skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, May 7, 2025

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Divided Supreme Court allows Trump administration to begin enforcing ban on transgender service members; AZ hospitals could be required to ask patients about legal status; Taxing the wealthy to pay for Trump priorities wouldn't slow economic growth; and overdraft fees are here to stay, costing Texans thousands of dollars a year.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Taxing millionaires could fund safety net programs, climate rollbacks raise national security concerns, India makes cross-border strikes in Kashmir, the Supreme Court backs transgender military ban, and government actions conflict with Indigenous land protections.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Rural students who face hurdles going to college are getting noticed, Native Alaskans may want to live off the land but obstacles like climate change loom large, and the Cherokee language is being preserved by kids in North Carolina.

FL lawmakers, advocates push back on DeSantis’ immigration special session

play audio
Play

Tuesday, January 14, 2025   

Florida has been a key battleground in the national immigration debate, with past legislation banning sanctuary cities and requiring companies to use E-Verify to confirm employees' immigration status.

As lawmakers prepare to gather in Tallahassee later this month for a special legislative session on immigration, community advocates are raising concerns about the use of state resources. Gov. Ron DeSantis called for the session to align Florida's policies with President-elect Donald Trump's upcoming immigration initiatives.

Renata Bozzetto, deputy director of the Florida Immigrant Coalition, criticized the move as a publicity stunt, saying it is unfortunate the governor is using taxpayer dollars to garner national attention.

"Instead of focusing on the priorities of Floridians, instead of focusing on the very high cost of living in our state and fixing problems that really bother and affect families in the state of Florida, he is trying to take on the federal government's job," Bozzetto contended.

DeSantis, a staunch Trump ally, has scheduled a special session for Jan. 27 to align with federal efforts to deport undocumented immigrants. He proposed mandatory enrollment in the 287(g) program, which partners local law enforcement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement to identify and remove noncitizens.

The session is scheduled just weeks before the regular legislative session begins in March. Bozzetto believes the governor's push is politically motivated and distracts legislators from pressing local issues.

"Assess within their districts, what are their priorities so they're listening to community, they're listening to Floridians, what should be the priority and the agenda for March?" Bozzetto asked. "And yet they're going to be wasting their time in Tallahassee because of this reckless call."

The Republican governor warned he is prepared to suspend elected officials who fail to comply with the new immigration mandates, accusing them of "neglecting their duties." Florida's legislative leaders have pushed back on DeSantis' call for a special session on immigration, deeming it "premature" without specific federal guidance from the incoming Trump administration.


get more stories like this via email
more stories
As of 2023, half of likely undocumented immigrant adults and one in five lawfully present immigrant adults reported being uninsured, compared with less than one in 10 naturalized citizens and U.S.-born citizen adults, according to KFF. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

State lawmakers in Arizona are considering legislation to mandate hospitals to ask patients whether they are in the country legally. Rep. John …


Social Issues

play sound

As the national debate intensifies over cuts to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance benefits and school meal funding, Missouri food system leaders are …

Social Issues

play sound

For now, Minnesota officials say panic has eased over federal funding for a program helping low-income households with their energy bills but there …


The American Lung Association's 2025 "State of the Air" report found nearly half of the U.S. population lives in places with unhealthy levels of air pollution, including Seattle. (Christopher Boswell/Adobe Stock)

play sound

Air pollution in Washington is getting worse, according to a new report citing transportation emissions as the primary culprit. Eight of the 12 …

Social Issues

play sound

Congress has overturned legislation which would have limited bank overdraft fees before the measure could go into effect. The Consumer Financial …

Under Republican President Dwight D. Eisenhower, people who earned more than $400,000 a year paid a top tax rate of 92%. Today's top rate is 37%. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

Reports of the Trump administration considering taxing wealthy Americans to pay for mass deportations and other priorities come on the heels of a new …

Social Issues

play sound

Protections for Indigenous rock art in Wyoming are in limbo after state lawmakers and the Trump administration took potentially conflicting actions re…

Social Issues

play sound

This spring marks the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War ending. In North Dakota, veterans from the war, along with others who have served, are in …

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021