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Governor Ron DeSantis Petitions Florida Supreme Court for Statewide Grand Jury on COVID-19 Vaccines and Announces Creation of the Public Health Integrity Committee

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Photo by J Willie David, III / Florida National News
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Today, Governor Ron DeSantis held a roundtable discussion joined by Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo and world-renowned physicians, researchers, and public health experts to discuss adverse events of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and announce new, aggressive actions to hold the federal government and Big Pharma accountable, including:
  • Establishing the Public Health Integrity Committee. The Committee will be overseen by the Surgeon General to assess federal public health recommendations and guidance to ensure that Florida’s public health policies are tailored for Florida’s communities and priorities.
  • Filing a petition for a Statewide Grand Jury to investigate crimes and wrongdoing committed against Floridians related to the COVID-19 vaccine.
  • Leading further surveillance into sudden deaths of individuals that received the COVID-19 vaccine in Florida, based on autopsy results. The state will collaborate with the University of Florida to compare research with studies done in other countries.
For more information, click here.
The Biden Administration and pharmaceutical corporations continue to push widespread distribution of mRNA vaccines on the public, including children as young as 6 months old, through relentless propaganda while ignoring real-life adverse events. At today’s roundtable the Governor and health experts discussed data covering serious adverse events. These risks include coagulation disorders, acute cardiac injuries, Bell’s palsy, encephalitis, appendicitis, and shingles.
“Health care professionals should always communicate the risks of a medical intervention to their patients in a manner that is clinically appropriate and meets standards of ethical practice. President Biden and Big Pharma have completely prevented that from happening – it is wrong,” said Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo. “With these new actions, we will shed light on the forces that have obscured truthful communication about the COVID-19 vaccines.”
Public Health Integrity Committee
The Surgeon General will oversee the Public Health Integrity Committee, a committee of expert researchers charged with assessing federal decisions, recommendations, and guidance related to public health and health care. The Surgeon General would then receive input from the committee to ensure public health policies are tailored for Florida’s communities and aligned with state priorities. Members will include:
  • Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD
  • Martin Kuldorff, PhD
  • Tracy Beth Høeg, MD, PhD
  • Joseph Fraiman, MD
  • Christine Stabell Benn, MD, PhD
  • Bret Weinstein, PhD
  • Steven Templeton, PhD
Grand Jury
The pharmaceutical industry and the FDA have refused to release patient-level data for independent researchers. Meanwhile, the COVID-19 vaccines produced by Pfizer and Moderna have received FDA approval for pediatric and adult patients and continue to be marketed as safe and effective, even though the vaccines do not prevent transmission and adverse events have been minimized and disregarded by the Biden Administration and Big Pharma. In response, Governor DeSantis has filed a petition to impanel a statewide grand jury to investigate crimes and wrongs in Florida related to the COVID-19 vaccines and further recommend enforcement methods.
The petition can be found here.
Autopsy Surveillance
Last month, researchers uncovered alarming facts surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine in Germany. Among autopsies performed on 25 people who died unexpectedly within 20 days after COVID-19 vaccination, four indicated deaths due to acute arrhythmogenic cardiac failure. This study concluded that “myocarditis can be a potentially lethal complication following mRNA-based anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccination.”
To further investigate this phenomenon in Florida, Dr. Ladapo will conduct research through the University of Florida to assess sudden deaths of individuals in good health who received a COVID-19 vaccine. The Department of Health will also utilize disease surveillance and vital statistics to assess such deaths.
“This has been a tremendously difficult time for everybody, but we are near the tail end of it and it is time to start taking stock of what went wrong and make reforms so this doesn’t happen again,” Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Health Policy, Stanford University Medical School. “I think the centrally important issue that caused the problems is that we silenced qualified people from expressing their thinking, and as a result the decision making at the top of the country was absolutely abysmal. When you have censorship, the kinds of suppression of voices that is essentially a social credit system demeaning people who disagree with the CDC, you’re going to get bad decisions that don’t get checked. I am looking forward to working in coming years to reform American public health so that when there is another pandemic we do a much better job than we did during this one.”
“Our group’s research has revealed that vaccines can affect the risk of non-targeted infections,” said Dr. Christine Benn, M.D., Ph.D., Chair of Health Sciences, Department of Clinical Research, University of Southern Denmark. “The new COVID-19 vaccines have not yet been investigated for their potential effects on the risk of other infections.”
“Our study took a magnifying glass to the original Pfizer and Moderna clinical trials that got the vaccines on the market in late 2020. In the original trials, mRNA vaccines increased serious adverse events at a rate considerably higher than initially realized,” said Dr. Joseph Fraiman, M.D., Emergency Medicine Physician, Thibodaux Regional Medical Center. “Our peer-reviewed study which was published this August in one of the field’s leading journals indicates that the mRNA COVID vaccines should be urgently re-evaluated. I believe unless further studies can clearly demonstrate a favorable harm benefit profile, mRNA vaccine use should not be recommended in healthy adults and children. Independent of what our Federal agencies recommend it is their ethical duty to inform the public of these results to allow for informed consent from those who chose to take COVID vaccines.”
“It it clear we urgently need updated and fully transparent vaccines risk-benefit analyses for all age groups for physicians to make informed recommendations and patients to make informed decisions,” said Dr. Tracey Høeg , M.D., Ph.D., Physician Epidemiologist and Clinical Researcher at Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics, University of California San Francisco, Acumen, LLC. “Blanket mandates or requirements for COVID-19 vaccines are both unscientific and unethical given the vaccines’ ineffectiveness at providing lasting protection from infection or transmission and the uncertainty surrounding the current vaccines’ benefits and risks.”
“It is always important to balance benefits and risks. For older high-risk people who have not vet had Covid, vaccine benefits outweigh potential risks for an adverse reaction,” said Dr. Martin Kulldorf, Ph.D., Scientific Director, Brownstone Institute; Fellow, Hillsdale College’s Academy for Science & Freedom. “For children, young adults and those who have had COVID, the risk of dying from COVID is miniscule, so even a small risk of a serious vaccine adverse reaction, such as myocarditis, will tip the balance against the vaccine.”
“There has been a tremendous loss of trust in public health and I think you can see that in decreased uptake of vaccines that have been traditionally used,” Steve Templeton, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Indiana University School of Medicine-Terre Haute.This isn’t just anti-vaxx people; this is people who have really lost trust in the system, and I think you have to restore that trust to get people to believe in the efficacy of vaccines that have been used for decades without problem and have been very effective.”
“The decision making surrounding covid amounts to the largest blunder in human history,” Bret Weinstein, Ph.D., Former Professor of Evolutionary Biology, Evergreen State College. “The censorship is creating a phony sense that there is agreement amongst all of the responsible doctors about what to do and the few doctors who say otherwise are fringe cranks. And this couldn’t be farther from the truth. The message that was given to us from public health authorities was not just inept. It actually went well beyond that. It was really the inverse of everything we should have done. Because it was forced on us with this strong form of coercion, it was widely accepted because people didn’t have a choice. Because the vaccine was so targeted, we effectively drove this pathogen to diversify.”
“It’s a terrible crime that this vaccine has been pushed in the media as long as it has been and has prevented any news of horrible side effects in the main stream media from being communicated,” said Steven Ordonia, victim of adverse events from mRNA vaccines. “This vaccine has nearly ruined my life and severely altered it.”
“Before my vaccine I was active, I worked out and ran Spartan races,” said Michelle Utter, Healthcare Professional and victim of adverse events from mRNA vaccines. “Working in healthcare during the pandemic, we were sent emails telling us the importance of the vaccine and that they were safe and effective. After my first vaccine, an hour later I was experiencing flu like symptoms. Before I got my next shot, I asked if I should get it because I was afraid of having a reaction…I had the pharmacist and other employees coming over to reassure me that I wouldn’t have the same reaction again. Against my gut I took it…45 minutes later I was in the parking lot sick in my car, my hips hurt so bad I couldn’t move, and I had inflammation everywhere. Working in health care you would think that you would get the best care and the best resources available to you but I was ignored, gaslit and abandoned.”

Florida

DeSantis’ New Florida Congressional Map Could Spark Lawsuits, Legislative Showdown, and Statewide Protests

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN) — Governor Ron DeSantis unveiled a proposed congressional redistricting map that could significantly reshape Florida’s representation in the U.S. House ahead of the 2026 midterm elections.

The proposal, released Monday, outlines districts that could favor Republicans in 24 seats, compared to four Democratic-leaning districts. Currently, Florida’s congressional delegation includes 20 Republicans and seven Democrats, with one vacant seat.

REDISTRICTING PROPOSAL & POLITICAL IMPACT
The governor said the new map reflects Florida’s population changes and fulfills his commitment to mid-decade redistricting. Lawmakers have been called into a special legislative session to consider the proposal.

The map appears to eliminate four Democratic-held seats, including a Tampa-area district represented by U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor, an Osceola County district held by U.S. Rep. Darren Soto—the first Puerto Rican elected to Congress from Florida—and a Palm Beach-Broward district that could displace U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz.

The proposal also affects a majority-Black voting district spanning Palm Beach and Broward counties, previously represented by former U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick, raising concerns about the future of minority representation.

Supporters, including Evan Power, say the map could better align districts with voter distribution. Critics, including Nikki Fried, have called the proposal unconstitutional gerrymandering. Florida law prohibits partisan gerrymandering, setting up potential legal challenges.

Rep. Tray McCurdy, D-Orlando and Rep. Angie Nixon, D-Jacksonville sit on the Florida Seal in protest as debate stops on Senate Bill 2-C: Establishing the Congressional Districts of the State in the House of Representatives Thursday, April 21, 2022 at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla. Rep. Daisy Morales, D-Orlando, joins the protest, holding a sign. The session was halted on the protest. (AP Photo/Phil Sears)


LOOKING BACK: 2022 PROTESTS OVER REDISTRICTING

The current debate mirrors tensions from 2022, when Democratic lawmakers staged a sit-in protest on the Florida House floor in opposition to a previous congressional map backed by DeSantis.

Lawmakers including Yvonne Hinson, Angie Nixon, Travaris McCurdy, Felicia Robinson, and Daisy Morales participated in the protest, temporarily halting legislative proceedings.

Morales, a member of the Congressional Redistricting Subcommittee and the only Hispanic lawmaker involved in the sit-in, strongly criticized the map at the time.

“Our democracy is being attacked. The governor eliminating two Black congressional seats is a power grab and it’s wrong,” Morales said in a written statement. “Stripping seats from Black representation is the same as saying the Black voice—the Black vote—doesn’t matter.”

She also warned about potential impacts on Hispanic representation:

“With this map passing, I’m deeply concerned it could target the only Puerto Rican representing Florida in Congress, Darren Soto, to benefit partisan interests. We don’t want to disenfranchise the 1.2 million Puerto Ricans in Florida.”

WHAT COMES NEXT IN 2026
As lawmakers prepare to debate the new proposal, Democrats are expected to push back through legal challenges, legislative opposition, and public advocacy.

The outcome of Florida’s redistricting battle could play a pivotal role in shaping control of the U.S. House and influence the national political landscape heading into the 2026 midterm elections.

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Entertainment

160+ Bands, 5 Stages: Welcome To Rockville Returns to Daytona International Speedway May 7–10 with Expanded Fan Experience

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160+ Bands, 5 Stages: Welcome To Rockville Returns to Daytona International Speedway May 7–10 with Expanded Fan Experience

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (FNN) — Music set times have been released for the 15th anniversary of Welcome To Rockville, Florida’s largest rock, metal and punk festival, set for May 7–10, 2026 at Daytona International Speedway.

Produced by Danny Wimmer Presents, the four-day event will feature more than 160 bands performing across five stages, marking the festival’s largest lineup to date.

HEADLINERS AND DAILY LINEUP

This year’s festival will be headlined by Foo Fighters, My Chemical Romance, Guns N’ Roses and Bring Me The Horizon.

  • Thursday, May 7: Guns N’ Roses, Five Finger Death Punch, Godsmack, Staind
  • Friday, May 8: Foo Fighters, Turnstile, The Offspring, Parkway Drive
  • Saturday, May 9: Bring Me The Horizon, Breaking Benjamin, Motionless in White, Lamb of God
  • Sunday, May 10: My Chemical Romance, A Day To Remember, Rise Against, Yellowcard

FESTIVAL EXPANSION AND NEW FEATURES

Organizers announced several enhancements for 2026 aimed at improving the fan experience. A new “Pit Stop” fan zone near the Apex Stage will feature artist interviews, special performances and interactive experiences.

In addition, the Garage Stage will be fully tented for the first time, offering expanded shade coverage and upgraded production for attendees.

SPECIAL EVENTS AND EXPERIENCES

Festivalgoers can kick off the week with a pre-party on May 6 featuring performances by Fuel, Local H and others.

A new crossover event, “Blood4Blood,” will also take place at the Ocean Center, combining live music with bare-knuckle fighting, including a headline bout featuring Alex Terrible of Slaughter to Prevail.

TICKETS, ACCESS AND ATTENDANCE

Festival gates will open daily at 11:30 a.m. Organizers are offering a range of ticket options, including single-day, weekend, VIP and camping packages. A new Camp to Coast shuttle will provide transportation between the speedway and nearby beaches.

With expanded attractions, including rides, themed bars and interactive zones, Welcome To Rockville 2026 is expected to draw tens of thousands of fans to Daytona Beach, reinforcing its role as a major driver of Florida’s tourism and live entertainment economy.

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Crimes and Courts

Florida Creates Public Assistance Fraud Task Force, Appoints Special Prosecutor to Crack Down on Fraud

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Courtesy of the Office of the Attorney General

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FNN)James Uthmeier announced the launch of the Public Assistance Fraud Task Force, a multi-agency initiative aimed at strengthening investigations and prosecutions of fraud involving taxpayer-funded benefit programs.

As part of the effort, Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Scott Strauss has been appointed as special prosecutor to oversee complex, multi-circuit fraud cases and coordinate legal strategies across agencies.

TASK FORCE TO TARGET FRAUD

The task force is designed to provide legal counsel and streamline criminal prosecutions for state agencies and law enforcement, enhancing Florida’s ability to build strong cases against individuals accused of fraud.

“We are launching this task force to bring accountability and prosecute those who are stealing from Floridians,” Uthmeier said. “Florida is not Minnesota or California, and we will safeguard the taxpayers’ investment in the services meant for the vulnerable.”

MULTI-AGENCY COLLABORATION

State leaders emphasized the importance of coordination across agencies to combat increasingly sophisticated fraud schemes.

“Under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Uthmeier, Florida has continued to identify, address, and prevent fraud,” said Shevaun L. Harris, secretary of the Agency for Health Care Administration. “This multi-agency initiative creates an opportunity to collectively reaffirm that commitment.”

Brad McVay added that protecting taxpayer-funded programs is essential to maintaining public trust.

“Floridians deserve a government that safeguards their taxpayer dollars from fraudsters,” McVay said.

Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass also stressed enforcement.

“If you commit fraud against public assistance programs, you will be held accountable,” Glass said.

ROLE OF SPECIAL PROSECUTOR

The special prosecutor will evaluate and oversee ongoing multi-circuit investigations, assist in developing cases for prosecution, and support law enforcement with legal tools such as warrants and affidavits.

Kathleen Von Hoene said the initiative will strengthen protections for vulnerable populations.

“Our goal is to protect the public, preserve the integrity of the Medicaid program, and safeguard the populations it serves,” she said.

PROGRAMS AND ENFORCEMENT

Florida’s public assistance programs include Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, housing assistance and reemployment services. Fraud involving these programs can result in criminal charges ranging from misdemeanors to felonies, with penalties including fines, restitution and incarceration.

Law enforcement agencies interested in participating in the task force can contact the Office of Statewide Prosecution for more information.

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