US NATIONAL NEWS
President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. Approves California Disaster Declaration
Published
3 years agoon
By
Willie DavidToday, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. declared that a major disaster exists in the State of California and ordered Federal assistance to supplement state, tribal, and local recovery efforts in the areas affected by a severe storm and flooding from January 21 to January 23, 2024.
The President’s action makes Federal funding available to affected individuals in San Diego County.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
Federal funding is also available on a cost-sharing basis for hazard mitigation measures statewide.
Ms. N. Allison Pfaendler of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
Additional designations may be made at a later date if requested by the state and warranted by the results of further damage assessments.
Residents and business owners who sustained losses in the designated areas can begin applying for assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362), or by using the FEMA App. Anyone using a relay service, such as video relay service (VRS), captioned telephone service or others, can give FEMA the number for that service.
Sports
LIV Golf to begin winding down operations Nov. 9 after five years, $5 billion spent
Published
13 hours agoon
November 7, 2026By
FNN SPORTSNEW YORK CITY, NY (FNN SPORTS) – LIV Golf plans to begin winding down operations Monday, Nov. 9, following five years and more than $5 billion in spending.
Attorney Matthew Williams outlined the league’s plans during a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, in New Jersey. The process includes selling its remaining assets.
“We believe the wind down path is the best path,” Williams told the court.
LIV Golf confirmed the decision after a proposed restructuring deal fell through. The league said it will continue considering alternatives during the shutdown process.
Florida
DeSantis’ Political Star Rises as Florida GOP Holds Statewide Offices Amid National Defeats
Published
2 days agoon
November 5, 2026Republicans 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.
Politics
Voters Give Democrats Congressional Majorities as Affordability and Iran War Shape Trump Rebuke
Published
3 days agoon
November 4, 2026Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer prepare for a shift in congressional power, with voters demanding economic relief and stronger presidential oversight while Trump retains his veto.
WASHINGTON (FNN) — Democrats won control of the House and Senate in Tuesday’s midterm elections, delivering a major setback to President Donald Trump and positioning congressional Democratic leaders Hakeem Jeffries and Chuck Schumer to challenge his administration during the final two years of his presidency.
The victories extended into traditionally Republican territory, with economic anxiety and opposition to the Iran war helping reshape the electoral map. Reuters reported Democratic breakthroughs in states including Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.
The results put Democrats in position to control both chambers when the new Congress convenes in January. Several contests remained unresolved Wednesday, leaving the final size of their majorities unsettled.
Jeffries positioned for historic House speakership
The Democratic House victory puts Jeffries, a New York congressman, in line to become the first Black speaker of the House.
His elevation is not automatic. Winning a congressional majority gives Democrats the opportunity to elect the speaker, but Jeffries must secure the necessary support in a House floor vote.
Jeffries will also face the task of uniting moderate and progressive Democrats around an agenda that can survive divided government. Reuters reported that his priorities include addressing affordability and reversing Republican cuts to Medicaid.
“We’re going to fight to make sure that we make this country affordable for every single American,” Jeffries told supporters, according to NPR.
Senate victory expands Democrats’ leverage
The Senate result gives Democrats influence over legislation, presidential nominations and committee investigations.
Schumer, the Senate Democratic leader, described the outcome as a “generational remake of the Senate map,” according to reporting published by WTTW. His leadership position in the incoming Congress remains subject to the Democratic caucus’s selection process.
Democratic Senate victories included Republican-held seats in North Carolina, Ohio, Iowa, Kansas, Texas and South Carolina, according to Roll Call. The gains give the party an opportunity to scrutinize administration nominees and shape the chamber’s agenda.
A majority, however, does not eliminate every procedural obstacle. Under existing Senate rules, ending debate on most legislation generally requires 60 votes, making Republican cooperation important for many proposals.
Affordability crisis moves to the center of the agenda
The election creates pressure on Democrats to demonstrate that congressional control can produce practical relief.
Jeffries has outlined priorities involving affordable housing, education, health care and retirement security. Those subjects reflect the household expenses that helped drive the campaign and will shape expectations for the incoming majority.
But passing bills through Congress and delivering changes in law are separate challenges. Democrats will need agreement between their chambers, a workable approach to federal spending and, in many cases, negotiations with the White House.
Their political test will extend beyond opposition to Trump: Voters will be able to judge whether the new majority advances credible proposals and explains the costs, benefits and obstacles involved.
Iran war raises questions about congressional authority
Opposition to the Iran war helped fuel the Democratic gains, according to Reuters. The outcome increases pressure for congressional scrutiny of military objectives, spending and the administration’s strategy.
For lawmakers seeking to prevent wars they consider unnecessary, Congress has constitutional tools that extend beyond public criticism.
The Constitution gives Congress authority to declare war, raise and support armed forces, and control appropriations. The president serves as commander in chief, creating a division of responsibilities rather than placing every military decision in one branch.
A Democratic Congress could hold hearings, examine the administration’s legal justifications and consider legislation governing military operations or funding. Such measures would face their own legal, procedural and political constraints; an election result alone does not end a conflict.
Trump retains veto power
Trump will remain president, and the change in congressional control does not remove his constitutional authority to veto legislation.
A veto can be overridden only with a two-thirds vote in both the House and Senate. Democratic majorities therefore do not, by themselves, guarantee enactment of their legislative agenda.
Trump signaled resistance to the incoming majority’s proposals after the election, sharing an image of a cap bearing the word “VETO,” according to WTTW’s reporting.
The result sets up negotiations and potential confrontations over spending, domestic programs and national security. Congress can also conduct oversight without first obtaining the president’s agreement to new legislation.
“No king”: Voters seek stronger checks and balances
The election offered evidence of substantial public demand for Congress to exercise greater independence.
About seven in 10 voters said Congress was not doing enough to provide checks and balances on the president, according to the AP Voter Poll. The finding also carries a caution for Democrats: Dissatisfaction with Republican governance does not necessarily translate into unconditional support for the opposing party.
The phrase “no king in America” expresses a principle underlying the constitutional system: Presidential authority exists alongside the powers of Congress and the courts. The same constitutional limits apply regardless of which party controls an institution.
For Jeffries, Schumer and the incoming majorities, the task will be to translate electoral success into accountable government — addressing economic concerns, examining military commitments and exercising congressional authority within the Constitution.
Trending
Florida4 days agoHISTORIC WIN: Byron Donalds elected Florida’s first Black governor
Central Florida News4 days agoHISTORYMAKER: Tiffany Moore Russell makes history as first Black woman elected Orange County mayor
Central Florida News4 days agoUSF Defeats UAB 30–10, Secures Fourth Consecutive Bowl-Eligible Season
Florida3 days agoFlorida Republicans sweep statewide races; Democrats break House supermajority
Florida3 days agoJames Uthmeier defeats Jose Javier Rodriguez, wins first elected term as Florida attorney general