Orlando

Congresswoman Val Demings Introduces New Russia Bill

Published

8 years ago

July 29, 2018

ORLANDO, FL – Rep. Val Demings (FL-10) and other bipartisan members of Congress introduced The Secure America from Russian Interference Act, a comprehensive response to Russian attacks against the United States.

The new legislation incorporates multiple previous bipartisan bills, including the Defend Against Russian Disinformation and Aggression Act, previously introduced by Rep. Demings. Two provisions from that bill were incorporated into the National Defense Authorization Act in May.

Said Rep. Demings, “This president has been habitually reckless, weak, and divisive, and his cowardly performance in Helsinki removes all doubt. He is protecting Putin’s agenda, and Putin’s agenda is to destroy the United States.

“In this vacuum of leadership, it’s up to Congress to step up and protect the American people. Russia and others will attack us again through the gaping hole in our security left by President Trump. It’s time for my Republican colleagues to find their political courage and take action.”

Background

The Secure America from Russian Interference Act is a strong and wide-reaching response to Russian aggression against the United States and our interests. The bill would expand the scope and resources of U.S. intelligence agencies to investigate Russia’s subversive campaigns and financial assets, counter Russian influence, strengthen sanctions, require the president to designate election systems as critical infrastructure, safeguard U.S. political institutions and those of our allies, bolster our alliances and partnerships, expand our coordination with NATO and honor our international agreements, expose Kremlin corruption, and support Russian civil society and seek constructive direct dialogue with the Russian people.

Russia, under Vladimir Putin’s leadership, invaded and annexed Crimea, frequently assassinates and imprisons political opponents and journalists, shot down Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 (killing 298 people), and ordered the attacks on America’s elections in an effort to destabilize our country.

President Trump’s campaign manager is in prison, his deputy campaign manager has pleaded guilty to conspiracy against the United States, and his national security advisor pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about contact with Russian operatives. 27 Russians have been indicted for federal crimes, including 12 military intelligence officers who communicated with a Trump advisor about their cyber-warfare campaign, 13 operatives who posed as Americans and helped the Trump campaign organize events, an active Russian agent who worked with the NRA, and a former intelligence officer who was indicted for witness tampering in the trial of Trump’s campaign manager.

Golf

Russell Henley Wins Red Cardigan at 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

1 year ago

March 9, 2025

Mike Brodsky

Russell Henley wins the 2025 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Russell Henley wins his first red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. This is Henley’s fifth win on the PGA Tour.

Russell Henley is greeted by his family on the 18th green after winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

Henley finished at 11 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 70 today. Collin Morikawa finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Scottie Scheffler, finished today at 4 under par, tied for 11th place.

Scottie Scheffler tees off at the Arnold Palmer Invitational (Photo Credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.

NFL

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Published

2 years ago

October 30, 2024

Mike Brodsky

UCF Hall of Fame Inductee Shaquem Griffin Launches Search For Greatness Combine With Joey Grant and GMTM

Former UCF football players Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant have partnered with GMTM to launch their Search for Greatness Combine at UCF on Saturday, November 9th. They’re giving local athletes a chance to showcase their talents and explore new sports opportunities. Griffin will be inducted into the UCF Hall of Fame on Saturday, November 2nd, during halftime of the Arizona vs. UCF football game. He is remembered for his tenacity, setting an NFL Combine record with the fastest 40-yard dash by a linebacker, and playing four seasons in the NFL, overcoming the challenge of only having one hand. He is now training to make the USA Paralympic Track and Field Team and hopes to compete in the 2028 Olympics. Joey Grant, the co-founder and CEO of GMTM, is a former UCF team captain, playing mostly Center for the Knights from 2011-2015.

Participation at the upcoming combine is free and invite-only, targeting athletes over the age of 18. To be considered, athletes must submit a highlight video via GMTM’s platform, showcasing their athleticism. GMTM will evaluate submissions and invite the most promising athletes to participate in the combine. The goal for this year’s event is to get 1,000 athletes to submit videos and be part of the combine process. Athletes chosen will receive personalized invites with further instructions, including event time slots and details. The athletes will be evaluated for their key athletic traits, to identify opportunities for them across multiple Olympic sports or professional sports programs. To learn more, or to apply for the combine, visit: https://gmtm.com/articles/the-search-for-greatness-at-ucf-with-shaquem-griffin-what-you-need-to-know.

Florida National News spoke with Shaquem and Joey about the combine, college football in the era of NIL and the transfer portal, and Griffin’s hall of fame induction. You can watch the full interview here:

Shaquem Griffin and Joey Grant interview

Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com and www.FloridaSportsChannel.com for more.

Florida

Scottie Scheffler Wins Second Red Cardigan at 2024 Arnold Palmer Invitational

Published

2 years ago

March 10, 2024

Mike Brodsky

Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN Sports) – Scottie Scheffler wins his second red cardigan at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, today, along with $4 million of the $20 million prize pool. The red cardigan was first awarded in 2017, in memory of Arnold Palmer who passed the year before. Scheffler first won the API in 2022.

Scottie Scheffler wins the Arnold Palmer Invitational. (Photo credit: Mike Brodsky, Florida National News)

The number one ranked golfer in the world, Scheffler finished at 15 under par for the four day tournament, carding a 66 today. Wyndham Clark finished in second place at 10 under par. API defending champion, Kurt Kitayama, did not make the cut, this weekend, finishing 7 over par after the first two rounds on Thursday and Friday.

This coming week, the top golfers head to TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra, for the 50th anniversary of The Players Championship. The winner will walk away with $4.5 million of the $25 million up for grabs. This is the PGA Tour’s largest regular season purse. Stay tuned to www.FloridaNationalNews.com for more.