Congressional leaders revealed a stopgap funding bill on Tuesday to keep the government operational until March 14, setting off a race to pass the legislation by the end of the week.
A few years ago, the Buffalo Bills threatened to leave New York State unless a new stadium deal was secured. This kind of relocation bluff is common in the NFL, with only the Green Bay Packers standing out as a team with a municipally owned facility and a market too small to seriously consider relocation. Despite the ever-present threat of the Bills moving to a more lucrative market, Democrat Governor Kathy Hochul ultimately signed a deal providing $600 million in state funding for a new $2.1 billion stadium for the Bills, with Erie County contributing an additional $250 million. This was after team owner Terry Pegula threatened to move the franchise to Austin, Texas, where he would privately finance a stadium.
The Pinellas County Commission has approved a $312.5 million bond issue to finance its part of a new $1.3 billion stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. The 5-2 vote, which was delayed twice, allows the county to move forward with selling the bonds, contingent on the Rays meeting their obligations under the deal. The approval follows the St. Petersburg City Council’s earlier vote to approve its $287.5 million share of the project on December 6.
President-elect Donald Trump is set to meet with TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew on Monday at Mar-a-Lago, his resort in Florida, as the popular social media app faces a looming U.S. ban.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to eliminate or suspend burdensome regulations preventing Floridians from rebuilding their homes after the devastating hurricanes Helene and Milton. These restrictions, she argues, are forcing some residents to abandon their communities altogether.
The nonprofit Fix the Court, an organization advocating for Supreme Court reforms under the banner of “ethics” and “transparency,” is facing backlash for questionable financial practices. Fiscal 2023 financial disclosures reveal the group paid its director, Gabe Roth, a salary amounting to 96% of its annual revenue.
