Now, Trump will be on hand<\/a> in Miami Gardens, along with Secretary Marco Rubio, to potentially witness the Hurricanes shock the world and upset the juggernaut Indiana Hoosiers football squad (a phrase no one could have ever contemplated before last season).<\/p>\n Yes, Florida is once again the epicenter of high-level athletics. Don\u2019t forget in the NFL playoffs, where the Jacksonville Jaguars \u2026<\/p>\n Actually, let\u2019s just focus on tomorrow night\u2019s game.<\/p>\n The end of football season is bittersweet, with the crowning of a champion meaning we now have to wait six months or more before next Summer\u2019s fantasy drafts.<\/p>\n But with one more college game to play, the Canes are continuing to carry the torch for those hoping that the state\u2019s college football programs can return to their blue-chip status and revive the glory days of the 1990s and 2000s.<\/p>\n Or, if you\u2019re a Gators or Seminoles fan, the game gives you a chance to root for a 50-point Indiana win.<\/p>\n That\u2019s a win either way, and a welcome distraction as we collectively get ready to fully transition our attention to this year\u2019s Session(s). Enjoy the game, everyone.<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s onto our weekly game of winners and losers.<\/p>\n Winners<\/p>\n Honorable mention: Rays fans. Speaking of sports, after years of uncertainty, Tampa Bay Rays fans finally have something concrete to cheer about: a renewed path forward<\/a> on a new ballpark<\/a>.<\/p>\n The Rays\u2019 stadium saga has stretched on for years, defined by mounting frustration from fans and local leaders alike. Tropicana Field, the team\u2019s current home since 1998, has long been criticized for its outdated facilities and waning attendance. The collapse of the Historic Gas Plant deal left the franchise in a prolonged holding pattern that threatened its long-term viability in the region.<\/p>\n That began to change late last year as new leadership at Rays ownership came aboard. Team president Ken Babby has set a firm timeline for progress, telling local media that he expects a new ballpark to be operational by 2028<\/a> \u2014 a hard date that injects confidence into negotiations and signals the franchise is serious about delivering on what has been a decade\u2019s worth of promises.<\/p>\n The newest chapter in the process centers on a proposed stadium site at Hillsborough Community College\u2019s Dale Mabry campus in Tampa. The proposal is reportedly gaining traction with nearby neighborhoods and leaders who see potential in the team\u2019s vision for the new ballpark.<\/p>\n While details on funding and design remain to be negotiated, the fact that a site has been publicly discussed and preliminarily embraced means the Rays\u2019 future in the Tampa Bay area is looking decidedly brighter.<\/p>\n Almost (but not quite) the biggest winner: Adam Tanenbaum. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tanenbaum as his latest pick to fill a Supreme Court vacancy.<\/p>\n Tanenbaum, a circuit Judge with a reputation that aligns with conservative legal principles, emerged as a candidate who can carry forward the court\u2019s recent trajectory forged under DeSantis.<\/p>\n Tanenbaum comes in with a long background in Florida government beyond just being a Judge. He served as General Counsel for both the Florida House and Florida Department of State, as well as Chief Deputy Solicitor General at the Department of Legal Affairs.<\/p>\n And DeSantis was familiar with Tanenbaum\u2019s legal philosophy, having appointed Tanenbaum to the 1st District Court of Appeal early in his first term.<\/p>\n Speaking Wednesday during the announcement<\/a> of his nomination, Tanenbaum cited Justice Clarence Thomas, DeSantis\u2019 favorite jurist, as an influence on his judicial philosophy. He probably didn\u2019t need to say much more beyond that to get the job.<\/p>\n DeSantis\u2019 choice means six of the seven Justices on the court have now been nominated by this Governor. That level of imprint on Florida\u2019s judiciary is rare and allows DeSantis to leave his philosophical imprint on the legal system long after he departs office.<\/p>\n For Tanenbaum, the nomination culminates years of service in and places him at the center of Florida\u2019s legal system.<\/p>\n The biggest winner: Florida House. This week marked the start of the 2026 Session (not sure if you\u2019ve heard) and the House under Speaker Daniel Perez wasted no time getting its members to the floor to pass meaningful legislation.<\/p>\n Just this week, the full House approved legislation to repeal<\/a> Florida\u2019s unjust \u201cfree kill\u201d law, raise sovereign immunity caps<\/a> and allow local governments to compensate victims without requiring approval from Tallahassee, and strengthen oversight<\/a> of nursing schools to make sure the state\u2019s nurses are up to par.<\/p>\n The House GOP supermajority also secured plenty of wins for the state\u2019s conservative base, approving bills to expand the use of E-Verify<\/a>, ensure Florida\u2019s Wrongful Death Act covers the death of fetuses<\/a>, and lower the minimum age to purchase guns<\/a> back to 18, eliminating post-Parkland regulations.<\/p>\n Your mood may vary on whether those latter bills were net positives, and the Senate still has to act for any of these to become law.\u00a0 But a Republican supermajority, which the state voted for, is going to govern from its right flank. And the measures on \u201cfree kill,\u201d sovereign immunity and nursing show the lower chamber is interested in accomplishing more than just appeasing the GOP base.<\/p>\n As Lt. Gov. Jay Collins says, \u201cLeadership is forged under pressure, not in soundbites.\u201d More on him later, but the House is wasting no time in proving that mindset this Session.<\/p>\n Losers<\/p>\n Dishonorable mention: Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick. A Broward County court dismissed Cherfilus-McCormick\u2019s $1 million lawsuit<\/a> against Democratic Primary challenger Elijah Manley \u2014 a legal setback that comes amid growing challenges in her re-election fight and raises questions about her campaign\u2019s strategy.<\/p>\n Cherfilus-McCormick sued Manley last year, alleging defamation and seeking substantial damages over campaign statements he made during their heated Democratic Primary battle in 2024. Manley accused her of misusing COVID vaccine funds, allegations that have led to criminal charges against Cherfilus-McCormick.<\/p>\n Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, of course, and Cherfilus-McCormick argued Manley\u2019s framing crossed the line. But on Tuesday, the case was dismissed after Cherfilus-McCormick failed to serve Manley the lawsuit, a basic step in the legal process that Cherfilus-McCormick\u2019s team nevertheless couldn\u2019t accomplish.<\/p>\n Beyond the immediate case, the episode highlights a broader vulnerability in how Cherfilus-McCormick is navigating her political environment. The lawsuit drew attention to an issue already dragging Cherfilus-McCormick. Had she won, or at least put up a basic fight, maybe she could\u2019ve claimed victory even if the criminal case continued.<\/p>\n Instead, all she managed to do here was draw more attention to the accusations against her while not even making it past the earliest legal hurdles to get inside a courtroom.<\/p>\n Suffice it to say this doesn\u2019t bear well on the legal chops of Team Cherfilus-McCormick.<\/p>\n Almost (but not quite) the biggest loser: Jay Collins. Collins\u2019 long-anticipated announcement that he\u2019s running for Governor landed with a thud, as it continued to underscore his lack of political momentum that he\u2019ll need to make the race competitive.<\/p>\n When it comes to the most basic measure of viability \u2014 voter support \u2014 Collins remains stuck near the bottom of the GOP pack. Multiple recent polls have shown him trailing in single digits, far behind<\/a> front-runner Byron Donalds. Other contenders, like former House Speaker Paul Renner, are busy building brand recognition and organizational muscle.<\/p>\n Both have a huge head start over Collins in terms of fundraising and announced endorsements as well. And entering a statewide race without a rising polling trajectory makes it that much harder to attract the donor dollars and endorsements that could shift the dynamic.<\/p>\n Perhaps the most glaring sign of Collins\u2019 uphill slog is the absence of a key endorsement that many assumed would come: that of DeSantis. Despite naming Collins as his Lieutenant Governor following Jeanette Nu\u00f1ez\u2019s departure, DeSantis has passed on endorsing his own second-in-command, including twice<\/a> just this week<\/a>.<\/p>\n The relationship with DeSantis should have provided the credibility and visibility that Collins needs as Donalds runs with Trump\u2019s support. DeSantis is the only Republican leader from Florida that anyone could even argue has similar sway that Trump does. But he continues to sit on the sidelines, and we all continue to wonder what exactly Collins\u2019 lane is here as other Republican contenders have already laid the groundwork that Collins is still scrambling to build.<\/p>\n The biggest loser: James Fishback. But at least Collins doesn\u2019t hold the designation of the most embarrassing GOP campaign for Governor this cycle.<\/p>\n It\u2019s been unclear for weeks whether Fishback\u2019s candidacy was anything other than a vehicle to say inflammatory, headline-chasing garbage to launch a podcast career after he finishes in single digits in August. His latest antics this week<\/a> did nothing to dispel those assumptions.<\/p>\n Yet as much outrage and attention he seeks, apparently little of that has translated to tangible financial support.<\/p>\n Fishback\u2019s fundraising report for the fourth quarter of 2025 showed him raising a dismal $950. Not $950,000. Just $950<\/a>.<\/p>\n After his campaign started arguing with the media about reporting on a finance report that they filed, Fishback amended his report<\/a> to show he\u2019s raised just under $19,000.<\/p>\n That number may sound promising when compared to $950. Then you remember this is a campaign for Governor and that Donalds raised $45 million<\/a> last year while Renner collected $5.5 million<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sure Fishback landed an appearance with Tucker Carlson. But clicks don\u2019t pay for voter outreach, we\u2019re afraid.<\/p>\n Fishback is versed in how to generate attention online and speak to those obsessed with their social media presence. He\u2019s flawlessly executing a campaign generated to shock folks and get online clout from the edgelords on X.<\/p>\n To most of the rest of us though, it\u2019s a boring and unserious performance amid a gubernatorial bid doomed to irrelevancy in the end. Maybe he can land himself a show on Kick for his troubles.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"As if tomorrow night\u2019s national championship featuring a rejuvenated Miami Hurricanes team playing in front of South Florida…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":48966,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[59314,28,30,9129,29,28912,5187,8884,3815],"class_list":["post-123484","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-florida","tag-adam-tanenbaum","tag-florida","tag-florida-headlines","tag-florida-house","tag-florida-news","tag-james-fishback","tag-jay-collins","tag-sheila-cherfilus-mccormick","tag-tampa-bay-rays"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123484","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=123484"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/123484\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/48966"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=123484"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=123484"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=123484"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/20250658_FINAL_FloridaPolitics_728x90.jpg\")
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