US NATIONAL NEWS

President Biden Approves Major Disaster Declaration for Florida in Wake of Hurricane Milton

Published

1 year ago

October 12, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FNN) – In a press release, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. has declared a major disaster in the State of Florida, authorizing Federal aid to support State, tribal, and local recovery efforts following the devastation caused by Hurricane Milton, which began on October 5, 2024. The President’s declaration aims to accelerate relief efforts across the affected areas.

This declaration provides Federal funding to individuals in counties impacted by the storm, which include Brevard, Charlotte, Citrus, Clay, Collier, DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Hernando, Highlands, Hillsborough, Indian River, Lake, Lee, Manatee, Marion, Martin, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, and Volusia, along with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.

Key assistance available includes:

Grants for temporary housing and home repairs
Low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses
Additional programs to help individuals and businesses recover

Additionally, Federal funding will be available for emergency work and hazard mitigation:

Assistance for debris removal and emergency protective measures for the first 90 days at 100% of eligible costs
Funds available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation across the state

FEMA’s John E. Brogan has been appointed to coordinate the Federal recovery operations in the impacted areas. Damage assessments are ongoing, and more counties or additional aid may be announced after assessments are complete.

“We are committed to supporting the State of Florida in recovering from the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Milton,” said a FEMA representative.

Residents and business owners in the designated counties can apply for aid through the following methods:

Visit: www.DisasterAssistance.gov
Call: 800-621-FEMA (3362)
Use: FEMA app or relay services (e.g., VRS or captioned telephone)

______________________

J Willie David, III contributed to this report.
news@FloridaNationalNews.com

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Crimes and Courts

Attorney Ben Crump Announces Settlement Between Universal and Family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala

Published

5 days ago

December 13, 2025

Willie David

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN) — The family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala and Universal have reached a confidential resolution, according to a statement released by nationally renowned civil rights and personal injury attorney Ben Crump.

Crump, speaking on behalf of the Rodriguez Zavala family, confirmed that the matter has been resolved amicably. The terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

“The family of Kevin Rodriguez Zavala and Universal have reached an amicable resolution in this matter. The terms are confidential,” Crump said. “The family is grateful for the community’s support and asks for privacy at this time.”

No further details were provided.

US NATIONAL NEWS

President Trump’s Politico Interview: Democrats Lost Control — I Took it Back

Published

1 week ago

December 9, 2025

FNN NEWS

In a wide-ranging interview with Politico, President Donald J. Trump reflected on the progress of his second term as it approaches the one-year mark — detailing how he is reversing the economic wreckage left by Biden, unleashing an investment surge, slamming the door on illegal border crossings and maritime drug smuggling, and restoring an America First posture abroad.

Here are some of the key moments:

“The Democrats love to say, ‘Affordability, affordability,’ but then they never talk about it. They’re the ones that gave us the high prices. I’m the one that’s bringing them down.” (Watch)
“I inherited a total mess. Prices were at an all-time high when I came in. Prices are coming down… Look at energy.” (Watch)
“We have $18 trillion being invested. Car companies are moving back that left us years ago. AI is coming in at levels never seen before. Factories are opening up all over the country… Ultimately, you know what it reduces itself to? Jobs. You’re going to have jobs like you’ve never seen in the United States.” (Watch)
“When I go on a trip, I only have one place in mind — it’s the United States… Most of my time is spent here, but when I do go outside, it’s only going outside for here. For instance, settling and solving the problem with China. That has a huge effect in the United States.” (Watch)
“I want to see people that contribute. I don’t want to see Somalia. I don’t want to see a woman that marries her brother… then becomes a congressman and does nothing but complain.” (Watch)
“Two years ago, a year ago, under Biden, this country was out of control; millions of people pouring through, totally unchecked, totally unvetted. And now, we have nobody coming in… Nobody ever talks about that anymore. They should talk about that.” (Watch)
“Obamacare was set up for insurance companies to become rich… They’ve been paid trillions — not billions — trillions of dollars and what I’m saying is very simple: I don’t want to pay them anything. No money for the insurance companies… I want to pay the money directly to the people and let the people get their own healthcare. But you know who’s fighting me on that? The Democrats.” (Watch)
“Trillions of dollars goes to the insurance companies. I want that money to go to the people and let the people go out and buy their own healthcare. It works like magic, but you know who doesn’t want it? The Democrats because they’re corrupt people — because they’re totally owned and bought by the insurance companies.” (Watch)
“[Zelensky] is going have to get on the ball and start accepting things… because they’re losing. They’ve lost territory — long before I got here… You certainly wouldn’t say it’s a victory.” (Watch)
“I hate to see young, beautiful people being killed.” (Watch)
“I have no vision for Europe. All I want to see is a strong Europe. I have a vision for the United States — America First. It’s ‘Make America Great Again.’” (Watch)
“We save 25,000 people every time we knock out a boat. On average, they kill 25,000 Americans. I don’t like doing that, but the drugs coming in through the sea — they’re down by 92 percent… Nobody wants to drive boats to America loaded up with drugs anymore.” (Watch)
“[Birthright citizenship] was meant for the babies of slaves… That case was not meant for some rich person coming from another country, putting a foot in our country, and all of a sudden their whole family becomes United States citizens.” (Watch)
“I’m one of the people that survived, but they weaponized the government. We had the most weaponized government… They indicted me. I came out good — here we are in the White House. Things are looking nice, but they were vicious… They’re sick people.” (Watch)

Tech

NASA Astronaut Jonny Kim Returns to Earth After 245-Day ISS Mission

Published

1 week ago

December 9, 2025

FNN NEWS

WASHINGTON, D.C. (FNN) — NASA astronaut Jonny Kim returned to Earth early Tuesday alongside Roscosmos cosmonauts Sergey Ryzhikov and Alexey Zubritsky, concluding an eight-month science mission aboard the International Space Station focused on advancing life on Earth and preparing for future deep space exploration.

The trio landed safely under parachute at 12:03 a.m. EST (10:03 a.m. local time) southeast of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan, aboard the Soyuz MS-27 spacecraft. Their departure from the station occurred at 8:41 p.m. EST on Dec. 8.

Record-Breaking Mission and First-Time Flyers

Across 245 days in orbit, the crew circled Earth 3,920 times and traveled nearly 104 million miles. Kim and Zubritsky completed their first spaceflights, while Ryzhikov—on his third mission—now holds 603 cumulative days in space.

The crew launched to the ISS on April 8 as part of a mission that contributed to NASA’s long-running efforts to advance scientific discovery and human spaceflight capabilities.

Scientific Research to Benefit Earth and Future Missions

While aboard the ISS, Kim supported numerous experiments and technology demonstrations. His work included studying the behavior of bioprinted tissues with blood vessels in microgravity—research that could accelerate space-based tissue production and improve medical treatments on Earth.

Kim also tested multi-robot remote command capabilities for the Surface Avatar investigation, a study that could inform the development of robotic assistants for future lunar and Martian missions. In addition, he contributed to research on in-space manufacturing of DNA-mimicking nanomaterials, which may enhance drug delivery systems and support emerging fields in regenerative medicine.

Return to Houston and the Future of Exploration

After routine medical checks in Kazakhstan, the crew will travel to the recovery staging area in Karaganda. Kim will then return to NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston.

For more than 25 years, astronauts have lived and worked continuously aboard the International Space Station, enabling scientific breakthroughs not achievable on Earth. As commercial partners expand human spaceflight services and develop new low Earth orbit destinations, NASA is directing its focus toward deep space exploration through the Artemis program and preparing for eventual human missions to Mars.