOP for creating a political climate that could have laid the ground for such an attack.

“You can’t say people saying, ‘Let’s fire Pelosi’ or ’Let’s take back the House” is saying go do violence,” she told “Fox News Sunday.”

The House GOP’s campaign chief, Minnesota Rep. Tom Emmer, was asked during a Sunday interview about a tweet promoting his own video, which shows him shooting a gun at an indoor target.

“Enjoyed exercising my Second Amendment rights,” Emmer tweeted, mentioning he was with two House GOP candidates. The video includes the imagery and sounds of the rifle being fired. The tweet was posted Wednesday, before Paul Pelosi was assaulted, and said: “13 days to make history. Let’s #FirePelosi.”

Emmer said on CBS’ “Face the Nation” that he was just “exercising our Second Amendment rights, having fun.”

Both McDaniel and House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California said Paul Pelosi’s assailant was “deranged.”

McCarthy said on Fox News Channel’s “Sunday Morning Futures” that violence or the threat of violence “has no place in our society.”

Five years ago, a left-wing activist opened fire on Republicans as they practiced for an annual charity baseball game. Rep. Steve Scalise of Louisiana was critically wounded. In 2011, then-Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., was shot in the head at an event outside a Tucson grocery store.

Elon Musk jumped into the debate Sunday tweeting, then deleting, a link to a fringe website with an unfounded rumor about the attack on Speaker Pelosi’s husband. Sent to his millions of followers, Musk’s tweet came just days after his purchase of Twitter fueled concerns that the social media platform would no longer seek to limit misinformation and hate speech.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who leads the Senate committee overseeing security at the Capitol, said lawmakers are considering new measures, including taking their private information off the internet.

Klobuchar, D-Minn., noted, however that Nancy Pelosi “has been villainized for years and, big surprise, it’s gone viral, and it went violent.”

“I think it is really important that people realize that it is not just this moment of this horrific attack, but that we have seen violence perpetrated throughout our political system,” Klobuchar told NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

Central Florida News

Florida Puerto Rican Lawmakers’ First-Term Impact: FNN Audit Reviews Bills Becoming Law, 1999–2026

Published

3 days ago

November 6, 2026

FNN NEWS

Former Florida Reps. Bob Cortes, David Santiago and Daisy Morales, from left, are featured in FNN’s comparison of first-term legislative outcomes among 14 House lawmakers of Puerto Rican descent. Composite graphic by Florida National News

A review of 14 Florida House members of Puerto Rican descent examines sponsored bills that became law and policies reflected in other enacted legislation, documenting their early legislative results.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Voters across Florida cast ballots in the Nov. 3 general election to elect candidates of their choice. Against that backdrop, Florida National News examined the first-term legislative records of 14 Florida House lawmakers of Puerto Rican descent, reviewing legislative sessions from 1999 through 2026.

The audit focuses on bills they sponsored that became law and proposals whose policies were reflected in other enacted legislation, providing readers with a documented comparison of their early legislative results.

See Aduit

Former Republican Reps. Bob Cortes and David Santiago lead the reviewed group in combined legislative outcomes. Former Democratic Rep. Daisy Morales leads the Democratic members included in the report.

Cortes recorded six sponsored House bills that became law under their own numbers, the highest direct-enactment total in the reviewed group. He also had six additional proposals with policies reflected in other enacted legislation.

Santiago recorded five direct enactments and seven policy-overlap outcomes. Each Republican had 12 combined outcomes.

Morales recorded two direct enactments and three additional policy-overlap outcomes during the 2021 and 2022 legislative sessions, giving her five combined outcomes.

The FNN audit distinguishes those categories rather than treating every identified outcome as a separate law personally authored by a legislator.

Legislative Results With Statewide Reach

The measures examined extend beyond the lawmakers’ individual districts, addressing education, public safety, professional licensing, military families and other statewide issues.

Cortes’ direct enactments included HB 837 in 2016, jointly sponsored with Michael Bileca. The legislation addressed education programs for individuals with disabilities, including transition-to-work opportunities for qualifying students. It became Chapter 2016-137.

Susan Plasencia’s first-term record included HB 1275 in 2023, which authorized local law enforcement agencies to establish registries containing information about participating people with disabilities. The measure became Chapter 2023-312.

Morales’ direct enactments included HB 855 in 2021, addressing barber services, and HB 45 in 2022, providing tuition and fee assistance for qualifying disabled veterans.

HB 45, sponsored with Christopher Benjamin, passed the House 115-0 and the Senate 38-0. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed it June 9, 2022, and it became Chapter 2022-187. The unanimous votes illustrate the bipartisan support secured for that measure.

The audit also identifies policies in Morales’ proposals concerning telephone solicitation restrictions, property tax exemptions and a Down Syndrome Awareness specialty license plate that were reflected in other enacted bills.

First-Term Outcomes Across the Reviewed Group

Lawmaker	Party	Sessions reviewed	Direct enactments	Policy-overlap outcomes	Combined
Bob Cortes	R	2015–2016	6	6	12
David Santiago	R	2013–2014	5	7	12
Susan Plasencia	R	2023–2024	5	3	8
John Quiñones	R	2003–2004	2	6	8
René Plasencia	R	2015–2016	4	3	7
Yvette Benarroch	R	2025–2026	3	2	5
Daisy Morales	D	2021–2022	2	3	5
Robert Asencio	D	2017–2018	1	1	2
Amy Mercado	D	2017–2018	0	2	2
Anthony Suárez*	D	1999–2000	1	0	1
Johanna López	D	2023–2024	1	0	1
Victor Torres	D	2013–2014	0	1	1
John Cortes	D	2015–2016	0	0	0
Darren Soto*	D	2007–2008	0	0	0

Source: FNN audit. Soto and Suárez served partial initial terms. Zero means no qualifying outcome was identified under the audit’s method; it does not establish that a lawmaker made no legislative contribution.

Why the Audit Matters

The audit gives readers a way to examine legislative accomplishments beyond campaign descriptions and broad claims about bills “passed.”

It separates primary and joint sponsorship from ordinary co-sponsorship and distinguishes bills enacted under their own numbers from proposals whose policies appear in other laws.

Those distinctions matter because a House bill can die while some of its provisions survive in another legislative vehicle. Conversely, a related-bill listing does not establish that a proposal’s specific provisions became law.

The report also documents the scope of the identified outcomes. A narrow licensing change and a broad education measure each can count as one outcome, although their reach and consequences differ.

For readers examining Puerto Rican representation in Florida government, the findings provide a record of specific legislative activity. The measures’ beneficiaries extend across ethnic backgrounds and communities.

Why Focus on the First Term?

The first term provides a defined period for examining what lawmakers accomplished when they entered the House, before accumulating multiple terms of legislative experience.

Comparing initial terms also prevents a long-serving member’s career total from being measured directly against the record of someone who served only one term.

Some lawmakers lose reelection, retire, seek another office or pursue other careers. Their first term may therefore represent their entire House tenure. That makes early legislative results worth documenting.

The comparison still has limits. Members entering through special elections have less time than those beginning full two-year terms. Party control, committee assignments and legislative priorities also can affect opportunities to advance bills.

Soto’s Initial Service Is Counted Separately

Darren Soto won a special election April 24, 2007, and was sworn into office the following day. His initial House service belongs in the 2007–2008 window. His reelection in November 2008 began the full term covering the 2009 and 2010 legislative sessions.

The audit identifies no qualifying direct enactment or policy-overlap outcome for his initial regular-session window. It lists four outcomes from 2009–2010 separately as later-term context.

That distinction preserves the report’s focus on initial service rather than later accomplishments.

Anthony Nieves and the 2027 Legislative Session

Anthony Nieves represents the next chapter of Puerto Rican representation examined in FNN’s coverage.

Nieves defeated Jorge Figueroa in the Aug. 18 Democratic primary for House District 47. He subsequently won the seat without appearing on the November ballot after the general election contest was canceled, according to Ballotpedia.

His first regular legislative session will be in 2027, when he will have the opportunity to sponsor legislation and establish a first-term record.

Nieves is discussed separately from the audit’s 14-member outcome comparison because the 2027 and 2028 regular sessions fall outside its 1999–2026 review period. His absence from the rankings is a timing distinction, not a finding of legislative failure.

A future comparison can evaluate his sponsored bills, direct enactments and policies reflected in other enacted legislation during those sessions. Assigning him a zero alongside lawmakers whose initial legislative sessions have concluded would misrepresent his opportunity to produce results.

What the Findings Establish

The audit compares 14 identified lawmakers. It is not an exhaustive ancestry census or a definitive ranking of every Puerto Rican lawmaker in Florida history.

Ordinary co-sponsorships, resolutions and appropriations requests are excluded. Combined outcomes count qualifying source proposals, not necessarily distinct laws. Jointly sponsored bills can appear in more than one member’s record.

The report measures identified legislative outcomes rather than overall effectiveness, constituent service or the relative public benefit of each measure.

FNN’s Corrections and Updates Policy

Florida National News welcomes factual information identifying a lawmaker incorrectly included in or excluded from the audit, an inaccurate service period, a sponsorship error or an overlooked legislative outcome.

Submissions should identify the lawmaker, legislative session, bill number, sponsorship role and official supporting records. For proposals reflected in another enacted bill, documentation should identify the resulting bill, chapter law and relevant provisions.

FNN will review the information and make necessary corrections to the roster, bill records, session dates, outcome counts and rankings when supported by the evidence. Corrections will be reflected in the audit’s revision history.

Hashtags:
#FloridaNationalNews #FNN #FloridaPolitics #PuertoRicanLawmakers #FloridaHouse #LegislativeAudit #FirstTermLawmakers #GovernmentAccountability #PuertoRicanHeritage #PoliticsAndPower

Florida

Sam Garrison Proposes Florida House Committees on Technology, Public Integrity and Long-Term Policy

Published

4 days ago

November 5, 2026

FNN NEWS

The speaker-designate’s proposed structure would create a Policy & Strategy Committee, elevate technology oversight and reestablish a committee focused on ethics and public corruption.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Florida House Speaker-designate Sam Garrison outlined proposed changes to the chamber’s committee structure Thursday, calling for greater attention to long-term policy, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and public integrity during the 2026-28 legislative term.

In a Nov. 5 memorandum to House members provided to Florida National News, Garrison said the proposal preserves most of the existing structure while making changes intended to improve coordination and examine the lasting consequences of legislative decisions.

“I am committed to making committee time meaningful,” Garrison wrote. “I want you to dig into ideas, hear from the public, and truly study your colleagues’ bills because behind every bill, every policy, and every budget item are people — our people.”

New Committee Would Examine Long-Term Policy and Costs

Garrison proposed creating a Policy & Strategy Committee to coordinate major initiatives involving multiple committees or state agencies.

The committee would draw on the expertise of subject-matter committees to examine how major reforms would operate and what they would cost. Its proposed jurisdiction includes long-range planning and fiscal stability, and it could consider legislation with a fiscal impact.

Garrison said the committee would provide a forum for considering challenges that extend beyond an individual legislative session or term.

“I want the House to consider where Florida needs to be in five or 10 or 20 years and what steps we should take now to get there,” he wrote.

Technology Oversight Would Become a Full Committee

The proposed Advanced Technology & Digital Security Committee would replace the previous term’s Information Technology Budget & Policy Subcommittee.

The full committee would focus on state technology governance and modernization, including agencies’ ability to implement legislation. Its responsibilities would also include:

Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Cybersecurity and digital privacy.
Data governance.
Critical infrastructure security.

Garrison distinguished the committee’s policy and oversight responsibilities from spending decisions. The Appropriations Committee and its subcommittees would continue to consider technology funding.

“These issues affect both state government and the Floridians and businesses that rely on technology every day,” Garrison wrote.

He said the goal is to make informed technology decisions that prevent costly failures.

Public Integrity Committee Would Return

Garrison also proposed reestablishing the Public Integrity Committee, emphasizing ethics, integrity and investigations into public corruption.

The committee would consider related matters involving lobbying, financial disclosure and conflicts of interest.

“Floridians should be able to trust their government to act in the public interest,” Garrison wrote. “A dedicated committee will allow Members to examine the laws and standards that protect that trust.”

The Rules & Calendar Committee would retain responsibility for House rules, floor procedures and member conduct, according to the memorandum.

Most of the Existing Structure Would Remain

Garrison said most of the current committee structure would remain intact. Other changes would update committee names and bring related issues under shared jurisdictions.

The proposed adjustments are intended to help lawmakers examine connections among state policy, local decisions and their effects on residents.

The memorandum referred members to attached documents detailing the proposed structure and jurisdictions. It did not identify committee chairs or member assignments.

Public Input and Legislative Review Emphasized

Garrison urged members to use committee meetings to hear from the public, examine their colleagues’ proposals and consider the people affected by legislation and spending decisions.

“Our committee process should give you the opportunity to contribute and every proposal the careful consideration it deserves,” he wrote. “I look forward to working with you over the next two years.”

Florida

DeSantis’ Political Star Rises as Florida GOP Holds Statewide Offices Amid National Defeats

Published

4 days ago

November 5, 2026

FNN NEWS

Republicans retain Florida’s statewide leadership despite Democratic gains in the Legislature, giving the outgoing governor a platform in the debate over the GOP’s future.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Gov. Ron DeSantis pointed to Florida’s Republican victories Wednesday as evidence that his governing approach helped withstand a national Democratic surge, highlighting the state as a remaining Republican stronghold after major defeats elsewhere.

Speaking a day after the election, DeSantis described the national Republican losses as approaching an “extinction-level event.” He contrasted those setbacks with Florida, where Republicans retained the governor’s office, all three Cabinet offices and the U.S. Senate seat on the ballot. abcnews.com

The results give DeSantis a platform to promote his record as Republicans assess their future. However, narrower statewide margins and Democratic legislative gains complicate any claim of an unqualified Republican mandate.

Florida Holds Statewide Republican Leadership

Republican Byron Donalds defeated Democrat David Jolly for governor, while U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody defeated Democratic challenger Angie Nixon. Republicans also won the races for attorney general, chief financial officer and agriculture commissioner.

The sweep left Florida Democrats without a statewide victory despite a more favorable national environment for their party. floridaphoenix.com

DeSantis, who was not on the ballot, argued that Florida Republicans benefited from the record established during his administration. His assessment places the state’s performance at the center of a broader question: What can Republicans learn from the places where they retained power?

DeSantis’ Political Star Gains Visibility

DeSantis’ remarks offered a defense of his governing approach as Republicans confronted the election’s consequences.

He credited Florida’s resilience to policy achievements and voter trust, while emphasizing that his immediate focus remained completing his term. wusf.org

Florida’s results strengthen his opportunity to participate in the national leadership debate. They do not, by themselves, establish that Republican voters have chosen him to lead the party or that he will launch another presidential campaign.

The distinction matters: Electoral success in Florida provides a political argument, while a national campaign would require support extending well beyond the state.

Texas Defeats Increase Florida’s Importance

DeSantis singled out Texas as a particularly consequential Republican setback. Once a dependable foundation of GOP strength, Texas delivered Democratic victories in the governor’s race, a U.S. Senate contest and other statewide offices.

He warned that those losses could weaken Republicans nationally for years. www.orlandoweekly.com

Against that backdrop, Florida’s Republican sweep gives its leaders greater prominence. The state’s emerging role as a Republican “Southern Star” is an interpretation of that contrast, rather than a designation DeSantis used.

For the outgoing governor, Florida offers evidence of political durability during a difficult election. For the national party, it offers a case to examine alongside the states where Republican support collapsed.

DeSantis Credits Amendment 3 With Turnout

DeSantis also credited voter-approved Amendment 3, the property tax measure, with attracting voters who subsequently supported Republican candidates.

He said implementation would require further legislative action and discussed protecting homeowners’ savings from being offset by other local charges. cbs12.com

His explanation remains an assessment of the election. Determining how much the amendment affected turnout and individual races would require additional analysis.

Democratic Legislative Gains Temper GOP Celebration

Florida’s statewide sweep did not prevent Republican losses elsewhere on the ballot.

Democrats gained seats in the Legislature and ended the Republican supermajority in the state House. Their leaders argued that the close statewide contests demonstrated Florida remained competitive and warranted greater national investment. floridaphoenix.com

Republicans therefore emerged with continued governing authority but less room for complacency. Retaining statewide offices and losing legislative ground are both part of the election’s outcome.

2018 Offers Democrats a Benchmark

Florida Democrats’ 2018 results provide a historical comparison between narrowly losing a statewide contest and winning governing authority.

Republican Ron DeSantis won the governor’s race with 4,076,186 votes, or 49.6%, while Democrat Andrew Gillum received 4,043,723 votes, or 49.2%. DeSantis prevailed by 32,463 votes, approximately 0.4 percentage points. results.elections.myflorida.com

In the agriculture commissioner’s race, Democrat Nikki Fried won 4,032,954 votes, or 50.04%, defeating Republican Matt Caldwell, who received 4,026,201 votes, or 49.96%. Fried’s winning margin was 6,753 votes, approximately 0.08 percentage points. uselectionatlas.org

2018 statewide race	Candidate	Party	Votes	Percentage
Governor	Ron DeSantis — winner	Republican	4,076,186	49.6%
Governor	Andrew Gillum	Democratic	4,043,723	49.2%
Agriculture commissioner	Nikki Fried — winner	Democratic	4,032,954	50.04%
Agriculture commissioner	Matt Caldwell	Republican	4,026,201	49.96%

Table lists the two leading candidates in each race. Governor’s percentages include votes cast for other candidates. results.elections.myflorida.com

Those results give substance to the discussion about investment and competitiveness. Campaign funding can support organization and outreach, but these election totals alone do not establish how much national spending influenced either outcome.

Gillum nearly captured the governor’s office; Fried secured a statewide Cabinet seat. That difference remains central to evaluating political progress: Smaller losing margins can indicate opportunity, while victories determine who exercises authority.

A Stronger Platform, With Challenges Ahead

Florida’s results give DeSantis a stronger position from which to argue that his approach deserves attention within the Republican Party.

Yet the election also supplied a warning for his party at home. Republicans preserved statewide leadership while Democrats demonstrated greater strength in legislative contests.

As Donalds prepares to succeed him, DeSantis leaves with Florida’s Republican governing structure intact. Whether that record becomes the foundation for a larger national role will depend on how Republican voters and leaders respond to the party’s defeats.