Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Flagler County School Board District 4

The Flagler County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.

School Board District 4 encompasses voters in the western part of the county. You can see a map of the area HERE.

Since there are three candidates in the race, the top vote-getter must get more than 50% of the vote (50%+1) in order to win outright. Otherwise, the top two candidates will go to a runoff in November.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Flagler County School Board District 4, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Christy Chong - Incumbent

WEBSITE: christyforflagler.com/

Ms. Chong did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls regarding our candidate survey.

She did, however, respond to our sister station in Jacksonville, WJXT, for their voting guide.

Since they asked different questions, we are linking to their responses HERE.

You can see the full WJXT voter guide HERE.

Ron Long

WEBSITE: www.voteronlong.com/

Mr. Long did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls regarding our candidate survey.

He did, however, respond to our sister station in Jacksonville, WJXT, for their voting guide.

Since they asked different questions, we are linking to their responses HERE.

You can see the full WJXT voter guide HERE.

Trevor Tucker

WEBSITE: electtucker.com/

Mr. Tucker did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls regarding our candidate survey.

He did, however, respond to our sister station in Jacksonville, WJXT, for their voting guide.

Since they asked different questions, we are linking to their responses HERE.

You can see the full WJXT voter guide HERE.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Lake County Commission District 2 Republican Primary

The Lake County Commission has five districts, and these are partisan races, which means you must be a member of a political party to vote in August. All voters will be able to choose from a final slate of candidates in November.

The winner of the Republican primary for the District 2 commission seat will go on to face two write-in candidates, Jose Elias-Torres and Leighton Powers, in November.

County Commission District 2 encompasses the southern central part of the county, including parts of Clermont, Minneola and Montverde. You can see a map of the district HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Lake County Commission District 2, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Humberto Liriano

WEBSITE: https://www.votebertliriano2026.com/

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: District 2 and Lake County continue to experience rapid population growth, placing pressure on roads, schools, utilities, and public services. I will support responsible growth by ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with development. New development should contribute its fair share toward roads, transportation improvements, public safety, and community services. I will work to preserve our lakes, green spaces, and neighborhoods while promoting smart economic development that benefits residents and small businesses.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Recent state legislation, including Florida’s 2023 Live Local Act, has limited the ability of counties and municipalities to control certain zoning, density, and development decisions. As County Commissioner, I will advocate for restoring a stronger local voice in growth decisions while working within state law. I believe local communities understand their infrastructure needs better than Tallahassee. I will work with our legislative delegation to ensure Lake County has the tools needed to manage growth responsibly, protect our natural resources, and ensure that roads, public safety, and public services keep pace with development.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Lake County has one of Florida’s fastest-growing senior populations, creating increased demand for healthcare, transportation, and supportive services. As a physician, I understand the importance of accessible healthcare. I will work with hospitals, healthcare providers, community organizations, and transportation partners to improve access to medical care, expand preventive health programs, and ensure seniors can age safely and independently within our community.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race?FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I deserve to be elected because I bring a unique combination of healthcare leadership, business experience, and community service that reflects the needs of District 2. As a pediatrician, emergency medicine physician, and small business owner, I have spent my career solving problems, managing budgets, leading teams, and serving families during some of the most important moments of their lives.

Lake County is one of the fastest-growing communities in Florida. We need leadership that can balance responsible growth with protecting our quality of life. I will focus on ensuring that infrastructure keeps pace with development, supporting public safety, preserving our natural resources, and improving access to healthcare and services for our growing senior population.

As a husband, father, physician, and resident of Lake County, I understand the challenges facing working families, seniors, and small businesses. I am running because I believe local government should be responsive, transparent, accountable, and focused on practical solutions that improve the lives of the people who call Lake County home.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing Lake County families. Rising housing costs, property insurance premiums, property taxes, transportation expenses, and healthcare costs are putting pressure on working families, seniors, and young adults trying to build their future.

As County Commissioner, I will focus on solutions that local government can directly influence. First, I support responsible growth that increases housing options while ensuring infrastructure keeps pace with development. Second, I will work to keep county government efficient and fiscally responsible so we minimize the tax burden on residents. Third, I will support economic development efforts that attract high-quality jobs and help local businesses grow, allowing residents to earn wages that keep up with the cost of living.

As a physician, I also understand the financial burden of healthcare. I will work with local hospitals, healthcare providers, and community organizations to improve access to care and preventive services, particularly for seniors and working families.

Affordability is not a single issue—it affects housing, transportation, healthcare, and economic opportunity. My goal is to make Lake County a place where families can afford to live, work, raise children, and retire without being priced out of the community they love."

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? YES. I support the proposed constitutional amendment to reduce property taxes because affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing Florida families, particularly retirees, seniors on fixed incomes, and working families struggling with rising housing costs, insurance premiums, and inflation. Property taxes continue to increase even for residents who have already paid off their homes, and many longtime residents are being priced out of the communities they helped build. The proposed amendment would significantly expand homestead protections and provide meaningful relief to Florida homeowners.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? Florida’s utility regulators should ensure that residential customers and small businesses are not unfairly burdened with the costs associated with large-scale energy users, including data centers. While data centers can bring investment, jobs, and technological innovation, growth should not come at the expense of Florida families, retirees, and small businesses already facing rising utility bills.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? The biggest environmental issue facing Lake County and much of Florida is managing growth while protecting our water resources, lakes, wetlands, and natural habitats. As our population continues to grow, increased development places greater pressure on water quality, stormwater systems, conservation lands, and the ecosystems that make Florida unique.

Sean Parks - Incumbent

WEBSITE: voteforsean.com/

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Responsible Growth. Lake County is growing fast, but it cannot become “just anywhere.” I’m fighting bad development, protecting rural areas, strengthening planning rules, and making sure growth pays for the roads, water, and services it requires.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Roads and Infrastructure: Traffic is one of the biggest frustrations for residents. I’m pushing for long-term road funding, better coordination with cities, impact fees and developer commitments, and faster delivery of priority road projects.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Conservation and Water Protection: Protecting Lake County’s lakes, springs, farms, and natural lands is part of protecting our quality of life. I support land conservation, stronger water-resource planning, septic-to-sewer solutions where appropriate, and smarter development that respects our environment.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I believe I have earned the honor of re-election because this is no time for inexperience. Lake County is growing fast, and the decisions we make now will shape our roads, our water, our land, and our quality of life for decades.

I bring a proven record, a strong business reputation, and the work ethic to handle both the everyday issues like potholes, traffic, and public safety and the big-picture challenges, like preserving land, protecting water, and making growth pay for itself.

I show up. I do the homework. I ask the tough questions. And I fight every day to keep Lake County strong, conservative, well-managed, and worth calling home. This isn’t a stepping stone for me or a way to improve my image and make money.

I ask voters to remember that good policy requires a majority vote of the Board. One commissioner alone cannot pass ordinances, approve or deny zoning, approve better planning policies, or change the direction of growth overnight.

There have been times when I have proudly stood alone on difficult votes because I believed it was the right thing for Lake County. But lasting change comes from steady leadership, persistence, and building support over time.

That is the work I have done. Even my harshest critics agree. I have continued to press for better planning, stronger conservation, improved infrastructure, and more responsible growth. And over time, that steady work has helped change the conversation and move Lake County in a better direction.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue?

As Commissioner, I improve affordability by keeping taxes low, making growth pay for itself, cutting unnecessary red tape, building roads faster, supporting local jobs, and protecting the land and water that keep Lake County’s quality of life strong. I can’t control national inflation, but I can fight every day to make sure local government is efficient, responsible, and not adding to the burden on families.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? As of today, I would vote no, unless someone can show me this is not simply a shell game before the November election.

I support real tax relief. I have worked to keep Lake County lean, efficient, and fiscally conservative. But I will not support a proposal that sounds good on a postcard while shifting the burden somewhere else through higher fees, reduced services, or cuts to public safety, roads, parks, and basic county services.

This Amendment hurts active duty veterans, and first-time home buyers PLAIN and SIMPLE!

Lake County is not some bloated local government operation. We are serving far more residents than we were in 2010, while keeping county government disciplined. Outside of necessary public safety growth, we have not expanded government at a pace anywhere close to our population growth. And if one compares purchasing power versus county revenues, it’s easy to see Lake County is not blowing money.

So I ask... Show me the replacement plan. If the state wants to cut local revenue, then tell the public exactly what gets cut, what fees go up, or how roads, deputies, firefighters, stormwater, parks, and emergency services will be protected.

I am for lower taxes. I am not for budget gimmicks. Lake County taxpayers deserve honest math, not a shell game.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? Florida’s utility regulators should follow one clear principle: The cost-causer pays.

I am not opposed to technology or economic development, but residential customers and small businesses should not subsidize massive private power users. If a data center requires new generation, transmission, substations, water, grid upgrades, or other infrastructure, those costs should be paid by the data center and not shifted onto families through higher monthly utility bills.

That is why I recently supported a pause on data centers while Lake County prepares the right regulations, restrictions, consumer assurances, and water-resource protections. We need to understand the impacts before approving projects that could place major demands on our electric grid, water supply, land-use patterns, and surrounding communities.

There needs to be a requirement to plan for decommissioning of data centers too.

The Public Service Commission should require strong large-load tariffs, upfront engineering studies, long-term contracts, minimum demand charges, financial guarantees, and clear public disclosure. Regulators also need to protect grid reliability, allow interruption or curtailment during emergencies, and make sure these projects do not jump ahead of existing residents and businesses.

Florida can welcome responsible technology investment, but not at the expense of ratepayers or natural resources. Growth should pay for itself whether it is rooftops, roads, water infrastructure, or data centers.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? The biggest environmental issue Florida must address is protecting our water and green infrastructure while still keeping life affordable for the people who live here.

I grew up swimming in Florida springs, and many of those waters do not have the same water clarity they once did. That should concern every Floridian. Water-resource protection is not some abstract environmental issue. It is not a partisan issue. It affects our drinking water, our lakes, our springs, our wildlife, our property values, our economy, and our quality of life.

We need stronger planning around recharge areas, wetlands, stormwater, septic-to-sewer or DWTS where appropriate, conservation lands, and the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Green infrastructure should be treated like real infrastructure, because it saves money, reduces flooding, protects water quality, preserves wildlife habitat, and helps guide growth before it overwhelms communities.

This is also where home rule matters. Government closest to the people serves best. Counties and cities need the ability to protect their own water, land, springs, and rural character based on local conditions and not one-size-fits-all mandates from Tallahassee.

Florida’s challenge is not choosing between affordability and conservation. It is recognizing that protecting water, land, and wildlife corridors is one of the best ways to keep Florida livable and affordable for future generations.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Lake County Commission District 4 Republican Primary

The Lake County Commission has five districts, and these are partisan races, which means you must be a member of a political party to vote in August. All voters will be able to choose from a final slate of candidates in November.

The winner of the Republican primary for the District 4 commission seat will go on to face Democrat Egor Emery and two write-in candidates, Vance Jochim and Tommie Powers, in November.

County Commission District 4 encompasses the northern part of the county, including parts of Mount Dora and Umatilla. You can see a map of the district HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Lake County Commission District 4, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Leslie Campione - Incumbent

WEBSITE: https://www.lesliecampione.com/

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Preserving Lake County’s unique character by preventing the municipal annexation and development of rural lands

This issue can only be solved through voluntary participation by cities and the negotiation of agreements whereby cities in Lake County agree to honor Lake County’s Future Land Use Map and the areas already designated as “rural protection areas” and “rural” land uses. Most of these locations are pastures, rolling hills, farmland, forests or a combination of green spaces and very low-density housing that accommodates rural lifestyles valued by our community. I have tried to bring awareness to this issue through various platforms, supported legislation to preserve our rural areas, and have worked directly with cities to formulate rural boundary agreements.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Accelerating Infrastructure Projects and Relieving Congestion on our roads.

We have seen explosive growth in Florida and in Lake County in particular. Much of this growth is linked to pro-growth measures adopted by our state, which removed local control and mandated high-density housing projects in locations local governments would have otherwise denied. There are numerous other State laws that have promoted new development but there has been no corresponding State measures to address the massive impacts of growth on infrastructure.

Outdated funding formulas and sources have remained in place, and many of our most congested roads in Lake County are State roads that have already been engineered for capacity enhancements, but there is no funding available. My goal is to bring awareness to the need for reform to transportation in our county, region and state. State roads in Lake County such as SR 44, Hwy 441, SR 44B, Hwy 50, Hwy 27, and SR 19 are an integral part of the State’s total transportation system. This system impacts the quality of life of Lake County’s residents who share these roadways with millions of travelers. Capacity projects on these roads are engineered, have been on the priority list for years, but have not be able to be completed and transportation funding reform is way overdue in our state. I am not advocating for more taxes; I am advocating for re-prioritizing funds so that Florida can “catch up” on the State’s arterial and collector roads in Lake County.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Protecting our aquifer, natural resources and water quality.

I have been a strong advocate for water quality and environmental protection, through measures such as protecting the Wolf Branch Sink from surface water and potential leachate contamination - the Sink has direct connectivity to Rock Springs, Wekiva Spring and our aquifer. Other water quality measures I have supported and spearheaded include: the adoption of a noise ordinance for Silver Glen run and springs in order to promote a family friendly environment focused on limiting negative impacts above and below the surface; a pilot project to lower phosphorous levels in a major waterbody to prevent algal blooms and determine applicability for lakes throughout Lake County’s chain of lakes; the adoption of a low impact landscape ordinance for areas South of Clermont on the Lake Wales Ridge to lessen water usage and promote use of drought tolerant and native plants; the adoption of and promotion of a fertilizer best practices ordinance to lessen nutrient loading; the use of nutrient filtration systems to lessen nutrient loading in our lakes; and I have advocated for countywide flow-way mapping to coordinate flow-ways and stormwater systems with our cities; and I have advocated for enhanced stormwater and floodplain regulations that consider cumulative impacts downstream during major storm events.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? I have consistently put Lake County residents first, and I have spoken out against State growth measures that negatively impact our residents and the quality of life. I have fought back against tax increases, created efficiencies, significantly improved emergency response times to meet growing demands, and accelerated traffic projects whenever feasible. I am responsive to constituents, enjoy solving problems, and have a high energy level - I like to get things accomplished. I value our natural resources and unique Lake County character and through my understanding of Florida law and experience as an attorney, I have the skill set needed to protect Lake County and mitigate legal liability associated with development pressure. My love and appreciation for Lake County has grown during my public service. I have been tested and can be trusted to always put our residents first. Lastly, I have the experience necessary to help navigate our current challenges.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Affordability is a concern for everyone regardless of our age or stage in life, whether it’s food, gas, healthcare, housing, insurance, or taxes. Some of these issues are impacted nationally and internationally, or with regard to homeowners’ insurance, at the State level. Locally, we have to be constantly looking for ways to deliver essential services in the most efficient way possible to keep local government costs down. Ordinarily, solutions engineered by the government tend to have consequences that backfire. Focusing on getting homeowners’ insurance premiums lowered through immediate measures (versus the usual, “this will cause the rates to come down” type measures) would be the most impactful way to address affordability.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? I am still evaluating how I will vote personally, but I’ve considered various ways for local government to address lost revenue and service reductions. It will require a tremendous amount of collaboration between counties and cities, and creativity will be a necessity.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? Based on my research so far, Florida’s ecology is too fragile and our grid system is too vulnerable to support Data Centers. This should be the response of Florida’s utility regulators as well.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? Aquifer and surface water contamination from landfill and sludge spreading activities are major environmental concerns that affect our county, as well as concerns regarding water usage and water supply. The most recent problem that has emerged locally is related to a proposal by Heart of Florida landfill in Sumter County, which abuts Lake County, to study deep well injection of leachate. I strongly oppose this method of disposal. Landfill and sludge spreading activities are regulated by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), yet decisions made by FDEP have significant direct impacts on our residents, and there should be greater local control in this regard; water consumption is regulated by the Water Management Districts and has a major impact on our residents. Locally, we have tried to reduce water consumption by maximizing water reuse and the reduction of water consumption through technology and drought-tolerant landscaping.

These are all major concerns, but finding an alternative to landfills for solid waste disposal that is safe and environmentally sound is critical to protecting our aquifer.

David Williamson

WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/p/David-Williamson-for-Lake-County-Commissioner-District-4-61582610873972/

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Overdevelopment and training of our rural lands

One of, if not the, biggest topics of complaint in Lake County is the loss of our rural community feeling and the overdevelopment and crowding on our infrastructure that can’t withstand what we have, let alone what is planned to be brought in. The first step in protecting this is to stop rezoning our rural and rural transition land, and stop feeding into the developers. Just because it comes before the board to pass doesn’t mean it cannot be fought.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Cleanliness and spraying of our waterways.

This is Lake County; we are known for our water, it’s in our name, we have 1400 named bodies of water that are a huge part of our way of life, and hold a huge economic impact on our community. The use of chemicals of any sort directly into our water is irresponsible, especially when there are proven other ways to control non native vegetation witch is the reason for the use of chemicals. We, as Lake County, can invest in Manual harvesters and sterile carp for our water ways witch would also create jobs here directly in the county while taking a more eco-friendly approach to controlling vegetation in our waters. Our county is quick to say this is a state session to spray, but if we start to control the vegetation of our waterways, the state will not have a reason to spray.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Term limits and meeting times.

I believe in, and I am a strong supporter of, term limits at all levels. Even the greatest leaders can get comfortable, lose their way, change their ideas and thoughts, or simply have too much power. This seat has been held for 16 years, with the last 8 being uncontested, so for 8 years, there hasn’t even been a name on the ballot; the people haven’t had a choice. If I win this race, I have promised not to serve more than 2 terms or 8 years, and I believe that should be the set example. The president of the United States of America gets 8 years; why should anyone have more power or time than that? County meeting times are at 9 am on a Tuesday. The average citizen cannot be there to voice their opposition or approval on matters; we are serving the people correct, so why not let their voice be heard? Many people of this county feel that the Commissioner meeting is just for show, and most of the time, their votes, thoughts, and answers are already made before the meeting even starts. Transparency is a must, and it’s time to give the people their voice back.

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? Ultimately, this is the people’s decision. I entered this race because I am tired of the place I call home being destroyed by the water, the land, and our way of life. I was raised hunting, fishing, farming, and so much more in the outdoors, and I plan to do the same with my 3 boys, but at the rate we are going, that is all going to be a thing of the past. Wildlife and nature turn to homes, roads, malls, restaurants, or theme parks. Our way of life is being stripped not only for us but for our future generations, and I plan to conserve what we have left of our way of life in Lake County. I’m not a career politician, I am a concerned citizen that lives the complaints of the rest of the citizens daily.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? I believe our county needs to audit many of its programs. Our citizens have voiced that their taxes alone have been raised 2-3 times over the past decade or so. Yet the improvements that many of these taxes are supposed to go to never seem to happen in the eyes of the people. An audit needs to be done. We need to start cracking down and being more responsible with spending, and help our community with these issues. The cost of living is going to continue to rise, gas, food, and monthly bills; it all keeps going up, so responsible spending is a must.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? I agree with the amendment. You should own your property and not pay for it yearly or be penalized in other words. With that being said, there are going to be lost revenues and services, which goes back to my point of auditing programs throughout our county, tighten the belt up on some loose ends, and create revenue that is being used in ways our citizens don’t believe are necessary. Ultimately, I believe this is a step in the right direction to saving citizens money, and I believe it can work quickly if done correctly.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? Data centers should not even be an option. Recently, it seems like our county is all on the same page about not bringing them to Lake County. We need to expand energy-efficient programs and grants; while it may not be available to all, it can be made more accessible and cost-friendly through grants and awards. Rate increases need to be justified with detailed cost data, and if not, then denied to increase until it’s clearly necessary.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? Protecting our water. This year has shown that, extremely throughout the drought, many counties, not just ours, are expressing the lack of water or running out of water. We continue to develop at a rate of no return, and that uses water. We continue to let companies pump and pump and pump water for little to no fee at all. We continue to pollute our own waterways with the use of poisonous chemicals, even though we know clearly our freshwater source is in short supply at least. Protect our waterways, protect the land that we have left, and ultimately it protects our way of life.

Trump began the meeting by noting it was “something very unique.”

“It's Camp David, and this room is a very, very special room,” Trump said, as the White House spent Friday morning highlighting that the meeting was the first televised Cabinet meeting at the storied presidential retreat.

He then segued into his usual talking points about the economy, the border and Iran — but then referred to the recent surge of migrants into Cueta, a tiny territory of Spain, suggesting that the moment should be taken as a warning to voters ahead of the U.S. midterms.

“You know I saw Spain yesterday, and I watched the catastrophe that took place. It looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people,” Trump said. “And that same thing is going to happen to us if the Republicans don’t get elected. Except worse, much bigger.”

Other Cabinet officials, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, also spoke before Trump fielded questions from journalists, who left the meeting after nearly an hour.

It was the first Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Trump's second term after an earlier attempt in May was scuttled because of bad weather. During his first term, Trump held a Cabinet meeting at the retreat.

The public portion of Trump's Cabinet meetings has lasted as long as three hours, with the president letting everyone at the table update him on their departments or agencies — with added praise for him personally and his leadership thrown in. In a departure from other presidents, he has allowed the news media to stay for the duration of the meetings, a move that Leavitt has said proves his commitment to transparency.

More recently, however, Trump has commented on how lengthy the meetings have become. He has begun urging speakers to keep their comments brief, and he has limited the number of oral reports.

“Everybody around here has got a lot to say. But we did that once, and it lasted for like four or five hours. It was a little much,” Trump said at the May meeting.

Camp David was established in 1942 during Franklin Roosevelt's presidency and has been used by every president since.

Roosevelt had enjoyed relaxing aboard a presidential yacht, but the military and the U.S. Secret Service began to worry about his safety on open water during World War II. As a result, Roosevelt asked the National Park Service to find sites within 100 miles (160 kilometers) of the White House that he could use for rest.

He chose what is now known as Camp David. He gave it the original name of Shangri-La, from James Hilton’s novel “Lost Horizon.” President Dwight Eisenhower renamed it Camp David, after his grandson and father.

Trump spent more weekends at the retreat in his first term but has visited sparingly in his second, most recently in June for Father’s Day.

In 2019, during his first term, Trump announced on social media that he had canceled a secret weekend meeting at Camp David with Taliban and Afghanistan leaders — scheduled for just days before the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks — after a bombing in the capital of Kabul killed a dozen people, including a U.S. soldier.

Presidents throughout history have turned to Camp David when they needed security and privacy for sensitive diplomatic talks with foreign leaders. Jimmy Carter took the leaders of Egypt and Israel there in 1978 for talks that produced the Camp David Accords, a peace agreement between the two countries.

Camp David is also where Carter huddled in 1979 with representatives of a cross-section of American society. He later delivered a nationally televised speech on energy policy that became known as the “malaise” speech — even though he never said the word.

The camp's primary purpose is to provide presidents a place to rest, relax and recharge.

The 180-acre (73-hectare) retreat, which is run by the Navy and guarded by Marines, has a cabin named Aspen that’s reserved for the president, plus about a dozen other cabins for guests. A main lodge has conference rooms, a dining room and an office for the president.

Guests can take advantage of a range of indoor and outdoor amenities, including a fitness center, a bowling alley, a movie theater, a heated swimming pool and tennis and basketball courts. A chapel offers religious services.

___

Superville and Kim reported from Washington.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Lake County School Board District 1

The Lake County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.

School Board District 1 encompasses voters in the western part of the county, including Mascotte and Groveland. You can see a map of the area HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Lake County School Board District 1, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Pat Kelley

WEBSITE: https://www.pat4lake.com/

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race?

As your school board member, I will bring a proven track record of managing rapid community growth without burdening families with new public debt or higher taxes. Over my nearly 20 years as (Minneola) mayor, I successfully guided our population expansion by holding developers accountable for funding infrastructure, and I will bring that same “pay-as-you-go” fiscal discipline to our school district to protect your hard-earned tax dollars. Combined with my 35 years of corporate financial experience and nearly three decades as a classroom professor, I have the unique professional and educational background needed to optimize our budgets, support our teachers, and ensure our schools grow responsibly.

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: District Success - I plan to support teachers and programs by using a developer-funded fiscal model to protect the district’s budget, freeing up public funds to go directly into teacher compensation and essential classroom resources. As a veteran adjunct professor, I feel teachers are the heart of the system and will advocate for giving them flexible tools, mental health support, and individualized resources needed to handle diverse learning environments. Furthermore, I champion educational choice by backing a broad range of high-quality program modalities, including traditional public schools, charter schools, private options, and homeschooling networks.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Residential Development - I plan to manage rapid student population growth by maintaining a “developer-funded infrastructure” approach and strict “pay-as-you-go” fiscal policies, mirroring the strategies I used during my nearly 20 years as (Minneola) mayor. Instead of raising taxes or accumulating government debt to build new facilities, I intend to advocate for private developers to fund and build critical school infrastructure ahead of residential expansions, leveraging private sector efficiency to handle overcrowding without draining public funds.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Budget - I plan to draw from a 35-year background in corporate finance and accounting. I will advocate a conservative fiscal model to protect taxpayers. My strategy will focus on driving operational efficiencies to maintain stable property taxes, preventing unnecessary tax increases, and avoiding new public debt for capital projects.

How would you handle district budget issues? I would address school district budget issues by prioritizing fiscal responsibility, transparency, and student success. I would work to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent efficiently while protecting funding for teachers, school safety, and effective academic programs. I would also advocate for additional state funding and seek opportunities to maximize available resources.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? I will continue working with Tallahassee to advocate for increased funding to support not only new teachers but also experienced educators. Additionally, I would continue to support programs that provide professional development, strengthen instructional skills, and ensure teachers feel safe, supported, and well-prepared in the classroom.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Fortunately, Lake County improved from a C-rated district to an A-rated district. This achievement suggests that the district is implementing effective programs and strategies that produce positive results. I would continue to support the district’s decisions and efforts to maintain this progress.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? I will continue working closely with law enforcement to maintain safe and secure learning environments for our students and staff. Additionally, I would continue to evaluate and implement improvements as technology evolves to enhance school safety and preparedness.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? I believe this is an issue that extends beyond school libraries to include public libraries as well. I will advocate for clearer guidance and more consistent, well-defined standards across the state to ensure these matters are addressed fairly and effectively.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? Lake County Sheriff Peyton Grinnell, Lake County School Board Chair, District 1 Bill Mathias

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? Ensure the school board prioritizes excellent customer service for families and teachers, while delivering a balanced budget that avoids new public debt and protects families from tax hikes.

Eric Schwalbach

WEBSITE: https://voteschwalbach.com/

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race?

I have dedicated the last 30 years of my life to educating students. I am currently still in the classroom working in a system that is not meeting the needs of all our children. I know exactly what it takes to improve the system and I am willing to put in the time, money, and effort required to improve the quality of education for our students. I will be donating my entire school board salary to implement the programs I mention below so it does not require any extra taxpayer funding. This means over $180,000 in a 4-year period going to our youth. I was part of the math team who brought Oak Park Middle School from a D to a C, so I know exactly what it takes to make sure that EVERY child is getting what they need to succeed. Politicians want to tell you how great their system is, I want to show you how much better our system can and will be! We have to DEVELOP Income Producing Citizens who are Life Long Learners!

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Students are not leaving high school with the math and reading skills needed to succeed at the next level. We have to make sure that our students are getting the support they need in math and reading so they are able to pass the required tests they need to further their college or career opportunities. Create a tutoring program that uses a combination of high-impact math teachers and high school students who need their Bright Future hours to work with struggling students at the elementary, middle, and high schools.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: We need more great teachers. Great teachers develop great students and great students make great schools. We need to develop, recruit, and retain high-impact teachers. We need to develop a dual enrollment education program that recruits and trains high school students for the field of education. Students can now get their 4-year elementary education degree from Lake Sumter State College.

We need to ensure that Lake County teacher pay is competitive with surrounding counties so we do not lose our great teachers. When I was at Oak Park Middle School, my 7th grade students had a substitute the entire year in 6th grade math because they could not hire a qualified math teacher. This puts these students at a huge disadvantage over their peers at other schools.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: We need more career and technical opportunities for our students who may not want to go to college. We are working with organizations to educate and recruit more students into the trade industry. We also need to ensure they have the required math skills to eventually own and run a successful company so they can live the American dream. We also need to make sure that students have access to other career education opportunities at Lake Tech in their own community.

How would you handle district budget issues? Every budget decision should answer one question: Does this help students learn? I’ll protect classrooms first, demand transparency, eliminate waste, and make sure taxpayers know how every dollar is spent. Our children deserve responsible stewardship of public funds. As a math teacher for my entire life, I would analyze and prioritize the funding with student success as the top priority. Protect funding for teachers, classroom instruction, student safety, special education, and essential student services before considering cuts elsewhere. Conduct a line-by-line review of the budget to identify administrative costs, duplicate programs, unnecessary contracts, and other expenses that can be reduced without harming instruction. Look for ways to save through shared services, energy efficiency, and better purchasing agreements. If enrollment is increasing, work with local governments and developers to ensure schools are adequately planned and that available school impact fees and other legal funding sources are used effectively. Pursue state and federal grants, partnerships with businesses and nonprofits, and other revenue sources where appropriate. Publish easy-to-understand budget information, hold public workshops, and explain why difficult decisions are being made before votes occur. Regularly evaluate programs to ensure taxpayer dollars are producing measurable benefits for students. Programs that consistently underperform should be revised or discontinued.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Great teachers create great communities by developing our future citizens into income-producing citizens who are lifelong learners. We have to respect and support the teachers we have currently while recruiting and developing our own future educators. As I mentioned above, we have to recruit, retain and develop great teachers. This requires developing high-quality dual enrollment education degree opportunities for students to become educators. I did not want to be a teacher when I was in high school or my first year in college. I wanted to be an engineer and work in construction. Doing volunteer hours for my intro to education class in college led to me becoming a lifelong educator who has had a positive impact on the life of thousands of children. I have been able to use education to break the cycle of poverty, lower crime rates, and improve the quality of life in our communities.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? We have to stop only teaching to the test. We have to promote and develop the love of reading. We have to help and allow our students to fall in love with reading. We have to make sure students have access to high-interest books and articles and give them time during school to read about things they enjoy.

DEVELOP A LOVE FOR READING: I taught 5th grade for 8 years when I first started teaching in 1996, before every child had a computer or phone. I spent a large portion of my day finding great books for each of my students to read. We read as often as possible throughout the day. We read in pairs, in groups, and individually throughout the day. I did a lot of guided reading to model what good readers think about as they read.

BRING BACK CLASSROOM LIBRARIES: We do not encourage kids in middle school or high school to read for pleasure. When I started teaching math in middle school, I made sure my bookshelf was full of books and magazines my students would like to read. Most of my middle school students never read an entire book until they fell in love with a series they found on my shelf. Then they read as many books in the series as they could. This led to them improving their reading scores as well as their math. Most students who never read throughout the entire year, can not stay focused on reading for a 2-hour state reading test. It is like asking them to run a marathon when they have never learned to jog. Many students admit to me that they gave up and did not try on the reading test because there is no penalty if they fail. They think they are beating the system because they just keep getting moved along even though they never ever pass the state test. Then in high school they can not pass the state reading and math test required to get their high school diploma. We have to stop forcing students to only read and write for test that were developed by a for-profit technology company. We have to give them time to read what they like to read and provide a variety of options for them to choose books and articles that are interesting to them.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Having a school resource officer on every campus as well as the armed school guardian is great. We have also done a good job implementing our mental health counselors at each school. This is a great proactive way to identify and support students with their mental health before it escalates. We also provide families with connections to family counseling as well.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? We should only have approved books on our shelves and classroom libraries. If a parent feels that a book is not appropriate for their child, they can report the book so it can be removed immediately while being evaluated.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I just joined the race, so I will provide more information as I get endorsements and support.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? I want to make sure we provide the needed tutoring and support for high school students to pass the tests they need to succeed at the next level. Two examples are math boot camps for ASVAB to join the military and Algebra 1 end-of-course exam for a high school diploma and college readiness. I have way too many students who I taught 4 years ago in middle school reaching out on social media asking me to tutor them in math so they can pass a test they have to pass for their next career opportunity. I want to make sure every student has access to this level of support so they can become “Income Producing Citizens who are Life Long Learners!”

The Trump administration has faced pushback from some European allies over the use of air bases in support of its war with Iran.

But lawmakers in Bulgaria — a member of NATO and the European Union — voted earlier in July to allow the deployment of up to eight U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft, as well as 250 personnel with personal weapons and ammunition and airfield equipment, at Bezmer Air Base.

Under a 2006 U.S.-Bulgaria defense agreement, the Bezmer facility, about 260 kilometers (160 miles) southeast of the capital, Sofia, is a joint-use facility. Any new use of the base requires parliamentary approval.

The deployment, requested by the U.S. Embassy in Bulgaria, is authorized until Oct. 1, 2026.

U.S. President Donald Trump thanked Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev in a Truth Social post for allowing the deployment “despite Iran’s threats.”

On Thursday, Bulgarian Foreign Minister Velislava Petrova assured her Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, that the deployment “in no way means a change in Bulgaria’s approach toward Iran." The two countries are important trade partners.

A Bulgarian Foreign Ministry statement quoted Petrova as saying “it was out of the question" that any direct military actions linked to the conflict in the Middle East would be carried out from Bulgarian territory.

The statement did not indicate what Araghchi said. But the Bulgarian state news agency, BTA, said Araghchi protested to Petrova over Bulgaria’s support for U.S. military operations against Iran during a telephone conversation initiated by the Bulgarian side. The report cited a report from Iran's state-run IRNA news agency.

Residents of the village of Bezmer and nearby settlements, including the regional capital Yambol, have staged peaceful protests in recent days against the deployment of the U.S. aircraft.

Government officials visited the region to address people’s fears, assuring them that the deployment is solely for logistical missions involving in-flight refueling outside Bulgarian airspace.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Marion County Commission District 2 Republican Primary

The Marion County Commission has five districts, and these are partisan races, which means you must be a member of a political party to vote in August. All voters will be able to choose from a final slate of candidates in November.

The winner of the Republican primary for the District 2 commission seat will go on to face write-in candidate Mark Okus in November.

County Commission District 2 encompasses the southwestern part of the county. You can see a map of the district HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Marion County Commission District 2, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Matt Cretul

WEBSITE: mattcretul.com/

Mr. Cretul did not respond to our requests to take our questionnaire.

Mike Crimi

WEBSITE: electmikecrimi.com/

Mr. Crimi did not respond to our requests to take our questionnaire.

Brien Weidemiller

WEBSITE: https://brienweidemiller.com/

Top issues in your race

If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Overdevelopment is the number one issue in Marion County. My plan is to focus on infrastructure to support our current residents and slow down the growth until we can support it.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: I plan on tightening up our budget. We need to be good stewards of taxpayer money and focus on three things: (1) do the residents want it, (2) do the residents need it, and (3) will the planned expenditure improve our quality of life.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Preservation of Marion County culture. We are an agricultural and ecological community. I want to focus on projects that preserve our horse and agricultural culture and preserve our natural resources like our springs.

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I grew up in Marion County schools, started a successful small business in Marion County, and am raising a family in Marion County. I have a proven track record of running and expanding not only my business, but a local non-profit. I care about Marion County, its residents, and want others to enjoy the same experiences I have had.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Marion County is very affordable and that is why a lot of people are moving here. We need to focus on developing infrastructure that can support the growth we are experiencing. Right now, our roads and municipal services are strained as a result of overdevelopment that outpaces our infrastructure. This needs to change.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? I am voting yes. The county needs to start budgeting smarter, cut unnecessary spending, and eliminate fraud, waste, and abuse. We save money by reducing the amount of projects we outsource. We have seen at the state level how fiscal discipline, conservative governance, and smart investments, matched with declining spending have led to a better way of life.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? I don’t know anyone besides the data centers who wants them built. I will vote no on data centers. One of the ways the utility companies have been helping reduce costs is by offering rebates, updating outdated processes, and audits.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? The biggest environmental issue our government faces is water. With issues such as deep well injection, water bottling plants, and waste and industrial runoff, we need to implement a long-term, strategic plan to address and combat these issues.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Marion County Commission District 4 Republican Primary

The Marion County Commission has five districts, and these are partisan races, which means you must be a member of a political party to vote in August. All voters will be able to choose from a final slate of candidates in November.

The winner of the Republican primary for the District 4 commission seat will go on to face write-in candidate Leonard Michael Racioppi in November.

County Commission District 4 encompasses the northeastern part of the county. You can see a map of the district HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Marion County Commission District 4, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Randall Alvord

WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61585958091398

Top issues in your race

If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Out of Control Government Spending. Scrutinize county spending and require staff to bring forward all opportunities for saving taxpayer funds. Bring county-funded construction costs in line with private sector costs. No more spending $700 per sf for new construction.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Growth Planning and Management. Focus growth in the already designated Urban Growth Boundary and preserve our rural areas. We are blessed in Marion County that nearly two-thirds of our county is currently under some form of preservation like the Ocala National Forest and the Farmland Preservation Area.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Accountability and Transparency. Marion County has been challenged with overdevelopment, and it seems that the vast majority has come from National builders that appear to have new developments “fast-tracked” while vested members of our community have faced limitations on what can be done to better strengthen our community. Strictly adhere to commissioners serving only two terms.

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? Unlike all of my opponents, I did not need to go out and join organizations and clubs to become part of the community because I have been serving my entire life in our community. I am honored to be the only veteran in the District 4 Commission race and I proudly served in the United States Marine Corps and I am a Combat Veteran of the Gulf War. I have been a small business owner for over 30 years, doing Ag and Timberlands brokerage. As a small farm beef cattle producer, I know the importance of maintaining and preserving agriculture as one of our primary economic drivers here in Marion County.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? I hear this from nearly everyone I speak to. We start by controlling government spending. My opponents are in favor of increasing impact fees to only increase the ability to spend recklessly. Private sector, with strong oversight by elected leaders, will always be a better option for controlling costs of government projects. Marion County overwhelmingly passed an extension of the one-cent sales tax in 2024 and this has helped relieve the burden of property owners having to pay the majority of the cost burden. Approximately 30% of the 65 million revenues generated by the one-cent sales tax is paid by visitors and non-residents. These funds are specifically earmarked for infrastructure and public safety.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? At this time, I am in favor of voting yes. In the 20-page joint resolution, there is some language that may allow counties, with legislature guidance, to remove the savings from the Save Our Homes protections under Amendment 10 and re-assess properties at current total just value. If this turns out to be accurate, about 20% of Marion County homeowners will be paying significantly more for their homesteaded taxes. The courts are currently reviewing ballot language according to recent reports.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? Data Centers have no place in Marion County. It is hard to fathom the need for such large facilities. As technologies advance, smaller facilities with closed-loop cooling systems and the ability to generate their own power needs may be more welcoming. Until then, there will not be excessive demand placed on our grid and I will strongly advocate with regulatory authorities for this demand staying in check.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? Consumptive Use Permits issued by our governing water authorities need to have restrictions/limitations placed on them for times of drought like we are experiencing. Silver Springs is currently flowing at just over half its average hourly flow rate but yet we are allowing a water bottling company to continue to draw full capacity of its CUP just a few hundred yards away from the head springs. Most agree the only solution is to get a large amount of rainfall and soon to recharge our aquifer.

Jeff Bairstow

WEBSITE: www.jeff4marioncounty.com/

Top issues in your race

If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Infrastructure. My solution is infrastructure first. We need to strengthen concurrency, make sure road capacity is planned before major development is approved, prioritize the most dangerous and congested corridors, and make sure new growth pays a fair share through properly calculated impact fees. Existing residents should not carry the full burden for infrastructure needed because of new development.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Public safety. My solution is to plan staffing, stations, equipment, and emergency resources around real growth numbers. We need to support our first responders, improve response times, and make sure public safety facilities are included in long-term growth planning. After nearly 29 years in law enforcement, I understand that public safety works best when leaders plan ahead instead of reacting after a crisis.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Protecting water, springs, and our way of life. My solution is to protect the Farmland Preservation Area, strengthen growth boundaries, reduce pressure on rural lands, support smarter development where infrastructure already exists, and make water quality and water availability part of every major growth decision. Marion County can grow, but it must grow responsibly.

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I bring experience in public service as a police officer for almost 29 years and 10 years as a business owner. Those two elements give me the understanding of being a public servant and the ability to run government like a business.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Stop shifting the cost of growth onto existing residents, spend taxpayer money carefully, protect core services, and make sure Marion County remains a place where working families, seniors, and young people can still afford to live. Affordability is more than just affordable housing, it is also the service worker that has to charge more to fix your AC, plumbing, electrical, etc. because they cannot get the same amount of service calls in per day, due to sitting in traffic.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? I think replaced revenue in Marion County could be replaced by impact fees and making sure that growth pays for growth. We need to look and NEEDS and WANTS in the County budget and treat that budget like we treat our household budget.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? I am a hard NO for data centers in Marion County.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? Water quality and water supply. Before approving major development, the county should ask: Where will the water come from? Where will wastewater go? What is the impact on springs, wells, drainage, and aquifer recharge? Growth without water planning is like building a house and forgetting the plumbing.

Wanda Wimberly Lasher

WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/groups/1186585053501200/

Ms. Lasher did not respond to our requests to fill out the questionnaire.

Sherri Meadows

WEBSITE: https://www.meadowsformarion.com/

Top issues in your race

If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Responsible growth and infrastructure planning. Growth is not the enemy, but unmanaged growth creates traffic, strains public safety, pressures water resources, and changes the quality of life that brought people to Marion County. I will support long-range planning that puts infrastructure first, directs growth where roads, utilities, schools, emergency services, and solid waste capacity can support it, and protects rural and agricultural areas. I will also support regular impact fee reviews, better coordination with the School Board, municipalities, the TPO, and public safety agencies, and clearer public notice before major land-use decisions are made.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Affordability and fiscal responsibility. Families, seniors, veterans, workers, and small businesses are being squeezed by taxes, insurance, utilities, housing costs, HOA fees, and everyday expenses. County government cannot control every cost, but it can control its own spending, fees, permitting process, and priorities. I will focus county dollars on core services first: public safety, roads, water, emergency response, and essential infrastructure. I will support workforce housing options that fit the community, reduce unnecessary delays in permitting, make sure new growth pays its fair share, and push for a budget culture that asks, “Does this improve the lives of the people paying for it?”

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Protecting Marion County’s water, springs, farms, and rural character. Our aquifer, springs, rivers, lakes, horse farms, forests, and agricultural lands are not just environmental assets — they are part of our economy, identity, and way of life. I will support stronger water-quality planning, stormwater accountability, careful review of utility expansions, protection of springsheds and recharge areas, conservation partnerships, and land-use decisions that consider long-term impacts on water, traffic, public safety, and quality of life. Protecting our natural resources must be part of every major growth decision, not an afterthought.

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I am not asking voters to elect me because of a title. I am asking them to look at a lifetime of service, leadership, and real-world experience. Born in Florida, I moved to Marion County as a child, built a business here, raised my family here, and have spent decades serving this community in volunteer, civic, professional, and advocacy roles.

I have worked with local, state, and federal leaders on issues affecting housing, veterans, small businesses, property rights, water, land use, and quality of life. I have testified before Congress, served in statewide and national leadership, and currently serve in local volunteer roles that keep me connected to the challenges families are facing.

Marion County needs leadership that is prepared on Day One — not political rhetoric, not special-interest government, and not decisions made from an ivory tower. I bring business experience, servant leadership, fiscal discipline, and a deep love for Marion County. My commitment is simple: protect taxpayers, preserve what makes Marion County special, and advance responsible solutions for the future.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Affordability must be addressed from several directions. At the county level, that starts with fiscal discipline. Government must live within its means, prioritize core services, and avoid placing unnecessary costs on families and small businesses.

Second, we must plan growth better. When infrastructure lags behind growth, taxpayers end up paying the price through congestion, road backlogs, emergency service pressure, and higher long-term costs. New development should pay its fair share for the impacts it creates, while the county keeps fees predictable and fair.

Third, we need workforce housing solutions that fit Marion County. That means encouraging smaller homes, attainable housing near jobs and services, public-private partnerships, and responsible redevelopment where infrastructure already exists. It also means recognizing that affordability is not just the price of a home. Property taxes, insurance, utility bills, HOA fees, transportation costs, and wages all affect whether people can afford to live here.

The county cannot solve every affordability problem alone, but it can stop making the problem worse. I will support common-sense budgeting, efficient permitting, infrastructure-first planning, and policies that help working families, seniors, veterans, and young people stay in Marion County.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? I will vote yes but with fiscal guardrails - for meaningful property tax relief because homeowners, seniors, families, and working people need help. Property taxes have become a serious affordability issue, especially for people on fixed incomes and families trying to stay in their homes. That said, property tax relief must be implemented responsibly. Counties still have to fund law enforcement, fire rescue, emergency response, roads, water infrastructure, parks, and other essential services. I do not support simply replacing lost revenue by raising fees on working families, raising assessments, or cutting core public safety services. My approach would be to start with a full review of county spending, prioritize essential services, reduce duplication, phase non-essential projects when necessary, pursue grants and state partnerships, use impact fees appropriately for growth-related infrastructure, and require departments to justify increases with measurable results. If fees are considered, they must be tied directly to the service provided, transparent, lawful, and not used as a hidden tax. Property tax relief should force government to become more disciplined, not less accountable.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? Florida’s utility regulators should protect residential customers and small businesses from subsidizing massive power users. Data centers can create jobs and investment, but they also place enormous demands on electricity, water, land, and infrastructure. Existing customers should not be forced to pay for upgrades, transmission, generation, or reliability costs created by private large-load users. Regulators should require clear cost-of-service analysis, special tariffs for large-load customers, long-term demand commitments, financial guarantees, and transparency in utility agreements. Local governments MUST retain authority over land use, compatibility, water impacts, emergency services, and community effects. Florida should welcome innovation, but not at the expense of taxpayers, water resources and environment, health of our citizens, or local quality of life.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? The biggest environmental issue for Marion County and Florida is protecting our water — both quality and quantity. Our aquifer, springs, rivers, lakes, wetlands, and recharge areas are the foundation of our environment, economy, agriculture, recreation, and quality of life. In Marion County, that means protecting the Floridan Aquifer, Silver Springs, Rainbow River, the Ocklawaha system, and the many lakes, forests, farms, and rural lands that help define our community. Water protection must be part of land-use decisions, utility planning, stormwater management, septic-to-sewer discussions, agricultural partnerships, and growth approvals.I support science-based water planning, strong stormwater standards, careful review of high-water-use projects, responsible utility expansion, conservation partnerships, and protecting rural and agricultural lands that help preserve recharge areas and open space. We cannot wait until there is a crisis to protect our water. Once springs, aquifers, and rural lands are damaged, they are difficult — and sometimes impossible — to restore.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Marion County School Board District 3

The Marion County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.

School Board District 3 encompasses voters in the southwestern part of the county. You can see a map of the area HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Marion County School Board District 3, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Eric Cummings - Incumbent

WEBSITE: https://electericcummings.com/

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? I’ve served on the Marion County School Board since 2018, and I’m proud of the steady progress we’ve made, but we can still do more. We’ve worked hard to stabilize and improve our district rankings after years of decline, even with all the challenges Florida schools face. I stay accessible to parents—I answer calls and work directly with families on issues. Education is a team effort, and I bring parents, teachers, administrators, and the community together. With my background as a pastor and former law enforcement officer, I’m committed to safe schools, supporting our kids and families, smart spending, and backing our teachers. I’m not done yet—we’re heading in the right direction, and I want to keep that momentum going for our students.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: The first challenge is improving student achievement. We have to identify struggling students early and implement targeted strategies that will improve students’ outcomes while working with the parents and all available resources to help the kid be successful.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: The second challenge is recruiting and retaining outstanding teachers and staff. Great schools begin with great educators. We must continue working to offer competitive pay, meaningful professional development, strong mentoring programs, and a positive work environment where employees feel respected and supported.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Maintaining safe schools. Parents should never have to worry whether their child will be safe when they leave home each morning. That means continuing to invest in campus security, mental health resources, emergency preparedness, and strong partnerships with law enforcement while creating school environments where every student feels valued and connected.

How would you handle district budget issues? A school budget should reflect our priorities. My priority has always been students, so I believe in smart spending that puts students first. We have to be responsible with taxpayer dollars—focus on what directly helps kids learn, supports teachers, and keeps schools safe and well-maintained. That means careful oversight, transparent decisions, and avoiding waste while planning for growth. I’ve supported strong audits and prioritizing essential needs during my time on the board, and I’ll continue that approach.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? The best way to recruit great teachers is to become the kind of district where teachers want to stay. That starts with competitive salaries and benefits, but it doesn’t end there. Teachers also want supportive administrators, opportunities to grow professionally, manageable workloads, and classrooms where they can focus on teaching. We should continue building partnerships with colleges and universities to strengthen our teacher pipeline while investing in mentoring programs that help new educators succeed from day one.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? I believe that Reading is the foundation for academic success. We have to identify reading challenges as early as possible and provide students with the supports they need before they fall behind. That includes strong classroom instruction, targeted interventions, tutoring, family engagement, and ongoing progress monitoring. We also have to empower our teachers with high-quality instructional materials and professional development so they have every opportunity to help students become confident readers.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Safety is my top priority. We’ve strengthened partnerships with local law enforcement and continue to review what works best for our schools. I support practical policies that protect students and staff without creating unnecessary burdens. As a former law enforcement officer, I understand security, and I’ll keep pushing for measures that give parents confidence while letting kids focus on learning.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? The Marion County School System has an easily accessible book review policy that is in alignment with state regulations. We should follow the established policy, which ensure that parental rights are not being overlooked and that children are being exposed to inappropriate reading materials. Our goal is to make sure library materials are suitable while still encouraging kids to read and learn.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I’m grateful for support from individual donors and people in the community who know my record. In past races, I’ve had backing from local leaders and parents who care about our schools. I run as a non-partisan candidate focused on kids, not politics, and I welcome support from anyone who wants strong, steady leadership for Marion County schools. I recently received the recommendation from the Ocala Marion County Association of Realtors.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? If re-elected, I want to continue strengthening policies that improve student outcomes. That includes expanding efforts to improve literacy, supporting attendance initiatives. I would also push to expand successful initiatives like academic recovery programs and year-round learning options where they are feasible. We also need to keep strengthening vocational and career education so our students are ready for the real world. Most importantly, I’ll focus on policies that reinforce safe schools, better support for teachers, and smart use of resources to help every child succeed.

Steve Swett

WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/groups/411268367575572/

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race?

Marion County School District has been in the bottom third of Florida school districts for years. It is currently ranked a C district by the Florida State Education Department. The district has failed its fiduciary duty to the students, staff and taxpayers of Marion County. A new perspective and new leadership is required. Marion County cannot accept the status quo; I am a change agent.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Student Proficiency. Strong focus on early literacy. Public reading plans in every school. Monthly progress monitoring. Targeted remedial training at all grade levels.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Fiscal Responsibility. Conduct a line-by-line review, eliminate waste and increase transparency and public accountability, focus spending on students, teachers, and classrooms. Ensure long-term financial stability.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Managing Growth. Marion County continues to grow-use enrollment data to guide decisions, address overcrowding before it becomes a problem, plan responsibly, prepare for future growth without unfair burden to taxpayers.

How would you handle district budget issues? Keen oversight and sound management. Line-by-line budget review. Site-based budget and review every avenue of cost-cutting and savings.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Respect, support and empower teachers. Reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and mandates. Provide the tools, training and authority to teach effectively. Ensure local savings go directly to frontline staff and classrooms. Teaching is a noble profession, our decisions must reflect that.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Strong focus on early literacy, public reading plans at all grade levels, benchmarks that are clear and realistic, monthly progress monitoring and targeted remedial training.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? I would urge the school board to give full authority to the elected Sheriff of Marion County and do away with the unneeded School Safety Department. The Sheriff’s Office provides the School Resources Officers. The present in-house School Safety Department is bureaucratic created department that present duties the Sheriff can handle. It will provide more safety.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? By following Florida State law and having a sincere interest in monitoring what is available to students. There are good existing methods to remove age inappropriate from public schools. Parental involvement is key.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? None at present. I am not a part of any establishment organization. I am sure I will pick up some valid conservative organization endorsements.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? All policy should focus on student achievement and budget. It can be done.

The Democrat's office released more than 700 pages of tax filings spanning four years for reporters to review, offering a window into Newsom's finances as he prepares to leave office and considers a 2028 presidential bid. Newsom’s office did not release returns for 2025, because the couple filed for an extension and will complete those returns in October.

The returns show the Newsoms' income has remained relatively consistent since when he took office in 2019, when the couple reported $1.7 million in annual income. The exception was in 2021, when the family sold a house for nearly $6 million in Marin County, making roughly $800,000 from the sale. That year, they made $4.2 million and paid more than $1 million in federal and state taxes. They earned roughly $2 million in 2022.

The release of the couple's tax filings comes as their finances have been under scrutiny after the U.S. Justice Department launched investigations into the Newsoms, the governor announced last month. Newsom has blasted the probes as politically motivated.

It was the first time Newsom released returns since 2022.

Newsom made nearly $200,000 annually from serving as governor, but most of his income comes from winery and restaurant businesses that he put in a blind trust when he took office. The returns don’t name each individual business, making it impossible to know which ones gained and lost money.

The PlumpJack Group, a company he owns that includes a suite of wineries and restaurants, is now run by his sister and cousin.

His wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom, a film director, lost money most years from Girls Club Entertainment, a production company she founded. The business produced “Miss Representation,” a 2011 documentary about disparaging portrayals of women and girls in media, and two other films.

The Newsoms paid between roughly $14,000 and $44,000 a year for childcare for three of their four children, according to the tax filings.

They gave between $40,000 and $65,000 in gifts to charity each year, mostly through monetary donations. They also donated thousands of dollars worth of clothing, toys and other items to thrift stores and nonprofits, including in 2022, when they gave away Armani business wear they originally bought for $45,000 to a racial justice organization in Oakland.

A key area of the Pacific Ocean used to measure the strength of El Nino this week reached its warmest and most intense level ever recorded for the 15th week since it formed, which is early in its lifetime, scientists at Columbia University reported.

El Nino — a natural warming of the Pacific near the equator that warps weather patterns worldwide — won't peak for several months and should last through spring 2027. The World Meteorological Organization, a U.N. agency, cautioned on Friday that it will likely trigger extreme heat, drought and rainfall well into next year.

“Two months ago, I warned that El Nino was arriving on our doorstep. Now it is inside the house — and turning up the heat,” United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters Friday. “We have already endured a summer of extremes — record-shattering heat domes; apocalyptic wildfires raging in Spain, France and far beyond; thousands of lives lost in the scorching conditions.”

“But according to the latest science, this is only a warm-up act,” Guterres said, saying as the El Nino strengthens it will be “adding fuel to a planet already on fire.”

“We are in uncharted territory,” he said. “The climate crisis is in overdrive.”

Most computer forecast models are showing that this El Nino will likely break the all-time record for intensity when it peaks, sometime late fall or so, but that's not guaranteed, scientists said.

Chaotic extremes in rain, drought and unheard of heat coming

It's still early in the nearly yearlong life of a typical El Nino to see many direct effects yet, but they are coming, scientists said, agreeing with Guterres’ warnings. El Nino's effects will combine with the long-term global warming from the burning of coal, oil and gas.

“We’re seeing something that is the warmest July ever recorded for that specific region," used as an El Nino indicator, Columbia University climate scientist Jeffrey Shaman said. "A year from now, it’s going to be very hot in the Northern Hemisphere. And we’re going to possibly have a summer like we’ve never experienced globally."

But before then, the strong El Nino is likely to cause changes in rainfall patterns that will bring chaotic extremes to different parts of the world in fall and winter. There's a strong chance of drought and wildfires in Indonesia, India and other parts of Asia, south and east Australia, chunks of South America and southern regions in Africa, the WMO warned. Other areas, including much of the United States and fire-struck Southern Europe will get above average rain.

“This El Nino, developing against the backdrop of unprecedented ocean heat and rising temperatures, provides governments and communities with a window of opportunity to anticipate risks and act before impacts unfold,” said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

El Nino amplifies human-caused warming

While El Nino and climate change are separate phenomena, their effects create a harmful combination — and people aren't taking the connection seriously enough, Guterres said.

“We hear much about record heat, drought and wildfires — but not enough about the real change that is driving these events: the accelerating climate crisis powered by fossil fuels," Guterres said.

Guterres said the world gets too absorbed by dramatic wars in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan to notice the dangers of climate change. On top of that, “there is a deliberate campaign, namely by the fossil fuel industry and some countries in order to pretend that that the problems that we are witnessing indeed do not exist.”

The U.N. must be more active and mobilize public opinion “to tell governments it’s time to recognize this threat as an existential threat to us all,” he told reporters.

Much of the heat from the burning of fossil fuels gets trapped in the oceans, but “during an El Nino the ocean in some sense gets to return some of the heated buildups of global warming back to the atmosphere,” Shaman said. Even though this El Nino will end, the released heat sticks around in the air, along with the higher temperatures, which will jump up again the next El Nino, he added.

Guterres called for more early warning systems and cooling systems to handle extreme heat. He said industry and governments need to make work safer, highlighting the garment industry, which has 90 million workers, most of them women. In 17 of the 23 biggest clothing making hubs, dangerously hot days jumped by more than 10% in the past 20 years, “yet most global brands set no heat standard for the factories that supply them.”

But mostly, Guterres said, “the world must stop fueling the crisis.... More coal, oil and gas will lead to a more combustible future."

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Borenstein reported from Washington.

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The Associated Press’ climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP’s standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Marion County School Board District 4

The Marion County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.

School Board District 4 encompasses voters in the central part of the county. You can see a map of the area HERE.

Since there are four candidates in the race, the top vote-getter must get more than 50% of the vote (50%+1) in order to win outright. Otherwise, the top two candidates will go to a runoff in November.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Marion County School Board District 4, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Jeff Brewer

WEBSITE: https://www.jeffreybrewer4schoolboard.com/

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I have a passion for all the stakeholders: parents, taxpayers, students, teachers, administrators and staff. As a retired teacher, I believe I can help make things better. Knowing what working in the schools is all about, from being a school bus driver to teaching social studies at the high school level, to teaching special education at all levels, I have the knowledge, experience and wisdom to avoid mistakes and direct the district to success. Values and education go together. You can’t have one without the other. We have a great resource in our highly educated retired population here in Marion County who can be activated to help in our schools. We have so many that contribute now but so much more can be done. I want to make this happen.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Toxic behavior in schools. Students are disrespectful to each other, to their teachers and to staff far too frequently. Discipline and accountability for poor behavior has likely never been worse. We can’t change family dynamics, the realities of family dysfunction, trauma, poverty, but we can work to bring order and peace to our schools. That means that teachers need their administrators to be leaders instead of politicians. 8% of our students are creating 50-plus percent of our discipline referrals. We need to be all on the same page when it comes to where the right behaviors end and bad behaviors start and what to do about them.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Chronic absenteeism. If students aren’t in school, they can’t learn. Good schools have low student absentee percentages. We can use resources to get kids who miss the bus to get to school. We can make school a safer, more nurturing atmosphere so students and their families will be motivated to get them to school and participate in the learning process. Parent participation is critical to student success.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Lack of vision. We have programs and spend money, as much as $1.26 billion! We need vision and specific goals to every aspect of what we do on the board. We need to have big goals and fail more. Then we can change our direction instead of doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. More than 40% of our students are failing to meet grade-level standards. Small incremental results are not enough. Every person in every department needs to have a vision stamped on what they do and know how it fits into the grand vision: success for all our students.

How would you handle district budget issues? #1 Live within our means, borrow as little as possible #2 Use a Design and build model to build new schools #3 Listen to parents and communities when designing the size, location and amenities of new or when redesigning existing schools. #3 Develop a public-private partnership to bring revenue to schools, i.e., voluntary preK or Gymnastics, Dance businesses to school properties to generate revenue.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? There are only two things we can do: Increase pay for both new and existing teachers and/or increase job satisfaction to keep teachers. Too many new college graduates are not choosing teaching because they can’t afford to; other places in Florida and other states are paying more. The answer is to recruit relentlessly, increase pay for new and experienced teachers and increase teacher satisfaction. We need to listen to why young teachers are not staying and why experienced teachers are leaving and take steps to raise job satisfaction.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Keep encouraging families to participate in early learning opportunities like VPK, voluntary pre-kindergarten. Bring more adult volunteers into schools to read with students, especially in elementary and middle school. We can also encourage student mentors to tutor and befriend their younger peers. Initiate grants recruiting teachers with stipends to tutor students before or after school hours.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? I would like to see if it will be a cost savings without loss of safety, to have the sheriff take over school safety.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? As they are now. If there are any books that are objectionable, anyone can raise the red flag and have the text reviewed.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign?

Mr. Brewer did not give a response to this question.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? I would lobby and have a vote to allow Chaplain volunteers to operate in schools.

Mike Mills

WEBSITE: www.mikemillsmarionschools.com/

Mr. Mills did not respond to our requests to fill out the questionnaire.

Brigitte Smith

WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/people/Brigitte-Smith-for-Marion-County-School-Board/61590594200771/

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I’ve quietly shown up and advocated for our children for over a decade — long before this election. As an operating room nurse with 35 years of experience, a U.S. Army Nurse Corps veteran, and a dedicated community volunteer, Board Secretary to the Paul Chester Children’s Hope Foundation and medical missionary, I’ve built my life around service and leadership.

I’m vested with skin in the game. I have 2 daughters who graduated from Marion County schools, and I currently have a granddaughter attending Dunnellon Middle School. I see every day the work and materials she brings home; what I see coming home from school every day tells me we must do better.

What’s been missing on the school board is a disciplined approach of assessing, intervening, and evaluating — the same cycle I use every day as a nurse. Despite rising budgets, Marion County has remained in the bottom third academically for years. That’s unacceptable.

If elected, I will raise the bar for our students, reject mediocrity, restore fiscal responsibility, and ensure every taxpayer dollar is spent efficiently — especially in school construction — so we can put those resources back in the classroom where they belong.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: One of my top three concerns is literacy — specifically our third-grade reading proficiency. Right now, only about 46% of our third graders in Marion County are reading on grade level.

To fix this, I’m pushing for a Reading Revolution. Teachers must be at the center of the conversation. Many already use UFLI Foundations, but concerns remain about the consistency and quality of how it’s being delivered.

I want to ensure every teacher receives high-quality, ongoing training in the Science of Reading, along with real coaching and support. This is especially important for teachers who didn’t train as educators but hold content degrees — we need to give them the tools to succeed.

The plan also includes expanding reading into every class, not just ELA, moving back to physical books instead of tablets, honest conversations about early intervention before third grade, and using volunteers for extra targeted support.

I’m also excited about bringing in fresh ideas: a “Caught in the Act” program to celebrate kids when parents catch them reading at home, launching a Battle of the Books competition with our business partners providing small prizes for the teams that read the most, and creating a health-themed literacy program that partners with our local hospitals — something that fits perfectly with my background as a nurse.

Strong attendance ties directly into this too — kids can’t learn to read if they’re not here. I truly believe adding incentives like the different contests throughout the year can spill over to reducing attendance.

I know the importance of getting the fundamentals right the first time. I will push for proven, phonics-based reading instruction, intensive early intervention starting in pre-K and kindergarten, smaller class sizes in the early grades, and targeted support for struggling readers. We will hold administrators accountable for results, equip teachers with the best training and resources, and celebrate progress with clear benchmarks. By making reading proficiency a non-negotiable priority, we will raise our third-grade scores significantly, close achievement gaps, and ensure every child in Marion County gains the strong literacy foundation they need to succeed — building stronger schools, stronger students, and a stronger future.

I don’t have all the answers, but I’m committed to listening to our teachers and making sure every child gets the strong reading foundation they deserve.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: As a candidate for school board, I believe our schools need both accountability and common sense when it comes to student behavior. While restorative justice can be effective for minor conflicts between students, it should not be the only approach. For serious safety issues like weapons, violence, or drugs, we must maintain zero tolerance policies with swift and strong consequences.

My plan focuses on a balanced discipline system that includes using restorative practices when appropriate, enforcing clear zero tolerance for dangerous behavior, and making much better use of in-school suspension. Rather than simply removing students from class, in-school suspension should be a structured environment with strong academic support and behavioral oversight so students actually continue learning while addressing their actions. Many times it’s those students who need more attention that are sent to ISS, so let’s utilize that time to assist those in need.

Most importantly, our teachers must receive full support from school administrators when they enforce discipline. Teachers should not be undermined by simply taking a student’s word over theirs. When a teacher addresses misbehavior, they need to know their administration has their back.

An example that typically comes up - cell phone usage and enforcing our state law on cell phones. Florida House Bill 1105 prohibits elementary and middle school students from using cell phones during the school day. If a parent requests that their child be allowed to keep their phone, the policy must still be followed. We can acknowledge parents’ concerns about emergencies, and our schools are taking steps to harden security and improve emergency communication. However, once a rule is set, it must be consistently upheld by both teachers and administrators for the benefit of the entire classroom.

This approach puts safety first while ensuring every student is held accountable and given the opportunity to improve. Our kids deserve both a safe classroom and real consequences when they break the rules.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Marion County suffers from a clear imbalance of overcrowded schools in the rapidly growing Southwest and significantly underutilized schools in the North. Schools like West Port High (112% capacity), Belleview High (110%), and Dunnellon High (124%) are severely overcrowded, while several North Marion schools are running as low as 69% to 70% capacity. This mismatch wastes resources and forces long bus rides for many students.

Compounding the problem are ongoing bus route issues. Chronic bus driver shortages in recent years have caused frequent late buses, delayed pickups, and students arriving late to school. We need smarter rezoning to better balance enrollment across the county, reduce excessive busing, and improve transportation efficiency so students spend less time on buses and more time in the classroom

To help solve our chronic bus driver shortage, we should explore creative solutions that other districts have successfully used. One promising model is allowing bus drivers to work a morning or afternoon route and then serve as a paraprofessional, classroom aide, or in another school role during the rest of the day. This gives drivers full-time hours and benefits, making the position much more attractive and helping us retain reliable transportation staff.

It’s time for fresh thinking and new ideas on the school board. For too long, the same approaches have delivered the same disappointing results. We need board members willing to think outside the box, challenge the status quo, and bring forward-thinking solutions to better serve our students, teachers, and taxpayers. Real change starts with new perspectives.

How would you handle district budget issues? I am concerned about waste in our current budget, especially in construction contracts. The new Southwest Marion High School project is now $29 million over budget, partly because of a flawed contractor selection process that led to months of delays. An independent investigation revealed violations of the district’s “cone of silence” policy and other irregularities during bidding.

To prevent this in the future, we need a crystal-clear, transparent selection process. School board members should not sit on selection committees — perhaps only in an advisory role. We should require a thorough review and audit before any major contract is signed, and ban any bidder who violates the cone of silence from future bids.

Savings from tighter contract oversight, better bidding practices, and a long-overdue energy efficiency audit can be redirected back into our classrooms. Those funds should support retaining our best, most experienced teachers — not just through higher pay, but with a full benefits package that includes retention bonuses, advanced certification incentives, professional development, and a supportive culture where teachers feel protected, heard, and valued every day. As a nurse, I know it’s the whole package, not just the hourly wage, that keeps quality professionals from leaving.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? To address teacher shortages in Marion County, my first priority is retaining our experienced, certified teachers who are leaving at high rates. As a nurse, I know professionals don’t stay for salary alone — it’s the full package. We must improve retention through better benefits, retention bonuses, advanced certification stipends, strong mentoring, and a supportive culture where teachers feel protected, heard, and valued every day, and practical support such as partnering with local daycares to help teachers with young families.

By creating a more competitive overall package, we will also attract more quality educators to Marion County. To fund this, we must find savings elsewhere in the budget — through tighter contract oversight, eliminating waste, and redirecting those dollars into the classroom and into teacher support.

We should also strengthen our Professional Learning Certification Program so professionals with degrees in high-need areas, can earn their teaching certification while working here, giving us another strong pipeline of new teachers.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? As a school board member, I believe our experienced teachers must be at the center of every conversation about improving student achievement. I will be a more engaged board member who regularly meets with teachers, listens to their feedback, and ensures they have a real voice in shaping reading instruction, discipline policies, and student retention decisions.

My job is to set policy and budget priorities that fully support them. That includes funding literacy coaches, providing ongoing training in the science of reading, maintaining orderly classrooms with strong discipline, and having honest conversations about retaining students — especially in second grade before they reach the critical third-grade year.

When our teachers are truly supported, heard, and equipped to succeed, our students will thrive.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? I support returning the Safe Schools department to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, as Sheriff Billy Woods proposed in 2022. At that time, the department had five employees and cost the district roughly $450,000 annually. The sheriff offered to absorb those positions, make them sworn deputies with full arrest powers, and have the district continue paying the same amount — with no additional cost to taxpayers.

Safe Schools currently focuses on prevention, emergency preparedness planning, security measures, and acting as a liaison with law enforcement. However, the district already contracts with the Sheriff’s Office and local police departments for approximately 60+ School Resource Officers who provide day-to-day presence in our schools. Any serious incident still requires calling actual law enforcement. Since its creation, the Safe Schools department has grown significantly. What started as a small department of five employees in 2022 has now expanded to include an Executive Director and multiple coordinators, increasing both cost and bureaucracy.

Creating a separate department adds an unnecessary layer of bureaucracy. The sheriff is a constitutional officer best equipped to handle school safety with clear command authority. Returning this function to the Sheriff’s Office would improve coordination, eliminate redundancy, and allow district leadership to focus on education rather than duplicating law enforcement efforts. School safety is too important for overlapping departments.

Any savings realized by eliminating this unnecessary duplication of services should be redirected back into our classrooms to support and retain our high-quality teachers.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Florida Statute 1006.28 sets the statewide rules for handling objections to library and instructional materials. Parents or county residents file a formal objection on the district’s form. Pornographic or sexually explicit material must be pulled from that school within five school days and stay unavailable until resolved. Other challenges go through a public hearing before an unbiased officer, then to the school board for a final decision. The board’s ruling is binding, and districts must post their full process and objection form on the website homepage. I’ll follow that law exactly. I have been a participant in this process several years ago when discovering a book that was not age-appropriate for a particular classroom. The policy in place does work and has appropriate oversight. Additionally, within this legislation, librarians must take certain educational instruction regarding the process in which new books are approved.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? Christian Family Coalition Florida, I have earned the highest Qualifying grade by that organization

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? Not necessarily a new policy, yet enforce our discipline policy. We need to ensure we have structure and discipline in the classroom and zero tolerance for egregious conduct! The classroom need to be a place conducive to learning and a safe environment. Teachers need to be supported by the leadership!

Buddy Wyckoff

WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61587118806004

Mr. Wyckoff did not respond to our requests to fill out the questionnaire.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Marion County School Board District 5

The Marion County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.

School Board District 5 encompasses voters in the northern part of the county. You can see a map of the area HERE.

Since there are three candidates in the race, the top vote-getter must get more than 50% of the vote (50%+1) in order to win outright. Otherwise, the top two candidates will go to a runoff in November.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Marion County School Board District 5, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Donald Barber

WEBSITE: www.votedonny.com/

Mr. Barber did not respond to our requests to fill out the questionnaire.

Ualthan Bigby

WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61590235095180#

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I don’t believe I deserve this seat because I’m smarter than anyone else. I believe I deserve the opportunity because I’ve spent my career living the realities our teachers, students, and parents face every day.

I’m a Marion County graduate, a parent, an eighth-year educator, and I’ve served as a dean in elementary, middle, and high school. Those experiences have allowed me to see our district from nearly every angle. I’ve celebrated incredible successes, but I’ve also witnessed the challenges that cause great teachers to leave, families to lose confidence in public education, and students to struggle despite everyone’s best efforts.

I’m running because I believe our community deserves a school board member who listens first, values every perspective, and makes decisions based on what is best for children—not politics or special interests. My campaign has been built by conversations with teachers, parents, support staff, students, and community members. Many of the ideas in my platform came directly from those conversations.

My promise is simple: every decision I make will be guided by one question—“Is this what’s best for children while respecting the people who serve them?” If we can answer that honestly, I believe Marion County’s best days are still ahead.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Staff Retention. Staff retention is the most important challenge facing our district because every other goal depends on having great people in our schools. Our teachers, support staff, administrators, bus drivers, cafeteria employees, and custodians are overworked, underpaid, and under-supported. We must move the needle in all three areas. Retaining employees starts with the Golden Rule. We should continually ask ourselves, “Would I want to work under these conditions?” That means reducing unnecessary workload, improving compensation whenever financially possible, creating dependable systems that allow employees to take a day off without guilt, providing reliable classroom coverage, and improving communication. We must also rebuild trust with our employees by creating meaningful feedback systems that are anonymous when appropriate, transparent about how input will be used, and followed by visible action. People are far more willing to stay when they know their voices matter. Finally, successful school teams deserve stability. Strong relationships between staff and administrators take years to build and should not be disrupted without compelling reasons. When employees feel respected, supported, heard, and valued, retention improves—and so does student success.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Better Serving Students with Disabilities While Protecting Every Child’s Opportunity to Learn. We must do a better job serving students with disabilities while protecting every child’s opportunity to learn.

Too often, teachers are expected to meet increasingly complex behavioral and academic needs without sufficient training, staffing, or support. Earlier identification, faster evaluations, expanded behavioral coaching, stronger counseling services, and additional support personnel can help students receive the services they need before problems become crises.

I also believe we should continue strengthening alternative learning opportunities for students whose needs cannot currently be met in traditional classrooms. The goal is never to give up on a child. The goal is to find the environment where every student has the greatest opportunity to succeed while protecting the learning environment for everyone else.

Just as importantly, we must rebuild trust with parents. Families deserve meaningful opportunities to share their experiences, and they deserve to know how that feedback is shaping district decisions. Listening shouldn’t be a campaign promise—it should be a governing philosophy.

This issue is also directly connected to our district’s financial future. When students with disabilities don’t receive appropriate services, families understandably begin looking elsewhere. At the same time, when general education families feel their children can’t learn because classrooms are overwhelmed, they begin leaving as well. Every student who leaves takes public education funding with them. By better serving students with disabilities while protecting strong learning environments for all students, we can rebuild confidence in our public schools, strengthen enrollment, and keep more of our education dollars here in Marion County.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Student Success. Every decision the School Board makes should ultimately be judged by one question: Are more students leaving our schools prepared to lead successful lives?

Academic achievement will always be important, but true student success is much broader. It includes strong character, healthy relationships, consistent attendance, responsible citizenship, career readiness, and the ability to contribute positively to our community. I would also love to explore post-graduation feedback systems that help us understand whether our graduates are finding meaningful employment, staying out of legal trouble, and building successful lives. Those are outcomes worth measuring.

Preparing students for success also means preparing them for a rapidly changing world. Artificial intelligence will transform nearly every career our students enter. Marion County should work with teachers, parents, students, businesses, and higher education to develop a community-informed framework for how AI should be taught and responsibly used in our schools. We should also continue expanding career and technical education, industry certifications, apprenticeships, and other alternative pathways so every student graduates with a clear path toward success.

Finally, student success begins with safe, orderly learning environments. Students learn best when expectations are clear, consequences are consistent, and discipline is paired with coaching, intervention, and opportunities for growth. Parents also deserve confidence that our schools maintain strong predator-proof procedures that protect students while protecting the reputations of the many outstanding educators who serve them.

When we invest in great employees, provide the right supports for every student, maintain safe and orderly schools, and prepare our children for the future, student success becomes the natural result rather than something we simply hope for.

How would you handle district budget issues? The School Board has one of its greatest responsibilities when it comes to stewarding taxpayer dollars. Every dollar represents a family’s hard work, and every budgeting decision should reflect that responsibility.

I believe every budget decision should be guided by two equally important questions:

• First: Does this improve student outcomes?
• Second: Does this improve the lives of the people responsible for achieving those outcomes?

Too often, we ask employees to do more with less until the workload becomes unsustainable. Great schools require both successful students and a workforce that feels respected, supported, and valued. Staff retention is not separate from student achievement—it is one of the strongest predictors of it.

I also believe we need to think beyond simply reducing expenses. Our long-term financial health depends on rebuilding enrollment. Every family that chooses to leave our district takes funding with them. By improving employee retention, strengthening services for students with disabilities, maintaining safe and orderly schools, and rebuilding public confidence, we can slow that loss and position Marion County Public Schools for long-term financial stability.

Finally, I believe the School Board should actively pursue grants, partnerships, and new funding opportunities while remaining transparent with taxpayers about how every dollar is spent.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Teacher shortages are not simply a hiring problem—they’re a retention problem. Our teachers, support staff, administrators, bus drivers, cafeteria employees, and custodians are overworked, underpaid, and under-supported. We must move the needle in all three areas. One thing that has encouraged me throughout this campaign is how many employees have reached out with practical solutions. The list below isn’t a final plan—it’s a growing collection of ideas worth researching and considering as more voices join the conversation.

Some ideas include:

• Continue pursuing competitive compensation and meaningful salary growth.
• Reduce unnecessary paperwork and administrative workload.
• Consider requiring dependable bathroom management plans so teachers can reliably step away when needed.
• Improve substitute recruitment, training, and support.
• Strengthen the culture around taking earned leave without guilt.
• Minimize unnecessary leadership shakeups and preserve successful school teams whenever possible.
• Expand anonymous employee feedback systems and clearly communicate how that feedback influences decisions.
• Increase transparency surrounding major district decisions affecting employees.
• Strengthen mentoring and support for new teachers.
• Explore additional cafeteria services and other practical ways to support employees throughout the workday.
• Ensure district-level reductions and efficiencies are considered alongside school-level budget reductions whenever possible.
• Expand district engagement in community conversations so employees know they have advocates beyond school walls.
• Continue researching additional ideas suggested by employees and implementing those supported by evidence and community feedback.

The people closest to the work often have the best ideas for improving it. My role as a School Board member would be to make sure those ideas have a seat at the table.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? What should Marion County Public Schools do to improve reading achievement?

Reading is built through practice, motivation, and early intervention.

The earlier we identify struggling readers, the greater the impact we can have. I support continued investment in evidence-based literacy instruction, early screening, tutoring, and targeted interventions before students fall significantly behind.

We should also continue looking for creative ways to make reading enjoyable. Programs like Book It! demonstrated that positive incentives can motivate children to read more, especially in the elementary years. I would love to explore partnerships with local businesses and community organizations that reward students for reaching reading goals while encouraging families to participate in literacy at home.

Every child deserves the opportunity to discover that reading isn’t simply another school subject—it is one of the greatest tools for success in every area of life.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? School safety begins long before an emergency occurs. It begins with strong relationships, clear expectations, consistent consequences, and a culture where students feel seen, supported, and comfortable reporting concerns.

As a dean and member of school threat management teams, I’ve learned that we often spend too much time responding to the symptoms of unsafe behavior instead of addressing its earliest causes. The standard shouldn’t begin when students become physically aggressive. It should begin with disrespect. When we consistently coach, model, recognize, and expect respectful interactions between students, we prevent many larger problems before they ever develop.

That doesn’t mean simply increasing punishment. It means pairing consistent consequences with coaching, mentoring, positive incentives, and relationship-building so students develop the skills necessary to treat one another with dignity. By raising the standard for everyday behavior, we create safer schools long before serious incidents occur.

I’m also passionate about strengthening predator-proof procedures across our district. Clear professional boundaries, transparency, and consistent expectations help protect students while also protecting the reputations of the overwhelming majority of educators who serve with integrity every day.

School safety isn’t just about responding to danger. It’s about building a culture of respect where students, parents, and employees all feel secure enough to focus on learning.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Parents are their children’s first and most important teachers, and they deserve a meaningful voice in their children’s education.

I believe every concern deserves to be heard respectfully through a transparent review process. Every challenged book should be evaluated on its educational value, age appropriateness, and alignment with district policy—not on politics or public pressure.

One of the values I’ve tried to carry throughout this campaign is that everyone deserves a seat at the table. That includes parents who are concerned about instructional materials, parents who support keeping a book available, teachers, librarians, and students. We won’t always reach unanimous agreement, but we can ensure every perspective is heard with respect.

My goal isn’t to win cultural debates. My goal is to build trust between families and our public schools by listening carefully, communicating openly, and making thoughtful decisions that put students first.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? None and I intend to keep it that way. Outside organizations and endorsements are killing government. I have approximately $515 in donations that aren’t my own meager funds because my campaign is funded almost entirely by people who are hurting financially, who in return only demand I do my best for children and staff: Teachers, staff on the frontline of education, and their family members.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? If elected, I would focus on passing a framework to collect the ultimate teacher “shopping list.” I want to ask our educators: “What would you buy with our district’s money if money were no object?”Once collected, I intend to prioritize these needs based on two factors: first, restoring decency for our teachers and staff, and second, improving student outcomes. I believe we must do this fundamental groundwork before we can discuss passing specific initiatives.

That being said, my primary focus areas are teacher retention through restoring decency to the profession, meeting the needs of the ESE population to support both exceptional education and general education students, installing predator-proof procedures, and ending the unnecessary leadership shake-ups that plague our district.

Sarah James - Incumbent

WEBSITE: https://drsarahjamesforschoolboard.com/

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? When I was elected in 2022, I quickly realized that we had an uphill battle, fighting the internal bureaucracy, the loss of federal funds attached to COVID, and top leadership that was disconnected from the district. In April of 2025, our then Superintendent resigned and we were able to appoint our now Superintendent, Dr. Danielle Brewer as our interim Superintendent. She was permanently hired in February of 2026. Under her leadership, we now have 0 “D” or “F” schools (traditional) compared to 6 “D” schools in 2025 under our former Superintendent. Academically, we have shown significant growth.

In the last year, we hired a new CFO (last summer) who has offered countless innovative finance approaches. We have also completely revamped the facilities department to ensure we are addressing our intensive construction season effectively.

The work is happening and we are moving in the right direction. I am asking for 4 more years to finish the work that I have started, keep the momentum going, and keep the work of MCPS focused on doing what is best for our students.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution Chronic Absenteeism - Our district faces a 30% chronic absenteeism rate, down over the last 4 years. When 30% of your students are chronically absent from school, teaching them becomes even more challenging. The district continues to implement a variety of initiatives to address this and improve student attendance overall.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Balancing a Student First Budget. As we continue to face a need to tighten our budget and maximize every dollar, the board, working with the CFO and Superintendent, are committed to ensuring that each dollar is spent with the student in mind. Site-based budgeting, district-wide budget cuts, and adding innovative strategies to maximize every dollar have allowed us to present a balanced budget, year over year, to the state. As a board member, I am committed to this continued focus and ensuring that our taxpayer dollars are spent with the student in mind.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Overall Academic Achievement. Overall student academic achievement must continue to improve across Marion County Public Schools. When comparing the current data with the data from 2022-2023 school year, the data shows we are implementing the right strategies across the district.

2023

• Grade 3-10 ELA: 42% proficiency
• Grade 3-8 Math: 45% proficiency
• Social studies: 62% proficiency
• Science: 47% proficiency
• Grad Rate: 78%
• D & F schools: 3 (D - all traditional schools)

2026

• Grade 3-10 ELA: 51% proficiency (+9 in 3 yr)
• Grade 3-8 Math: 51% proficiency (+6 in 3 yr)
• Social studies: 69% proficiency (+7 in 3 yr)
• Science: 55% proficiency (+8 in 3 yr)
• Grad Rate: 86% (+8 in 3 yr)
• D & F schools: 0 traditional schools

We are making great strides but the reality is, we are still behind the state. We have to work harder and achieve outcomes that outpace the state. We will continue to dial in our delivery of research-based programs to ensure we are meeting students where they are while also addressing student attendance and their economic needs. What we know is that when students are at school, we can address their needs directly, both basic and academic.

How would you handle district budget issues? As a sitting board member, I have been addressing the impending budget concerns since I was elected 4 years ago. For the 2026-2027 school year, we have transitioned to site-based budgeting as our key strategy to balance the budget.

This budgeting model allows each school and department to have a budget based on the students it serves or the work it does. Site leaders and principals have the authority to adjust their staffing to fit their needs while staying in line with their budget. This system created an ability to cut our budget back to match the students we are serving.

In addition, the Superintendent, with support from the executive cabinet, are continuing to cut budgets for programs across the district. For clarity, the “central office” staff make up less than 1% of our total budget and is not inflated nor excessive. Cuts have occurred all around the district to ensure we have a balanced, student-first budget.

The board, Superintendent, and CFO, are committed to having a balanced budget, addressing students’ needs first, every year!

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Finding highly-qualified teachers continues to be a focus for me. As a board member, one of the ways I can address this directly is teacher pay. During our negotiations with the union, I have worked to have a competitive starting teacher pay while also addressing the salary comprehension that we see for our teachers with more seniority. As the board starts negotiations again this year, I remain committed to both of these things. We have brought on a staffing agency to fill our most critical ESE vacancies across the district. These staff members travel to Marion County to work specifically in our most challenging classrooms and address this critical need. We also partnered with an online substitute company, which has increased our efficiency in filling vacancies on a day-to-day and long-term basis. Most schools now have most, if not all, vacancies filled on a day-to-day basis. I am committed to continuing to work with our HR department to explore new and innovative ways we can address teacher shortages throughout the district.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Academic growth for reading continues to be a focus for the board and Superintendent. There are some key metrics that help paint the entire picture for the academic achievement within Marion County. For comparison, looking at the data from the 2022-2023 school year, compared to the 2025-2026 school year, also helps.

2023:

• Kindergarten Readiness: 35.4%
• Grade 3-10 ELA: 42% proficiency
• Chronic Absenteeism: 34%
• Economically Disadvantaged: 89%

2026:

• Kindergarten Readiness: 49.2% (+13.8% in 3 yr)
• Grade 3-10 ELA: 51% proficiency (+9 in 3 yr)
• Chronic Absenteeism: 30% (-4 in 3 yr)
• Economically Disadvantaged: 85% (-4 in 3 yr)

Fundamentally, that data supports that the programs we are using in our schools are working to improve student achievement and outcomes. However, we still face 3 major community barriers. First, even with a significant commitment from MCPS, 30% of our students are still chronically absent across the district. We have schools with much higher chronic absenteeism (as high as 50%). One of our biggest focuses continues to be decreasing our chronic absenteeism across the district. If the students are at school, we can teach them well.We have spent millions of dollars expanding access to Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten on our elementary school campuses for a free, full-day program over the last 4 years. In doing this, we have improved our Kindergarten Readiness rate significantly. However, 50+% of our students entering Kindergarten are still not ready for the learning environment. We will continue to work with the local Early Learning Coalition to expand VPK offerings and meet students’ needs throughout the district.

Finally, we face an incredibly high economically disadvantaged student %. We partner with local non-profits like The Rock to meet students’ basic and fundamental needs on our school campuses. We also serve a free breakfast and lunch to every student enrolled with MCPS. The data shows students struggle to learn when their basic needs are not met.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies?

Our schools are safer today than they were in 2022 when I was elected. Now, every campus has a single point of entry, a locked front door with entry by a remote buzzer, a camera at the front door that is accessed remotely, and we operate schools with locked classroom and exterior doors.

Each school is equipped with at least 1 School Resource Officer, which is provided in partnership with Ocala Police Department or Marion County Sheriff Office. We also use the Guardian program and have an undisclosed amount of trained and armed staff members on our campuses.

To continue to improve school safety, we have plans to create vestibule entrances at schools that do not have them by adding doors and walls into the “lobby”. We will also continue to add additional cameras to our campuses to enhance our existing security measures.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? We began an intensive removal of banned books in 2023. Our librarians went through the entire school library system to ensure all books in our classrooms and libraries were appropriate. Now, if a community member would like to challenge a book, we have a link available on our district website. We are in compliance with state law and will remain that way.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I have received the support of The Ocala Marion County Association of Realtors®.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? During my first term, a passion project for me that was not supported by the majority of the board was implementing a School Chaplain policy. At the time, only 2 board members agreed with me that implementing this policy would be beneficial for our schools. I would like to revisit this policy during our next policy review and reignite the conversation.

I will also have a continued focus to fiercely advocate for the building of something NEW on the north end of town, in District 5, where I live. I have not been able to earn the support of 2 other board members on this topic consistently and that will be a focus for me during this next year.

The retreat, about an hour northwest of Washington, has been the backdrop for presidential summits and smaller-scale meetings since Franklin Roosevelt established it during World War II. Friday’s meeting isn’t Trump’s first at Camp David, but he has spent less time at the compound than other presidents, and typically spends weekends at his own properties, including Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Florida, and his golf courses in New Jersey and Virginia.

Here's a look at some key dates and prominent visitors in the camp's history, assembled using archival material from The Associated Press, the National Archives, and presidential libraries.

1942 — Roosevelt established the camp as Shangri-La, a reference from James Hilton's novel “Lost Horizon.” Roosevelt had liked to relax on a presidential yacht, but the military and Secret Service started to worry about his safety on the open water during World War II. Roosevelt asked the National Park Service to identify sites within 100 miles of the White House that he could use for rest and picked what is now known as Camp David.

1943 — Roosevelt hosted Winston Churchill, who went on a fishing trip with the president and discussed the Normandy invasion at the retreat.

1953 — Dwight Eisenhower renamed the facility Camp David after his grandson and father.

1959 — Eisenhower hosted Nikita Khrushchev, the first time a Soviet leader had come to the United States.

1971 — Richard Nixon met with economic advisers amid inflation and a looming run on gold, leading eventually to an announcement ending the gold-backed dollar.

1973 — Nixon hosted his Soviet counterpart, Leonid Brezhnev.

1978 — Jimmy Carter hosted Egypt’s Anwar Sadat and Israel’s Menachem Begin, resulting in the Camp David Accords signed in 1979. Unlike at the White House, where journalists come and go, the news media are barred from Camp David, unless they are invited to cover an event, like Friday’s summit.

1984 — Ronald Reagan, the president who spent the most time at Camp David, hosted British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher for the first time.

1990 — George H.W. Bush hosted Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

1992 — Camp David's only wedding occurred when Bush’s daughter, Dorothy, married Bobby Koch at Evergreen Chapel at the facility.

2000 — Bill Clinton hosted a summit with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat.

2001 — George W. Bush met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair early in the year and held post 9/11 meetings ahead of the Afghanistan invasion later in the year.

2003 — Bush hosted Russian President Vladimir Putin.

2012 — Barack Obama hosted the G8 Summit.

2015 — Obama hosted Persian Gulf nations for a summit.

2019 — Trump canceled a secret weekend meeting at Camp David with Taliban and Afghanistan leaders after a bombing in Kabul that killed 12 people, including an American soldier. ———

Associated Press journalist Darlene Superville contributed archival reporting for this timeline.

Trump is taking Friday’s Cabinet meeting on the road — to the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland. It's the first Cabinet meeting at Camp David in Trump’s second term after an earlier attempt in May was scuttled because of bad weather.

Trump said Thursday he may pull acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination for the full-time post to avoid conceding to Senate Republicans’ demands over a sweeping tax audit immunity deal benefiting the president and members of his family.

Here's the Latest:

Trump claims Iran war helped drive Hamas to disarmament agreement

The president during his Cabinet meeting said the newly-minted agreement aimed at leading to disarmament of the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and transition of oversight of the territory to a civilian body will have “ups and downs.”

Still, he said this week’s agreement is a “great breakthrough” that has been helped along by the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, which has served as Hamas’ prime backer.

“Nobody’s ever thought that would be possible to disarm Hamas,” Trump said. “That shows you how much success we’re having with Iran, because if you go four months ago or five months ago, a deal like that would have been impossible.”

Trump has wrapped up the public portion of his Cabinet meeting

The president gave a lengthy opening statement, heard from top officials including Secretary of State Marco Rubio and answered questions on Iran and array of other topics.

He has now asked the press and cameras to leave, meaning the rest of the meeting’s proceedings won’t happen in view of the public.

Trump steps back from pledge to let Ukraine make Patriot interceptors

Asked about his previous commitment to give Ukraine a license to make Patriot air defense systems to counter Russian missiles, Trump said, “We have not agreed to that.”

“We’re talking about it. But it’s a hard thing to give away that kind of technology,” Trump said at his Cabinet meeting on Friday.

“I don’t think this would ever happen, but you know there’s people that, you give that technology, they can someday turn on you,” Trump added. “You look at war, that’s happened a couple of times over the years, right? So we have to be very careful.”

It was a contrast to earlier remarks from the sidelines of the NATO summit this month, where Trump said, “We’ll give them the right to make Patriots.”

Trump said he discussed the topic with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy when they met in Washington on Tuesday. Zelenskyy also met with senators to make a case for why Ukraine needs the interceptors.

Trump claims Iran war helped drive Hamas to disarmament agreement

The president during his Cabinet meeting said the newly-minted agreement aimed at leading to disarmament of the Palestinian group Hamas and Israel’s withdrawal from Gaza and transition of oversight of the territory to a civilian body will have “ups and downs.”

Still, he said this week’s agreement is a “great breakthrough” that has been helped along by the U.S. and Israel’s war with Iran, which has served as Hamas’ prime backer.

“Nobody’s ever thought that would be possible to disarm Hamas,” Trump said. “That shows you how much success we’re having with Iran, because if you go four months ago or five months ago, a deal like that would have been impossible.”

RFK Jr talks about first visiting Camp David 6-plus decades ago

Trump health chief Robert Kennedy Jr. said he was visiting the presidential retreat on Friday for the first time in about 62 years.

“My father loved this place, my uncle loved this place,” said Kennedy, who is the son of former Attorney General and New York Sen. Robert Kennedy.

He said that his uncle, President John F. Kennedy, was resentful of his predecessor, President Dwight D. Eisenhower, for naming it Camp David after Eisenhower’s grandson.

Kennedy said that had his uncle lived to a second term, he planned to rename the retreat Shangri-La, which was its original moniker before Eisenhower changed it.

Kennedy also cheered Trump for allowing reporters in the compound, saying Trump had opened “inner sanctum” of the presidency.

Trump later pointed to a picture of John F. Kennedy on the wall and said he was a “handsome guy.”

Trump says the anti-weaponization fund is ‘dead’

The comments came after the president spent the morning defending the $1.8 billion fund on social media.

“It is dead,” Trump said. “But I wish it weren’t, to be honest with you.”

Trump continued to defend the people who could potentially benefit from the fund, mainly those who stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

“Their families have been ruined,” Trump said. Those people “wanted to go to a rally or an event and ended up spending the rest of their lives in horror.”

Trump acknowledged that Blanche, his attorney general pick, has been a “pawn in this whole thing.”

Trump says ‘we just want to win’ in Iran

The president has previously insisted that Iran has been “completely defeated” militarily. But in his engagement with reporters at Camp David on Friday, he acknowledged that he expects U.S. military action will likely continue for some time.

“We’ll be hitting them very hard,” Trump said. “You know, at some point they’re going to say, ‘We just can’t take it anymore.’”

Trump cheers Clayton for first Cabinet meeting

Jay Clayton, confirmed earlier this week as the new director of national intelligence, is at Camp David for his first formal Cabinet meeting.

Clayton was confirmed by the Senate on party lines earlier this week.

“He’s with us today, as you know,” Trump said. “He’s had a big victory.”

Trump said of Clayton, a former federal prosecutor and chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission: “His whole life has been about doing a fantastic job.”

Trump says he doesn’t think International Criminal Court is targeting him but ‘it could happen’

Secretary of State Marco Rubio complained that the international court based in the Hague was very arrogant and had unfairly targeted leaders around the world.

That prompted the president to interject: “There’s no indication they’re after me. It could happen.” He didn’t elaborate, but his suggestion drew laughter from Cabinet members.

Trump said Rubio wasn’t trying to defend him personally, but instead wanted to shield other court targets. He said that could include people like Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“There is no indication that I’m one of them, at this moment,” Trump added again for emphasis, drawing still more laughter.

Trump says US could see surge of migrants like Spain if Republicans don’t win midterms

Spain is grappling to respond after some 60,000 migrants crossed from Morocco into Spain’s tiny Ceuta territory in the past 24 hours.

Roughly half of them have already made their way back voluntarily, according to the Spanish government, but Trump suggested the moment should be taken as a warning to U.S. voters as midterm elections near.

“You know I saw Spain yesterday and I watched the catastrophe that took place. It looks like an invasion of a country by hundreds of thousands of people,” Trump said. “And that same thing is going to happen to us if the Republicans don’t get elected. Except worse, much bigger.”

Trump also criticized Spain’s left wing government led by Pedro Sánchez, claiming the country’s “weak law, bad management” is to blame.

US to make visa bond requirements permanent, affecting mostly African countries

The State Department is making permanent a pilot program under which citizens from 50 countries, mainly in Africa, are required to post bonds to apply for a U.S. visa, and it’s raising the cost as well, to as much as $20,000.

A draft notice published Friday in the Federal Register says a review “provided sufficient data” to suggest the bond program effectively enforces compliance, and would be made permanent by the end of August. The notice is to be formally published on Monday. Additional countries may be added to the list, found here.

The program requires holders of passports from the affected countries to pay the bond when being interviewed for business and tourist visas. The regulation says the bond will be refunded if the application is denied or after the person leaves the United States.

The Trump administration rolled out the program as a way of cracking down on visa overstays.

Trump starts Cabinet meeting at Camp David

The president began his Cabinet meeting Friday by saying his team was meeting in a “very special room.”

The White House has tried to highlight that this was the first televised Cabinet meeting at the presidential retreat.

Trump said he invited the news media to watch because he believes in “transparency,” before turning to his standard talking points about the economy and border security, among other issues.

CEO defends Exxon’s performance at a time of global supply shortages

American refineries are running at near-full capacity and poised to benefit because some refineries in the Middle East and Russia were damaged. And Asia can’t get the amount of Middle East oil needed for refining.

“Penalizing the businesses who stood by those countries and provided that product going forward is very short-sighted,” Exxon CEO Darren Woods said in a call with investors Friday. “We canceled investments that we had planned for Europe based on the last time they passed a windfall profits tax.”

Lawmakers propose taxing the war profits of major oil producers

Exxon and Chevron don’t set the price of American oil, which has ricocheted between $68 and $115 a barrel, driven by supply and demand, and what traders, refiners and other buyers are willing to pay.

Democrats nevertheless hope to tax major oil producers for profits from 2026 onward and redistribute that revenue to consumers.

“It’s fair to put a windfall profits tax on inordinate windfall profits rather than cut off children’s food programs,” said Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse. His measure and a companion bill by Rep. Ro Khanna of California would impose a per-barrel tax on companies that produced or imported at least 300,000 barrels of oil per day in 2025.

The UK and other European countries have extended temporary windfall profits taxes on fossil fuel companies to 2030, according to Tax Foundation Europe.

Critics say the energy company windfalls are unjustified

“There are constituencies around the world who are having a very good crisis, and the oil producers are one of them,” said Patrick Galey, fossil fuels lead at Global Witness, a nonprofit organization that investigates environmental issues.

“When you compare that to the hundreds of millions of people who are struggling with rolling blackouts, with electricity curbs, rationing, waiting in line for food queues, or the disruption to fertilizers and the potential impact that that has on food prices, we don’t think that it’s a justifiable price for the rest of the world to be paying.”

Major oil companies reap massive profits as US and Iran fighting drives energy prices higher

American oil and gas giants are announcing huge spring windfalls thanks to the fighting between Iran and the U.S. that made consumers around the world pay more for fuel.

Exxon Mobil on Friday reported that its second quarter profits doubled to $14.53 billion, boosted by record diesel production. The oil giant, based in Spring, Texas, brought in $116.02 billion in revenue, up 42%. Chevron, based in Houston, nearly quadrupled its profits to $12.07 billion and revenue jumped 56% to $70.06 billion.

Six of Europe’s largest oil companies posted combined first-quarter profits of $22 billion, more than 40% higher than last year.

Saudi Arabia announces Red Sea defense alliance plan

The kingdom said the alliance includes 14 countries to strengthen maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation and secure international trade routes and energy supply corridors in the Red Sea region.

The Iran war has severely disrupted global shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Yemen’s Houthi rebels have declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia over a separate but related conflict, putting at risk another major trade corridor.

Saudi Arabia’s Defense Ministry said Thursday that the coalition is “defensive in nature,” and that access “remains open to all willing countries.” Oman and the United Arab Emirates were the only two Gulf countries that did not back Saudi Arabia’s statement. Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan were among those that joined the proposed alliance.

Latest developments in the Iran conflict

No U.S. strikes were reported in Iran on Friday.

Iran fired drones at Kuwait, a Gulf country hosting U.S. forces, and said it had also fired at oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil and gas shipments, which has been largely closed by the fighting.

Kuwait’s Defense Ministry said Friday its armed forces had shot down drones inside Kuwaiti airspace. It said the Iranian attacks had targeted several vital military facilities, causing material damage from falling shrapnel but no casualties. It did not specify how many drones were intercepted. Iranian state media said Iran had targeted an air base in Kuwait with drones, in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Thursday.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guard claimed to have hit two oil tankers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media said four other tankers had turned around. The report did not provide further details on which flags or ownership the tankers were sailing under, or say whether there were any casualties.

FIFA chief operating officer tells AP that staff was ‘deceived’ by World Cup sell-off plan that ‘must not go ahead’

FIFA’s chief operating officer Kevin Lamour said in a statement to The Associated Press that the staff was “deceived” by Gianni Infantino’s lack of openness while planning the scheme to sell a World Cup stake to private investors linked to Trump’s family.

“It is the project of one person,” wrote Lamour, a long-time colleague of Infantino at both FIFA and UEFA. “Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”

Lamour did not resign the post he held since 2024 but said he had a duty to his colleagues to speak out about the “contempt and intimidation” FIFA staff has faced.

“And if that means I lose my job, then so be it” the French official said. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”

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Wisconsin Democrats shaken by Mandela Barnes’ exit from governor’s race

The former lieutenant governor’s announcement came Thursday amid news that the state party had reviewed past allegations of inappropriate behavior, further shaking up the race less than two weeks before the Aug. 11 primary in Wisconsin, where independents and moderates are key voters and where Trump won two razor-thin elections.

That leaves four Democrats, including most prominently Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley, who rejoined the race with the endorsement of Gov. Tony Evers after Lt. Gov. Sara Rodriguez ended her run amid a campaign finance scandal two weeks ago, and insurgent democratic socialist State Rep. Francesca Hong, running far to the left.

The single mother and former line cook has captured the imaginations of liberal Democrats upset with the party establishment, but she’s raised concerns that her past calls for defunding the police will hurt her chances against Trump-backed Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany in November.

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Details on disarmament from the Hamas statement

Hamas said Friday that it’s committed to implementing the Gaza ceasefire agreement, including the new roadmap focused on the steps it needs to take to disarm.

The group’s statement says it and other Palestinian factions agreed to the framework as part of a national consensus to protect people in Gaza and help meet their humanitarian needs.

It said Israel must adhere to the ceasefire deal agreed to in October and halt its attacks in order for implementation to move forward, echoing language in the new roadmap released Friday by the Board of Peace.

The agreement calls for Hamas, which ran the government in Gaza, to first turn over all police weapons to a national committee of technocrats responsible for administering the strip. Only later, once the Israeli military withdraws from Gaza, would it be required to decommission and hand over its heavier weapons, according to the text.

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Democratic candidates grapple with ‘defund the police’ baggage

With midterm elections looming, Democrats hope to convince voters that Trump administration lawlessness is the biggest threat to their rights and pocketbooks. The party’s past debates over crime and safety threaten to undermine that pitch.

Across the country, Democratic candidates are facing tough questions about their past calls to “defund the police” by reimagining public safety services or redirecting spending to other social programs — a prominent demand during the protests that followed George Floyd’s death.

Democratic leaders fear the outlier opinions may sink their chances of gaining ground in Congress, governor’s mansions and statehouses as the party’s rising left flank captivates its base, just as Republicans stoke fears about crime, immigration and democratic socialism in their closing midterm message.

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Asian soccer joins Europe and North America in opposing World Cup privatization plan

The Asian Football Confederation, a key ally in Gianni Infantino’s presidency of global soccer, has joined UEFA and CONCACAF in protesting his plan to sell stakes in the World Cup to private equity investors tied to the Trump family.

“Football should never have been placed in such a position,” said the Asian soccer body. Together with Europe and North America, they count 136 of FIFA’s 211 members.

“Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said in a statement Thursday announcing a boycott of FIFA events.

Infantino’s secret proposal revealed Tuesday would spin off its commercial operations in a new $20 billion subsidiary 20% owned by private investors, whose core investor would be a New York investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Trump swings at Cornyn over Blanche nomination

Trump, still frustrated about the status of his attorney general pick, began his Friday morning by going after one of the Republican senators who was holding up Todd Blanche’s confirmation to lead the Justice Department.

Continuing a criticism he began earlier this week, Trump said Texas Sen. John Cornyn had no issue with the $1.8 billion anti-weaponization fund until after he endorsed his primary challenger, Ken Paxton, for the Senate.

In the post, Trump also continued to defend the controversial fund, which Blanche said in his Senate testimony was dead. Republican senators want him to put that commitment into writing.

“Perhaps there has never been a group of people treated so badly in our Nation’s history,” Trump said. “They are suffering still, many ruined, and I felt that they should be given compensation for what has been done to them.”

Blanche met privately with Cornyn and North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis over the issue later Thursday and the sides were working collaboratively, although Blanche’s confirmation prospects still remain unclear.

FIFA adviser on White House’s World Cup panel resigns to protest Infantino private equity plan

Senior FIFA adviser Carlos Cordeiro, who represented the soccer body on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, resigned Friday to protest its private equity plan.

“I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker, said in a statement resigning as adviser to FIFA President Gianni Infantino that urged other senior FIFA staff to speak out.

Cordeiro often joined Infantino on working visits to meet Trump at the White House in recent years.

“Let me be clear. I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally,” the former U.S. Soccer Federation president said, calling the $20 billion commercial subsidiary “a bad deal for football.”

“Football has been central to my life, and after more than 35 years in banking, I understand both the value of this asset and the consequences of giving part of it away” he said. “That is why this proposal should be rejected.”

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The Trump administration is ending a Medicare drug subsidy program. Here’s how it could affect costs

Millions of older adults on Medicare prescription drug coverage could face steeper monthly costs in 2027, after the Trump administration concludes a temporary subsidy program that has helped offset premiums for the past two years.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services this week announced it would wrap up the program, which was initially implemented by the Biden administration in 2024 to lower patients’ Medicare Part D prescription drug costs in response to the effects of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

While federal officials insist the financial impact on Medicare beneficiaries will be minimal, the decision opens the Republican-led administration to potential political consequences in a high-stakes midterm election year. Voters have identified cost of living as a top concern, and many older adults, who tend to vote in high numbers, are on fixed incomes where every dollar counts. The roughly 25 million Americans with Medicare Part D plans will find out about their 2027 rates in the fall, when they are casting ballots in November’s elections.

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Trump floats pulling Blanche’s nomination for attorney general to avoid conceding to GOP demands

Trump said Thursday he may pull acting Attorney General Todd Blanche’s nomination for the full-time post to avoid conceding to Senate Republicans’ demands over a sweeping tax audit immunity deal benefiting the president and members of his family.

After failed negotiations forced the delay of a committee vote to advance Blanche’s nomination, Trump suggested he was holding firm against pressure from Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis. They have expressed concerns about the controversial settlement of Trump’s lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service, which a judge denounced as an exercise in self-dealing.

The senators said the Justice Department seemed interested in reaching an agreement with them, but the White House wouldn’t budge to aid the confirmation of Trump’s loyal former personal attorney, who has aggressively pursued the administration’s priorities as acting attorney general. Instead, Trump said in a social media post that he might pull Blanche’s nomination and resubmit it after Cornyn and Tillis leave office next year.

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Trump is taking his Friday Cabinet meeting on the road to Camp David

Trump told his Cabinet members to meet him at the Camp David presidential retreat in Maryland, a rustic backdrop for the Trump administration sessions that have come to be known for being overly long and consumed by endless praise for their boss.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the 13th such meeting of the Republican president’s second term “will be a lot of fun and something different for the Cabinet to experience together.”

An earlier attempt in May was scuttled because of bad weather. During his first term, Trump held a Cabinet meeting at the retreat.

The public portion of Trump’s Cabinet meetings has lasted as long as three hours, with the president letting everyone at the table update him on their departments or agencies — with added praise for him personally and his leadership thrown in. In a departure from other presidents, he allows the news media to stay for the duration, a move that Leavitt has said proves his commitment to transparency.

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Trump announces a deal for Hamas to disarm in Gaza, but many hurdles and uncertainty remain

A Hamas official said Friday that they did reach an agreement on disarmament, the most crucial part of the ceasefire deal. Israel didn’t give an indication that they had agreed.

Trump said Thursday that a deal has been reached for Hamas to disarm and Israel to withdraw its forces from Gaza, but many hurdles, conditions and long timelines remained to wind down the war in the Palestinian territory.

The White House announcement comes nine months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was signed. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas had largely deadlocked over the implementation of its second phase, including the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza.

Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan calls on the militant group to surrender its weapons and destroy its vast network of tunnels. It also envisions Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian government, deployment of an international security force and the rebuilding of the battered Palestinian enclave.

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New York joins a growing number of states filing lawsuits against Kalshi and other companies in a dispute with President Donald Trump's administration over who regulates the fast-growing prediction market. Kalshi and other platforms argue they are federally licensed and regulated, and states have no authority to govern them.

“It’s sad to see this type of political theater from the leadership in our own state,” Elisabeth Diana, a spokesperson for New York-based Kalshi, said in a statement. “States can’t just shut down a federally licensed exchange. This would also hurt New Yorkers, who would be driven offshore. We love New York, we love New Yorkers, and New Yorkers love our product.”

Prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket allow trading on the likelihood of a wide range of events such as sports, politics, news and even the weather.

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James, both Democrats, announced the lawsuit filed in state Supreme Court in Manhattan.

“New York’s gambling laws protect children from underage betting and help combat gambling addiction,” James said in a statement. “No matter what they call themselves, prediction markets like Kalshi are gambling platforms, plain and simple. By ignoring our laws, Kalshi is running an illegal operation and harming New Yorkers in the process.”

James' office is requesting that Kalshi be ordered to forfeit all illegal gains, pay restitution to consumers who were harmed and pay fines equal to three times the company's gains. In a court filing, state officials provided a rough estimate of the damages and costs sought by the lawsuit — $36 billion.

Kalshi had been in negotiations with New York officials in recent weeks over tax and consumer protection issues.

In April, New York filed a similar lawsuit against prediction market platforms Coinbase and Gemini on illegal gambling operation allegations.

State officials say the prediction markets meet the legal definition of gambling “because the outcomes of the events on which its users are betting are uncertain and outside the control of the bettor or hinge on a game of chance.”

New York claims Kalshi has failed to obtain a license from the state Gaming Commission and skirted its obligation to pay taxes like licensed casinos and mobile sports gambling platforms do. The lawsuit also says prediction markets allow users ages 18 to 20, while New York requires mobile sports betting users to be at least 21.

Last October, the Gaming Commission ordered Kalshi to stop what it called the “illegal operating” of an “unlicensed mobile sports wagering platform” in New York. Kalshi responded days later by filing a federal lawsuit against the commission and its members — legal action that remains pending.

Prediction market platforms say they operate differently than gambling operations, because consumers are trading against other consumers — much like how stock markets work. Prices are based on trading, and the platforms only take a fee from the trading, they say.

The platforms also argue federal law gives the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission exclusive jurisdiction to regulate transactions offered in the prediction market. In February, Trump’s appointee atop the federal commission declared that the agency “will no longer sit idly by” while states aim to regulate or ban prediction markets and “undermine the agency’s exclusive jurisdiction.”

States counter that the vast majority of the business on prediction market platforms is sports betting, which they are empowered to regulate, and that is completely different from the commodities and futures contracts that the commission regulates.

On Monday, a federal judge temporarily blocked Minnesota’s first-in-the-nation law banning prediction markets just days before it was to take effect — dealing a setback for states trying to outlaw or regulate the platforms. In April, another federal judge ordered a similar temporary halt to Arizona's efforts to enforce its gambling laws against prediction markets.

A tangle of lawsuits is growing, as states try to use their gambling laws to shut down Kalshi, Polymarket and other prediction market operators. In April alone, the federal government sued Connecticut, Arizona and Illinois, challenging their efforts to regulate the industry.

“Hi,” she said softly as she sat down across from Leo at his desk in the Apostolic Palace.

Wearing a crucifix necklace and hair in her trademark braids, Smith has become an increasingly visible presence at the Vatican thanks to her friendship with the Rev. Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary in the Vatican’s culture ministry.

She has said that while she is not Catholic, she was drawn in particular to Pope Francis and his “gentle, open, and steadfast sense of humanity.”

She also had a thing for Pope John Paul I: Her 1979 tune “Wave,” is about a make-believe conversation with the pope who had just died after a 33-day papacy. It begins “Hi. Hi” uttered in the same breathy voice Smith used with Leo on Friday.

The pope clearly was familiar with the tune. “That was marvelous,” he said.

Earlier this year, Smith performed during the inauguration of the Holy See’s pavilion at the Venice Biennale contemporary art fair. The occasion, May 8, was the anniversary of Leo’s election.

Spadaro, who joined Smith at Friday’s audience, said the encounter between the two Chicago natives was around 40 minutes long. In a text message, he said it “felt more like a conversation between two people discovering they were old friends, sharing memories woven from words and music, dreams, visions, and hopes — both from yesterday and for today.”

He said at the end, Smith said “Bye. Bye.”

Smith met Francis in 2013 and sang for him in 2014. When he died, on April 21, 2025, she wrote a poem on social media, comparing Francis to a dandelion, “humble yet strong.”

“Nature and poetry and the suffering shall miss their champion,” she wrote.

It was Leo's second encounter with a music legend this week. On Wednesday, Leo attended a concert in his honor by tenor Andrea Bocelli.

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Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Hamas also said that laying down its heavy weapons, which would come later in the process, was contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state, something Israel's current government adamantly rejects.

Israel has not officially commented on the deal, which is part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced last October. That agreement called for Hamas to disarm and hand over power to an independent Palestinian administration. Israel was to withdraw, and an International Stabilization Force was to deploy.

But progress stalled, with Israel saying everything hinged on Hamas disarming, and Hamas accusing Israel of violating the agreement by continuing to carry out regular strikes on Gaza.

Expectations of implementation are low

Disarming would represent a sea change for Hamas, whose founding charter calls for armed resistance against Israel, and which sees its arsenal, including rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosives, as lying at the heart of its identity.

Israel, meanwhile, appears unlikely to pull back significant forces or make other concessions ahead of its October elections. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu faces a tough reelection battle, with opponents accusing him of failing to prevent the Oct. 7, 2023, attack that triggered the war.

Neil Quilliam, a Middle East expert at London’s Chatham House think tank, said expectations are low that Hamas will actually disarm or that Israel will withdraw from Gaza.

“I think that Netanyahu’s silence speaks volumes,’’ Quilliam said. “This is a massive decision that he has to make.”

“But with the prospect of the elections hanging over his head, with several Cabinet ministers and opposition leaders already counseling not to go ahead with the deal, I think he understands that doing so would likely scupper his chances of reelection,” he added.

The deal would be implemented in stages

In announcing the latest deal on social media, Trump said it would be carried out in “carefully structured phases.”

“As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors,” he wrote.

A copy of the agreement obtained and verified by The Associated Press said that all weapons held by the Hamas-run police will be transferred to the U.S.-backed Palestinian technocratic committee, known as the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, upon its arrival in the enclave. It’s not clear when that would happen since it is contingent on other steps.

A process to decommission and store heavy weapons, military production sites and tunnels will begin after the arrival of the Palestinian committee and the deployment of international forces. The process will be linked to a phased Israeli withdrawal, according to the agreement.

Israel currently controls around 60% of Gaza, areas that have been mostly destroyed and depopulated. Most of the territory's 2 million Palestinians are in the other part, where hundreds of thousands live in squalid tent camps and destroyed neighborhoods.

In a statement Thursday, an Israeli official said that there will be no Israeli withdrawal before the militant group is disarmed and the strip demilitarized. The statement was made on condition of anonymity in line with government protocol.

A person with knowledge of the situation said that Israel is fully involved, but it's not a signatory to the deal, which is between Hamas and several countries helping to negotiate and guarantee the ceasefire. The person spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss the agreement. The deal's guarantors are the U.S., Turkey, Egypt and Qatar.

It could take years for Hamas to disarm

On Thursday, U.S. and Board of Peace officials, describing the deal to reporters on condition of anonymity under guidelines set by the White House, gave an extremely optimistic assessment. The board was established by Trump to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza.

While Gaza's police force is expected to hand over its arms, that doesn't include the vast majority of Hamas militants, and heavy weaponry is not included in that part of the agreement, according to the officials.

Instead, the surrender of heavy weapons and the decommissioning of Hamas tunnels and other infrastructure are to come later in a process that could take between 200 and 350 days, a Board of Peace official said. That timeline did not appear in the agreement obtained by AP.

A Hamas official and a regional official involved in the process said that Hamas and other groups agreed to “collect and store” arms inside Gaza under the supervision of the Palestinian technocratic committee and that weapons won’t be handed to Israel or non-Palestinian parties.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to brief the media, said this would be a gradual process linked to an Israeli withdrawal.

Israel has been deeply skeptical

A U.S. official said Israel, which has been deeply skeptical about Hamas’ willingness to give up its guns or relinquish control of Gaza, had been consulted at every step of the negotiation. The official said Israel was not being asked to do anything more than what it had committed to as part of the October agreement.

A member of the Palestinian technocratic committee told the AP on Friday that it was eager to enter Gaza but was concerned Israel will pose challenges. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. The person said they didn’t expect to enter Gaza for at least two months.

The committee welcomed the progress Friday, but said the work to restore public institutions and services and rebuild the territory would be immense.

The war in Gaza began after a Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry said. The ministry, which is part of the Hamas-led government and is staffed by medical professionals, does not distinguish between civilians and militants in its toll but says women and children make up around half of all deaths.

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Mednick reported from Tel Aviv, Israel, Cooper from Phoenix, and Lee from Washington. Associated Press writers Farnoush Amiri in New York, Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations and Danica Kirka in London contributed.

A statement from the regional Gilgt-Baltistan government identified the three recovered bodies as Nepalese climber Pur Bahadur Gurung, Omani climber Nathira Ahmed and American climber Mallory Geis. It said the bodies had been transported to a hospital.

The announcement came hours after officials said search teams had located the remains of four climbers despite harsh weather. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media. They did not immediately identify the fourth body that had been spotted.

Bad weather continued to hamper the rescue effort Friday, according to a statement from the Gilgit-Baltistan region's Chief Minister Amjad Hussain.

The climbers lost contact with their base camp after an avalanche struck Broad Peak while they were attempting to scale the mountain, said Karrar Haidri, vice president of the Alpine Club of Pakistan. “The team has been out of communication since Thursday,” said Haidri, adding that army helicopters were part of the search-and-rescue operation.

Authorities said the search for the missing climbers continued until Friday evening and would resume Saturday.

According to the Alpine Club, the expedition comprised five Nepali climbers in addition to the Omani and American climbers, as well as Pakistani climber Sohail Sakhi, a Chinese climber identified only as Wang, and one other foreign climber.

On Friday, China’s government said it was trying to verify whether any of its nationals were among the 10 climbers missing.

“We will provide assistance to Chinese citizens in need and are also willing to offer help in accordance with the needs of the Pakistani side,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said Friday in Beijing.

The expedition leader was the renowned mountaineer Nirmal Purja, a Nepal-born former soldier in the British army widely known as Nims Dai. He climbed the world’s 14 highest peaks in a record 189 days in 2019, an achievement featured in the Netflix documentary, “14 Peaks: Nothing is Impossible.” His record was surpassed in 2023.

Moving Mountains, a travel company based in Pakistan, announced late last month that the expedition team was on its way to the small town of Askole and wished them a safe journey climbing Broad Peak. The company said this was Geis’ first try at an 8,000-meter peak in Pakistan, while it was expected to be Sakhi’s final one.

Sakhi is a guide for the company, as well as a geographer and high-altitude photographer, and has climbed some of the world’s major peaks, according to Moving Mountains’ website.

Geis, 39, lives in San Antonio. She announced on social media earlier this year that she was closing her Pilates studio to take “a giant leap of faith into the unknown to see where life goes. I have a sneaking suspicion there will be lots of helmets, harnesses, and crampons involved.”

Broad Peak, at 8,047 meters (26,401 feet), is the world’s 12th-highest mountain. It lies in Pakistan’s Karakoram range, home to five of the world’s 14 peaks above 8,000 meters, attracting climbers from around the globe.

Accidents are common during climbing expeditions in northern Pakistan because of avalanches and rapidly changing weather.

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Khan reported from Peshawar, Pakistan. AP journalist E. Eduardo Castillo in Beijing and Hallie Golden in Seattle contributed to this report.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Orange County Judge Group 5

The Orange County Court handles local legal matters, including misdemeanors, local ordinance violations, small civil claims like financial disputes up to $50,000, tenant evictions, and traffic violations.

All county judge races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our partners at the Vox Populi compiled the candidate responses for the Orange County judicial races, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks.

Asima Azam

WEBSITE: electasimaazam4judge.vote/

What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench? For the past 23 years, I have built a civil practice that closely mirrors the work of the County Court. Approximately 80% of County Court cases are civil matters, and my practice has focused on many of the disputes that regularly come before the court, including contract actions, landlord-tenant cases, collections, lien foreclosures, business disputes and real estate litigation. I have handled every phase of litigation, including case evaluation, pleadings, discovery, motion practice, mediations, hearings, and trials. In addition to representing clients in court, I have negotiated settlements with opposing counsel and self-represented litigants, developing the ability to resolve disputes efficiently while ensuring that all parties are heard and treated fairly. My experience as a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator has further prepared me for the bench. Mediation requires impartiality, active listening, patience, and the ability to identify the key issues in a dispute while encouraging communication and dispute resolution. For the past six years, I have also served in a quasi-judicial role as a Special Magistrate for the Orange County Value Adjustment Board. In that capacity, I preside over evidentiary hearings, evaluate witness testimony, interpret and apply Florida law, rule on evidentiary issues, and prepare written recommendations based solely on the evidence and applicable law. My career has also given me significant experience working with self-represented litigants and individuals from diverse cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds. I understand that for many people, appearing in court is unfamiliar and hard. Every person deserves to be treated with dignity, patience, and respect while receiving a fair opportunity to be heard.

What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making? A judge’s personal values should not dictate the outcome of a case. Every person is entitled to a decision based on the law, the facts, and the evidence presented. My experience as a Special Magistrate for the Orange County Value Adjustment Board has reinforced this principle. For the past six years, I have presided over evidentiary hearings, weighed testimony, ruled on evidentiary issues, and issued written recommendations based solely on the evidence presented and the applicable law. Regardless of my personal opinions or beliefs, my responsibility has always been to apply the law fairly, consistently, and impartially. That experience has strengthened my ability to separate my personal views and values from my legal decision-making.

How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards? The role of a judge is to apply the law as it is written. Throughout my 23 years of practice, I have advised clients through significant changes in Florida law, particularly in community association, real estate, and business law. My role has always been to understand changing statutes and written decisions and apply them accurately, when they provide clear guidance. As a Special Magistrate for the Orange County Value Adjustment Board, I have been required to decide cases based on the evidence, applicable statutes, and controlling legal authority, when it is available. When the law is unclear and there is no controlling precedent, a judge must rely on established principles of statutory interpretation, the evidence record before the court, and the purpose and intent of the law. The goal should be to reach a decision that is sound, consistent with existing legal principles, and faithful to the spirit and intent of the statute, while providing a well-reasoned analysis for the decision.

At the same time, my experience as a mediator has taught me that every case involves people with their own specific circumstances who deserve to be heard. I would aim to ensure every person has a meaningful opportunity to present their position.

What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest? Throughout my 23 years of practice, I have represented a broad range of clients and developed professional relationships within the legal community. If appointed, I would carefully review each case for any actual or potential conflict before presiding. If there is a prior representation, personal relationship, or any circumstance that could call my impartiality into question, I would disclose this to the parties involved. If the conflict cannot be addressed through disclosure, I would recuse myself. Protecting my reputation and the integrity of the process is more important than presiding over any specific case.

While serving on the Board of Zoning Adjustment for over 6 years, and as a Special Magistrate, I have encountered situations where I either had a prior business relationship with the parties coming before me, or had a personal relationship with a party involved. In both situations, I have disclosed the potential conflict and if I felt the relationship could impact my decision-making, I recused myself.

Disclosure and recusal, when appropriate, are the best safeguards against conflicts of interest.

What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them? One of the greatest barriers to justice is delay and the complexity of the legal system, particularly for self-represented persons. Improving judicial efficiency begins with active case management. The recent Florida Supreme Court case management rules recognize that judges play an important role in moving cases forward by setting fair deadlines, holding attorneys accountable to meeting deadlines, and ensuring cases progress on a timely basis.

Another significant barrier is the growing number of self-represented litigants. Throughout my 23 years of practice, I have worked with individuals unfamiliar with the court system, many of whom are scared by the process. While judges cannot provide legal advice, they can clearly explain courtroom procedures, ensure each party understands what is expected, and treat every person with patience, dignity, and respect.

Finally, I believe courts should encourage early alternative dispute resolution whenever appropriate. As a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator, I have seen how mediation can resolve disputes more quickly, reduce costs, and narrow the issues before the court. Early mediation benefits the parties but also reduces court congestion, allowing judges to devote more time to cases that truly require judicial intervention.

Kafi Kennedy

WEBSITE: www.kafikennedyforjudge.com/

What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench? My professional experience has prepared me for the bench by providing me with a well-rounded perspective on the justice system through service as a prosecutor, public defender, legal educator, and law practitioner. Throughout my career, I have been entrusted with responsibilities requiring sound judgment, integrity, fairness, and a steadfast commitment to the rule of law.

For more than 17 years, I have practiced law in Central Florida. I currently serve as Of Counsel with Having an Attorney When It Matters, where I represent clients in criminal, family, and personal injury matters, conduct court hearings and trials, draft and argue dispositive motions, and mentor attorneys and staff. This work has strengthened my ability to evaluate legal issues objectively, communicate effectively, and ensure that every individual is treated with dignity and respect.

My service as an Assistant State Attorney for the Ninth Judicial Circuit provided invaluable leadership and courtroom experience. As Director of Pretrial Diversion and Chief of the Booking Release Center, I supervised attorneys and staff, managed court operations, created office-wide training manuals, made charging decisions in misdemeanor and felony cases, and collaborated with judges, law enforcement, corrections officials, and community partners to improve the administration of justice. In addition to prosecuting cases, I handled motions, bond hearings, post-conviction matters, and other court proceedings, experiences that reinforced the importance of fairness, discretion, and accountability.

Before serving as a prosecutor, I spent more than seven years as an Assistant Public Defender in the Ninth Judicial Circuit. I represented hundreds of clients facing misdemeanor and felony charges, conducted jury and bench trials, litigated complex motions, researched and authored appellate briefs, and advocated for clients at every stage of the criminal process. Representing indigent clients taught me the importance of ensuring that every person--regardless of background or circumstance--receives meaningful access to justice and a fair hearing.

My commitment to the legal profession extends beyond the courtroom. I currently serve as a Faculty Member at Florida A&M University College of Law, where I teach Introduction to Analytical Skills. Legal Analysis, and serve as a Bar Coach. I have also taught trial advocacy, training future attorneys in motion practice, courtroom advocacy, witness examination, evidentiary foundations, and ethical legal practice. Teaching requires patience, objectivity, and the ability to explain complex legal principles clearly--qualities that are equally important for a judge.

Earlier in my career, I had the privilege of serving as a judicial intern with the United States District Court for the Southern District of Florida, where I researched legal issues, drafted memoranda and proposed orders, and observed the judicial decision-making process firsthand. That experience provided an early appreciation for the responsibility, impartiality, and discipline required of members of the judiciary.

Collectively, these experiences have given me a comprehensive understanding of our justice system from nearly every perspective. I have advocated for the State, defended the constitutional rights of individuals, educated future lawyers, supervised legal professionals, and observed the work of the federal judiciary. Those experiences have prepared me to approach every case with an open mind, apply the law faithfully, treat every person with dignity and respect, and render decisions that are fair, impartial, and based solely on the facts and the law.

What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making? Judges take an oath to uphold the Constitution and apply the law fairly and impartially, regardless of their personal beliefs, political views, or life experiences. Every litigant deserves the confidence that his or her case will be decided based on the facts presented, the applicable law, and the governing legal precedent--not on the personal preferences of the judge.

At the same time, a judge must not remember their humanity and show humility, respect, patience, and compassion. These are essential to influence how litigants are treated, ensuring that every person is heard, treated with dignity, and afforded due process.

My experience as both an Assistant Public Defender and an Assistant State Attorney has reinforced the importance of setting aside personal opinions and objectively evaluating each case on its own merits. As an attorney, I was ethically obligated to advocate for my client while respecting the law. As a judge, that responsibility shifts to serving as a neutral arbiter who faithfully applies the law equally to all parties.

Personal values should not play a role in the judicial decision-making process as a Judge is to ensure that justice is administered fairly, impartially, and consistently, thereby preserving public trust in the judicial system and the rule of law.

How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards? Legal precedent is fundamental to our legal system because it promotes consistency, stability, and predictability in the law. Judges have a duty to faithfully apply binding precedent established by higher courts, even when societal views evolve or personal opinions differ. Adherence to precedent ensures that like cases are treated alike and that the judiciary remains faithful to its constitutional role.

What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest? Judges must not only be impartial but must also avoid the appearance of impropriety. I believe that transparency, ethical vigilance, and adherence to the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct are critical to preserving the integrity of the courts.

If elected, I would carefully review each case for any actual or potential conflict, including prior involvement as an attorney, personal or professional relationships with parties, attorneys, or witnesses, or any financial or other interests that could reasonably call my impartiality into question. When appropriate, I would promptly disclose any potential conflict on the record and, when required under the Florida Code of Judicial Conduct, recuse myself so that every litigant has complete confidence in the fairness of the proceedings.

Ultimately, protecting the integrity of the judiciary is more important than presiding over any individual case. By adhering to the law and erring on the side of transparency when questions arise, I will ensure that every person appearing before me can trust that their case is being decided by a fair, impartial, and independent judge.

What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them? One barrier to justice in our court system is delay. As Orange County continues to experience significant population growth, the volume and complexity of cases have increased substantially, placing tremendous demands on the court. Delays in resolving cases can create uncertainty for victims, defendants, families, and businesses while increasing costs for everyone involved. I

Another significant barrier is unequal access to the legal system. Many individuals appear in court without legal representation or have limited understanding of court procedures. While judges must remain impartial and cannot serve as advocates, they can ensure that proceedings are conducted with patience, respect, and clarity so that every person understands the process and has a meaningful opportunity to be heard.

My experience has given me a unique perspective on these challenges. As an Assistant Public Defender, I represented individuals who often faced significant obstacles in navigating the legal system. As an Assistant State Attorney, including serving as Director of Pretrial Diversion and Chief of the Booking Release Center, I worked to improve efficiency, develop training programs, and collaborate with community partners to promote fair and effective case resolution. Those leadership experiences taught me the importance of balancing efficiency with fairness while ensuring that justice is never sacrificed for speed.

If elected, I will work diligently to manage my docket efficiently, prepare thoroughly for every hearing, treat every person who enters my courtroom with dignity and respect, and apply the law fairly and consistently.

The S&P 500 rose 0.4% after veering between an earlier gain of 0.7% and drop of 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 221 points, or 0.4%, as of 12:29 p.m. Eastern time, and the Nasdaq composite was 0.6% higher after briefly losing all of an early 1.3% jump.

The market initially seemed to be heading for healthy gains as Amazon leaped 15.2% after reporting much stronger profit for the latest quarter than analysts expected. Its profit more than tripled from a year earlier, thanks in part to an acceleration of growth in its cloud computing business.

Analysts said that could be a signal Amazon’s huge investments in artificial-intelligence technology are paying off, and Amazon increased its forecast for how much it will spend on investments this year.

The stock reaction was similar to what Microsoft got a day before, when it soared to its best day in nearly 18 years on signals that its AI investments may also be yielding higher profits.

Worries have been high on Wall Street that companies pouring billions of dollars into AI data centers may not get enough profit and productivity to make all the investments worth it. That weighed on the broad U.S. stock market, causing its sharp swings throughout July, along with worries that stock prices shot too high for companies selling the processors and computer memory that such “hyperscalers” are scrambling to buy.

Chipmakers swung sharply again on Friday. Micron Technology, for example, went from an early jump of 6.4% to a loss of 5.3%.

More firmly on the losing end of Wall Street was Apple, which dropped 9.6% despite reporting stronger profit for the latest quarter than expected. Its forecast for growth in the current quarter fell short of expectations, which executives pinned on a supply crunch in components getting vacuumed up in the AI boom.

Also pressuring stocks was another rise in oil prices as uncertainty continues about when the war with Iran will allow crude to flow freely again from the Middle East.

The price for a barrel of Brent crude rose 0.9% to $87.66 after careening between $72 and $102 earlier in July.

Higher oil prices have pushed the cost for a gallon of regular gasoline to an average of nearly $4.11 across the United States, up from $3.85 a month ago, according to AAA. More expensive oil also puts upward pressure on prices for virtually every product that rides on a ship, plane or truck before it gets to a customer.

The worries about inflation sent yields in the bond market even higher.

The yield on the 10-year Treasury jumped to 4.74% from 4.68% late Thursday and from just 3.97% before the war with Iran sent oil prices shooting higher. That's a notable move for the bond market, and the yield moves higher when investors' expectations for inflation, economic growth and other factors in upcoming years are rising.

The leap has already sent the average long-term U.S. mortgage rate to its highest level in a year.

Longer-term yields jumped on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve's chair, Kevin Warsh, promised again to get inflation back down to 2% but did not say how he plans to get it there. The Fed voted again to keep its main interest rate steady on Wednesday, even though inflation continues to remain well above 2%.

Higher interest rates could keep a lid on inflation, but they could also slow the economy and undercut prices for stocks and other investments. President Donald Trump, who nominated Warsh to lead the Fed, has lobbied for lower interest rates instead of higher.

Warsh has clearly told financial markets that he does not want to give hints about what the Fed will do with interest rates, saying he wants to get direct, “unfiltered” messages from them rather than echoes back of what the Fed has suggested.

But “without clarifying why action was or wasn’t taken already, it’s hard to see how statements about being committed to hitting its inflation target aren’t just a bluff,” according to Brian Jacobsen, chief economic strategist at Annex Wealth Management.

“The Fed is facing a growing credibility problem,” economists at Bank of America wrote in a report. Unless data comes in showing less pressure on inflation in the interim, “it is imperative for the Fed to pass the September test by hiking rates and delivering an internally consistent narrative.”

In stock markets abroad, the swings were even wilder for chip stocks.

Seoul’s Kospi index soared 17.9% for its best day in history. The index is dominated by two tech giants, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which both surged at least 26.8% on Friday.

The Kospi, though, still lost 22% in July despite Friday’s historic move. That’s after it more than doubled in the first six months of the year.

___

AP Business Writers Chan Ho-him and Elaine Kurtenbach contributed to this report.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Osceola County Commission District 4 Democratic Primary

The Osceola County Commission has five districts, and these are partisan races, which means you must be a member of a political party to vote in August. All voters will be able to choose from a final slate of candidates in November.

The winner of the Democratic primary for the District 4 commission seat will go on to face the winner of the Republican primary in November.

County Commission District 4 encompasses part Central Osceola County, including the Downtown Kissimmee area. You can see a map of the district HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our News Collaborative partners at Osceola News Gazette compiled the candidate responses for Orange County Commission District 4. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.

You can see the full Osceola News Gazette Voting Guide HERE.

Mary Downey

WEBSITE: http://www.votemarydowney.com

Why do you deserve to be elected by the Commission by those in District 4 in this race? For the last 20 years, I have served alongside public and private partnerships in Osceola County and the State of Florida to provide quality care and housing to those experiencing poverty and homelessness. As the founder and CEO of Hope Partnership I’ve had the honor of working with these families and individuals and have helped them secure affordable housing, healthcare, and support services since 2008. This experience has helped me build a resume that reflects the skills needed for this position. Building relationships, strong business acumen, strategic leadership, and compassionate care are what make me deserving of this office.

What do you feel are Osceola County’s three most pressing problems and give a brief explanation of how you’d advocate they’d be solved:

Roads/Infrastructure: Balancing the needs of the fastest-growing county in Florida with the protection of our natural resources is difficult. We must make careful choices that help alleviate the traffic congestion without increasing damage to our precious wildlife and land. We need to make sure we have infrastructure in place before we continue to develop and slow our rapid growth in a way that helps us both welcome new neighbors without destroying the community we have all worked so hard to build together.

Affordable Housing: We increase the supply of affordable housing by continuing to encourage private investment, while ensuring we explore all opportunities created through federal and state legislation for more opportunities around low-income tax credits and encourage initiatives that provide for the full housing continuum.

Sustainable Job Growth: One of the best things about Osceola County right now is our Osceola Prosper program providing financial support for any high school graduate in Osceola County to attend Valencia College. As a first-generation college graduate, I value the opportunity for our students to get the education they need to succeed. With funding opportunities available, more and more students will be able to explore future careers. I would continue to fight for this as a County Commissioner, as well as continue to strengthen partnerships and collaboration through organizations like the School District of Osceola County and CareerSource of Central Florida.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? For the last 20 years, I have fought for those who need access to safe and affordable housing in Osceola County and I’m committed to continuing to focus on making sure our community is a safe place for all. Thrive Studios by Hope Partnership, a hotel conversion project into affordable housing, recently opened and I continue to advocate for other nonprofits, affordable housing developers, and private organizations that invest in affordable housing. We increase the supply of affordable housing by continuing to encourage private investment, while ensuring we explore all opportunities created through federal and state legislation, including the most recent changes to Live Local that allow for easier development for affordable housing by religious organizations and faith-based organizations.

Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position: No. We simply do not have enough information about how eliminating the property tax will affect our communities. It was passed through the legislature very quickly and without much data on its effects. An issue of this magnitude should have been given more time and attention and should have been done in a way that the public could understand. Even the website where citizens can estimate their own savings does not display correct information. When our public safety personnel tell us that this will stop us from being able to provide necessary services for public safety, we must listen to them.

Jose Gonzalez

WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/people/Jose-Gonzalez-For-Osceola-County-Commissioner-District-4/61590725015234/

Why do you deserve to be elected by those in District 4 in this race? I am not running to be another politician. I am running as a resident, small business owner, husband, father, grandfather, and community advocate who understands the everyday struggles families are facing. For more than 15 years, I have been actively helping people, supporting community efforts, and working with residents from different backgrounds. I am not someone who just appeared during election season. I love Osceola County, and I want to serve with honor, integrity, and dedication. District 4 needs a commissioner who will listen to residents, protect taxpayers, support small businesses, address affordability, improve infrastructure, and make sure growth is responsible. I will bring common sense, hard work, and a people-first approach.

What do you feel are Osceola County’s three most pressing problems and give a brief explanation of how you’d advocate they’d be solved.

Affordability and housing costs: Local families in Osceola are being squeezed by rising rent, home prices, insurance, groceries, utilities, and everyday expenses. Many working families are doing everything right and still struggling to keep up. I will advocate for responsible policies that support attainable housing, workforce housing, and homeownership opportunities. The county must work with cities, builders, nonprofits, state partners, and community organizations to increase housing options while protecting neighborhoods and making sure infrastructure keeps up with growth.

Affordability is not just about housing. It is about helping families stay in Osceola County without being priced out of the community they helped build.

Traffic, roads, and infrastructure: Growth has moved faster than our roads, intersections, public transit, and infrastructure. I will advocate for better planning, faster road improvements, safer intersections, improved traffic signal timing, and stronger coordination with FDOT, MetroPlan Orlando, LYNX, the cities, and regional partners. Development should not be approved without a clear plan for roads, drainage, public safety, schools, and infrastructure. Growth must pay its fair share, and residents should not be left sitting in traffic because the government failed to plan ahead.

Economic opportunity and better jobs: Osceola County must focus on bringing better-paying jobs, supporting small businesses, and expanding economic opportunities for residents. Too many people live here but leave the county every day for better employment. As a small business owner, I understand how hard it is to build, operate, and grow a business. I will advocate for policies that support local businesses, workforce training, entrepreneurship, tourism, technology, trades, and partnerships that connect residents to real career opportunities. Economic development should not only benefit large projects. It should also benefit working families, small businesses, and residents.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? My focus would be on practical, local action. Osceola County needs more attainable housing options, stronger partnerships with cities and nonprofits, responsible development, and better planning so housing is connected to roads, jobs, schools, public safety, and services.

We also need to protect existing residents from being pushed out. That means supporting homeownership opportunities, workforce housing, rental stability programs where appropriate, and partnerships that help residents stay housed. Affordability cannot be solved by one government alone. It will take the county, cities, state agencies, builders, nonprofits, employers, and community partners working together. My focus will be on solutions that help working families stay in Osceola County and build a future here.

Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position: No vote given. I believe this decision belongs to the voters. I am not going to tell residents how to vote on a constitutional amendment. I encourage every voter to do their own research, read the full language, ask questions, and understand both the benefits and the consequences before making a decision. I understand that homeowners need relief. Families are feeling pressure from housing costs, insurance, utilities, groceries, and everyday expenses. At the same time, there is no such thing as “free” government services. When revenue is removed from one place, it usually has to be replaced somewhere else, reduced from services, or shifted in another way.

Property tax revenue helps support essential services such as public safety, fire rescue, roads, parks, public works, emergency response, and basic local government operations. My concern is making sure residents understand the full impact of any major tax change before they vote.

Rafael A. Lebron

WEBSITE: votelebron.com/

Why do you deserve to be elected by the Commission by those in District 4 in this race? My business and education background give me the tools required to represent our citizens as a commissioner, from understanding budgets to building strong relationships and creating consensus amongst teams. With over 20 years of leadership experience and as director of business development at Lebron Law, PLLC, I understand how to deliver results. I will prioritize affordable housing to keep families in District 4, ensure competitive wages for our workers, invest in youth and education to build our future, address traffic and congestion challenges, and support our most vulnerable seniors and veterans. I am excited to work tirelessly, and I’m committed to bringing full transparency and dedicated focus to this role to ensure our future is bright.

What do you feel are Osceola County’s three most pressing problems and give a brief explanation of how you’d advocate they’d be solved:

Smart growth and infrastructure. Our county is growing faster than our infrastructure can handle. I will push for a transportation strategic plan and bring back local concurrency through an interlocal agreement with the school district and both cities. I will prioritize improving existing roadways, invest in transit, and streamline permitting to cut red tape, all while protecting our conservation lands like Split Oak Forest and limiting urban sprawl. Perpetual deed protections must be respected. In my first board meeting, I will move to reconsider and reinstate the land deed protections and demand that CFX and Tavistock pursue an alternative route. I will also propose a charter change requiring a voter referendum before any public conservation land can be repurposed. Let the voters decide.

Economic development and job creation. Wages aren’t keeping pace with our cost of living. I will champion trade and skilled workforce education in our K-12 schools to create a pipeline of good-paying jobs. As part of a small business family in downtown Kissimmee since 2015, I know the struggles our local businesses face firsthand, and I will make sure key stakeholders have a seat at the table on policy decisions.

Public safety and community well-being. I will ensure our first responders have the resources and support they need, and I am proud to be endorsed by the Kissimmee Professional Firefighters Local 4208. I will hold quarterly town halls in my district so residents are truly heard, with a special focus on our most vulnerable seniors, veterans, and youth.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? We must increase the supply of true workforce and affordable housing through smart growth planning, incentivize responsible development, streamline the permitting process to lower building costs, and encourage home ownership. Just as important, we need to raise affordability from the other direction by investing in trade education and skilled jobs that create upward economic mobility for working families.

Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position: Undecided, I am still doing my research.

Hayden Anthis, a geometry teacher at Harmony High since 2017, was arrested after detectives with the St. Cloud Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit say he began corresponding in an online forum with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl. Back in June, detectives say the conversations began. On Thursday, police say Anthis offered to meet for sex — and showed up with condoms.

He met officers instead.

Charges

Anthis faces two charges:

• Traveling to Meet a Minor
• Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communications Device

School District Response

Osceola County Schools confirmed Anthis had been employed as a geometry teacher at Harmony High since 2017. The district says he has been banned from all Osceola School District properties effective immediately.

“Our commitment remains on providing a safe, supportive, and secure learning environment for every student,” the district said in a statement.

ICAC Detectives

St. Cloud’s ICAC unit typically assists other law enforcement agencies in building cases against online predators. In this case, detectives say the target was local.

“This behavior is inexcusable,” police said in a statement.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Osceola County Commission District 4 Republican Primary

The Osceola County Commission has five districts, and these are partisan races, which means you must be a member of a political party to vote in August. All voters will be able to choose from a final slate of candidates in November.

The winner of the Republican primary for the District 4 commission seat will go on to face the winner of the Democratic primary in November.

County Commission District 4 encompasses part of Central Osceola County, including the Downtown Kissimmee area. You can see a map of the district HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our News Collaborative partners at Osceola News Gazette compiled the candidate responses for Osceola County Commission District 4. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.

You can see the full Osceola News Gazette Voting Guide HERE.

Nelly Hernandez

WEBSITE: www.votenelly.com/

Why do you deserve to be elected by the Commission by those in District 4 in this race? I believe I am qualified for this office because of my experience as a business owner, community advocate, and someone who has worked closely with residents on real local issues. My background has taught me the importance of listening, being responsible with budgets, finding practical solutions, and making decisions that put the community first.

What do you feel are Osceola County’s three most pressing problems and give a brief explanation of how you’d advocate they’d be solved:

Infrastructure and mismanaged growth. Osceola County’s growth has outpaced our roads, drainage, and public services, and residents are the ones paying the price through traffic, flooding concerns, and strained services. I would advocate for common-sense growth management, including a temporary pause on major new residential land-use changes so infrastructure can catch up. New development should be compatible with the area, pay its fair share, and be approved only when roads, drainage, public safety, and services can support it.

Wasteful spending and lack of accountability. Residents deserve to know that every tax dollar is being used wisely. Too much money has been spent on projects and programs that do not directly improve the daily lives of Osceola families. I would advocate for stronger oversight, better transparency, and a careful review of county spending so dollars are redirected toward core needs like roads, drainage, public safety, and services residents actually use.

Rising property taxes and affordability for homeowners. Families should not feel like they are being taxed out of the homes they worked hard to buy. I would advocate for reducing the tax burden on homesteaded homeowners and protecting the American dream of homeownership.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Housing affordability is one of the biggest issues facing Florida families, and in Osceola County, it is tied to rising property taxes, insurance costs, and mismanaged growth. My solution is to protect homesteaded homeowners from being taxed out of their homes, review county spending before asking residents to pay more, and make sure growth is responsible and supported by proper roads, drainage, schools, and public safety. We need to make government spend smarter, reduce the burden on families, and protect the American dream of homeownership.

Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position: Yes.

Homeowners need real relief. Property taxes continue to climb, and many families are feeling the pressure even after doing everything right.

This amendment is a step toward making Florida more affordable. I also believe local governments must be prepared to tighten budgets, cut waste, and focus on the services residents truly need.

Donald Shroyer

WEBSITE: www.donaldshroyer.com/

Why do you deserve to be elected by the Commission by those in District 4 in this race? I bring a unique combination of experience, relationships, and a proven record of delivering results for Osceola County. I am the only candidate in this race who has previously served as an elected official. That experience has given me firsthand knowledge of how government works, how decisions are made, and how to effectively advocate for our community’s needs. As a lifelong member of the Osceola County community, I understand the challenges and opportunities facing District 4 because I have lived them. My commitment is not a political ambition, but to serving the people and protecting the future of our county.

I have established strong working relationships in Tallahassee and throughout Florida government. Those connections matter because they help ensure that Osceola County has a seat at the table when important decisions are being made. Most importantly, I have a proven track record of securing appropriations and bringing resources back to our community. Results matter, and my experience demonstrates that I can successfully advocate for District 4 and deliver the funding needed for infrastructure, public safety, economic development, and quality-of-life improvements.

What do you feel are Osceola County’s three most pressing problems and give a brief explanation of how you’d advocate they’d be solved:

Rapid population growth: For a fast-growing community like St. Cloud or other parts of Osceola County, our biggest tools are infrastructure concurrency, impact fees, strategic zoning, and phased development approvals. These allow us to maintain quality of life while still accommodating population growth. Infrastructure is a must and needs to remain our top priority.

Massive traffic congestion: Often our biggest gains come from synchronizing signals on major corridors; Building additional east-west and north-south connections to reduce reliance on a few major roads; Coordinating development approvals with transportation capacity; Securing state and federal transportation funding; Expanding regional transit connections.

Flooding and storm water run-off: Stormwater management requires a proactive approach. We must invest in modern drainage infrastructure, protect wetlands, require responsible development practices, and maintain our stormwater systems to ensure existing residents are not burdened by the impacts of rapid growth. By planning and securing state and federal funding, we can improve public safety, protect property values, and build a more resilient community.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say housing affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Our crisis starts with housing but it affects every aspect of daily life — insurance costs, utility bills, transportation, childcare. According to polling, many working families can no longer afford to live in the communities they serve.

My approach focuses on improving infrastructure and reducing the hidden costs that drive up living expenses. We must encourage the development of workforce and attainable housing for teachers, first responders, healthcare workers, and young families. Local governments should streamline permitting, reduce unnecessary regulatory delays, and partner with the private sector for affordability while maintaining community standards.

Second, we need to invest in infrastructure before growth occurs. When roads, utilities, and public services lag development, taxpayers end up paying more in the long run. Smart growth planning helps keep costs down and protects quality of life.

Third, we must advocate at the state level for solutions to rising property insurance costs, which have become one of the biggest housing expense drivers in Osceola County. Homeowners and renters alike are feeling the impact of these increases.

Finally, economic development must focus on attracting high-wage jobs and supporting local businesses. Affordability is not only about lowering costs, but also about creating opportunities for residents to earn higher incomes and build financial security. My goal is to ensure that people who work in our community can also afford to live in our community.

Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position: Yes.

I support less taxes and less government. I believe property taxes make homeowners continue paying the government every year, just to keep property they already purchased.

Property values have risen dramatically across Osceola County, causing tax bills to increase even when residents’ incomes have not. Eliminating property taxes could help seniors, retirees, and long-time residents stay in their homes. Lowering or eliminating property taxes could reduce monthly housing costs and make Osceola more affordable for families. Osceola County already benefits from having no state income tax. Eliminating property taxes could make the state even more attractive to retirees, entrepreneurs, and businesses looking to relocate.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Osceola County School Board District 1

All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

There are five school board districts in Osceola County, with a board member representing each one. District 1 covers West Osceola County, as well as the Celebration area. A map of the school districts is available HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our News Collaborative partners at Osceola News Gazette compiled the candidate responses for Osceola County School Board District 1. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.

You can see the full Osceola News Gazette Voting Guide HERE.

Greg Filak

WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557358152399

Why do you deserve to be elected to the open seat in this race? I have a 30-year record of public service going back to 17 years as a volunteer fireman and EMT starting in high school, as a police officer for 5 years, as a supervisor and Chairman of Celebration’s town board, as the Vice Chair of Osceola County school district’s Business Advisory Board and as a community volunteer for the past 15 years in Osceola County as a youth sports coach and Cub Scout leader. Osceola deserves a school board member who is a demonstrated community leader who can build consensus without controversy nor ethics violations. I have endorsements from Osceola’s teachers’ union, current District 1 Vice Chair Terry Castillo and other community leaders. I have shown that I can bring together different people from varying viewpoints to focus on what is most important: our students and our children.

What do you feel are the Osceola School District’s three most pressing problems and give a brief explanation of how you’d advocate they’d be solved:

Osceola’s massive growth, levying more needs on the school district with higher student populations, diverse languages and student needs: The board needs leaders who can tackle tomorrow’s challenges, set strategic visions and organizational accountability for the realities of where Osceola is today and is headed tomorrow, and who have the trust of the community based on demonstrated level-headed leadership. I’m that future-looking leader. As a young parent, I’m living today’s challenges and opportunities in Osceola’s public education system.

Safety and security in our schools: I understand the vital importance of School Resource Officers (SRO) in each school and was requested to be a part of Osceola’s SRO Task Force in 2021 to retain our deputies when the prior sheriff was planning to remove SROs from Osceola’s schools. We need to guarantee our SRO partnerships and expand their capabilities with the use of technology around our campuses.

Rapidly-changing requirements for joining the workforce: Osceola must continue to expand its Career Technical Education programs for hands-on training, industry certifications, mentorships, networking, and pathways to employment for our students who want to enter the workforce immediately after graduation. Local partnerships in hospitality and the trades are a good start, but we must expand to other regions and opportunities for our students outside of Central Florida. We must also measure objective feedback after graduation to ensure the education and training provided is meaningful and aligned to the needs of employers.

Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position: As a homeowner who pays property taxes, and as a current board member of a government taxing authority in a Development District where

I voted “no” on two years of increases, I understand the burden that the multiple layers of government impose on all of us as residents and citizens. As a business executive, I recognize a government is not a business and does not exist to make money, but also I recognize budgets need to be responsible and instill confidence with taxpayers to know that necessary services will be provided. I believe in Florida’s long history of Home Rule, which bestows important decisions on local services down to local governments, where elected leaders have the best awareness of the community’s needs. I cannot support sweeping changes to local tax rules implemented exclusively by a few officials in Tallahassee from all over Florida who do not know Osceola’s needs, challenges, and opportunities. Osceola’s voters are smart enough, vocal enough, and strong enough to make our own decisions on what our funding priorities should be.

Should you be elected, what would your initial message to students’ parents and guardians from the dais? Osceola’s students and schools have new challenges and new opportunities from where we have been in the past years. As a current town board leader in Celebration and the Vice Chairman of the Osceola School District’s Business Advisory Board, I have established relationships within and around the school district, and the knowledge to lead our school board on behalf of the larger West Osceola community. I live the “highs” and the “lows” of what is happening inside Osceola’s classrooms every day. As I do on my various community boards, as well as in my daily job as an executive at a Fortune 500 company, I will ensure accountability for the District’s actions, strategic vision, use of tax dollars, and how we spend each day to ensure every one of our students is receiving the best education we can provide. I will govern with humility and maturity, not as past District 1 board members who have disgraced their office with ethics violations and combative showmanship. Our students, our teachers, and our communities deserve better.

Jay Wheeler

WEBSITE: www.jaywheelerosceola.com/

Why do you deserve to be elected to the open seat in this race? I do not need on-the-job training and can hit the ground running with a proven track record of accomplishments. I am dialed into student, employee, and community needs laid out below, with specific challenges along with how to turn those challenges into successes.

When first elected in 2002, Osceola only had two schools with an A or B grade; when I left all our schools were an A or a B School. I held charter schools accountable for performance or cancelled their charter. New HS Arts and Athletics programs were started and expanded.

In 2002, we had just under 40,000 students. When I left in 2018, we had just over 60,000 students. I 100% understand growth management; 11 new schools opened while I served on the school board.

What do you feel are the Osceola School District’s three most pressing problems and give a brief explanation of how you’d advocate they’d be solved:

Expanding career and technical education: The only way to expand these opportunities is to develop a public-private partnership with businesses to provide instructors who are on that business’s payroll to develop a pipeline of skilled workers they can hire into an apprenticeship. I have engaged Trane Corporation and Osceola Schools’ CTE director to look at starting a pilot program. As a school district, we would provide the students and the space. Public school districts cannot pay market rate to get these instructors, who would have to take at least a 50% pay cut to be a public-school employee.

Max out VPK enrollments and expand VPK capacity: The lowest hanging fruit to improve public education the fastest: students who start Kindergarten having already attended VPK are exponentially better prepared. Engage local pediatrician/family practice physicians who see all these students and get them to advocate for VPK just like they advocate for healthy diet/lifestyle. I am 100% certain I can get to the doctors and get this done.

Increase student participation in after-school activities: Students involved with after-school activities do better in school and are happier. The problem for most is transportation. When I was on the School Board, I worked with Lynx to change some bus routes for a 5:30 p.m. detour on school days to Celebration and Poinciana High Schools. Sadly, this “activity bus” program is no longer in place. I’d get on this right away.

Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position: No.

This is a bait-and-switch PR move by the Governor. Currently, homeowners with homestead exemptions have protections from jumbo tax increases. If property taxes go away, it will surely spawn new programs with fees that will have no protections from increases similar to homestead. Plus, the state will place new restrictions on money it gives out, and many municipal agencies will lose local control. In Osceola, it will force the county to cut the Osceola Prosper college scholarship program, that will result in a double- digit college matriculation rate declines. The School Resource Officer program will be scaled back and probably have very severe cuts.

Should you be elected, what would your initial message to students’ parents and guardians from the dais? To employees, thank you for choosing a career helping our kids succeed. I know how hard you all work; from bus drivers and cafeteria workers all the way up to the District

Administrative team. My primary mission on your behalf is to get you a break on what you spend for benefits. We are all in this together. A lot will be expected from you; in return you can count on me to give both students and employees my best effort every day. Fortunately, I am not easily discouraged, especially when I know I am right.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Osceola County School Board District 3

All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

There are five school board districts in Osceola County, with a board member representing each one. District 3 covers South Central Osceola County, including the Poinciana area. A map of the school districts is available HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our News Collaborative partners at Osceola News Gazette compiled the candidate responses for Osceola County School Board District 3. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.

You can see the full Osceola News Gazette Voting Guide HERE.

Natalie Guzman

WEBSITE: natalieguzman.us/about

Why do you deserve to be elected to the open seat in this race? I bring the perspective of a parent, business owner, and active member of our community. I understand that every decision made by the School Board affects real families, our children’s futures, our teachers, and the growth of Osceola County. As a business owner, I know the importance of financial responsibility, accountability, budgeting, and making decisions that create long-term success. I believe those same principles should be reflected in education — from how we manage resources to how we prepare our students for life beyond graduation.

As a parent, I understand families want to feel heard and confident that their children are receiving a quality education in a safe and supportive environment. My goal is to bring a fresh perspective, collaborate, listen to all sides, and strengthen the partnership between schools, parents, teachers, and our community while focusing on preparing students academically and practically for their future.

What do you feel are the Osceola School District’s three most pressing problems and how would you advocate they be solved?

Preparing Students for Financial Literacy & Career Readiness After Graduation: Education should prepare students not only to pass a test, but to succeed in life. Financial literacy is one of the most important life skills we can provide. Every student should have a strong understanding budgeting, credit, saving, entrepreneurship, responsible financial decisions, and planning for their future. I would advocate for expanding opportunities that connect education to real-life success, including financial literacy, career and technical education, entrepreneurship, trade opportunities, college readiness, and partnerships with local businesses. I am currently working on community partnerships with financial institutions to host financial literacy workshops. This will not tap into the boards budget, so that everyone can see the value, while we work on getting it mandated so that every student takes the course before graduation.

School Safety, Student Well-Being & Parent Engagement: Students cannot reach their full potential unless they feel safe, supported, and ready to learn. School safety must remain a top priority —safe campuses, preventative measures, communication, and ensure schools have the resources to protect students and staff. Parents and guardians are essential partners in education. I would advocate for stronger communication between schools and families because when parents, teachers, and communities work together, our students benefit. Expanding and making mental health more accessible will ensure our schools remain safe.

Teacher Retention & Support: We must make sure our teachers and staff feel valued, respected, and equipped with the tools they need inside the classroom. I would advocate for open communication with educators, reviewing where resources are being allocated, reducing unnecessary burdens, and prioritizing decisions that allow teachers to focus on what matters most — educating and inspiring our students.

Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. At this time, I would need to review the final language of the amendment before committing to a vote because the details matter. School taxes are exempt for the constitutional amendment increasing the homestead exemption. As a homeowner, I understand the financial pressure families are facing. Rising costs have impacted many households, and I support finding responsible ways to provide relief and ensure taxpayer dollars are being used efficiently. But as a School Board member, my responsibility would be to understand how any changes impact school funding, safety, classroom resources, teachers, staff, and our students.

Should you be elected, what would your initial message to students’ parents and guardians from the dais? Your voice matters, and you have a seat at the table. We get this done together! Parents are a child’s first teachers, and strong schools require strong partnerships between families, educators, and the community. My commitment is to encourage communication, transparency, safety, and decisions that always put students first. Together, we can build schools where our children are safe, supported, and prepared not just for graduation but for life.

Alyssa Noel

WEBSITE: alyssanoelforschools.com/

Why do you deserve to be elected to the open seat in this race? I am not running to learn about our schools. I have already been serving them. As a member of those boards and a parent, former mental health professional, and longtime community advocate, I have spent years listening to families, supporting students, and working alongside educators. When I saw gaps, I took action, starting literacy and history initiatives to encourage learning outside of the classroom. I understand both the opportunities and challenges facing Osceola County Schools because I have seen them firsthand. My background in mental health has given me a unique understanding of the challenges students and families face both inside and outside the classroom, while my service in our schools has shown me the importance of trust, accountability, and collaboration.

I am running to help restore trust in our public schools, strengthen accountability, and ensure decisions are guided by what is best for students.

What do you feel are the Osceola School District’s three most pressing problems and give a brief explanation of how you’d advocate they’d be solved.

Declining Enrollment: Every student who leaves our district represents a family that has lost confidence in something. Families want to know their children are safe, challenged academically, and being prepared for the future. I would advocate for greater transparency, stronger parent engagement, and regular opportunities for families to provide meaningful feedback. We must rebuild trust by listening to parents, communicating clearly, and demonstrating that their concerns matter. When families trust their schools, they are more likely to stay invested in public education.

Fiscal Accountability and Long-Term Financial Planning: As enrollment changes and funding pressures continue, we must prioritize proactive planning that allows the district to respond effectively to future needs. I would advocate for greater transparency around budget decisions, long-range financial planning, and regular evaluation of district priorities to ensure resources are aligned with student needs. Our community deserves confidence that taxpayer dollars are being managed responsibly while protecting the programs and services that have the greatest impact on students.

School Safety and Student Well-Being: We must continue building on the foundation of significant investments in school safety, but it is not a one-time achievement; it requires ongoing attention, collaboration, and adaptation to new challenges. I would support continued investment in safety training, strong partnerships between schools, families, and law enforcement, and resources that support students’ emotional well-being.

Please vote yes or no on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position: No.

While property tax relief is important for many families, public schools rely heavily on local funding to provide essential services and educational opportunities. Before reducing a major source of school funding, there must be a clear, sustainable plan to ensure students, teachers, and schools are not negatively impacted.

Should you be elected, what would your initial message to students’ parents and guardians from the dais? I see you, I hear you, and your voice matters.

Whether you have been involved for years or are just beginning to engage with your child’s school, you deserve transparency, respect, and a seat at the table. I will work every day to earn your trust and ensure that decisions are made with students at the center.

I will approach every decision with one question in mind: “How does this impact students and families?” If we keep that focus, we can strengthen confidence in our schools and create better outcomes for the children we serve.

“This is the first fire I'm experiencing real-time, and I can tell you it’s vicious," said Pauner, 64. “It’s underground, it comes out at any moment, and no matter how much we try to extinguish it, re-extinguish it, re-extinguish it, it keeps restarting."

“It’s like a steamroller that’s constantly, constantly rolling,” said Pauner, wearing shorts, boots and sunglasses on a string around his neck on a road through cultivated pine trees, as the ground smoldered.

Pauner is among the untold numbers of volunteers who have mobilized to support firefighters battling the biggest wildfires in years in France.

“I’m protecting my forest, and my home,” he said, pouring his watering can into a smoking ditch as if watering a garden, then huffing in the heat.

Hundreds of thousands forced from their homes

The wildfires that tore through cultivated forests on an Atlantic coast also known for towering sand dunes and tourist resorts devastated 42,000 hectares (about 162 square miles) west of Bordeaux, driving nearly a quarter-million people out of their homes and vacation sites.

Many other places in France have been hit by fires this summer, including in the Mediterranean Var region where a blaze in the Gros Bessillon mountain ridge flared up again on Friday, driven by violent winds, local authorities said. Several towns in the area were evacuated.

Europe is facing an extremely hot summer, fueling wildfires from the Atlantic coast to the eastern Mediterranean. The United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Greece and Turkey battled blazes this week.

As cooler, more humid air moved into southwest France this week, authorities allowed two-thirds of the 224,000 evacuees to return home, including some more on Friday.

But the ground still simmers in many places.

“It’s stabilized, but not totally stopped,” French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez told RTL radio. “Hot spots remain.”

Volunteers like Pauner — what he calls “little eyes” on watch to report flare-ups to firefighters — do what they can with limited resources. Others have mobilized their trucks and giant jerrycans to supply water to fire crews.

Drought has left forests dangerously dry

Prolonged drought and climate change have created fire-prone conditions. Pauner said the region endured more than two months without significant rainfall, leaving vegetation exceptionally dry.

In the smoking forests, fire crews used rakes to dig down into the smoldering forest floor so buried embers can be doused with water, a long and painstaking job. Ukraine became the latest country to send help, dispatching 70 people and 10 vehicles in the coming days, Nunez said.

Investigators suspect that contractors clearing away vegetation inadvertently ignited the blaze last week. But other fires have been attributed to arsonists or criminal negligence.

Nunez said police have made 308 arrests in connection with blazes this summer — more than 120 of them involving minors — and that 33 people have either been convicted or are being held pending court rulings.

Elsewhere in Europe, fires are also burning

Blazes continued in other parts of Europe.

Many parts of Greece were listed at high or extreme risk of wildfires, with strong winds. Three Greek firefighters died fighting fires this week on the southern island of Crete.

Firefighters were tackling 73 wildfires around the country, 51 of which broke out on Friday, Fire department spokesman Col. Vassilis Vathrakogiannis said.

The fire department and coast guard used boats to evacuate more than 250 people from one of the largest fires, in Boeotia, and evacuation orders were issued for several other fires, including one on the western fringes of the Greek capital.

Gale-force winds were hampering aircraft from dumping water on the wildfires, he said.

In England, where half the country is gripped by drought, firefighters battled a wildfire on an east coast heath in Suffolk, near a nuclear power station that fire services said wasn't threatened. More than 100 firefighters were deployed.

“I wouldn’t say it is under control," said Henry Griffin, a fire officer.

___ Macpherson reported from Paris. Elena Becatoros in Athens, Greece, Danica Kirka in London, Jamey Keaten in Geneva and John Leicester contributed to this report.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Seminole County Judge Group 3

The Seminole County Court handles local legal matters, including misdemeanors, local ordinance violations, small civil claims like financial disputes up to $50,000, tenant evictions, and traffic violations.

All county judge races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our News Collaborative partners at Oviedo Community News compiled the candidate responses for Seminole County judge. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.

To see the full responses, go to the Oviedo Community News candidate page link for each candidate.

You can also see the full Oviedo Community News Voting Guide HERE.

Sylvia A. Grunor - Incumbent

WEBSITE: www.seminolevalues.com/

Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/sylvia-a-grunor/

Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making? A Judge should follow the law while making decisions.

How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards? A Judge should follow the law.

What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest? If a conflict arises, I recuse from the case.

What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them? That is not the job of a Judge. A Judge should follow the law.

Nathan A. Skop

WEBSITE: skopforjudge.com/

Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/nathan-a-skop/

Candidate Q&A: Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench? I grew up here locally, graduated from Lake Mary High School in 1985 and came from very humble beginnings. My dad died at 13, my mother was an alcoholic and I went to live with my legal guardians who were both WWII Marine veterans. I would not have been successful in life without the quality education that I received in Seminole County Public Schools and hard work.

Professionally, I’m an experienced attorney with a multi-disciplined education (JD, MBA, BS aerospace engineering) and have been a member of the Florida Bar in good standing for over 19= years. After a successful aerospace engineering career (which included building the batteries for the Space Station, building nuclear submarines for General Dynamics and building airplanes for Boeing), I went back to law school at the University of Florida later in life.

After graduating from law school, I served the State of Florida in a quasi-judicial role as a commissioner on the Florida Public Service Commission. As a commissioner, I served as the presiding officer and prehearing officer during quasi-judicial hearings, conducted evidentiary hearings, ruled on motions, ruled on objections, issued orders, wrote concurring and dissenting opinions, and adjudicated administrative law cases subject to direct appeal to the Florida Supreme Court. Every major newspaper in the state of Florida commended my integrity, ethics, and qualifications while serving the state of Florida as a commissioner.

Additionally, while serving as a former Assistant State Attorney (prosecutor) in Seminole County, I worked with our law enforcement officers and victims of crimes to prosecute criminals and keep our community safe. My experience includes prosecuting felony and misdemeanor delinquency cases before the Circuit Court, and prosecuting criminal misdemeanor cases (including DUI, BUI, domestic violence, battery, petit theft and solicitation cases) in Seminole County Court. In this role, I represented the state of Florida before Circuit and County Court judges at initial appearances, arraignments, bond hearings, motion hearings, suppression hearings, violation of probation dockets, pre-trial conferences, docket review and jury trials.

My legal career also includes serving as the general counsel, executive vice president and corporate officer for a privately held aerospace and defense company. In this role, I effectively managed all legal, litigation, compliance, corporate governance, contracts, risk management, industrial security and government/regulatory affairs activities for eight domestic and international companies.I am also a Florida Supreme Court Certified Circuit Civil Mediator, have a published case comment in a law journal [Nathan A. Skop, Comment, Patent Law: Four Factors to Injunctions in the Wake of eBay, 12 U. FLA. J. TECH. L. & POL’Y , 135, 140 (2007)], and previously served the State of Florida as a Guardian ad Litem.

Why does this matter? We need judges who are fair and impartial, but equally need more well-rounded judges who have the ability to understand the complex technology and finance issues that come before the court.

Many of the 4,500+ Seminole County registered voters who took the time to sign my ballot petition liked my humble background, liked that I actually grew up and went to school in Seminole County, liked that I haven’t been an attorney my entire career, liked my multi-disciplined education and work experience, and liked that I served as former Assistant State Attorney (prosecutor) in Seminole County.

In closing, my professional experience and local upbringing would allow me to bring experience, trusted leadership, professionalism, common sense and years of wisdom to the bench as your next Seminole County Court Judge. It would be a tremendous honor to serve as your judge in the community where I grew up. I would love to earn your trust and vote on or before August 18, 2026.

What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making? Prior to taking the bench, a judge takes an oath to uphold the law and Constitution. Simply put, a judge is bound to follow the law in judicial decision-making situations even if the judge personally disagrees with the law. Judicial opinions often reflect this separation of powers conflict where judges follow the law as written, but suggest that the underlying law is defective or should be changed for various reasons. Personal values do seem to have an appropriate role in judicial decision-making where judges have the ability to exercise their judicial discretion (e.g., sentencing), relying on common sense, life experiences, wisdom and knowing right from wrong.

How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards? A judge is legally bound to follow binding legal precedent (controlling case law) even if the judge personally disagrees with the precedent. As societal standards evolve over time, the law is subject to being revised through legislative action, Constitutional amendments or subsequent judicial decisions. Until such time as the binding legal precedent (controlling case law) changes, the judge is legally bound to follow the law consistent with their oath of office prior to taking the bench.

What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest? Ethics and integrity are very important to me. Exercising sound judgment and doing the right thing are typically sufficient to avoid any conflicts of interest. When a potential conflict does unexpectedly arise (e.g., the judge personally knows one of the parties appearing before the court), the judge should immediately disclose the potential conflict and offer to recuse themselves and/or reassign the case to another docket, openly disclosing the reason for doing so.

What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them? A current barrier to justice in the court system is lack of access to the courts and congested court dockets. Both of these issues can be addressed by additional funding and resources for the courts (e.g., additional judges to address the population growth in Florida) along with adopting best practices for judicial docket management (mandatory aged case review) to help keep cases moving along and reduce the open case backlog. Tallahassee holding open a Seminole County Court judicial vacancy for over seven months was also unnecessary and counterproductive to reducing the open case backlog.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Seminole County Judge Group 6

The Seminole County Court handles local legal matters, including misdemeanors, local ordinance violations, small civil claims like financial disputes up to $50,000, tenant evictions, and traffic violations.

All county judge races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

Since there are four candidates in the race, the top vote-getter must get more than 50% of the vote (50%+1) in order to win outright. Otherwise, the top two candidates will go to a runoff in November.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our News Collaborative partners at Oviedo Community News compiled the candidate responses for Seminole County judge. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.

To see the full responses, go to the Oviedo Community News candidate page link for each candidate.

You can also see the full Oviedo Community News Voting Guide HERE.

Alena Chaban

WEBSITE: www.chabanforjudge.com/

Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/alena-chaban/

Candidate Q&A: Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench?

I’ve spent my career in the courtroom, not just around it. In my firm, I’ve practiced family law, criminal defense, traffic law and estate planning. This means I’ve stood on both sides of nearly every kind of case that comes through Seminole County Court. I’ve represented parents fighting for time with their children, defendants facing the weight of the state and families trying to protect what they’ve built for the people they love.

That range matters. A county court judge doesn’t get the luxury of specializing; one morning it’s a landlord-tenant dispute, the next it’s a misdemeanor docket, the next it’s a small claims trial. I’ve been preparing for that breadth my entire career.

I’d also point to my work as a Guardian ad Litem, where my job is to represent a child’s best interests, not any adult’s agenda. That role requires exactly what I’d bring to the bench, which is listening carefully, setting aside assumptions, and making a recommendation based on what the evidence actually shows, not what’s easiest or most convenient.

What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making? None, when it comes to the outcome of a case. A judge’s obligation is to apply the law as written and the facts as presented, not to substitute personal belief for legal analysis. That’s not a limitation; it’s the job. People don’t come to court hoping the judge agrees with them personally. They come hoping for someone who will follow the law fairly and consistently, regardless of who is standing in front of them.

Where personal character does matter is in how a judge conducts the courtroom, as in whether people are treated with respect, whether both sides are actually heard, and whether rulings are explained clearly enough that even the losing party understands why.

How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards? Precedent is not optional. It’s what gives people confidence that the law will be applied the same way tomorrow as it was yesterday. A trial court judge’s role is not to decide whether a precedent is still fashionable; it’s to apply controlling law as the appellate courts and legislature have written it.

That said, precedent is naturally tested and refined by higher courts as new facts and circumstances come before them. That’s how the system is designed to evolve, through the appellate process, not through individual trial judges deciding case by case which rules still apply to them. My job at the county court level is to apply the law faithfully and let that process work as intended, not to get ahead of it.

What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest? I take this seriously both in practice now and in how I’m building my campaign. In my current practice, I run conflict checks before taking any matter, and I will not take a case when a personal or previous client relationship could reasonably call my impartiality into question, even if I believe I could still be fair.

As a candidate, that same discipline shows up in complying with Canon 7. I don’t personally solicit contributions or endorsements, campaign fundraising runs through my committee, and I’ve been careful about how attorney outreach is handled so it can’t be perceived as influencing anyone who might appear before me.

What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them? The biggest barrier I see, especially in family court, is delay. I’ve had clients wait months just to get in front of a judge on custody or timesharing matters; meanwhile, a parent isn’t seeing their children, and a case that should take weeks stretches into half a year or more. That backlog does not just inconvenience people. It actively harms families and children during the exact window when stability matters most.

The second barrier is access. Many people in county court, especially in small claims and traffic, do not have attorneys. If a courtroom is not run in a way that is clear and navigable for a self-represented person, justice becomes something only available to people who can afford a lawyer.

I’d address both by running an efficient docket, which means being prepared, starting on time, and making rulings promptly. I would also make sure my courtroom is a place where a self-represented litigant can understand what’s happening and why, without needing to already know the system to get a fair hearing.

Wayne Culver - Incumbent

WEBSITE: www.seminoleforculver.com/

Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/wayne-culver/

Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench? I was an assistant state attorney in Brevard County from 2001 to 2004. I had my own law practice in Seminole County from 2004 to 2009 with areas of practice in: criminal law, family law, bankruptcy law, dependency cases, civil litigation, and real estate transactions. I worked at the Office of the Public Defender from 2009 to 2021, practicing criminal law and was a supervisor for five years, training new attorneys in the misdemeanor division. I have served as a county court judge from 2021 to present in both the criminal and civil divisions. I currently have over 4,000 civil cases and resolve about 1,200 cases per month for the citizens of Seminole County.

What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making? A judge must resolve case in accordance with the law. Personal values do not play a role in ruling in a case; only experience and knowledge guide a judge’s decision.

How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards? A judge must follow precedent and the law. Evolving societal standards are for the legislative branch of government to consider.

What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest? If I know a party in litigation, I disclose that to each party and if they request a reassignment of the case to a different judge, I comply with their request.

What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them? A general lack of understanding of the legal system. In criminal cases, I appoint the Office of the Public Defender to represent defendants. In civil cases, Legal Aid is a great assistance to many litigants. In general, a judge must be patient with people who represent themselves; they are going through a difficult time in their lives and the legal system can be challenging to navigate on their own. A judge cannot give legal advice but can be a patient and understanding arbiter of justice.

Erik Swenk

WEBSITE: voteswenk4judge.com/

Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/erik-swenk/

Candidate Q&A: Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

What professional experiences have best prepared you for the bench? As the owner of my own law firm, I practiced in both county and circuit courts throughout Central Florida, representing financial institutions in foreclosure and creditor’s rights cases. I also dedicated my time as a volunteer attorney with the 9th Circuit State Attorney’s Office, helping advocate on behalf of victims to prosecute crimes while supporting our local law enforcement. Largely, the bulk of my legal experience is derived from my close to 10 years serving the State of Florida as a hearing officer and hearing officer supervisor. In these roles, I have served in a quasi-judicial capacity, ruling on motions and objections, conducting evidentiary hearings, and presiding over and adjudicating administrative appeals subject to direct appeal to our State District Courts of Appeal. I have also developed and provided direct training to my office’s hearing officers throughout the state on the matters of high-volume order writing, guidance for administrative disqualification hearings, guidance for managing pro se parties and building a record, and procedure for default judgments. Professionally, I also believe my years in the restaurant industry as a server and my service on many different boards in our county provide great experience when it comes to working with people and understanding the different resources available in our county to address the many underlying issues that cause the actions that bring our citizens into our courts in the first place.

What role should personal values play in judicial decision-making? Certain values such as integrity, temperament, compassion and work ethic broadly play an important role in carrying out the general duties as a judge. Temperament and compassion allow a judge to better relate to the parties when it comes to identifying and understanding the issue and to help moderate many of the emotions that are inextricably tied to the process. Some of these personal values, such as integrity, may even play a role in the decision-making process. However, largely, personal values have, or should have, very little bearing on the decision-making process itself. The guiding force behind judicial decision-making is largely based solely on the facts of the case and the application of law to those facts while keeping separate personal values, beliefs or emotions.

How do you balance precedent with evolving societal standards? In the administrative realm, as it is on the county bench, our judges are not afforded the discretion to deviate away from precedent. Precedent serves a great purpose in continuity and provides our communities reliable guidance on what actions can and cannot be taken. Our Seminole County Court is bound by decisions made by our 18th Circuit as it is by our 5th DCA and Florida Supreme Court. Our county court judges, just as personal values are separated from decision-making, are likewise bound from allowing personal values or societal influences to provide grounds to deviate from binding precedent.

What steps do you take to avoid conflicts of interest? I generally do not involve myself in organizations or activities that could create conflicts of interest. When a conflict is ever discovered, I immediately remove myself from the occurrence to resolve the conflict.

What barriers to justice do you see in the current system, and how would you address them? Some of the biggest issues involve state funding to ensure highly qualified and long-term support staff of the judiciary as well as additional judicial seats to ensure proper and timely administration of our justice system. After all, justice delayed is justice denied. Though some of this is largely a legislative issue and something difficult for only one person to address or overcome, there are a few ways that I could address these issues, at least when it comes to proper and timely administration of cases. First, as a hearing officer, I presided over 1,600 appeals in my first three years and did so without missing a deadline or having received any negative treatment for any order of mine that was appealed to one of our state’s DCAs. This is a product of great time management, use of multiple management tools and dedicated preparation and review of pleadings prior to hearing. Second, what I practiced as a hearing officer is something I learned as an attorney in many of our county courts, and that is providing general procedural guidance to an entire courtroom gallery so that all parties, pro se or not, are apprised of how their case will proceed, what authorities will govern and what actions they can and cannot take on their case. This, I have found, drastically reduces confusion and streamlines the procedural process, particularly in county court.

Zurich-based executive Kevin Lamour all but invited Infantino to fire him in a statement to The Associated Press that defended his colleagues amid intense fallout from the FIFA boss' plan to sell stakes in future World Cup profits to private equity funds.

Lamour wrote that staff were “deceived” by Infantino’s lack of openness in planning the sale over recent months and “deserve better than contempt and intimidation.”

“It is the project of one person,” Lamour, a long-time colleague of Infantino at both FIFA and European soccer body UEFA, wrote. “Not only must this project not go ahead … but the time has now come for football political leaders to ask themselves the right questions and make the right decisions.”

Lamour's statement came hours after Infantino's senior adviser Carlos Cordeiro, a former Goldman Sachs banker who represented the soccer body on the White House Task Force for the World Cup, resigned and urged other senior FIFA staff to speak out.

“I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro wrote in a statement. The former U.S. Soccer Federation president said he was not included in talks about the plan backed by a New York investment fund created by Joshua Kushner.

“Let me be clear. I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally,” Cordeiro said. He called the $20 billion commercial subsidiary “a bad deal for football.”

Lamour did not resign the post he has held since 2024 but said he had a duty to his colleagues.

“And if that means I lose my job then so be it” the French official said. “I will understand and respect that decision. At least I’ll sleep well tonight.”

Lamour came to soccer from politics two decades ago as an aide to then-UEFA president Michel Platini. He often had an international role in soccer politics liaising with FIFA member federations in Africa and Asia who are weighing their own decisions about Infantino's offers of $20 million each by a Sept. 19 deadline.

Cordeiro often joined Infantino on working visits to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in recent years.

“Football has been central to my life, and after more than 35 years in banking I understand both the value of this asset and the consequences of giving part of it away,” he said. “That is why this proposal should be rejected.”

Infantino has proposed spinning off FIFA’s commercial businesses — including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women — into a $20 billion subsidiary with 20% owned by private investors. The “anchor investor,” described by FIFA, is Kushner, the younger brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

“FIFA already has access to extraordinary financial resources. The organization sits on billions of dollars in reserves and no debt,” Cordeiro said. He noted FIFA's revenue of $15 billion over the last four years tied to the men's World Cup just ended.

“Against that backdrop, selling a permanent stake in football’s most valuable asset to raise $4.2 billion makes little sense. It is mortgaging football’s future without any compelling justification,” he said.

Cordeiro said he shared five years of working for FIFA alongside Infantino with “dedicated, principled people who care deeply about the game.”

“I hope they, too, will speak up,” he wrote, “because decisions of this magnitude should be made in the interests of football, not those who stand to profit from it.”

Infantino has been president of FIFA for more than 10 years and seemed sure to be re-elected unopposed next March. FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for challengers to come forward.

Lamour was part of Infantino’s inner circle that campaigned for him to become the surprise winner of that FIFA presidential election in February 2016.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Seminole County School Board District 1

All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

There are five school board districts in Seminole County.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our News Collaborative partners at Oviedo Community News compiled the candidate responses for Seminole County School Board. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.

To see the full responses, go to the Oviedo Community News candidate page link for each candidate.

You can also see the full Oviedo Community News Voting Guide HERE.

Kristine Kraus - Incumbent

WEBSITE: krausforschools.com/

Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/kristine-kraus/

Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?

1. One of our biggest challenges is ensuring that every student is reading on grade level. As a former preschool teacher, I know early literacy is the foundation for everything that comes after. We need to continue investing in evidence-based reading instruction, early intervention and giving teachers the training and resources they need to help struggling readers before they fall behind.
2. Recruiting and retaining outstanding teachers remains a priority. Great schools start with great educators. I will continue to advocate for competitive salaries, reducing unnecessary administrative burdens, strengthening our teacher pipelines through partnerships with Seminole State College and ensuring teachers have the support they need to stay in the classroom. Our NEST (New Educator Support Team) is a great example of that effort.
3. Preparing students for success after graduation is critical. I’ve worked to expand career academies in healthcare, culinary, engineering, cybersecurity, emergency services and education, and I want to continue building partnerships with our local business community and colleges so every student graduates prepared, and with a pathway for their future.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Great schools start with great teachers. I understand both the challenges and the incredible impact educators have on our students. During my time on the school board, I have supported teacher raises even in difficult financial years. I have expanded programs that help grow our on future educators and worked to make sure teachers have the support they need to succeed. We have to keep investing in our educators if we want to continue providing the high-quality education Seminole County families deserve and expect!

Florida ranked last in the nation for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Reading begins long before third grade. As a former preschool teacher, I know the importance of building strong literacy skills early. We should continue investing in evidence-based instruction, targeted interventions, teacher training and support, and consistent progress monitoring so students receive help as soon as they need it. Every child deserves the opportunity to become a confident reader.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? School safety is deeply personal to me. When I was 15 years old, I survived a school shooting and that experience has shaped my commitment to keeping our schools safe. I support strengthening campus security, maintaining strong relationships with our Sheriff and law enforcement partners and expanding mental health services. We must continue to review safety procedures and threat assessment reviews, so that we are always improving. Safety is never something we can take for granted. I support having mental health counselors on every campus.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? We currently have an effective process that aligns with state requirements on reviewing all books in our schools. Parents deserve transparency and students deserve access to age-appropriate educational materials. There has always been an opportunity for parents to question the appropriateness of a book and have that reviewed. We should continue to follow the district’s established review process with educators, media specialists, and community input. Decisions should be made thoughtfully, consistently and according to Florida law and district policy rather than politics.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I am proud to have earned the support of educators, parents, community leaders and organizations that believe in strong public schools. I am honored to be endorsed by the Seminole Education Association (UniSERV), the Orlando Regional REALTOR Association (ORRA) and Moms Demand Action and other community organizations that recognize my record of supporting teachers and students, keeping all staff safe and putting children first!

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? After serving on the school board the past eight years, I know there isn’t one single policy that solves every challenge. My priority is to keep building on what we’ve accomplished by supporting our teachers, improving student achievement, expanding career pathways and maintaining safe, high-quality schools. My guiding principle has always been simple: put students first in every decision.

Antonio Pizza

WEBSITE: pizzaforschool.com/

Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/antonio-pizza/

Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race were asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?

1. Debt: The current board put us $17 million in debt. Every year the board approves a budget; they know how much money they are going to get from the state. Why would they approve a budget that puts them into a bigger deficit? We need to get a financial autopsy done and go through the waste, line by line. I looked at the budget and there are things we can cut, not to mention optimizing the revenue that comes in. We have generous local businesses that pay the school system for sponsorships; you can see banners for these amazing businesses at sporting events. We should be encouraging more businesses to join in this effort, while also making sure the revenue we take in from them is used wisely. For example, I saw a movie theater ad for SCPS and was informed it was paid for with this revenue. However, the ad played in an empty theater, which is not a good use of funds. Currently, the board’s only major solution seems to be firing teachers and staff. This, in turn, affects everyone from the personnel to the students. By my senior year, none of my core teachers from my freshman year were still there. As a result, they weren’t able to provide letters of recommendation, which should come from teachers who have seen you grow. On top of that, elective teachers are taking on subjects that they may not be fully up to date on, pushing them out of their comfort zone. In the long run, this will heavily affect the students. We cannot continue year after year firing more teachers and staff while accumulating more debt. Eventually, we will have to pay off this debt, and at the rate the current board is going, it will be through an increase in property taxes. Let’s stop the wasteful spending now before it affects the entire county. Once the debt is fixed, we can start addressing other problems.
2. Pushing students through the system and career readiness: In Seminole County, if you are failing a class, you can drop that class and enroll in an online class where there are no barriers to catch you cheating your way through. That may not be all students, but it is a lot of them. Not to mention, students who fail a semester and need credit recovery can attend summer school — not in a real school building, but in front of a laptop. The online system quizzes students on the entire class curriculum, and whatever you get wrong, that is what it teaches you. The system we have is designed not to teach and educate the students who are truly struggling, but to pass them through the system like they are numbers on a spreadsheet. That is why our graduation rate is above the state’s average from recent years. This looks great on paper, but what it actually shows is the willingness to push students through. We need to have these students who are struggling learn in front of a real teacher with a textbook, not a laptop. We also need to recognize that not every student wants to go to college; more and more students want to go directly into a career. That is why we need to bring back vocational learning in full swing. We should be partnering with our local businesses to offer students opportunities to get real-life work experience. This would fill those elective credits for those students and leverage them better in the job market. Currently, the school system offers few vocational learning opportunities in the school itself, mostly known as the CTE programs, such as culinary and TV production. In high school, I participated in TV production and helped lead the live stream program. This program was highly beneficial to students who wanted to go into that career, as it taught them the proper care of gear and how to transport them, along with how to use live stream software you would not use in the classroom, along with the camera movements and hustle of what went into the streams. These streams of sporting events were broadcast on YouTube for families to watch for free. This past year, the school signed a livestream contract with an AI company that removed all human interaction. The ball was now tracked by an AI camera and livestreamed on their own site, which created a paywall forcing families to pay to watch the game. Most of all, they signed a non-competition contract, which shut down the livestream program. The school system took a student-led vocational program and made it into an easy money grab. We need to increase programs like the livestream program that was at Hagerty High School to every school, and create lasting partners with local businesses to equip our youth with career readiness. Editor’s note: Seminole County Public Schools spokesperson Katherine Crnkovich said that yes many schools now have a contract with the National Federation of High Schools for a paid subscription service to watch games, but “Student groups can still broadcast events as part of their curriculum. This contract in no way prohibits students from having that opportunity.”
3. More transparency: Currently, the school lacks transparency and clear communication with parents, students, teachers and staff. This was evident when an email was sent to all principals in Seminole County, informing them that all out-of-state and overnight field trips would not be approved. This led to a flood of worried parents, teachers, staff and students attending the school board meeting to express their concerns. The board members then issued the same message, calling the email a “rumor.” They tried to gaslight the public into believing the email was never sent and that they did not intend to cancel field trips. We need leadership that tries not to hide plans from parents and takes accountability when a mistake is made. I believe that every meeting’s agenda and slideshow should be emailed to every single parent, staff member, teacher and student prior to the meeting, and the recording should be emailed afterward. It is also interesting that the school board holds its workshop meetings to discuss important topics around noon on weekdays. Holding meetings at this time prevents parents, students, staff and teachers from participating, as parents are at work, students are in school and teachers are teaching. If we want clear communication, we need to have these meetings at a time when everyone in the community can participate. I believe it is also important that parents and students alike know the policies and procedures of the schools. A student handbook should be emailed to every parent and student covering policies such as the dress code, absentee policy, makeup work, cheating, etc., along with the consequences of breaking each policy. This will allow parents and students to know all the rules and be aware of what happens if a student breaks them. These handbooks should also include important contact information for everyone at the district level, such as the superintendent and school board members. All school board members should be open to hearing the concerns of parents and students. There should also be a requirement for a class’s syllabus to cover every single topic taught in class, including the textbooks used, along with any books they may read. This syllabus must be signed by a parent. This will ensure that parents know exactly what is being taught in every class their child is involved in. Overall, our community is a team. From teachers and students to parents and school board members, we need to have open communication with each other. We should not work against each other or hide things, but rather work together to deliver a better education.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? The best way we can handle teacher shortages is to start promoting the career opportunity. The current board is doing the same old job fair it has been doing for years, but we can level up our school district in so many more ways. For students interested in becoming a teacher one day, we can have them shadow elementary and middle school teachers as part of a vocational program, which would allow them to get hands-on experience in the career.

We can also partner with colleges to hold after-school programs that would explain what goes into being a teacher, what degree you need and how much it can cost. We can also sponsor more scholarships with the revenue we bring in from local business support for those seeking to join the career path of teaching. The shortage of teachers is across the country, but what we can do is leverage the teacher experience that students can gain in our school system. We have the mentors — it’s the teachers. Let’s give the students an opportunity to see the behind-the-scenes work of these teachers, and set up the students who are interested in that career path with experience and knowledge of what to expect.

Florida ranked last in the nation for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? While this is a complex situation, there are many things we can do that we are not already doing. Starting with supporting our local libraries, we can arrange field trips for every first grader to go to the local Seminole libraries to get a library card and learn how to properly look for a book, while also exploring what our local libraries offer.

If we can get students interested in reading on their own, they are more likely to read outside of the classroom and improve. Practice makes perfect. I believe that, as a school district, we should host reading competitions and award students at our school board meetings. This will encourage students to continue reading. Most of all, we need to retain the best teachers we have. As the school board fires more and more teachers each year, we need to make sure we prioritize the teachers and educators who make our school system what it is within our budget. Not to mention, if we do go over our budget, we will launch the largest fundraising efforts to ensure that we do not lose teachers; they should be the last on the chopping block, not the first.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? This year, we saw multiple times how our school safety policies have failed us. In two of our high schools, students brought guns on campus. Although they had no harmful intentions, this is still a serious concern. Furthermore, there was a lack of clear communication to parents after these incidents occurred.

On the flip side, there was an incident where special AI detectors misidentified a musical instrument as a firearm. Luckily, this was just a pilot program, and hopefully, it is not something we will move forward with after these errors. What needs to happen is that every parent and student must know the school rules, specifically what is and is not allowed on campus. We have been too afraid to speak about guns in schools, even though nearly half the population owns a firearm or has lived in a house with a gun, according to a YouGov poll. We should teach our students that guns have no place in school, instead of avoiding the topic entirely. A clear policy needs to be written to inform parents and students of this. There has also been confusion about whether guns can be kept in student cars while parked in the student lots.

To fix these failures and protect our students, I will push to implement the following policies:

• Establish a clear student safety handbook. The simple solution is to send these rules to parents and students in a mandatory student handbook. This handbook will explicitly state that firearms are strictly prohibited everywhere on campus, including inside student vehicles parked in school lots. When students and parents know the exact rules and the consequences of breaking them, it will discourage students from attempting to break them. 
• Mandatory Crisis Communication Protocol: We cannot leave parents in the dark. I will implement a strict policy requiring immediate, transparent, and accurate updates to families during and after any security event to eliminate confusion and maintain community trust. 
• Halt and re-evaluate flawed AI security tech: I will oppose rolling out expensive AI weapon detection systems across the district. We must halt these programs until the technology is proven reliable enough to tell the difference between a musical instrument and a weapon.
• Proactive campus education: We must stop avoiding the topic. I support integrating realistic, age-appropriate educational initiatives that explicitly teach students why weapons have absolutely no place in an environment of learning. 
• One unified safety program: Each school has different software, security cameras, and equipment. We need to unify them so that the Sheriff’s Department can easily access all of them at once in case of, God forbid, a multiple-school attack. What we also need to do is make a safer environment for schools. While attending Hagerty High School every year, we answered a survey on where we felt less safe, and time and time again it was the bathroom, simply because students vape and do drugs in there. 

When speaking with the Sheriff’s Department, specifically the deputy in charge of school safety, one of their recommendations was to install vape detectors in every bathroom. Students should feel safe in every part of the school, and we should be stopping the drug use and vaping, not letting it slide by.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? I strongly believe that the school board, with community involvement, should organize books into categories similar to movies. For example, a TV-MA movie cannot be played at school; likewise, a book containing similar topics should not be allowed. Additionally, including every classroom curriculum book in a signed syllabus ensures that parents know exactly what is being taught in class.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? Endorsed by Seminole GOP and supported by Saint Thomas More Priory

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? My top priority would be to get the debt handled. That debt hangs over us and affects us all. When teachers and staff lose their jobs, it hurts not just the school community, but the students as well. Students are left wondering if the teachers who help them get through a class and stay after school to help them understand will still be there the following year — especially after the school board decides to cut another hundred jobs. Not to mention, this debt needs to be paid off. If we do not start paying it off now, we will be forced to raise property taxes to cover it. We need to go through the budget and eliminate wasteful spending. We also need to start fundraising more, whether through more local sponsors or simple spirit nights around our communities. Additionally, we can rent out our school facilities during the weekend, similar to what i9 Sports does. There are things we can do to raise money and cut items from the budget so we can get the debt under control without cutting teachers. As said before, teachers should be the last on the chopping block.

At a televised news conference, military spokesman Lt. Gen. Ahmad Sharif Chaudhry said Pakistan had targeted only hideouts and infrastructure used by the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, during that period, and said those killed in the strikes were militants.

He said the operations were carried out in self-defense to protect the lives of people in Pakistan.

Chaudhry questioned recently released reports by the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, or UNAMA, and Amnesty International, saying they relied largely on accounts from Afghans despite what he described as restrictions on freedom of expression under Taliban rule.

He also accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of sheltering militants responsible for attacks inside Pakistan and said international rights organizations had failed to document such violence.

“These are double standards,” Chaudhry said, asking how many times rights groups had documented civilian casualties caused by U.S.-led coalition airstrikes during the war in Afghanistan.

Chaudhry’s remarks came days after UNAMA, in a report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, said it had documented 499 civilians killed and 1,216 wounded in fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan despite international efforts to reduce tensions.

Pakistan and Afghanistan have exchanged fire intermittently for months, but tensions escalated sharply in February, when Afghan forces launched a cross-border raid into Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan. Islamabad later declared it was in “open war.”

Pakistan often accuses Afghanistan of harboring militants who carry out deadly attacks inside Pakistan, especially the Pakistani Taliban. The group is separate from, but allied with, the Afghan Taliban, which has ruled Afghanistan since it returned to power in the country in 2021 amid the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Afghanistan denies providing sanctuary to militants.

In the deadliest reported attack in the recent fighting, a Pakistani airstrike struck a drug-treatment center in the Afghan capital Kabul in March, killing hundreds of civilians. Amnesty International said last week the bombing should be investigated as a possible war crime.

Chaudhry defended the strikes, saying Pakistan had carried out operations in Kabul and elsewhere with precision to target militant infrastructure supporting attacks inside Pakistan. He said Pakistan is also continuing operations inside the country against “Khawarij,” a term Pakistan uses for TTP and affiliated groups.

According to Chaudhry, Pakistan has recorded 3,145 “terrorism incidents” since January.

He said Pakistan had killed 2,084 militants since January, while 819 Pakistanis, including soldiers, police officers and civilians, had been killed. He said security forces had carried out 40,348 intelligence-based operations across the country during the same period.

Chaudhry also said Afghanistan-based militants had carried out 28 suicide attacks in Pakistan since January and alleged that most were carried out by Afghan nationals or people associated with Afghanistan’s security forces. He alleged that drug addicts had been recruited to carry out suicide bombings.

“Not every drug addict is a terrorist, but every suicide bomber was a drug addict,” he said.

Chaudhry said Pakistan launched a new counterterrorism operation earlier this year following a surge in militant violence and would continue the campaign. “We will continue these operations,” he said, adding that Pakistan was winning the fight against terrorism and, “God willing, we will win.”

He also accused the outlawed Baloch Liberation Army and TTP of directing attacks in Pakistan’s insurgency-hit southwestern Balochistan province from Afghanistan. Balochistan has long faced a separatist insurgency led by BLA that accuses the government of discrimination and exploiting the province’s natural resources. The government denies the allegations.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Seminole County School Board District 2

All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

There are five school board districts in Seminole County.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our News Collaborative partners at Oviedo Community News compiled the candidate responses for Seminole County School Board. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.

To see the full responses, go to the Oviedo Community News candidate page link for each candidate.

You can also see the full Oviedo Community News Voting Guide HERE.

Joshua Memminger

WEBSITE: memminger4scps.com/

Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/joshua-memminger/

Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?

1. Teacher retention and support. Strong schools begin with great teachers. Seminole County must address teacher pay compression, improve classroom support, reduce unnecessary administrative burdens and create an environment where experienced educators choose to build long-term careers. Retaining great teachers benefits students, families and taxpayers alike.
2. Academic achievement, particularly reading. Every child deserves the opportunity to become a confident reader. We need to strengthen early literacy, identify struggling students sooner, expand targeted interventions and use data to ensure our strategies are producing measurable results. Academic excellence should remain the district’s highest priority
3. Trust through transparency and accountability. Parents, employees and taxpayers deserve leadership that is honest, accessible and accountable. The school board should ask tough questions, communicate openly, and ensure every major decision is made with the best interests of students first. Trust is built through transparency, responsible stewardship and consistent accountability.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Teacher shortages are fundamentally a retention challenge. While recruiting talented educators is important, our first priority should be keeping the outstanding teachers we already have. That means addressing pay compression, reducing unnecessary bureaucracy, providing meaningful professional support and ensuring teachers have orderly classrooms where learning can thrive. We should also strengthen partnerships with local colleges, recruit veterans and career changers, and develop mentoring programs that help new teachers succeed. Supporting teachers is one of the best investments we can make in student achievement.

Florida ranked last in the nation for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Reading proficiency is the foundation of every other academic subject. We need to get back to the fundamentals by strengthening early literacy, identifying struggling readers as early as possible and providing evidence-based interventions before students fall further behind. Schools should have the flexibility to respond to the unique needs of their students while remaining accountable for measurable improvement. We must also address chronic absenteeism because students cannot learn if they are not consistently in the classroom. Every child deserves the opportunity to become a strong reader.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? School safety requires constant improvement, not complacency. I support regularly reviewing campus security, visitor management, emergency communications, reunification plans and staff training to ensure schools are prepared before emergencies occur. Safety also means maintaining orderly classrooms where teachers are supported, students understand expectations and appropriate interventions are available when needed. As a public safety leader and former School Resource Officer, I understand that safe schools are built through preparation, relationships, communication and accountability. Students learn best when they feel safe, and teachers teach best when they feel supported. We have phenomenal partnerships with the Sheriff’s Office and police departments, which I fully support and would seek to maintain well into the future.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Parents deserve transparency, and students deserve access to age-appropriate educational materials. Book challenges should follow a consistent, transparent review process that complies with Florida law, respects parental concerns and relies on objective educational standards rather than politics. Families should have confidence in what materials are available to their children, and decisions should always be made in the best interests of students through a fair and professional process.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I am honored to have earned the endorsement of several local elected officials, and I’m excited to share those announcements soon. But the endorsements I value most come from the parents, educators, public safety professionals, community leaders and residents across Seminole County who believe our schools deserve safe learning environments, strong academic achievement, fiscal responsibility, and accountable leadership.

Those endorsements weren’t earned overnight. They were built over nearly two decades of showing up, putting in the work and investing in our community. That’s the kind of leadership I’ll bring to the Seminole County School Board.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? One of my first priorities would be launching a comprehensive teacher retention initiative that examines salary compression, workplace support, professional development and classroom conditions. Strong academics begin with retaining outstanding educators. I would also advocate for improved transparency by establishing measurable performance metrics so the school board and the public can evaluate whether district initiatives are delivering meaningful results. Every decision should reflect responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars and improve student outcomes.

Holton Mills

WEBSITE: www.holtonmills.com/

Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/holton-mills/

Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?

1. Building a stronger classroom-to-career pipeline is one of my top priorities. Every student should graduate with a clear plan for what comes next, whether that’s employment, higher education, military service or technical training. I want the district to host an annual meeting with Seminole County’s largest employers and industry leaders to ask a simple question: What workforce skills and careers will you need over the next five years? Those conversations should help guide how we expand and refine our career and technical education programs so they align with real workforce demands. When eighth-grade students and their parents or guardians are choosing a high school pathway, they should have confidence that the programs they select can lead to meaningful careers and opportunities after graduation. By building stronger partnerships between our schools and the business community, we can prepare students for high-demand careers, support the economic growth of Seminole County and ensure every graduate leaves our schools ready to become a productive citizen and contribute to our community.
2. With Florida’s expanded school voucher program, families have more educational choices than ever before. I respect every parent’s or guardian’s right to choose the option they believe is best for their child. My responsibility as a school board member is to make sure families understand why Seminole County Public Schools is an outstanding choice and to tell our story more effectively. Seminole County Public Schools has incredible teachers, strong academic programs, nationally recognized schools, and 53 career and technical education programs, yet many families simply aren’t aware of everything our district has to offer. We need to do a better job of showcasing these opportunities and helping families understand that within Seminole County Public Schools, there are countless pathways for students to succeed. Take Seminole High School as an example: Students can choose from 11 career and technical education programs offered on one campus, including the Aviation Academy, Academy of Health Careers, and culinary certification programs, while also having access to the International Baccalaureate Programme. There is no other educational option in Seminole County that offers all of those opportunities together in one place. That is the Seminole County Public Schools difference. By better marketing our schools, celebrating student and staff achievements, and highlighting the unique opportunities available across the district, we can build excitement, strengthen enrollment, and ensure more families see the value of choosing Seminole County Public Schools.
3. Recruiting, retaining and developing great employees is essential to student success. While competitive compensation is important, we must also create opportunities for professional growth within Seminole County Public Schools so talented educators and staff don’t feel they have to leave the district to advance their careers. Investing in mentorship, leadership development and a culture where employees feel valued and supported will help us attract and retain the very best people for our students. I will also recommend implementing exit surveys for employees who leave the district, along with annual anonymous employee engagement and retention surveys for those who choose to stay. Understanding why employees leave is just as important as understanding why they remain. Honest feedback will help district leadership identify opportunities for improvement, strengthen workplace culture, and make informed decisions that better support, develop and retain our employees.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? There isn’t one solution to teacher shortages, and I don’t believe there’s a quick fix. If we want to recruit and retain great educators, we have to make Seminole County Public Schools a place where people want to build their careers. Competitive pay matters, and I’ll continue to support efforts to make sure our teachers and staff are fairly compensated. But I also hear from educators that they want to feel supported, respected and have opportunities to grow. We need to create stronger leadership and professional development pathways so employees don’t feel they have to leave the district to advance their careers. I also believe we should strengthen partnerships with our local colleges and universities to encourage more future educators to begin their careers in Seminole County. Finally, we need to listen. I would recommend exit surveys for employees who leave the district and annual anonymous employee engagement surveys for those who stay. Their feedback can help us better understand what’s working, what’s not, and where we need to improve.

Florida ranked last in the nation for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Reading is the foundation for everything students do in school. If a child struggles to read, it can impact every subject they take. When I worked on the communications team at the school district office, I had the opportunity to help support the Reading Acceleration Program (RAP). I saw firsthand how trained community volunteers spent time each week working one-on-one with first-grade students who needed extra help with reading. It’s a great example of what can happen when schools and the community work together to support our students. As a school board member, I would start by looking at our district’s reading data to understand where we’re making progress and where we need to do better. While Florida’s statewide ranking is concerning, it’s important that we make decisions based on what’s happening in Seminole County and focus on solutions that meet the needs of our students.

I also want to make sure our teachers have the training, resources and support they need to be successful. They’re the experts in the classroom, and their feedback should help shape our decisions. Most importantly, we have to catch students early. The sooner we identify a child who is falling behind, the sooner we can provide the support they need. Whether it’s programs like RAP, classroom interventions, or working closely with parents and guardians, helping children become confident readers early gives them the best chance to succeed for the rest of their education.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? School safety will always be the top priority. Students and staff can’t focus on learning if they don’t feel safe. One thing Seminole County does exceptionally well is the partnership between Seminole County Public Schools, the Sheriff’s Office, and our School Safety and Security Division. I trust our sheriff and the professionals who lead school safety every day. In fact, our School Safety and Security Division is looked to by districts across Florida as a model for how school safety should be done. As a school board member, I don’t believe in making changes just for the sake of making changes. I will work closely with the sheriff, our School Safety and Security Division, district leadership and school administrators to make sure we continue building on what’s already working. School safety is something we should always be evaluating and improving, and I will support the strong partnership that already exists to keep our students and staff safe.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? I believe students should have access to age-appropriate materials that support learning, encourage critical thinking and expose them to a variety of perspectives. Books can serve as both mirrors, helping students see themselves and windows, helping them understand the experiences of others. That’s an important part of preparing students to live and work in a diverse community and world. I also respect a parent or guardian’s right to make decisions about what is best for their own child. Parents should have a voice in their child’s education and I support following the established review process when concerns about instructional or library materials are raised. I don’t believe these decisions should be driven by politics or made on an individual opinion alone. They should be based on state law, district policy, educational value and age appropriateness, with input from educators, media specialists, parents and the review committees. My goal is to ensure students have access to high-quality, age-appropriate materials while respecting the role parents and guardians play in their child’s education.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I am proud to have earned the endorsement of the Seminole Education Association. It is an honor to have the support of the teachers and staff who dedicate their lives to serving our students every day. Their confidence in me means a great deal, and I look forward to working alongside them to continue strengthening SCPS. Beyond formal endorsements, the support that has meant the most to me has come from the people doing the work every day and those directly impacted by our schools. Parents, first-year teachers, veteran educators, ESE staff, former students, school employees and community members have reached out to share their experiences and put their trust in my campaign. Those conversations are why I’m running. Hearing directly from the people who live, work and learn in our schools reminds me why this work matters and motivates me every day.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? This isn’t necessarily a policy, but in my first year I would like to establish an annual workforce roundtable with Seminole County’s largest employers, industry leaders and district leadership. I want to ask one simple question: What workforce needs do you see over the next five years? Those conversations will then help shape our career and technical education programs so that when students and their families are choosing a high school pathway, they know it leads to real opportunities after graduation. I believe our schools should be preparing students not just for graduation, but for successful careers and productive lives in our community.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Seminole County School Board District 5

All school board races are nonpartisan elections, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

There are five school board districts in Seminole County.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

Our News Collaborative partners at Oviedo Community News compiled the candidate responses for Seminole County School Board. Below is an excerpt of each candidate’s profile.

To see the full responses, go to the Oviedo Community News candidate page link for each candidate.

You can also see the full Oviedo Community News Voting Guide HERE.

Autumn Garick - Incumbent

WEBSITE: www.garick4schools.com/

Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/autumn-garick/

Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?

1. Maintaining academic excellence despite funding challenges. As state funding becomes more unpredictable, we must continue prioritizing classroom instruction, early literacy, career pathways and student support services while finding efficiencies outside the classroom to preserve Seminole County’s tradition of excellence. This is serious business, but we have to remember kids learn best when they’re actively engaged in programs and classes that spark curiosity and joy. I will continue to be hands-on with district leadership and the community to showcase and market the SCPS award-winning arts, athletics, academic and real-world learning opportunities that cannot be duplicated with other choice options. This year’s Big Wheels, Bright Future Kindergarten Expo, Student Ambassador-led Middle & High School Magnet Showcases and Career Fair & Internship Expo are great examples. I will continue to lobby our state legislators for full funding individually and with the stakeholders with whom I’ve built trusted relationships — parents, teachers, businesses and community leaders. We will continue to lean on our pro-public education community and appreciate their willingness to help fill the gaps as volunteers and donors. There are more gaps now than ever.
2. Teacher recruitment and retention. Great schools depend on great educators. It’s shameful that Florida ranks 50th in teacher pay and that paraprofessionals, many of whom work with our most fragile students, earn the same as fast food workers. My voice will continue to be heard by Tallahassee leaders, calling for competitive salaries, professional development, and the resources teachers need to succeed so Seminole County remains a destination district for outstanding educators. Locally, I remain committed to listening and responding to the needs and priorities of employees. A year ago, there was a request for more robust mental health support. Hearing the request, our board tasked the insurance committee to find options. Today, our employees and anyone in their household is eligible for free telehealth sessions to address mental health concerns.
3. Preparing students for the future. Every student should graduate ready for college, a career or service. The work and career landscape is evolving at a fast pace. I will continue to work with district leadership and the community to make sure SCPS remains on the cutting edge. During my tenure as school board member, SCPS has expanded our career and technical offerings to include 52 programs embedded into our high schools with exploratory programs in our middle schools. I met with industry leaders, heads of county and city economic development departments and Chambers of Commerce to learn the needs of the community today and into the future. Our HVAC, Cyber-Security, Welding, Construction, Health Services, Aviation, Space Academy, Hospitality Services are a few of the programs designed because the district learned of a local need for trained employees in these fields. I will always look for ways to say yes [to] future career opportunities and be willing to sunset programs should they become outdated.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Great teachers are the heart of every successful school. As a school board member, I’ve worked to support our educators because when teachers feel valued and have the resources they need, students thrive. We need to continue advocating for better pay, investing in professional development, reducing unnecessary burdens, and creating a culture where great teachers want to build their careers here in Seminole County.

Since I’ve been in office, we’ve been proactive in growing our next generation of educators. The Early Childhood Education program for high schoolers and our SCPS Paraprofessional Pipeline to full ESE teacher certification opportunities with direct connection to Seminole State College are proven solutions. I look forward to growing these programs, continuing our strong relationships with UCF and Rollins College and sharing the stories of the vast majority of our teachers who, despite the terrible pay, find joy and purpose in shaping the lives of future generations through public education.

Florida ranked last in the nation for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Before serving on the school board, I spent nearly two decades helping children discover a love of reading and language through educational theater and, as a board member, I’ve continued making early literacy a priority. To get a first-person look at the challenges in our schools, I volunteered as a RAP (Reading Acceleration Program) mentor and worked directly with two struggling readers. I saw signs of success with my mentees and became a champion for the program. Working with our PTA’s, community groups and the District Volunteer manager, I have seen the program grow from 18 schools to 30 in just a year and a half! My goal is to have the program in all 37 of our elementary schools. I supported the Early Learning Community School in Midway to support an intense focus on early literacy. We need to keep investing in evidence-based reading instruction, support teachers with proven tools like University of Florida Literacy Institute resources, and intervene early when students need extra help. Every child deserves the opportunity to become a confident reader because strong reading skills open the door to success in every subject and every stage of life.SCPS is perennially recognized as the No. 1 STEM district in Florida and a trailblazer in science and math instruction. The same focus we applied to science and math we need to apply to reading. When a child reads on grade level by grade three, that child is set up not just for academic success but for lifelong success. We are No. 5 in third-grade reading in the state. I am aiming for No. 1 in my second term.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? As both a school board member and the parent of three Seminole County graduates, nothing is more important to me than keeping our students safe. We must continue strengthening campus security while also supporting students’ mental health, building strong partnerships with law enforcement, and ensuring every child feels seen, supported, and connected. School safety isn’t a one-time effort; it’s something we should always be working to improve. I will work to foster clear channels of communication in partnership with our schools and parents to proactively address safety concerns.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Recognized with a state Ambassador of Storytelling award for my decades of work helping children develop a love of language and learning, I know the importance of providing students with high-quality literature. I also believe parents deserve transparency and confidence in the materials available in our schools. That’s why I’ve supported a consistent, transparent review process that follows Florida law, respects parents, values educators’ expertise and keeps the focus on educational value rather than politics. I will continue to listen to parent concerns and encourage open communication.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I am proud to have earned support from educators, community leaders, and organizations that value strong public schools, including the Seminole Education Association and other local community supporters like the Orlando Regional REALTOR Association (ORRA).

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? As a board, we continually review policies to make sure they reflect the mission and vision of the district. My focus has been and always will be on the things that have the greatest impact on students. I want to build on the progress we’ve made by expanding evidence-based literacy initiatives, strengthening career and technical education, and making sure families can easily access the resources they need to help their children succeed. Every decision I make starts with one question: How does this help students?

Brian T. Newsome

WEBSITE: www.electbriannewsome.com/

Oviedo Community News Candidate page: oviedocommunitynews.org/profile/brian-t-newsome/

Candidate Q&A: The questions below are based on voter questions and expressed priorities. Each of the candidates within a race was asked the same questions and given the same amount of time to respond. The candidates’ answers were fact-checked, checked for spelling and grammar but otherwise unedited.

If elected, what are the three most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them?

1. Florida ranks near the bottom of the nation in teacher pay. This year, 187 Seminole County teachers received non-renewal notices while the district ran a career fair to replace them. My solutions include fighting for experience-based compensation that rewards mastery, not just hire date; seeking administrative workload relief that allows teachers to focus more on teaching and less on admin; and working to create a school culture where educators feel genuinely valued every day and are treated as the experts they are, not managed as a replaceable resource. As the son of a career teacher, this is personal for me.
2. A $16.7 million deficit. 300+ eliminated positions. 2,000 more students projected to leave next year. I would first suggest cuts at the administrative level, not the classrooms. Every administrative position should justify its direct impact on student outcomes before one teacher is touched. Furthermore, leadership should lead by example with reductions in their own salaries. Simultaneously, I will pursue an aggressive enrollment recovery based on eliminating concerns that hinder academic excellence. The best financial strategy is being focused on the school’s core mission of educating students, thereby mitigating the desire of families to leave Seminole Schools.
3. Parents waited nine days to learn their child was at risk at Sabal Point Elementary. The Florida Commissioner of Education publicly rebuked the district. My recommendation is a mandatory parent notification within an agreed-upon short timeframe of any credible safety threat. No exceptions. Second, I would recommend clear written protocols developed with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. Last, I will advocate for an annual public transparency report measuring the district’s communication performance against specific, published standards — so families always have an honest accounting of how their schools are serving them.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Teachers are leaving because Florida underpays them, overloads them and undervalues them. I will fight for experience-based pay, workload relief and a culture of genuine professional respect. I will also expand teacher pipelines by investing in teacher aides who already want to become certified educators.

Florida ranked last in the nation for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Last in the nation is unacceptable. I will advocate for universal literacy screening at kindergarten entry, so we identify struggling readers early on. I will support mandatory evidence-based reading intervention for every student below grade level. Also, I would suggest ongoing professional development in the science of reading for every K-3 teacher. Additionally, I would pursue high-dosage, small-group tutoring for students who are behind. And stronger school library programs would be considered to promote a culture that values books.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Parental notification within an agreed-upon and short timeframe of any credible threat. Clear written safety protocols developed with law enforcement and published publicly so every parent knows exactly what to expect. And a mental health early warning system that identifies students in crisis before behavior becomes a safety incident.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Parents have the right to guide their own child’s reading. What I cannot support is a process so paralyzed by volume and politics that books sit in review limbo for years while students lose access to materials that genuinely serve their education. The standard must be clear criteria based on age-appropriateness, qualified reviewers, fast timelines, and meaningful parental involvement. Our libraries should be places of learning and intellectual growth, not casualties of culture wars.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? The only endorsement to date is from the Seminole County Republican Executive Committee.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? A mandatory parental safety notification protocol along with a public annual compliance report. I choose this first because everything else I want to accomplish depends on a foundation of trust. Right now that trust is fractured. Fix the trust. Everything else follows.

CBS Sports announced Friday that the former Dallas Cowboys quarterback was on leave “until further notice.” JJ Watt will join Jim Nantz and Tracy Wolfson as CBS Sports’ lead NFL team during Romo’s absence.

Romo, 46, was arrested July 23 after he was stopped while driving south on Interstate 43 in Wisconsin. According to the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office report, Romo performed poorly on field sobriety tests before getting taken into custody, booked and released.

He has a court date set for Sept. 21.

CBS Sports’ announcement comes after citations released by the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office indicated an open bottle of an alcoholic beverage was found in the passenger’s side of Romo’s black Jeep during an inventory before it was towed.

According to the citations, police stopped Romo after he was seen passing cars in a gore area, which separates interstate traffic from cars entering from an on-ramp. Police said Romo questioned what a gore area was during the stop.

Body camera footage released earlier this week showed Romo telling deputies he had been coming from a golf course and was on his way “to visit grandma and grandpa” when he was stopped. A deputy told Romo he suspected him of being impaired because he had “red glassy eyes” and an “odor of an intoxicating alcoholic beverage.”

Romo went to high school about 35 miles from Milwaukee in Burlington, Wisconsin.

He has been the lead game analyst for CBS’ NFL coverage since 2017 after making four Pro Bowl appearances during an NFL career that ran from 2004-16 and was spent entirely with Dallas.

Romo remains the Cowboys’ franchise leader in career touchdown passes with 248. He held the franchise record for career passing yards (34,183) until Dak Prescott overtook him last season.

Watt joined CBS in 2023. He was an analyst on “The NFL Today” for two seasons before teaming with Ian Eagle on the network’s No. 2 crew beginning last season.

Romo wasn’t expected to have his first game until the opening Sunday of the regular season on Sept. 13. CBS will air a preseason game between the Cincinnati Bengals and Philadelphia Eagles on Aug. 28.

CBS likely will reveal its game assignments and announcer pairings for the first three weeks of the regular season in the next couple of weeks.

___

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Indiana Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray drew the ire of Trump in December when he voted against the redistricting plan after saying for weeks that it didn't have enough support to pass. The rejection came after intense lobbying from Trump, Vice President JD Vance, national conservative groups and others.

Bray, who has held his leadership position since 2018, said in a statement Friday that he would not seek reelection to the post when Senate Republicans choose their leaders in November. His current Senate term runs through 2028 and he will remain in office, albeit not as the Republican Senate leader.

Trump reacted to the news in a social media post by saying Bray had “foolishly led,” the state Senate, noting the May primary defeats of those who defied him on the redistricting plan.

Bray did not mention Trump or the redistricting fight in his statement announcing his position to step down from the leadership position. Bray said holding the job “has been among the most significant honors of my life, but it’s time for the Senate to choose another leader."

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Sumter County Commission District 4 Republican Primary

The Sumter County Commission has five districts, and these are partisan races, which means you must be a member of a political party to vote in August. All voters will be able to choose from a final slate of candidates in November.

The winner of the Republican primary for the District 4 commission seat will go on to face write-in candidate Ethan Parks in November.

County Commission District 4 encompasses the western part of the county. You can see a map of the district HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Sumter County Commission District 4, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Jeffrey Bogue - Incumbent

WEBSITE: votebogue.com/

Commissioner Bogue did not answer our questionnaire. However, he did post a profile on the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website, which you can read HERE.

Michael Squier

WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/Squier4Sumter/

Squier also has a profile on the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website, which you can read HERE.

Top issues in your race

If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Budget accountability and excess spending.

I would push for a DOGE-style, line-by-line efficiency audit of county spending to identify waste, duplication, and areas where residents are not getting the best value for their tax dollars. I would also support bundling compatible projects, using competitive pricing, and pursuing interlocal agreements where possible to reduce costs before asking residents to pay more.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Growth management and impact fees.

Sumter County’s road impact fees are currently set at 40% of the maximum allowable rate. I would vote to raise them by the maximum amount allowed each year until they reach 100%, and I would openly argue and debate for other commissioners to do the same. Poor planning should not leave existing residents carrying the burden through higher taxes, higher fees, weaker infrastructure, and lower quality of life. Growth should pay more of its own way.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Drinking water, utility infrastructure, and high-demand development.

I would enforce the rules we already have and use every available county tool to keep mega AI data centers and other high-water-demand industrial uses from putting our drinking water, utility costs, and property values at risk. I would call interlocal workshops with experts, surrounding local governments, water management officials, and affected residents so these decisions are made with facts, not guesswork. It affects property values when homes are pushed up against industrial uses, and it affects everyone when water infrastructure is weak or poorly planned.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I deserve to be elected because I am honest, I take the subject matter seriously, and I am willing to do the homework. I am willing to dedicate all my time into doing the work, not splitting it between other responsibilities. I believe residents deserve transparency, direct answers, and a commissioner who will not simply rubber-stamp decisions and then leave the county with weaker property values, weaker property rights, and higher costs. This is my home, and I intend to stay here. I am not running to use this office as a stepping stone. I am running because Sumter County needs someone who will show up, ask hard questions, and put residents first.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? A lot of affordability problems come from taxes, fees, utility costs, and government decisions that get passed down to residents. I have watched county officials vote to raise utility costs based more on emotional arguments than hard data. I would vote to keep county services at their current cost whenever we can maintain the same quality of service for the same price. Residents should not have to pay more just because something sounds better or feels better. We need to hold the line on unnecessary increases, demand real numbers, and make sure every cost increase is justified before it reaches taxpayers, homeowners, renters, or small businesses.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? I would personally vote yes on the ballot. If I were in office, I would aggressively pursue savings before turning to higher fees or service cuts. That means using project bundling, competitive bidding, interlocal agreements, shared services, workshops, and other specific levers that county commissioners have access to.

I would also not be afraid to push the state for grants or transition support for essential county services if those funds are available. Governor DeSantis has publicly discussed using state surplus funds or grants to help local governments maintain necessary services during the transition, and Sumter County should have a commissioner willing to ask for that help, make the case clearly, and fight for our residents instead of immediately reaching into their pockets.

County staff should be used the way they are supposed to be used: to serve the public, provide options, research funding opportunities, identify efficiencies, and carry out the policy direction set by elected officials. Government should be forced to look for efficiencies, outside funding, and better planning before it asks residents to pay more or accept cuts to essential services.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? Florida’s utility regulators should respond aggressively, using every lawful tool and expert resource available to them. Rate increases should be based on hard data, not emotional pressure or vague claims. I have watched local officials vote to raise utility costs without clear evidence showing why residents should have to pay more. We need financially responsible adults who will thoroughly review the numbers, challenge unnecessary increases, and protect residents from costs that are not justified.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? Water. At the county, state, and city level, Florida needs to treat water as one of its most serious issues. We have to protect both the quantity and quality of our drinking water. At the same time that water supplies are under pressure, there are industrial and land-use decisions that could make our water more expensive, more limited, or less safe. We need to be vigilant in more than one direction: conservation, infrastructure, pollution prevention, and strong review of high-demand water users. Water is not just an environmental issue. It is a public health issue, a property rights issue, and an affordability issue.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Sumter County School Board District 1

The Sumter County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.

School Board District 1 encompasses voters in the northeastern part of the county. You can see a map of the area HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Sumter County School Board District 1, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Sally Moss - Incumbent

WEBSITE: www.sallymoss.com

You can also read the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections’ candidate profile HERE.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I was trusted by Gov. Rick Scott, when he appointed me to fill a vacancy on the Sumter School Board in April 2018, that I was the person to help shape the future of the Students in Sumter County. The voters also trusted me in 2018 & 2022 when they re-elected me because I showed them I was making a positive difference for our students and schools. I am proud of everything I have done & what the Sumter School Board has done during these past eight years for our students and our schools. I always have and always will put the student first with every decision I make and will always strive to make sure our students get the best education in the safest environment.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Money - making sure we budget well to provide everything we need to give our students a quality education in the safest environment.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Hiring & retention of high-quality teachers - Reaching out to colleges & universities. Expanding the Sumter ‘Grow-your-own’ Academy known as EPIC. Expanding the Teacher Mentoring Program & Professional Development Department.

How would you handle district budget issues? Discuss where there is unnecessary spending. Making sure the essentials are secured and going from there. Have an excellent and knowledgeable Finance Director & Department.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Expand ways of attracting new teachers. Expand means to retain new teachers by offering mentors, professional development, and show support from the School Board & Superintendent.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Sumter ranks 9th out of 67 school districts in test scores. We take pride in our students & schools accomplishments. When there is a struggle within an area, we find a way to fix it by offering individual tutoring, group sessions, anyway we can to make sure our students are prepared for a successful future.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Make sure we keep doing everything we are doing to be one of the safest school districts in the State. Stay up-to-date with new technology for student safety.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? The way they are being handled now

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? None

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? I am running for my third and final term because of term limits. Please visit: www.sallymoss.com

Leslie Russell

WEBSITE: N/A

Ms. Russell did not answer our questionnaire. She also did not fill out a profile on the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections’ website.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Sumter County School Board District 3

The Sumter County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.

School Board District 3 encompasses voters in the north central part of the county. You can see a map of the area HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Sumter County School Board District 3, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Gerald “Jerry” Loomer

WEBSITE: geraldloomerforsumter.com/

You can also read the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections’ candidate profile HERE.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race?: I have taught sciences for over 37 years and have had success with the students and received many honors for my teaching. Obviously, some thought I did a good job as they chose me as the SOUTH DAKOTA TEACHER OF THE YEAR, awarded me the national PRESIDENTIAL AWARD FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE TEACHING in the first year it was offered, and chose me as a finalist from among 15,000 teachers who applied for the NASA Teacher in Space Project (which culminated with the Challenger disaster). I have witnessed the successes of our educational system and have challenged areas where I thought it could do better. My commitment to education continues during my retirement as I judge International, Florida state, regional and local science fairs. My opponent taught golf to adults.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Florida ranks last in the nation for average teacher pay, and that reality directly affects our ability to attract and retain high‑quality educators. Sumter County must take a hard look at how we allocate our limited funds. In recent years, the district spent nine million dollars on artificial turf football fields at two high schools. Redirecting even a portion of that level of spending toward teacher recruitment, retention incentives, and professional development would have made a meaningful difference for classrooms across the district. As a School Board member, I will closely monitor how every dollar is spent and prioritize investments that directly improve student learning — beginning with ensuring that every student is taught by a qualified, supported, and committed teacher.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Sumter County School District is carrying significant debt, and the interest payments reduce the dollars available for classrooms. At the June School Board meeting, the Superintendent indicated that the district would need another $20 million loan just to balance the budget. That is not sustainable, and it diverts money away from teachers and students.

Florida ranks last in the nation for average teacher pay, and every unnecessary dollar spent on interest is a dollar not invested in recruiting and retaining qualified educators. As a School Board member, I will closely examine how funds are allocated, require clear justification for major expenditures, and ensure that spending decisions reflect the district’s highest priorities — beginning with strengthening our teaching workforce. My focus will be on reducing unnecessary debt and directing more resources toward the people who have the greatest impact on student achievement: their teachers.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Many residents feel overlooked because the district lacks transparency in how decisions are made. School Board agendas often list items only by code numbers, with no explanation of what the item actually is. Meeting minutes frequently omit meaningful detail, and public speakers rarely receive acknowledgment or follow‑up on their concerns. This erodes trust and discourages community involvement. Almost half of our property taxes are for the schools - they are entitled to better information.

I believe the public deserves clear, accessible information. I will push for agendas that include plain‑language descriptions, minutes that accurately reflect discussions and decisions, and a commitment to acknowledging and responding to citizen input. All Board meetings are recorded, and I support live streaming them and posting a searchable transcript so residents can easily follow what was said. Transparency is essential for accountability, and I will work to ensure that every resident can see how and why decisions are made.

How would you handle district budget issues? District funding must first support programs that directly improve student learning. That begins with attracting and retaining high‑quality teachers, which requires competitive compensation and a clear commitment to supporting educators. Excessive district debt drains money away from classrooms, and the interest payments limit our ability to invest in students.

I believe the district must prioritize paying down its debt so more dollars stay in education rather than going to interest. Every budget decision should be evaluated through a simple lens: Does this improve student achievement? If not, it should not come before the needs of teachers and students

How should the district handle teacher shortages? The nationwide teacher shortage affects Sumter County as well, and we must be proactive in addressing it. While new graduates can be excellent teachers, experience matters — especially in a district where many students need strong academic support.

Sumter County has a unique advantage: we are home to the best retirement community in the world. Many highly skilled teachers from other states are approaching retirement but still want to make a difference for a few more years. We should actively recruit these experienced educators by promoting opportunities in Sumter County and highlighting the benefits of living and working here.

By combining competitive compensation with targeted recruitment of seasoned teachers, we can stabilize our workforce and ensure that every student is taught by someone who is both qualified and committed.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Reading success starts with strong instruction. We need highly qualified teachers in reading classrooms, and we must support students who need additional help. Many of our teachers are excellent, but teachers who would benefit from coaching should receive targeted training and guidance from their school administrators. Instructional leadership must be active and engaged. When administrators provide meaningful support and ongoing professional development, teachers improve — and so do students. Strengthening classroom instruction is the most direct way to raise reading achievement.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Sumter County schools are generally safe, and the district has taken responsible steps to protect students. Every school has a School Resource Officer from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, with half the cost reimbursed by county law enforcement. Building access is limited to secure entry points, and visitors must follow established protocols. These measures are working well. I believe in continually reviewing safety practices, but I do not support changing systems that are already effective. If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? The district already has a clear and effective process for addressing concerns about library materials. A student or parent begins by speaking with the school librarian. If the issue is not resolved, it moves to the school administration, then to the district administration if needed. Only after those steps does it come before the School Board. This structure ensures that concerns are addressed at the appropriate level. The Board’s role is not to micromanage individual library decisions, but to review cases where the established process has not produced a satisfactory resolution.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? My campaign is supported by friends, neighbors, and individual residents. I am not funded by organizations, and I am not seeking endorsements. I want my campaign to reflect the voices of the people who live here, not outside groups

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? The budgeting process for next school year is already underway, and I will participate in those meetings to advocate for hiring qualified, certified teachers for every classroom. I will also work to improve transparency in how the School Board communicates with the public. This includes supporting live streaming of Board meetings, expanding the detail in Board minutes so residents can clearly understand what was voted on, and adding a link to the recorded meeting audio so the public can easily access what was said. My goal is to make Board actions clear, accessible, and accountable to the community.

David Williams - Incumbent

WEBSITE: N/A

Mr. Williams did not answer our questionnaire. However, he did post a profile on the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website, which you can read HERE.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Sumter County School Board District 5

The Sumter County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.

School Board District 5 encompasses voters in the central part of the county. You can see a map of the area HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Sumter County School Board District 5, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Michael Johnson

WEBSITE: N/A

Commissioner Bogue did not answer our questionnaire. However, he did post a profile on the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website, which you can read HERE.

Troye Joiner

WEBSITE: N/A

Squier also has a profile on the Sumter County Supervisor of Elections website, which you can read HERE.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? As a permanent Sumter County native since 1997, I have attended local public schools my whole life. From Bushnell Elementary “A Great Place to Grow” and the old PA building, starting my educational journey, I then discovered my love of band and choir at South Sumter Middle School with our performances all over the county. My Alma Mater, South Sumter High School, where I was involved with our Naval JROTC unit, student council, and honors and AP classes. I saw much more of our county with NJROTC as I was involved in our color guard presenting our flag at ceremonies and events from the National Cemetery honoring our veterans, to local football games, and parades honoring our country.

I hope to maintain the progress that our students, staff, and community are making, assisting in furthering that endeavor. I wish to be a part of helping the growth, happiness, stability, and economic success of our community continue.

I have been and will continue to be an educational professional in an adjacent county, the only candidate or seated board member to have recent experience in the field.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Sumter District Schools faces a funding deficit due to mandates, voucher programs, and the expanding growth of our community. The solution is to be good stewards of the finances we have, use finances appropriated to the best of our ability, ensure the sustainability of programs or positions within our budget allocations.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Personnel Recruitment and Retainment is an ongoing issue within our district and the state. In Sumter, we would like to “Grow Our Own” to continue to provide programs and structures to allow our students and community to contribute to the ongoing education and betterment of our school system. I hopefully will be able to support and further policies and procedures to continually improve the quality and quantity of educational professionals supporting our students.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Maintaining a high level of Safety and Security for all students, staff, and community members continues to be an ever-changing priority issue. I hope to continue the safety programs and security measures in place and partner with security professionals to ensure we continue to keep everyone safe. As technology changes, we need to have safe, comfortable, and welcoming educational environments.

How would you handle district budget issues? Currently Sumter District Schools has been able to utilize and operate with allocated funds without overwhelming the local citizens. Sumter should continue the record of working within the budget constraints to operate our district so that we provide the quality education and employment that our community deserves.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Many efforts are made to retain, recruit, and “Grow Our Own” teachers. Programs, incentives, and a growing community offer the best place for current or future educators to practice and enjoy their profession in Sumter. Sumter employment currently offers competitive wages and benefits. I would continue to support what is in place and seek other methods to improve teacher retainment and recruitment to prevent teacher shortages.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Florida has a requirement for all reading teachers to be reading endorsed, which means they study reading science and student abilities. After this coursework, the teachers should be able to implement the best practices for teaching reading. However, some teachers have not completed this training, and we need to ensure reading is taught in every subject area such as math, science, and social studies. Many studies link academic achievement to family and community members involvement with students’ education. Students are more apt to read outside of educational requirements, building a lifelong love of books and possibly learning for fun. Our district and community partners have collaborated with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to provide every student in Sumter from enrollment to five years of age a free book a month at no cost. With the implementation of all these programs, we can continue to meet or succeed the state standards in reading and literacy in Sumter.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Our school district implements a very stringent policy in regards to our student and staff safety. Continuously being aware of and implementing new safety procedures could improve our current safety standards.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? The policies and procedures set forth by the state of Florida provide guidance for what should and should not be included in our libraries; however, families have the right to choose.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I have no organizational or other ties, including support. However, my mother, the longest serving board member in Sumter County for 16 years, supports and endorses my candidacy. I hope to continue to support and uplift my community as she has.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? I would need to spend my first year learning the intricacies of our operations; however, if there was an issue I felt strongly about and wished to change, I would follow the proper channels to do so. I would seek guidance in any policy changes I would like to make from the appropriate source.

But roughly half of them have already made their way back voluntarily, the Spanish government said, after the sudden arrival of so many migrants triggered chaos and a humanitarian crisis.

Spain deployed its armed forces and additional police to restore order in Ceuta, which sits on the Strait of Gibraltar at the entrance to the Mediterranean Sea and has been a Spanish possession since 1580. On the Moroccan side of the border, security forces clashed with migrants. At least 57 migrants died, including some who drowned or were killed in a stampede to cross a breakwater barrier near a border checkpoint.

“The situation that Ceuta is going through is absolutely unsustainable,” Ceuta President Juan Jesús Vivas told journalists.

Meanwhile, migrants from Morocco also attempted to cross into Melilla, Spain’s other territory at the tip of North Africa, where they clashed with police.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez visited Ceuta on Friday and condemned the border breach, which he described as “a violation of Spain's territorial integrity.”

Sánchez blamed human smugglers for the crisis, saying they “deceive so many young people and ultimately lead many of them to their deaths," whether in the ocean or in the autonomous city.

The Spanish Interior Ministry, which initially refused to share estimates from the border, released its own figures shortly after Vivas’ spoke, estimating that some 50,000 people had crossed from Morocco since Thursday. It added that 37,500 had already returned to Morocco, with hundreds more going back by the hour.

Video footage early on Friday showed hundreds of migrants gathered on a hill overlooking Ceuta being dispersed with tear gas by Moroccan forces, while others continued to swim to the Spanish territory. But by Friday afternoon, most migrants were trying to leave Ceuta given the dire conditions there.

Rachid Sbihi, who leads a local workers association representing Civil Guard officers, described the situation as a “serious humanitarian crisis,” saying thousands of migrants, including unaccompanied children, were left sleeping in parks and on sidewalks, while others roamed the streets aimlessly.

“It’s chaotic,” Sbihi said.

The Moroccan Interior Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the migrant figures released by the Spanish authorities.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the “images coming from Ceuta are unacceptable.”

“We cannot allow anyone to come to our Union without abiding by our rules,” she said Friday in an online statement. “Dangerous crossings must stop immediately. Smuggling networks must be dismantled. And returns must be swift, as our rules allow.”

Dozens died in the chaos

Some of the 41 people who died had drowned, Sbihi said, but some were also killed in a stampede to cross the breakwater fence at Tarajal Beach, an urban beach near a border checkpoint with Morocco. The waters near the border fence were littered with buoys, shoes and other abandoned belongings.

Many young Moroccans who crossed into Ceuta told The Associated Press that they had hoped to find better work opportunities in Spain but were returning given the mayhem in Ceuta.

“There’s nothing at home. I’d have to work 12-hour shifts for a meager wage. That’s why I came here,” said 21-year-old Abdulah Buji, who hails from the city of Tetouan. “But I haven’t found any opportunities here either, so I have to go back.”

Moroccan police used water cannons and fired warning shots into the air to prevent migrants from crossing into Ceuta, according to rights groups in Morocco.

“Despite the heavy police presence, people crossed through the waterway, while the land border remained closed,” said Achraf Maimouni, a human-rights activist in Fnideq, the Moroccan city bordering Ceuta.

Morocco’s ambassador to Spain said the situation in Ceuta had unfolded against Morocco’s wishes.

“We have always prioritized legal, orderly and safe migration for all,” Karima Benyaich said. She did not comment on what prompted the migrants to cross into Ceuta.

To reach Ceuta, on the northern African coast, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering about 3 miles (5 kilometers) to reach Spanish territory. Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.

Border surge linked to Supreme Court ruling

The authorities in Ceuta and Madrid have linked the border surge to a recent decision by the Spanish Supreme Court, which ruled that migrants arriving by sea could not be summarily deported, unlike those who cross by land or climb the border fence.

Sánchez said migrant smugglers misinterpreted the ruling.

The interpretation of the Supreme Court’s ruling “spread like wildfire over the past few hours through the networks of human trafficking organizations,” triggering the surge, Sánchez said.

Some activists in Morocco expressed doubt that the ruling was behind the surge, arguing that most migrants would have been unaware of such legal decisions.

Spanish prime minister has bucked anti-immigration trend

Sánchez has bucked the anti-migration trend that has gained ground across Europe and in the U.S.

Earlier this year, his government moved to give residency and work permits to hundreds of thousands of migrants already living in the country without permission.

Sánchez, a Socialist, argued that it would be good for the economy and the demographics of an aging Spain. Migrants who entered irregularly after Jan. 1 this year were not included.

His critics have jumped at the opportunity to attack his policy, saying it encouraged more migrants to come.

“Sánchez allows Spain to be invaded through Ceuta,” Spanish conservative politician Isabel Díaz Ayuso wrote on X.

The U.S. State Department expressed its support for “the people of Spain, and all Europeans, against this egregious violation of their sovereignty and human rights.”

In a post on X, the department added that “this unacceptable incident is the direct result of the Spanish Government’s deliberate efforts to enable and facilitate mass illegal migration into Europe.”

Sánchez on Friday defended his migration policy and distanced it from the events in Ceuta.

The chaos had ripple effects abroad. Italian Premier Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend her country's open-border Schengen agreement with Spain “to defend our borders and ensure the safety of our citizens,” even though Italy does not share a border with Spain and is also an entry point for tens of thousands of migrants crossing the Mediterranean each year.

French Interior Minister Laurent Nunez said France would also strengthen border checks with Spain.

“This crisis in Ceuta has nothing to do with the regularization of migrants adopted by the Government of Spain, as is being falsely claimed by some,” the Spanish government said in a statement late Thursday after Meloni's announcement.

Pressure grows on second Spanish territory in Africa

Migrants from Morocco also attempted to cross into Melilla, the other Spanish territory at the tip of North Africa.

There was widespread chaos in Bni Nsar, the Moroccan town bordering the Spanish territory, where migrants clashed with police, throwing rocks and setting police vehicles ablaze, according to local media and rights groups. They reported injuries among security forces and the arrest of dozens of people attempting to cross.

Like Ceuta, Melilla is an self-governing Spanish city. Many Moroccans consider both cities to be occupied territory.

___

Naishadham reported from Madrid. Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. Associated Press journalists Joseph Wilson in Barcelona, Spain; Akram Oubachir in Casablanca, Morocco; and Antonio Sempere in Ceuta, Spain, contributed.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Volusia County Council At-Large seat

Volusia County Council members are elected in nonpartisan races, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

Since there are three candidates in the race, the top vote-getter must get more than 50% of the vote (50%+1) in order to win outright. Otherwise, the top two candidates will go to a runoff in November.

The county council at-large seat represents the entire county. You can see a map of all of the districts HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Volusia County Council, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Nancy Miller

WEBSITE: www.NancyMillerforVolusiaCounty.com

Ms. Miller did not answer our questionnaire. Miller does have a profile on the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections website, which you can read HERE.

Mike Poniatowski

WEBSITE: mikep4volusia.com

Poniatowski also has a profile on the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections website, which you can read HERE.

Top issues in your race

If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Property Tax Reform. Recent polling by the University of North Florida shows that a strong majority of voters want some form of property tax reform, with approval hovering right around the 60% mark, which is the threshold needed to pass, and some are as high at 80%. Our leaders need to plan for this eventuality now. Prudent planning should tell us where to make required cuts, with taxpayer input! We cannot wait until next year. If reform does not pass, then this will be a great exercise to learn where cuts in spending can be made to save us real money and reduce the tax burden on our citizens but especially our elderly on fixed incomes who own homesteaded property and the young, trying to build a future of investment by purchasing their forever home, like our family did 40 years ago! As an efficiency expert running large organizations and teams, I am ready to make those identified necessary cuts to make government lean and more responsive to its citizens. This will be Ozempic for Government, and the citizens deserve some form of relief. I will follow their lead, honestly and transparently, educating our citizens on what to expect. Either way, we will make meaningful cuts while keeping public safety and infrastructure front and center.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Comprehensive County-Wide Storm Water Management. Decades of building, sprawl, and lack of maintenance or intuitive design have left residents knee-deep at times in flood waters from rains and storms across our great county. Homes, businesses and roads continue to be inundated by what seem to be ordinary summer afternoon thunderstorms. We need to form a comprehensive Storm Water Management Authority by ordinance and eventually Charter Amendment, to make sure that our 16 municipalities and the county become willing partners in an ongoing endeavor to begin meaningful repairs and innovative designs to protect our properties and investments to Keep Volusia Dry. The time for dumping hundreds of thousands of dollars in repetitive studies to out-of-state consultants is over. It’s time for local experts and residents to identify fixes that will make a difference. We must be able to drain our canals regardless of winds and tides. We can do this without additional taxes

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Land Development and Conservation. We can see across this county, wide tracts of what was once wide open, wooded land being bulldozed, drained, filled and loaded with slab-on-grade single-unit homes. Once this land is gone, it can never be replaced, and the damage done is irreversible. Green spaces help regulate our world’s temperature, provide us with fresh oxygen and ingest carbon dioxide. It gives our rains and stormwater a place to sit, evaporate and percolate into our very endangered aquifer. We are sucking more water out of it than can be replaced and billions of gallons of water just run off of our impervious surfaces, eventually making it to our rivers and oceans, not doing us any good. We must embrace Low Impact Development, prevent sprawl and heavily limit up-zoning to allow more units per acres then currently zoned for. It’s our children’s and grandchildren’s futures we are gambling with. We need to revisit the concept of Rural Boundaries and Keep Volusia Forever – FOREVER! Full Stop! We overwhelmingly voted for this program twice, and if we continue to be blessed with the revenue to sustain it, we must.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? This is an open seat

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? If we can tackle the Homestead Property Tax issue, that’s the first step in the right direction. If developers continue to get tax breaks, which I am firmly against, they must bring to market homes and apartments that don’t break the bank of first-time home buyers or renters who are looking for their forever homes. Homeowners insurance rates are also part of the problem. We must work with our state regulators to reduce these rates. We must also equip our students with the skills necessary to make more than a living wage, especially in the trades. HVAC, electrical, carpentry, roofing, mechanical skills and mechanics. Healthcare is also very important as our baby boomers will need more healthcare. All these skills do not require a four-year degree and can be taught starting in high school and finished in trade schools or on the job, with young workers already making a living.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? I will vote yes on this amendment. Government spending needs a reset. People need relief. We need to tighten our belts and start with providing our core government services. We, of course, will have the latitude of charging certain fees for things like Fire and EMS or those Law Enforcement services exempted from the amendment. If we plan prudently, we will make government stronger and more transparent. Schools will not be affected.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? This is my statement on Data Centers. Governments, at every level, must do what is in the best interest of their citizens and the citizens are the ones who decide that, in the end. They do this by making sure that their voices are heard by their elected leaders, and if they are ignored, they change the government at the next election. That is the way it must be for every major decision and undertaking that may have far-reaching effects, in time, money and resources. Especially if payment for such an undertaking falls on the backs of the taxpayers to fund.

As far as Data Centers are concerned, there are only estimates as to how many will be needed across our country; this is called speculation! Let’s not build them everywhere without a clear, scientific understanding of where they need to be placed and why. Hyperscale data centers can consume thousands of acres to build, use the equivalent energy of a small city to run, drink up to five million gallons of water a day to cool, emit carbon, methane, heat and noise (24/7) into the environment and change the face of the community or ecosystem they are built in, FOREVER!

Hyperscale data centers should stand up their own power generation plants (we can get into what kind later) and use an alternative cooling system that does not depend on fresh water.

Florida and Volusia County do not have the excess water to allocate to such plants; we surely will not pay for the energy infrastructure to power them, and land is somewhat scarce as we attempt to preserve what is left of our open spaces.If you consider that information is nothing more than electrons, energy, understand that this energy moves at the speed of light. (E=MC2)

Therefore, we don’t necessarily need these data centers in our communities/neighborhoods/state! They don’t bring jobs, AI itself will run the center, maintained by a skeleton staff of humans, and I’m sure these plants will be constructed in such a way as to allow robots to eventually service and change out components as necessary. The labor to build them will be “imported” and leave when the plant is completed. The materials for the build will not be locally sourced for sure as the builder will not be running to the local building supply store for 10 million self-tapping screws, 60 million steel framing beams and temporary concrete plants will be built on site. The only local resource will be the land, at the demise of the trees, open spaces and wildlife habitat.

Amazon, Meta, and Google, among others, have been downsizing in the tens of thousands of jobs very recently and we know Amazon for one is using robots for product fulfillment. Just wait a few more years until those Amazon trucks are autonomous and little robots pop out and drive your packages to the front door. They also have plans to mostly depend on robots in every aspect of product fulfillment. Their current goal is to automate 75% of its operations by 2033, so any short-term job growth will be rolled back when their next-generation Proteus Robot is rolled out. You get the picture. These are community killers. They will speed up the ability to downsize the human component across the board. The mega wealthy will continue that upward trend, and the middle class will become more unemployed /unemployable.

That’s why, as an aside, we need to shed this mindset of needing a 4-year degree! We need to bolster our TRADES! Electricians, HVAC, Plumbers, Mechanics, skilled craftsmen, carpenters, roofers, health care technicians, real humans who will be sorely needed in the future to service the thousands of homes that exist today and those that are on the drawing board! That’s where our communities’ vested interest lies. Equipping our students with the mental and manual skills to keep our communities humming well into the future, while making more than a living wage.

And we want affordable beef; let’s keep the beef industry local! Florida has had a strong beef industry for generations, and we still need that industry today! Save that pastureland, graze them cattle, feed them cattle, and send them to market locally. I’m waiting on my first delivery of beef cattle to free-range on my property! FACT! Who will want to live within five miles of an ever-existent hum of air exchangers, coolers, etc.? The wildlife will run off and if it’s near anywhere around here, who’s absorbing the millions of gallons of stormwater runoff from a 2000-acre plant? Not this guy, or his neighbors.

If we really need them, put them in the barren desert away from everything! Ship the information where it needs to go, remember (E=MC2), improve the technology so it’s not so dependent on water, which is meant to sustain organic life! Hell no!

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? The unmitigated destruction of green spaces for fill and build sprawl, which in turn drastically reduces the availability of water to percolate into and maintain the Floridian Aquifer, our source of fresh water and life. This also leads to devastating flooding across Florida. The solution is not wastewater recharge or injecting anything into our underground spaces. All Wetlands must be OFF LIMITS to any type of construction. The PUBLIC NEED is to preserve these land areas as they are our flood barriers, nurseries for aquatic life and water percolators. We also need to stop spraying herbicides and insecticides into our bodies of water. They are killing more than they are intended for.

Barry Powell

WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/p/Barry-Powell-For-Volusia-County-Council-61590056560637/

Powell doesn’t have a profile on the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections website.

Top issues in your race

If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Flooding. I would put together a team to compile a Comprehensive Flood Risk Assessment that would conduct and publish an up-to-date, GIS-based countywide flood model that integrates: stormwater infrastructure, wetlands, sea-level rise, groundwater, rainfall patterns, and future development scenarios.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Housing: If elected as a Volusia County Councilman.I understand that addressing countywide housing requires a clear, actionable, and voter-focused plan that spans affordability, supply, quality, and resilience. This comes with affordable housing, diverse, and durable housing to ensure a range of housing types that are affordable across income levels, ages, and family sizes.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Full accountability and transparency of every taxpayer dollar spent. Work toward more fiscal discipline and transparency: Every dollar spent should be justified, measurable, and publicly auditable. Also providing open data and accessibility to be easy to find, understand, and use by residents with varying levels of expertise. Lastly, public accountability with clear metrics, independent review, and regular community input.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? As a candidate, I believe that I deserve to be elected because I would deliver on my core promise: Honest, People-First Leadership. I am for the people. I’ll put Volusia’s people first in every decision. I’ll be open about what I am doing and why, with plain language they can understand. I’ll continue to listen. I’ll hold regular meetings countywide in diverse neighborhoods and speak with the people who voted me into office because they elected me to represent them.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? I believe that affordable, attainable living for all Volusia County residents, we have to address housing, transportation, and household costs together, not in isolation. We should prioritize policies that deliver results quickly while building long-term resilience and opportunity.

If I were elected, the solution that could be brought to the table would be to make the county more affordable for families, renters, small businesses, and seniors by tackling housing, transportation, energy, and services together. I wouldn’t have all the answers but I would put together a team to help address the issues.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? Honestly, I would have to speak against the property taxes issue because I believe that on the surface it sounds good, but we should not aid and abet this because we already have skyrocketing home values and many Volusia County Residents have voiced their concerns about the affordability of owning their own home. For all levies other than school district levies. This Property Tax Elimination would have harmful economic consequences. Therefore, I think as voters we must carefully weigh the consequences and I feel it could leave not only our county, but the entire state worse off

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? In my personal opinion, I can only share my thoughts as a lifelong Volusia County resident, and I can’t really speak on behalf of all Floridians. However, I believe it would be helpful to convene an affordable task force that would include consumer advocates, local nonprofits and utility staff.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? I firmly believe Volusia County’s Top Environmental issue is coastal flooding and water quality pressures from sea-level rise, stronger storms, and watershed pollution.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Volusia County Council District 1

Volusia County Council members are elected in nonpartisan races, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

Since there are three candidates in the race, the top vote-getter must get more than 50% of the vote (50%+1) in order to win outright. Otherwise, the top two candidates will go to a runoff in November.

The county council District 1 seat represents the western part of the county. You can see a map of all of the districts HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Volusia County Council, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Wendy Anderson

WEBSITE: wendyforvolusia.com/

Top issues in your race

If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Make Volusia First in Conservation (Address Flooding and Groundwater Depletion): I will always vote to protect conservation lands paid for by taxpayer funds from being sold or repurposed for uses other than conservation of ecosystems. I will prioritize conservation of green spaces in cities and rural areas. This includes preserving farmland and maintaining “spongy” landscapes in urban areas to absorb rainwater closer to where it falls, so it can get filtered by natural vegetation and soils and recharge our aquifer. I will maximize allocation of diverse funding sources to maintain and expand stormwater infrastructure, including strategic land purchases with Volusia Forever funds. We can’t continue to depend on federal funding for stormwater infrastructure expansion because those funding sources are fickle and only arrive after major storms, not in preparation for them.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Grow the Economy, Not Our Footprint (Affordability and the Wage Gap Crisis): I will promote redevelopment opportunities within urban areas on parcels that are already paved or developed (as opposed to sprawl into rural araes) that provide more diverse and affordable housing options such as tiny home communities, accessory dwelling units (granny flats, garage apartments, etc.), and multi-family structures with shared amenities.

I will promote locally owned businesses and facilitate their permitting processes, and encourage new businesses moving into the county to hire from the existing Volusia workforce. Local high schools and colleges should strengthen pipelines with local businesses to provide industry-specific job training.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Keep Farmers Farming (Food Security and Protection of Agricultural Heritage): To rein in urban sprawl, I will support farmers’ efforts to maintain productive operations through the Volusia Forever agricultural easements programs, facilitate their long-term succession planning, and advocate for lower taxes on agricultural land.

I will promote urban food production and opportunities to connect local farms with consumers. I will support educational programming for residents to become more self-sufficient and food secure.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I am an expert in environmental systems and natural resources conservation and have been a teacher, scientist, consultant, and administrator for 35 years. I have served on numerous civic organization boards and county and city advisory boards, so I have the experience and knowledge required to understand how local government works and how to accomplish specific goals. I am deeply committed to serving the needs of the residents of Volusia County and to addressing some of the most complex challenges our communities have ever faced.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? In addition to the solutions noted above in Number 2 Issue, I would also encourage incentives for first-time or income-limited homebuyers to purchase older homes in need of renovations to improve existing homes and neighborhoods. I would aim to ease the regulatory barriers that impede those renovation efforts. Related, I would promote compact, walkable, mixed-use communities in older districts that reduce cost-of-living via reduced transportation and utility expenses. Finally, we can close the wage gap by promoting locally owned businesses, thus keeping more money circulating inside of our communities, and requiring new businesses moving into the County to prioritize hiring and training of current Volusia residents.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? Personally, I will vote NO on this amendment. I am concerned that it will not truly lead to a significant reduction in tax burden for most residents, but could shift that burden more heavily to more recent homebuyers (e.g., young people and retirees who have recently moved), renters, and small businesses. It also shifts control of local services away from local governments and communities and centralizes power with the state government in Tallahassee. Whether 60% of Florida voters support the amendment or not, I am committed to reviewing with an eagle eye the Volusia County budget and annual audits to identify opportunities to curb spending and relieve tax burdens for all residents. As an observant resident who closely watches county activities, I frequently see waste and inefficiency that are opportunities for tightening the belt.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? First, each community should have the right to ban AI Data Centers if they choose to. Where AI data centers do get approved, they should be required to be effectively self-sufficient with their own solar arrays and battery storage, small-scale nuclear reactor, or natural gas-powered generators for electricity sources.

They should also be required to capture, treat, and recirculate all of their stormwater and wastewater for their cooling needs and draw zero water from the ground for their non-potable operational needs.

Finally, their parking areas-- which should be small, since they don’t employ very many people-- should be entirely shaded with trees as should the sides of the buildings, to reduce the waste heat load off of these facilities. The facilities should only be sited in locations that are already degraded or paved over, not in areas with functional ecosystems and habitat. Utility regulators should require the major utility providers to uphold the standards noted above and to not raise rates on other residential and commercial customers to accommodate AI Data centers.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? Land use change that leads to loss of wildlife habitat, depletion of the aquifer, water pollution, increased urban heat island effect, and all of the trappings of population growth such as traffic congestion, overcrowded schools, hospitals, and retail stores, etc. needs to be reined in. We can continue to have a thriving economy-- possibly even one that grows-- without degrading additional lands for housing and commercial development. Enough space is available within our already-built areas that can be repurposed for new businesses and homes, particularly if we build UP. We are experiencing the collision of overdevelopment with rapid changes in our weather patterns associated with higher-volume daily rain events, more extreme drought periods, and more devastating hurricanes. We must change our development patterns to adapt to the new and future weather conditions.

Don Dempsey - Incumbent

WEBSITE: dempsey4volusia.com/

Mr. Dempsey did not answer our questionnaire and does not have a profile on the Volusia County Supervisor of Elections website.

Melissa Thorne

WEBSITE: https://thorne4volusia.com/

Top issues in your race

If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Overdevelopment. It’s simple: I will be a NO vote for every rezoning attempt for mass housing development, especially concerning agricultural land.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Banning Toilet to Tap. I will call for a re-vote and address of Charter Amendment to ban any and all use of non-potable, blackwater for aquifer replenishment or direct potable use.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Returning to Core Governmental Responsibility. With the upcoming tax reform referendum on the November ballot, that should actually force the County Council to shrink the size of the government, work at a more fiscally responsible level, put the money back into the people’s hands such as our teachers, EMS and First Responders, roads and infrastructure and lastly repel the 12 cent gas tax in Volusia county to make it easier for people to afford to work and play here in Volusia County.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I am a retired nurse, small business owner and young woman with drive and common sense. For far too long we have elected people to represent We The People that do not hold our values and beliefs. My Lord and Savior told me to run, so I am following His command. His will leads me and guides me and we need more people who come from a Godly life to serve our communities and nation.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? One solution is to eliminate the gas tax. We all use gasoline in one form or another. Gasoline is the backbone that keeps our nation running. Whether to fill up our cars and trucks to get us to and from work, the lawn equipment that cares for our lands, to the planes, trains, boats and heavy machinery that keeps our communities running, we can all use a break to make life just a bit easier and put more money into our pockets each month. Let’s get rid of the gas tax, Volusia!

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? Yes. It will force us to reduce the size of government which is desperately needed. Just by the reduction of committees, boards, and departments, we will dramatically reduce the cost being spent each year. Just in Volusia County alone, they have a $1.4 billion budget for a population of 606,000. We are bloated and over-bloated. If we somehow still need additional revenue after the cuts are made, I suggest a Sin Tax. A 1-cent tax on all alcohol, gambling, marijuana, vape, tobacco, Delta 9 gummies, gentleman’s clubs would cover any additional needed funds.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? They should respond by saying not in Florida. As it is now, our utility costs are through the roof and we simply do not have the water to supply Data Centers. We don’t even have water to supply the development that is happening currently. We need to do a full stop with development to allow our utilities to catch up.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? Water and sewer. We need to stop spraying our waterways and start using hemp and natural methods to clean and restore our waterways and grasses. We also have a water shortage. We need to start, as of yesterday, to increase ways we can capture the water, harvest the water, and/or desalinate the water to provide for our people. Sewage is another issue entirely. The more we develop, the more people, the more sewage. Pumping it into our waterways and aquifer is just not a good solution. We need to start, county by county, re-evaluating how we can dispose of our sewage without compromising our waterways.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Volusia County Council District 3

Volusia County Council members are elected in nonpartisan races, which means all voters can vote in the election, regardless of party affiliation.

Since there are three candidates in the race, the top vote-getter must get more than 50% of the vote (50%+1) in order to win outright. Otherwise, the top two candidates will go to a runoff in November.

The county council District 3 seat represents the southeast part of the county. You can see a map of all of the districts HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Volusia County Council, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Anthony Gorham

WEBSITE: www.gorhamforsevolusia.com/

Mr. Gorham did not answer our questionnaire.

Danny Robins - Incumbent

WEBSITE: danny4volusia.com/

Mr. Robins did not answer our questionnaire.

Bryon White

WEBSITE: www.votebryonwhite.com/

Top issues in your race

If elected, what are the THREE most pressing problems you want to address, and what do you suggest to solve them? In the boxes below, please list each issue and how you will address them:

YOUR NUMBER 1 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Responsible growth and land-use planning are my top priorities. I believe growth must pay for growth, and that new development should enhance—not diminish—the quality of life for existing residents. For too long, Florida has relied on a sprawling, extractive growth model that consumes farmland, wetlands, wildlife habitat, and open space while leaving taxpayers to bear the costs of new infrastructure and services. I support a more sustainable approach that encourages urban redevelopment, infill, Low-Impact Development, and the efficient use of existing infrastructure. I will work closely with our municipalities to establish a rural boundary that protects our remaining green spaces and directs growth to appropriate areas. I also support stronger oversight of mitigation credits and other regulatory loopholes that allow the destruction of wetlands and critical ecological corridors. We can grow our economy while protecting the natural resources that make Volusia County a special place to live.

YOUR NUMBER 2 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Addressing flooding is one of the most important challenges facing Volusia County. During Hurricane Ian, more than 30,000 homes flooded, and our county is now recognized as one of the most flood-prone in the nation. We need a comprehensive approach that combines stronger stormwater management, improved drainage infrastructure, and better coordination with state and federal partners. We must also reform land-use policies to ensure new development does not worsen flooding conditions for existing residents. Growth should never come at the expense of public safety or private property. My goal is to make flood mitigation a countywide priority and ensure that future development is planned responsibly, with the long-term impacts on water, infrastructure, and neighborhoods fully considered.

YOUR NUMBER 3 ISSUE and how you plan to address it: Protecting conservation lands is one of my top priorities. Volusia County voters have twice approved the Volusia Forever program with the understanding that these environmentally sensitive lands would be preserved in perpetuity for future generations. I believe that commitment must be honored. I support strengthening protections for conservation lands and will champion a ballot measure requiring voter approval before any county-owned conservation land can be sold, transferred, or repurposed for another use. These lands belong to the public, and the public should have the final say over their future. Volusia’s natural resources are one of our greatest assets, and preserving them is essential to protecting our quality of life, water resources, wildlife habitat, and local economy. Forever should mean forever.

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserved to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to elected in this race? Development interests and wealthy special interests have gained too much influence in local government through campaign contributions. That is why I have pledged to accept zero campaign contributions from development interests. My loyalty is to the residents of Volusia County, not the people seeking to profit from its growth. I have spent my career serving this community—as a public safety professional, entrepreneur, farmer, and conservation advocate—and I have the experience to help lead Volusia County through the challenges ahead. My platform is practical, achievable, and rooted in what residents consistently ask for: smarter land-use decisions, meaningful flood mitigation, protection of our natural resources, and growth that pays for itself rather than shifting costs onto taxpayers. Volusia County doesn’t need more promises. It needs leadership willing to put residents ahead of special interests and ensure that growth pays its own way.

According to a University of North Florida poll, Floridians say affordability is their top issue. What are your solutions for dealing with Florida’s affordability issue? Florida’s affordability crisis cannot be solved by paving over more farmland and natural areas. More sprawl has not made housing affordable, and in many cases it has increased the long-term costs borne by taxpayers through roads, utilities, stormwater infrastructure, and public services. We need a more balanced approach that expands housing options where infrastructure already exists, encourages redevelopment and infill, and ensures that growth pays for growth. I support working with municipalities to identify appropriate locations for workforce housing, reducing unnecessary barriers to redevelopment, and investing in transportation and infrastructure that lower household costs. Just as importantly, we must protect residents from rising property taxes, flooding, insurance costs, and utility expenses, which have become major drivers of the affordability crisis. Affordability is not just about the cost of housing—it is about the total cost of living in Volusia County.

Will you vote YES or NO on the constitutional amendment to slash property taxes and explain your position. How would you replace lost revenue – fees and/or service reductions? I oppose this amendment because I believe it is a tax shift, not a tax reduction. While I agree that Floridians need relief from rising housing costs, insurance premiums, and property taxes, this proposal would remove a significant source of local government funding without identifying a sustainable replacement. In Volusia County alone, the estimated impact is approximately $92 million per year. The reality is that local governments cannot simply eliminate services at that scale. The costs would likely be shifted elsewhere through higher fees, increased sales taxes, special assessments, reduced services, or other revenue sources. Renters and residents who do not qualify for homestead exemptions could end up bearing a larger share of the burden while receiving fewer services. I support meaningful tax reform, but it should provide real relief rather than shifting costs from one group of residents to another. I am confident that state and local leaders can work together to develop solutions that improve affordability, protect essential services, and ensure that any tax relief is fair, sustainable, and transparent.

Utility costs are rising for customers in Florida, and the proliferation of data centers is expected to exacerbate that issue. How should Florida’s utility regulators respond? I oppose the construction of data centers in their current form because of the enormous demands they place on water supplies and electrical infrastructure. At a time when residents are already facing rising utility costs and increasing pressure on our natural resources, it makes little sense to approve facilities that consume massive amounts of water and electricity while providing relatively few permanent jobs. I have supported efforts to prohibit new data center development until the technology and operating models improve to the point that these facilities can operate without placing an unreasonable burden on local communities. Volusia County’s water resources, environmental health, and utility capacity should be reserved first and foremost for residents and businesses that directly contribute to our local quality of life and economy. Economic development is important, but it must be compatible with responsible stewardship of our natural resources.

What do you think is the biggest environmental issue your government should address in Florida? Flooding is the most urgent environmental challenge facing Volusia County. During Hurricane Ian, more than 30,000 homes flooded, and many residents continue to experience flooding from routine storms and rising groundwater. While extreme weather plays a role, decades of wetland loss, sprawling development patterns, and inadequate stormwater infrastructure have made the problem worse. Addressing flooding requires a comprehensive approach that includes stronger land-use policies, better protection of wetlands and natural floodplains, investment in stormwater infrastructure, and closer coordination with municipalities and state agencies. We must ensure that new development does not increase flood risks for existing residents. Protecting people, property, water quality, and our economy starts with making flood mitigation a top county priority. Growth must pay for growth, and growth that increases flooding is growth we cannot afford.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Volusia County School Board District 1

The Volusia County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.

Since there are three candidates in the race, the top vote-getter must get more than 50% of the vote (50%+1) in order to win outright. Otherwise, the top two candidates will go to a runoff in November.

School Board District 1 encompasses voters in the western part of the county. You can see a map of the area HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Volusia County School Board District 1, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Brenda Beery

WEBSITE: https://www.brendabeery.org/

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race: I have dedicated my career to serving our community. After spending 22 years as a teacher and assistant principal in Volusia County Schools, I understand the challenges our students, teachers, and families face because I’ve lived them. Since then, I’ve successfully built and managed a local business, giving me the financial and leadership experience needed to provide strong oversight of our school district. Our School Board needs leaders who bring both educational expertise and fiscal responsibility. I will work to put students first, support and retain great teachers, ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely, and restore trust through transparency and accountability.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Teacher Shortage. Solution: competitive pay, safer classrooms/schools, meaningful voice in decisions, and appreciation (not fear).

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Lack of Financial Responsibility. Solution: Compliance with all state financial oversight requirements, including internal auditor. Monthly financial reports and balance sheets to the board to be publicly reviewed. Spending decisions to be directly tied to measurable student outcomes.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: District staff growth outpacing classroom needs. Solution: Conduct a comprehensive review of district-level positions and responsibilities. Ensure every position directly supports student achievement and school operations. Eliminate duplication and unnecessary positions.

How would you handle district budget issues? I would want all board members to analyze the budget line by line with the focus on each expense and how it directly supports students, teachers, and school safety. If it doesn’t, then it needs to be addressed.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? The district has a teacher retention problem. We must offer competitive pay, safer classrooms/schools, consistent discipline and give teachers a voice.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? I would ask schools and the district to accurately and routinely share proficiencies. The district needs a clear, measurable plan to increase student success. Once we can evaluate and dissolve many of our district-level positions, we can then hire more qualified teachers and more assistance at the school level to implement the plan.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? School safety is about more than locked doors and security cameras. It’s also about protecting the classroom environment. Every teacher deserves a classroom where they can teach, and every student deserves the opportunity to learn without repeated disruptions caused by chronic behavioral issues. I support clear expectations, consistent consequences, early intervention, and ensuring students are placed in learning environments that best meet their needs while protecting the educational experience of everyone else. Safe schools are schools where teachers feel supported, students feel respected, and learning comes first.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? All books should be age-appropriate. Parents deserve a voice in their children’s education, and educators deserve to have their professional expertise respected. Book challenges should follow a transparent, consistent process established by Florida law and implemented by Volusia County Schools. Decisions should be based on age appropriateness, educational value, and the law, not politics.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? Volusia/Flagler Central Labor Council

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? I would like to explore a Financial Accountability Policy. The School Board shall receive a monthly financial accountability report that includes budget-to-actual expenditures, revenues, fund balances, staffing trends, major contracts, capital projects, and budget forecasts to support informed decision-making and responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

Jaclyn Carrell

WEBSITE: www.facebook.com/p/Jaclyn-Carrell-for-School-Board-District-1-61572084624426/

Ms. Carrell did not respond to our questionnaire.

Jamie Haynes - Incumbent

WEBSITE: jamiemhaynesforschoolboard.com/

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? I have earned the opportunity to continue serving because of my proven record, nearly four decades of experience in public education, and steadfast commitment to putting students first. Together, we have strengthened school safety, expanded career and technical education, improved academic achievement, restored classroom resources, and helped Volusia County Schools earn its first (and second!) A district rating since 2009. I am seeking one final term to build on that progress with the same experienced, thoughtful leadership our students, employees, families, and community deserve.

Top issues

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Recruiting and Retaining High- Quality Employees. Problem: School districts across Florida continue to face challenges recruiting and retaining highly qualified teachers and support staff while managing limited financial resources. Solution: Continue advocating for increased education funding, support competitive compensation, invest in professional development, recognize employee accomplishments, and provide the resources employees need to be successful. Strong schools begin with outstanding educators and staff.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Preparing Students for Life After Graduation. Problem: Students need multiple pathways to success that reflect today’s workforce, whether they choose college, military service, skilled trades, entrepreneurship, or direct employment.Solution: Continue expanding Career and Technical Education, industry certifications, apprenticeships, dual enrollment, and partnerships with local businesses to prepare every student for future success.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Maintaining Academic Excellence While Supporting Every Student. Problem: Sustaining high academic achievement requires continuous improvement while meeting the diverse needs of every student.Solution: Continue investing in high-quality curriculum, classroom resources, school safety, technology, and student support services while using data to improve instruction and maintain Volusia County Schools’ consecutive A district ratings.

How would you handle district budget issues? Responsible budgeting begins with understanding the facts, following funding requirements, and keeping students at the center of every decision. I will continue supporting transparent budgets that invest in classrooms, employees, school safety, and student success while ensuring responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Recruiting and retaining outstanding teachers remains one of my highest priorities. We must continue supporting competitive compensation, professional growth, classroom resources, and a positive work environment so educators choose to build long-term careers in Volusia County Schools.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? While statewide rankings reflect broader trends, our responsibility is to ensure every Volusia County student has the opportunity to succeed. I will continue supporting evidence-based literacy instruction, early intervention, high-quality instructional materials, and teacher professional development to improve reading achievement and student growth.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Volusia County Schools has established itself as a leader in school safety, consistently exceeding state requirements through strong partnerships with law enforcement, campus security enhancements, and comprehensive safety planning. My focus is not changing what works but continually evaluating and strengthening our practices as new challenges and technologies emerge.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Book challenges should be handled through the transparent review process established by Florida law and School Board policy. Parents, educators, and community members all deserve the opportunity to participate. Decisions should be based on the established review process, applicable law, age appropriateness, and educational value, not individual opinions or politics.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I am honored to have the support and endorsement of respected community leaders who share my commitment to providing the highest quality education for our students. My campaign has been endorsed by Senator Tom A. Wright, Sheriff Mike Chitwood, and Dr. John M. Hill. Their confidence in my leadership reflects our shared commitment to safe schools, academic excellence, fiscal responsibility, and ensuring that every student has the opportunity to succeed.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? Most of the policies that support student success are already in place. Rather than creating unnecessary new policies, I would continue reviewing and updating existing student, curriculum, and Career and Technical Education policies, as needed, to reflect changes in state law, educational best practices, workforce needs, and the evolving needs of our students.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Volusia County School Board District 3

The Volusia County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.

School Board District 3 encompasses voters in the southeastern part of the county. You can see a map of the area HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Volusia County School Board District 3, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Grace Kellermeier

WEBSITE: www.gracekellermeier.com/

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race?: I taught for 18 years at New Smyrna Beach High School and was Volusia County’s Teacher of the Year in 2015. I worked for 9 years in the district curriculum office, overseeing electives in all 68 schools. With both classroom and district-level experience, I am familiar with day-to-day school needs, as well as how the district runs (budget, transportation, cafeteria, maintenance, testing, athletics, etc.) I have a bachelor’s degree in French from Rutgers, a master’s degree in education leadership from Stetson University and a Doctoral degree in Education Curriculum & Instruction from UCF. I will make informed decisions, not just occupy a seat. I will continue to participate in school and district events, supporting students, colleagues and parents, never just there for the photo.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Transparency. It is important to balance the forward-facing narrative, the celebrations and accomplishments of our school district. Our public schools have become a competitive market, so this is important. However, we must have real discussion about the challenges. Often, issues are not brought forward at school board meetings. With only one meeting per month, there are a lot of consent agenda approvals which really should be brought into the open and discussed. It’s not just an approval; it’s communication between the school district, the school board, and with the public.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Accountability. We have a large and complex budget that includes federal, state and local revenue. At this time, we have the added challenge of FTE (full-time equivalency) reductions due to scholarship vouchers to attend private or home-school. Despite these budgetary challenges, we have a lot of big district salaries. It is important to have leadership, vision and support for the schools, but it is the school staffs who do the work! I will pay attention and question the amount of the budget that is not directly connected to students. From salaries to grant funding, our school board should be looking with attention at how the funding is allocated.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Low morale. It is important for us to see and hear the needs of our school-based staffs. It is about more than photographs. We must treat our teachers as professionals, supporting as necessary in the classroom, managing their class sizes and compensating them appropriately. I taught for 18 years at New Smyrna Beach High School, and I know how much work it takes to teach well. It is an art, the students a joy, but it is hard work!

Administrators do a great job of recognizing their school-based staff, especially as the end of the year approaches and we have cycles of “appreciation” days and weeks. Appreciation should include respect and compensation. I hope that having the voice of a former teacher and district curriculum leader on the School Board will improve morale. My experience will always inform my decisions.

How would you handle district budget issues? Carefully and with great attention. My master’s degree in Education Leadership includes the study of Florida School Finance, and I was previously a cost analyst for a defense contractor. I understand school finance and pay attention to details. I will be comparing budget and financial data from year to year, considering shifting enrollments. I will also be paying close attention to how we are spending money. It is very important that we spend money as intended. If it is intended for student support, we must spend it on students! As a member of the school board, I would work together with the other board members, the district staff and union to reach solutions. It is the School Board’s job to oversee the budget, and I will be prepared to make informed decisions.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? More competitive salaries would be a start. Our property values have soared and teachers struggle to afford housing. In an effort to recruit highly qualified teachers, Governor DeSantis raised the beginning teacher pay, which was helpful. Unfortunately, seasoned teachers experienced salary compression, making little more than new teachers. Those same seasoned teachers often become the mentors that are so critical to the success of beginning teachers. The governor has allocated additional funding that is intended for seasoned teachers, so I will be paying very close attention to how that reaches our teachers.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? There are several possible causes for this, among them the over-reliance on technology in the classroom. I would encourage a balance between technology and the varied instructional methods that should be part of every instructional setting. Technology is important, but it should not be the only instructional tool.

We should also model and encourage reading for enjoyment. When students have access to books that are compelling and interesting to them, they are more likely to read. Our media specialists work very diligently to stack library shelves with age-appropriate books that appeal to a variety of student interests. We should encourage our children to visit the library, check out books, and model reading, ourselves. The superintendent offers a summer reading challenge, as do many schools. I have seen schools offer a period in the instructional day for free reading, but that can be a scheduling challenge. As a teacher, I always encouraged my students to have a book with them, in case they had time between instructional tasks, before school, at lunchtime or waiting for the school bus.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Every campus is fenced and gated (single entry point), we have cameras, School Resource Officers and/or School Guardians, a visitor check-in system and controls, and every teacher wears a device that can alert either school staff or local emergency services. All schools participate in required safety drills and trainings. As a teacher, I always felt very secure at New Smyrna Beach High School. When we moved to the new school, the new construction brought more security. I would like to see the same for Spruce Creek High School.

As a district staff member, I visited all 68 schools. Each time, I checked in at the office with my district badge, entering my code so that my presence was recorded. My emergency badge was effective on every campus. Every campus felt secure. I always wore my identification badge, according to protocol, and it seemed that staff and students noticed. We are all trained to notice visitors, and this should continue to be encouraged.

We have embarked on a pilot program that incorporates drones for student and staff safety. It is a powerful collaboration between the Sheriff’s Office, the school district and a commercial partner, funded by the Florida Legislature. I would love to see that technology become available for all schools. With more contracts and widespread use, hopefully the cost will become more accessible to school districts.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? There is a district protocol for book challenges. If a parent wishes to challenge a title, it begins with the principal; if not resolved, to the district Media Specialist, a form that invites a challenger to cite objections, considering relevant Statutes. The Media Specialist advises the Superintendent, then assembles a team of 7: 4 parents/community members, a curriculum specialist, a media specialist and an administrator within 30 days. They read the book with Florida Statute references, then make a recommendation to the Superintendent. If the challenge is successful, the book is removed from circulation. If unsuccessful and the parent continues to object, it goes to the School Board. If unsuccessful, the parent may contact the Florida Commissioner of Education.

Our policy outlines the requirement of our Media Centers to include self-selected reading materials that are age-appropriate, covering a diverse range of topics and student interests, the objective being to cultivate a love of reading. When we read, our language acquisition and reading comprehension increase. When we read fiction, our empathy increases. We read more when the material is compelling and interesting to us. If I do not want my child to read certain books, I can request “restricted access” so that the school district will not allow my child to check out a certain title or titles. It may be helpful to parents if districts provided a list of previously-challenged titles, so that parents can investigate for themselves what others have objected to and decide whether or not they wish to restrict access for their child. Library materials are carefully selected by Florida certified Media Specialists, according to district policy and Florida statutes. It is very important that school districts follow this policy, rather than simply removing challenged materials from the shelves. The materials were selected on purpose by a Florida K-12 certified Media Specialist. Although the challenge process is work, it must be followed. I have recently served on a book challenge team, and it is a fair and educational process.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? Volusia Flagler Central Labor Council, Volusia United Educators, Former School Board Member Linda Cuthbert, Former Florida Commissioner of Education Pam Stewart.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? I would like to return to two School Board meetings per month; I think that this would significantly increase transparency, all school board members in discussion.

Jessie Thompson - Incumbent

WEBSITE: www.instagram.com/mrsjessiethompson/?hl=en

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? In the past four years, I’ve worked collaboratively with our superintendent to deliver on all the promises I made when I campaigned in 2022. Our safety and security is better and more focused than ever before, with at least 24 layers of protection in each school. Our school district has hyper-focused on reading and math through high school, and in turn we have become an A-rated school district for the first time in 16 years. Our Career & Technical Education program has been expanding each year, providing our students with approximately 5,500 industry certifications. As of April, I have personally attended over 1,200 events for Volusia County Schools, not including trainings and work with workforce and education committees with our local chambers of commerce; I’m there because I care. As the only school board member with kids in our schools, I have proven to keep my word, work hard, and show up for our students, families and schools, and that’s why I deserve to be re-elected.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Right-sizing the district is the number one problem, not just in Volusia County, but it is something we are seeing statewide. The solution is something we are actively working on to make sure that our students don’t miss out on education, while providing the programs and teachers for a well-rounded educational experience. We don’t want to close schools or lay off teachers like some counties, so we are really looking at where we can utilize the resources we already have, and get the most bang for our buck at each location, including district staff.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: Declining Enrollment is another issue that public schools are facing. While I support parent choice, and fully agree that every student learns differently, the question is how to provide the most, when students are seeking other options. I’ve been working with our superintendent on this issue, and plan to continue to expand upon it. In public schools, we have resources that many don’t have in a home-schooling environment. For example, this could be a science lab, or educators in a subject that a parent doesn’t feel comfortable teaching. In those cases, we offer options for students to come into the classroom, and have that experience, maybe even for one class, and then return home. We have to get creative with this issue, especially since birth rates are declining and options are increasing.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: The third problem that I see as a school board member and a parent is the amount of testing that students have to sit through. The state of Florida has a standardized testing system that we have to abide by. However, the data that the district and teachers receive from those tests are not sufficient in assisting students in the areas that they struggle in. In Volusia County, as in some other counties, we have created our own version of this test to really identify where students need to most assistance. This is the most individualized education plan that I have seen in public schools, and this data truly does help to focus on what students still need to learn. However, this means twice the amount of tests that I feel we should have. Not wanting to relinquish the data needed, I am working with legislators and the DOE to try to create a state test that provides this data, so that we don’t have to double up the testing time for students, and we can focus more on the educational hours.

How would you handle district budget issues? I start from one basic principle: every dollar is measured by how directly it reaches our students and our teachers. That means protecting classroom instruction and competitive teacher pay first, then funding the supports. Teacher pay isn’t a line item we trim; it’s a core investment that determines everything else, and that is why during my time on the board, we have continued to increase teacher pay. No matter what has happened, we haven’t reduced that. Because Florida funding follows enrollment, our A-rating is a budget strategy. A strong district with good teachers, and a variety of programs and options for all students is what attracts families, and stabilizes revenue. I push for more plain language budget transparency both locally and at the state level, so people can see exactly where the money goes.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Shortages are based on two problems: getting teachers in, and then keeping them. Recruitment and retention are equal priorities, and we’ve built a great department that focuses on those two issues. For recruitment, I love that we have a home-grown pipeline that allows people already in our school access to become a certified teacher. On retention, pay matters and will always be a factor, especially when you see what districts around us pay. There are other factors that drive teachers out: workload, weak mentorship, feeling unsupported, and so I will continue to support Volusia initiatives to make sure that the good teachers we have, who love our students and schools, feel at home in their classroom.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? I’ve said before that literacy is extremely important, and so often we don’t focus on it until it’s too late and we are already in the “testing grades”. I am a firm believer that our children will rise to the challenge and continue to grow when they are given information. I would love for us to double down on reading and literacy at our younger levels, 2nd grade and below, so that children have a firm grasp on reading before they start these state tests. We have VPK programs in Florida, and focusing on incorporating reading into every aspect of those learning goals will give kids the baseline that will set them up for success. I have also seen that through COVID, there was severe learning loss in some students, especially if they weren’t continually working on reading while at home. That is why I am so proud that in Volusia, we have strengthened our reading programs through high school; not just teaching them what to read, but sometimes still how to read. Every student is different, and learns differently, and focusing on what’s best for students is the only way to move Florida forward.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? Volusia County Schools is already a state leader in this category. We are the first Florida district to deploy AI weapon detection across all of our high schools, plus rapid-alert staff badges and reunification training, to name a few safety initiatives. I’d protect those investments and keep us ahead and continue to look for grants and funding to keep our safety programs secure. Real safety is also relationships and mental health. We have threat assessments, counseling, and behavioral support, and try to maintain a culture where students feel safe telling an adult when something is wrong. While I acknowledge that we are a leader in safety and security, this is an area that I will never slack on, and will always make a first priority.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? This deserves a clear, fair process, and not reaction based on headlines. Parents have every right to be involved in what their own children read. We should be transparent and have a consistent procedure for raising a concern. The goal for our schools is to have age-appropriate materials that align with state statute and support the curriculum. We will use professional judgment and respect for parents through this process.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? Our Volusia County Sheriff, Mike Chitwood, has endorsed my campaign.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? When re-elected, I’ll move to expand and protect our early literacy investment, working with the state for funding a full-time VPK program, and enacting a policy that supports our early learners getting a guaranteed head start.

Tuesday, Aug. 18 is the Florida Statewide Primary election, a mix of party primaries and nonpartisan local elections, such as school board races, judicial races, and county commission races in some counties.

[ELECTION 2026: Make sure you’re eligible to vote|How to vote by mail|Election Myths]

Florida has a closed primary system, which means only members of a political party may vote in party primaries. To be eligible, a voter had to identify with that party by July 20.

However, judicial races and local races, for the most part, are open to all registered voters, regardless of political party.

Everything you need to know in order to vote in the Aug. 18 Statewide Primary, including how to vote by mail, vote early, and vote on Election Day, can be found in our Election 2026 section HERE.

Volusia County School Board District 5

The Volusia County School Board has five districts. These are nonpartisan races, so they are open to all voters.

School Board District 5 encompasses voters in the south-central part of the county. You can see a map of the area HERE.

The News Collaborative of Central Florida created a list of common questions to ask the candidates. Questionnaires were sent to all candidates.

Not all of the candidates responded. Where candidates did not respond, we have filled out the information to the best of our abilities.

News 6 compiled the candidate responses for Volusia County School Board District 5, emailing and calling the candidates over several weeks. Responses were edited for spelling and grammar, but otherwise left intact.

Ruben Colón - Incumbent

WEBSITE: https://www.facebook.com/EducateVolusia/

FOR INCUMBENTS: Why do you deserve to be re-elected in this race? I’ve called Volusia County home for nearly 25 years. I raised my family here. Both my children graduated from Deltona High School, and I’ve spent my time on the School Board focused on results, not rhetoric. Those results are measurable and official. Volusia County Schools earned an A district grade for 2025-26, our second A in two years, improving in 11 of 12 areas of accountability. Here in District 5, seven schools raised their grade this year, English Language Arts achievement held or improved in 15 of our 16 schools, and math rose in 12 of 16. Since 2021-22, District 5 has grown from zero A-rated schools to six. That progress came from steady leadership, sound budgeting, and a relentless focus on students, teachers, and school safety. I’m running to finish the work we started. I know this community because I’m part of it, and I’ve shown I can turn that commitment into outcomes families can see. I’d be honored to keep serving the students, teachers, and families of District 5.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution: Teacher recruitment and retention remain our most pressing challenge. Great schools start with great teachers in the classroom, and like districts across Florida, we lose too many educators to pay, workload, and burnout. The solution is to keep making Volusia the place teachers want to build a career: competitive and predictable compensation, real classroom support and planning time, mentorship for new teachers, and a school board that treats educators as partners rather than problems. Our recent gains prove that when we invest in and stand behind our teachers, students achieve. We have to protect and build on that.

Problem Number 2 and Solution: School safety and mental health support is a constant priority for our families, and it should be. Parents need to know their children are safe, and students learn best when they feel secure and supported. In Volusia, we have built something that sets us apart: a partnership with the Volusia Sheriff’s Office that leads our Office of Safe Schools, putting trained professionals and proven expertise at the center of how we protect our campuses. I am proud to have earned the endorsement of Sheriff Mike Chitwood, who knows firsthand the work we have done to keep our schools safe. The solution going forward is to keep strengthening that partnership, maintain safe and secure facilities, and keep enough counselors and support staff to meet students where they are so we respond early rather than react late. Safe schools are the foundation everything else is built on, and I will keep it at the center of every decision.

Problem Number 3 and Solution: Closing the achievement gap across our schools is the work that is never finished. The progress in District 5 has been dramatic: today 88 percent of our schools are A or B rated, up from just 31 percent in 2021-22. But we still have schools that need more support to reach the same level, and we cannot leave any campus or any student behind. The solution is to target resources where the need is greatest: using our own data to identify where students are struggling in reading and math, directing intervention and staffing to those schools, and holding ourselves accountable for measurable progress every year. Our results show this approach works. The job now is to extend it to every school in District 5.

How would you handle district budget issues? I approach the budget the same way families approach their own: spend responsibly, prioritize what matters most, and make every dollar count. A school district budget is a statement of values, and mine start with the classroom. That means directing resources first to the things that drive student success, our teachers, safe schools, and proven interventions, and being disciplined about everything else. Sound budgeting is exactly why District 5 has made the gains we have. When you fund what works and hold spending accountable to results, students achieve. Going forward, I will keep pushing for transparent budgeting that the public can see and understand, fiscal reserves that protect us against state funding swings and enrollment changes, and a clear-eyed focus on outcomes rather than just line items. I will also keep advocating at the state level for the funding Volusia students deserve, because too many of our decisions are shaped by decisions made in Tallahassee.I will always ask the same question of any dollar we spend: does this help our students and support the people who serve them? If the answer is yes, it is worth defending. If not, it does not belong in the budget.

How should the district handle teacher shortages? Teacher pay in Florida ranks near the bottom nationally. That is a statewide problem set largely in Tallahassee, not something any single school board controls on its own, and I will keep advocating loudly at the state level for the funding and the veteran-teacher pay our educators have earned. You cannot ask people to shape the next generation while they work two and three jobs to make ends meet. A state problem is no excuse for local inaction. Within the authority we have, District 5 has reduced our instructional vacancies and kept great teachers in our classrooms, and it shows in our results. On recruitment, we grow our own by encouraging students and paraprofessionals already in our schools to pursue teaching, and we partner with local colleges to build a steady pipeline into Volusia classrooms. We target hard-to-staff subjects and schools, so no campus is left behind. The answer to shortages is not lowering the bar. It is fighting for fair pay at the state level while making Volusia a district where teaching is a career worth building and staying in.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? That ranking is a wake-up call, and I take it seriously. Reading is the foundation for everything else a child learns, and a student who cannot read on grade level by third grade struggles for years afterward. This is a statewide crisis, but the answer starts in our own classrooms, and District 5 is already moving in the right direction. English Language Arts achievement held or improved in 15 of our 16 schools this year, even as the state slid backward. We build on that by doubling down on what the evidence proves works. Every state that improved in reading did the same thing: they committed fully to the science of reading, structured, explicit phonics instruction in the earliest grades where literacy is built. We keep that front and center in kindergarten through second grade, because that is where the foundation is either laid or lost. We use our own assessment data to identify struggling readers early and get them targeted intervention before a small gap becomes a permanent one. And we make sure teachers have the training and the materials to deliver that instruction with confidence. We also cannot ignore the factors outside the reading block. Chronic absenteeism and screen-driven, passive learning are pulling students backward statewide. A child cannot learn to read in a seat that is empty, so family engagement and attendance are part of the strategy, not separate from it. The state ranking tells one story. What we do in District 5 classrooms tells another, and I intend to keep it that way.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? School safety is not a talking point for me. It is a record I helped build. In 2022, I supported the decision to have the Volusia Sheriff’s Office run our district’s safety and security operations, because keeping campuses safe is police work, and it should be led by law enforcement professionals while our educators focus on teaching. That partnership is now the backbone of one of the strongest school safety operations in the state.

I would protect and build on the layered approach we have in place rather than tear it apart. Today every Volusia campus is staffed by School Guardians, School Resource Officers, and School Resource Deputies. We have hardened our facilities with single points of entry, fencing, security cameras, and access controls. We run regular drills and site assessments, and we put the FortifyFL reporting app on every district device so students and staff can report threats early. Volusia was also selected as one of only three districts in Florida for a drone-based emergency response pilot, and we demonstrated it right here at Deltona High School.

The change I would make is to never stand still. Threats evolve, so our response has to evolve with them. That means continuing to invest in mental health support and early intervention, keeping our technology and training current, and strengthening the Sheriff’s Office partnership that makes rapid, coordinated response possible. Safe schools are the foundation everything else is built on, and under my leadership, Volusia will keep leading, not following, on protecting our students and staff.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Through a clear, consistent process that follows the law and respects everyone involved. Volusia County Schools has an adopted policy for handling challenges to library and instructional materials, and we are required to follow Florida law in how those challenges are filed and reviewed. That is exactly how it should work. Decisions this important should never come down to one person’s opinion or the loudest voice in the room. They should follow a defined process every single time.

That process starts with the recognition that parents have a right to be heard about what their children are exposed to, and it is our job to take those concerns seriously and review them fairly. It also means relying on trained professionals, our media specialists and educators, along with review committees, to evaluate materials on their merits rather than reacting to pressure from any direction. The standard should be consistent, transparent, and grounded in what is age-appropriate and educationally sound.

My role as a board member is to make sure that process is followed faithfully, that it complies with state law, and that families can trust it to be fair. When we handle these questions calmly and by the book, we protect both our students and the confidence of the community we serve.

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? I am proud to have earned the endorsement of Sheriff Mike Chitwood. His support means a great deal, because it reflects the strong partnership between Volusia County Schools and the Sheriff’s Office and the real progress we have made on school safety, work I have helped lead. Several other organizations have interviewed me as part of their endorsement process, and I look forward to their decisions in the weeks ahead. But the support I value most comes from the people closest to our schools: the teachers, parents, students, and families of District 5 who have seen our results firsthand. I am running to keep earning that trust every day, and I welcome the support of anyone who shares my commitment to safe schools, strong results, and proven leadership.

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? In my first year, I would push to expand our Career and Technical Education pathways and strengthen career exploration in middle school, building on a program that is already one of Volusia’s greatest success stories. Our district has grown from 164 to 279 CTE programs, pathways, and academies, a 70 percent increase, and every one of them is now aligned to at least one industry certification. Currently, three out of four students graduate “College and Career Ready,” earning industry certification or college credit. My goal is to take that momentum further.

The opportunity I care most about is starting earlier. We already offer CTE pathways in 14 middle schools, and I want to expand that reach so more students discover their interests and talents before high school, when it can shape every decision that follows. Too often we wait until a student’s junior or senior year to talk about careers. By then we have missed years of chances to spark motivation and connect classroom learning to a real future.

I would also keep deepening the employer partnerships that make this work matter. Volusia already partners with AdventHealth, the Volusia Manufacturers Association, Space Florida, Embry-Riddle, and more than 210 active business partners who bring internships, clinicals, and pre-apprenticeships to our students. Not every student is headed to a four-year university, and every one of them deserves a clear path to a good career. Strong CTE pathways keep students engaged, lift graduation rates, and build the local workforce at the same time. I want Volusia to keep leading on this, and I want every one of those doors open to our students in District 5.

Dean Condon

WEBSITE: www.drdean4d5.com/

FOR CHALLENGERS AND OPEN SEATS: Why do you deserve to be elected in this race? Have the priorities, knowledge, experience, and skills to solve the most important problems.

TOP ISSUES

What are the three most pressing problems happening in your district, and what do you suggest to solve them? Please put your responses in the sections below.

Problem Number 1 and Solution Outcomes: Poor proficiency hovering just over 50% in Math and English. Nearly half of VCS graduates lack 10th-grade-level proficiency. The solution is to develop a strategic plan for each grade level in close collaboration with educators, who are the experts and set their own measurement strategies. This must be a top priority for the entire district.

Problem Number 2 and Solution Order: VCS had over 55,000 disciplinary referrals last year. Many teachers have been assaulted by students, and many more struggle to manage disruptions, disorderly classrooms, and bad behavior. The three-step solution involves 1. Train all administrators and teachers in a common language, approach, and protocol that focuses not just on punitive discipline but on a replacement-behavior strategy that cultivates better behavior. 2. 5% of kids cause 95% of the problems. These behaviors are not limited to the classroom and manifest at home. Train parents using the same strategies. 3. Have dedicated, trained individuals who proactively work with kids with troubling behavior, lessening that workload for teachers and administrators.

Problem Number 3 and Solution Oversight: The school budget needs to be fully transparent (line-by-line), especially for the School Board, but it is not. Only then can the School Board effectively determine financial priorities and make the right decisions. Financial priorities must focus on investing in the classroom, with an emphasis on people, not things.

How would you handle district budget issues? Financial transparency will be the first and most crucial step. A thorough forensic audit is needed to identify the best strategies to eliminate waste and maximize the impact of our resources on the learning experience.

How should the district handle teacher shortages?

1. Pay teachers a fair wage, as they do not get pay increases that even keep up with inflation.
2. Ensure that they have the resources and support to do their jobs well.
3. Release them to participate in developing educational strategies to increase academic proficiency.
4. Attack the pervasive organizational culture of fear many teachers experience when considering expressing their opinions. Build trust.

Florida ranked last for academic growth in reading. How would you improve that? Make Math and English the top priority and allow educators at each level to help develop the strategies to accomplish that goal.

What changes, if any, would you make to school safety policies? While schools are relatively safe from external threats, classroom safety remains a major problem. Implementing the “Order” strategy above will go a long way toward solving the problem.

How should book challenges and library removals be handled? Prioritize parental rights and child protection by restricting graphic sexual content via objective, age-based standards. Use transparent challenge processes with parent input, opt-outs, and proactive collection audits. Focus on suitability and due process—not ideology—to align with law, polls, and developmental needs while enabling local democratic control

What outside organizations or endorsements are supporting your campaign? Volusia/Flagler Central Labor Council

If elected, what policy would you try to pass in your first year? Addressing safety orders in the classroom, financial transparency, emphasis on math and English proficiency, and strategies to retain teachers and workers.

After being driven past two businesses relevant to the narrative of the January 2023 killings, jurors were escorted in groups of six to view the inside of the house, including the basement where the children died. During the roughly 40-minute visit, the jury also saw the yard where Clancy was found after jumping from a second-story window.

Journalists were kept away by a police barricade, but court officers could be seen through the trees escorting jurors to and from the bus along the site of the Clancy family’s former driveway. The home now has a new owner.

Clancy herself did not attend the visit to the home, which she hasn't seen since the day of the killings. Her lawyers argue she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: This story includes discussion of suicide. If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988.

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Jurors in U.S. criminal cases often are expressly told not to visit the scene of the events in question. There are a number of rationales for not doing so — among other things, the site may have changed in the interim between an alleged crime and a trial.

But courts sometimes allow juries to make a supervised excursion as a group, for reasons that can include assessing distances or features that aren’t thought to come across fully in photos.

Such excursions have happened in a number of high-profile cases, including the 2023 murder trial of South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh, the 2022 sentencing trial of Parkland, Florida, school shooter Nikolas Cruz, the 2015 Massachusetts murder trial of former New England Patriots player Aaron Hernandez and the 1995 murder trial of O.J. Simpson.

Jurors in Clancy's trial retraced the route her then-husband, Patrick Clancy, took when she asked him to pick up takeout food and medicine for Cora on the night of the killings. He returned to find the children dead and his then-wife badly injured and bleeding in the yard.

The panel was driven past the restaurant — about 5.5 miles (9 kilometers) from the family’s former home in Duxbury, a town south of Boston — and the pharmacy, about a mile (1.6 km) from the house.

Prosecutors say the errands were a ruse to get her husband out of the house. They say Lindsay Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse, acted intentionally and is criminally responsible for the deaths of children Cora, 5; Dawson, 3; and Callan, 8 months.

Her lawyers don't dispute that she killed the children, but they say she had bipolar disorder and her condition worsened while she was on antidepressants prescribed after the birth of her third child. She believed a voice was telling her to “kill the children so you can kill yourself,” according to her lawyers.

Lindsay Clancy remains paralyzed from the waist down after using multiple methods to try to end her life that night.

If convicted of murder, she faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

___ Associated Press writer Jennifer Peltz contributed from New York.

Through the end of July, several spots across east Central Florida are experiencing one of their warmest summers on record. Orlando is having its second-hottest summer on record, with an average temperature of 84.4 degrees, trailing only the legendary summer of 1903. Sanford ranks fifth hottest, Leesburg seventh, Daytona Beach eighth and Melbourne eleventh.

• Orlando: 84.4° (2nd hottest)
• Sanford: 84.0° (5th hottest)
• Leesburg: 83.7° (7th hottest)
• Daytona Beach: 82.4° (8th hottest)
• Melbourne: 82.6° (11th hottest)

The persistent heat has been driven by an almost nonstop pattern of high pressure over the Southeast, limiting widespread rainfall and allowing temperatures to climb into the 90s nearly every afternoon. Even when storms develop, they’re often too isolated or too brief to provide lasting relief.

The lack of consistent rainfall has also allowed drought conditions to linger much longer than they normally would during Florida’s wet season.

Meteorologist Jonathan Kegges recently reported that parts of Central Florida are experiencing the longest stretch of severe drought since 2000, despite being well into the heart of the rainy season. Read more about the drought here.

Summer Isn’t Over Yet

While the calendar says August is almost here, Florida still has plenty of summer left.

Climatologically, August is one of Orlando’s hottest months, with average highs in the low 90s and tropical humidity keeping heat index values well above 100 degrees. That means several more weeks of intense heat are likely before meaningful relief arrives later in the fall.

Could El Niño Change the Pattern?

One factor worth watching is the developing El Niño in the Pacific Ocean.

El Niño’s biggest influence on Florida typically arrives during the fall and winter, when it often brings a stronger subtropical jet stream, more storm systems and wetter-than-average conditions.

It doesn’t provide immediate relief during the heart of summer, but as we move deeper into the season, it could help shift the pattern toward more frequent rainfall and, eventually, cooler weather later this year.

Until now, the answer has been a doting home health aide from Haiti named Martha Nelson. But with the Supreme Court sanctioning a White House immigration crackdown, Nelson’s permission to stay in the country appears likely to be yanked within days, leaving French worried.

“She’s with me all the time,” says French. “Life would be impossible.”

As the Trump administration unwinds years of protections for hundreds of thousands of people from Haiti, twin populations of vulnerable people find themselves in the crosshairs: caregivers in jobs to which those immigrants have flocked, and the older adults and disabled people who rely on them.

Around the U.S., care homes and home health agencies are bracing for the loss of workers with TPS, which stands for temporary protected status, even as they continue to reel from other immigration policy changes that have squeezed an already short-staffed industry.

For businesses, it is a predicament that could hurt bottom lines and tax remaining workers. For their clients, it threatens to upend every aspect of their lives.

“They have become like family,” says Katy Sanchez, who lives in a group home for disabled people in Nanuet, New York, run by The Arc Rockland, which stands to lose 19 caregivers with TPS, on top of 20 others it lost in immigration changes last year. “If they are forced to leave, it would be devastating.”

Supreme Court ruling paved the way

The Supreme Court sided with the Trump administration last month, saying it could end temporary protected status. The ruling specifically pertained to 350,000 Haitians and 6,000 Syrians, but immigration advocates and legal observers say it could be applied to a broader group of 1.3 million people from 17 countries.

The justices' move has been met with weeks of confusion. Immigration officials subsequently granted several extensions to TPS holders that carried through Monday. U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services issued guidance Wednesday affirming TPS was over, though some attorneys and labor unions have argued work authorization remains intact until lower courts lift an injunction.

The Department of Homeland Security made light of the TPS expiration, referencing lyrics from a 1998 hit song: “It’s closing time, which means you don’t have to go home, but you can’t stay here.”

Fearful they might be in breach of the law, some employers have begun terminating TPS holders, to the dismay of their clients.

Anna Fischbein grew accustomed to visits to her home in Sunny Isles, Florida, from the same kindly Haitian health aide every week for the past 10 years. But Jewish Community Services of South Florida terminated the aide along with 17 others when their TPS lapsed.

“I lost not only a lady working for me,” the 87-year-old Holocaust survivor says, her voice broken by sobs. “I lost a friend.”

Facilities scramble to come up with replacement workers

Around 1 in 5 workers in the U.S. is foreign born, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, but immigrants are overrepresented in caregiving roles. Among home health aides, for example, one-third are immigrants, according to PHI, a nonprofit focused on the caregiving workforce.

In lives upended by age or disability, a cherished caregiver is a lifeline. For someone living in their own home, they may be the last line of defense before institutionalization. For those in a care facility, they may be their strongest advocate, who notices subtle changes before anyone else, ensures small comforts like dollar-store word search books, and brings a sense of humanity to the humiliation of being incontinent.

“They are the first people they see when they wake up in the morning and they’re the last ones that they see before they go to bed,” says Simone Smith, vice president of human resources at Cabrini of Westchester, a nursing home in Dobbs Ferry, New York, where eight Haitians with TPS await word of their fate.

Like similar facilities around the country, Cabrini is prepared to scramble to secure replacement staffers from nursing agencies and plead with remaining workers to take overtime shifts. Cabrini’s workforce is about 75% immigrant. Among those with TPS, Smith senses “almost a hopelessness.”

A Haitian who loses TPS faces an unbearable choice: Attempt to stay in the U.S. and find underground work, tiptoeing through life with fear that authorities will eventually find and remove them. Or return to a country so plagued by gang violence and poverty that many believe it would amount to a death sentence.

“I’m afraid all the time,” says a Haitian man working at a Brooklyn nursing home who asked for anonymity because of concerns for the safety of himself and his family. “I pay tax to the country. I’m a good person. … All I want is to work. When you work, you are a person.”

Families wonder what they will do

Outside a simple brick house in Queens, Nelson stands guard as French steps through her door. On the porch, you might mistake the two for old friends, their bond as much an illustration of what is at risk as it is of how much things have changed.

The women made the same journey, from Port-au-Prince to New York, four decades apart.

French was drawn here in 1970 by the potential opportunities she saw. She built businesses as a hairdresser and seamstress. Her late husband made his way as an electrician and contractor. They bought their home. Their children got good educations. They believed they achieved the American dream.

Nelson came after an earthquake flattened Haiti in 2010. At home, she ran a butcher shop, but after arriving in New York she found work in caregiving roles. She began working for French about three years ago after French fell and broke her hip. Nelson, now 69, has been with her nearly every weekday since.

Both women felt welcomed by the U.S. when they arrived. But French is saddened to see how views on immigrants have evolved.

“America is a good country,” French says, “but it has changed.”

Nelson brings leftovers, tends to French’s chores and is a source of companionship. They watch the news together and talk in Haitian Creole about their families. On weekends, Nelson calls to make sure French has gotten up from bed and nags her to eat.

“On my days off, I think about her,” Nelson says.

French says Nelson has become like family. Nelson agrees, saying she sees French as if she’s her own mother, a show of affection and the source of the pair’s one ongoing dispute.

“You’re not like my daughter,” French protests. “You’re like my sister.”

For now, the two continue their routine, knowing each shift may be Nelson's last. She keeps a copy of her work authorization zipped in a black cloth pouch that she carries everywhere, in case she is stopped. Each Sunday, she sinks to her knees in church, praying for an answer. She worries for herself and for French.

“It makes me feel depressed,” Nelson says. “It could be difficult for her without me.”

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Salomon reported from Miami.

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Matt Sedensky can be reached at msedensky@ap.org and https://x.com/sedensky

The conflict, now in its sixth month, halted most shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow waterway that previously served as a delivery route for a fifth of the world's oil and natural gas. With global supplies constrained, prices for Brent crude, the international standard, soared from about $70 to above $100 a barrel for much of March, April and May, and at one point reached $126.

The money that oil companies accrued between the beginning of April and the end of June could receive extra scrutiny this year. Gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices climbed sharply during that period, increasing costs for drivers and airline passengers. Supplies ran low in some countries, leading to sporadic fuel rationing in Australia and government office closures in Nepal and Sri Lanka.

Exxon Mobil on Friday reported that its second quarter profits doubled to $14.53 billion, boosted by record diesel production. The oil giant, based in Spring, Texas, brought in $116.02 billion in revenue, up 42%.

Chevron, based in Houston, nearly quadrupled its profits to $12.07 billion and revenue jumped 56% to $70.06 billion.

Six of Europe’s largest oil companies posted combined first-quarter profits of $22 billion, more than 40% higher than last year.

“There are constituencies around the world who are having a very good crisis, and the oil producers are one of them,” said Patrick Galey, fossil fuels lead at Global Witness, a nonprofit organization that investigates environmental issues. “When you compare that to the hundreds of millions of people who are struggling with rolling blackouts, with electricity curbs, rationing, waiting in line for food queues, or the disruption to fertilizers and the potential impact that that has on food prices, we don’t think that it’s a justifiable price for the rest of the world to be paying.”

Lawmakers propose taxing major oil producers for war windfalls

Energy companies such as Exxon and Chevron do not set the price of American oil, which ricocheted from $68 to $115 a barrel during the quarter. It’s driven by supply and demand, and what traders, refiners and other buyers are willing to pay.

Nevertheless, Democrats in Congress introduced bills in March to tax major oil producers for profits they show from 2026 onward and have the tax proceeds redistributed to consumers.

“It’s fair to put a windfall profits tax on inordinate windfall profits rather than cut off children’s food programs,” Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, a Rhode Island Democrat who introduced the Senate version of the legislation.

Whitehouse's measure and a companion bill introduced by U.S. Rep. Ro Khanna of California would amend the U.S. tax code to impose a per-barrel tax on companies that produced or imported at least 300,000 barrels of oil per day in 2025.

“We cracked $4 again per gallon last weekend in gas stations that I drove by, and that’s a big expense, particularly for families that get their income from driving around from job to job in the work van or the work truck,” Whitehouse said.

The average price for a gallon of regular gasoline in the U.S., which was below $3 before the U.S. and Israel launched attacks on Iran, reached $4.11 Friday, about $1 more than ast year at this time.

The UK and other European countries implemented temporary windfall profits taxes on fossil fuel companies in 2022. The UK extended that to 2030, according to Tax Foundation Europe.

“Penalizing the businesses who stood by those countries and provided that product going forward is very short-sighted,” Exxon CEO Darren Woods said in a call with investors Friday. “We canceled investments that we had planned for Europe based on the last time they passed a windfall profits tax.”

Refineries rake in cash while consumers pay more for fuel

Outfits such as Exxon and Chevron, which also own refineries, are in the best position to profit from the current market conditions, said Tom Seng, assistant professor of energy finance at Texas Christian University.

Refineries turn oil into gasoline, diesel, jet fuel and home heating oil. Higher prices for those products meant Chevron’s quarterly refinery profit was six times as big in 2026, despite processing less crude and selling less products.

“The return on refining, on a percentage basis, has skyrocketed,” Seng said. “Oil right now is priced what it is priced because of the Iran war. But in the meantime, the refineries are making money hand over fist.”

The global refining market is under-supplied, and with countries such as Russia and China no longer exporting, companies like Exxon and Chevron have to pick it up, said Rob Thummel, senior portfolio manager at Tortoise Capital. “The world is going to be short jet fuel, diesel and gasoline, so we’ll probably continue to see higher profits there.”

Globally, not all refineries have been able to get the supply of crude oil they need to meet demand since the conflict began, said Timothy Fitzgerald, a University of Tennessee professor of business economics who studies the petroleum industry.

As a result, refineries that have ample oil to work with, including those in the U.S., are turning high profits, particularly when they make jet fuel and diesel, which is priced about 41% higher in the U.S. than before the Strait of Hormuz was blocked.

"If you’re a company that owns a bunch of refinery capacity, things look pretty good," Fitzgerald said.

American refineries are running at near-full capacity and poised to benefit because some refineries in the Middle East and Russia were damaged. And Asia can't get the amount of Middle East oil needed for refining.

“Ultimately, users of the energy services pay,” Fitzgerald said. “Consumers, people like you and me buying retail motor gasoline or diesel fuel or airplane tickets. But it also means that almost everything else we buy has an embedded energy content to it ... and this is where you start to worry about it driving increases in costs.”

Not all oil and gas companies benefit in the same way

In the present geopolitical environment, some companies are winners while others are losers, Fitzgerald said.

“If you’re a company like a U.S. (oil) producer, even a U.S.-based international company like an Exxon or Chevron who’s got lots of production outside the Gulf, things are good. You’re selling your product at a higher price,” he said.

But companies in the Middle East that are not able to benefit from higher prices because they are struggling to get their liquefied natural gas out of the Persian Gulf or have a lot of damaged oil fields or processing facilities have a very different take on recent events, Fitzgerald added.

“Your ability to sell anything and the volume that you may be getting out is so curtailed that your revenues are way down and you’re incurring higher transportation costs and security costs,” he said.

Exxon and Chevron weren’t as profitable in the first quarter due to the way oil is traded; the first real opportunity they had to take advantage of higher prices oil was in April. Companies that had a lot of oil stored in floating tankers and available for spot-market trading, including some European ones, were able to benefit from March’s higher oil prices, Seng said.

The proposal from the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation spares Colorado, Utah, New Mexico and Wyoming from facing mandatory cuts for now. But it’s a temporary fix as the states that rely on the river still fight over a long-term management plan for the dwindling resource that powers huge swaths of the Western U.S.

Under the plan, the Lower Basin states could face collective cuts up to 3 million acre-feet (130 billion cubic feet) through 2036, “subject to hydrology,” according to a press release by the Department of the Interior. That’s about enough water to serve more than 25 million people a year.

The plan would also allow annual releases between 5 million and 12 million acre-feet from Lake Powell, the basin’s second-largest reservoir. Under the 10-year federal framework, water management decisions will be made every two years.

“This framework provides the flexibility to respond to changing hydrologic conditions while preserving the opportunity for the Basin States to continue working toward durable, consensus-based solutions,” said Secretary of the Interior Dough Burgum in the press release.

The proposed cuts in the Lower Basin states of California, Arizona and Nevada would be the biggest to date and could have huge impacts across cities and farms — higher water prices, increased groundwater reliance, more agriculture out of production and conservation mandates in places where none have existed before.

The federal plan comes after years of deadlocked negotiations and a record-dry winter that tipped Colorado River reservoirs to combined record lows. Federal officials are expected to finalize the plan in the coming days.

More than 40 million people in seven U.S. states, several tribal nations and Mexico, as well as farmers, wildlife, industries and hydropower, rely on the dwindling 1,450-mile (2,334-kilometer) Colorado River. Years of overuse combined with rising temperatures and drought have severely depleted flows in the Colorado today than in decades past.

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The Associated Press receives support from the Walton Family Foundation for coverage of water and environmental policy. The AP is solely responsible for all content. For all of AP’s environmental coverage, visit https://apnews.com/hub/climate-and-environment

Here are the most important developments across the Middle East today:

Gaza: Deal reached for Hamas to disarm, Israel to withdraw

Hamas said it will begin disarming as part of a deal announced by U.S. President Donald Trump that also requires Israel to end its strikes and withdraw from Gaza.

Hamas also said that laying down its heavy weapons, which would come later in the process, was contingent on the creation of a Palestinian state, something Israel’s current government adamantly rejects.

Israel has not officially commented on the deal, which is part of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire announced last October. That agreement called for Hamas to disarm and hand over power to an independent Palestinian administration. Israel was to withdraw, and an International Stabilization Force was to deploy.

But progress stalled, with Israel saying everything hinged on Hamas disarming, and Hamas accusing Israel of violating the agreement by continuing to carry out regular strikes on Gaza.

The war in Gaza began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry says.

The Associated Press is tracking the progress of Trump's plan to end the Israel-Hamas war.

Latest developments on the Iran conflict

No U.S. strikes were reported in Iran on Friday. Iran fired drones at Kuwait, a Gulf country hosting U.S. forces, and said it had also fired at oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, a key waterway for global oil and gas shipments, which has been largely closed by the fighting.

1. Kuwait's Defense Ministry said Friday its armed forces had shot down drones inside Kuwaiti airspace. It said the Iranian attacks had targeted several vital military facilities, causing material damage from falling shrapnel but no casualties. It did not specify how many drones were intercepted. Iranian state media said Iran had targeted an air base in Kuwait with drones, in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Thursday.

2. Iran's Revolutionary Guard claimed to have hit two oil tankers attempting to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian state media said four other tankers had turned around. The report did not provide further details on which flags or ownership the tankers were sailing under, or say whether there were any casualties.

Elsewhere in the region:

3. Saudi Arabia has announced a plan for a defense alliance of 14 countries to strengthen maritime security, safeguard freedom of navigation and secure international trade routes and energy supply corridors in the Red Sea region. The Iran war has severely disrupted global shipping. Yemen's Houthi rebels have declared a blockade on Saudi Arabia over a separate but related conflict, putting at risk another major trade corridor .

4. Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry said Thursday that the coalition is “defensive in nature,” and that access “remains open to all willing countries.” Oman and the United Arab Emirates were the only two Gulf countries that did not back Saudi Arabia’s statement. Turkey, Egypt and Pakistan were among those that joined the proposed alliance.

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Becatoros contributed to this report from Athens, Greece

The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Superior Court of Delaware, is the latest in a flurry of suits filed against the social media giants that alleges their platforms are addictive and dangerous.

The complaint was filed on behalf of four families from Texas, North Carolina, Minnesota and Tennessee whose children died over a 14-month period starting in July 2024 through September 2025.

The Social Media Victims Law Center is bringing the suit on behalf of the families, and its founding attorney, Matthew Bergman, said it's “particularly salient” that the children in this case died “long after” similar suits had been filed.

“These platforms continue to kill kids, despite the platitudes of their executives,” Bergman said in an interview. “This is a clear and present danger to the health and safety of children, not just in the United States but around the world.”

The four teens who died by suicide each experienced harms including social media addiction, severe sleep deprivation, depression, anxiety and suicidal ideation after years of using the social platforms, the complaint states. Livi Castro died at age 13, Riv Kelleher at 14, Nathaniel Chambers at age 17 and Dawson Holden at 18.

The complaint alleges the social media companies knew they were causing harm to young users. Representatives for Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sacha Haworth, executive director of The Tech Oversight Project, said in a statement that parents, activists and whistleblowers have come forward and met with lawmakers for years and “while Congress has dragged its feet, more children have died."

Federal legislation of social media has moved at a glacial pace. The Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act — which had the support of parents’ groups and children’s advocacy organizations — exactly two years before this lawsuit was filed. The House of Representatives never voted on that version of the legislation, and the House and Senate are currently disagreeing on key provisions they think should be included.

“Livi, Nathaniel, Dawson, and Riv’s stories are proof that Big Tech companies continue to lie about the safety of their products, choosing instead to pour hundreds of millions of dollars into false advertising, deceptive paid partnerships with trusted education programs and political lobbying,” Haworth's statement continued.

Meta, YouTube, TikTok and Snap are facing numerous state and federal lawsuits over harms to minors. Meta is on trial in Tennessee this week for a lawsuit brought by the state attorney general claiming that the company deliberately designed its platforms, notably Instagram, to make them addictive to young people, and did not warn them of its dangers. And in August, Meta is heading to trial in federal court in Oakland, California to face four of dozens of states that sued the company in 2023. That lawsuit says the company is contributing to the youth mental health crisis by designing addictive features and violated federal law by collecting data on kids under 13 without parental consent.

Not all lawsuits are successful, and many are settled out of court. Last week, a Florida teenager dropped his case against Meta that was set to go to trial in state court in Los Angeles, without receiving any payment from the company. Meta had argued that the teen only used his Instagram and Facebook for just minutes a day, on average, and created most accounts only after hiring a lawyer in his case.

Still, the mounting court cases can get expensive, even for a company like Meta Platforms. Earlier this week Meta said it had $2.4 billion in legal expenses in the second quarter, which contributed to a relatively unusual 14% profit decline.

The agreement announced by Trump late Thursday could pave the way for ending the latest Israel-Hamas war that broke out on Oct. 7, 2023, when Hamas-led militants stormed southern Israel killing over 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including hundreds who perished after a ceasefire went into effect in Oct. 10.

Few places in the Palestinian territory of over 2 million people have been left unscathed, and the United Nations, World Bank and European Union estimate that reconstruction will cost $70 billion.

Hamas officials said the group has agreed to the disarmament agreement. Israel has not commented.

The Board of Peace will have a major role in overseeing the deal's implementation.

Here's what the group is and what it is expected to do:

What is the Board of Peace

The Board of Peace was first mentioned in September when the White House released Trump’s plan to end the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza.

Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan called on Hamas to surrender its weapons and destroy its vast network of tunnels. It also envisions Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian government, deployment of an international security force and the rebuilding of the battered Palestinian enclave after more than two years of war.

More than two dozen nations signed on as the board's founding members, including Israel and other regional heavyweights, as well as countries from outside the Middle East such as Indonesia, Paraguay and Vietnam.

Germany, Italy, Norway, Switzerland and the United Kingdom are among more than a dozen countries that have not joined the board but took part in a February meeting as observers.

Israelis are suspicious of the involvement of Qatar and Turkey, which have longstanding relations with Hamas. Earlier this year, Palestinians objected because their representatives weren’t invited to the board, even as it weighs the future of a territory that is home to some 2 million of them.

A $1 billion contribution secures permanent membership on the board instead of a three-year appointment, which has no contribution requirement.

During the first meeting of the board in February in Washington, members pledged $7 billion in aid for Gaza — just a fraction of the $70 billion that international bodies say is needed to rebuild the territory. The board also announced plans for international troops and police, and for reconstruction. But no timeline was given.

How the board is involved in the new deal

The agreement was reached after months of “very difficult negotiations,” Nickolay Mladenov, the director-general of the Board of Peace in Gaza, said in comments posted on X. “There were several points when I did not believe we would make it,” he added.

Mladenov, a former Bulgarian defense and foreign minister who served as the U.N. envoy to Iraq before being appointed as the U.N. Mideast peace envoy from 2015-2020, added, “Implementation and verification have to be real” and “withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning.”

The National Committee for The Administration of Gaza, a Palestinian technocratic body that operates under the supervision of the Board of Peace, is tasked with administering Gaza in the interim period after Hamas gives up control.

That includes setting up a new police force to replace the one previously run by Hamas and implementing the disarmament process - the details of which are not yet clear.

The NCAS said in a statement Friday that it is ready to assume responsibility for governing Gaza and restoring public services and the rule of law.

Ambitious Plans

In November, the Trump administration’s blueprint to secure and govern Gaza won strong approval at the United Nations.

Israel and the U.S. say Hamas’ disarmament is key to progress on the other fronts. Arab and Muslim members of the Board of Peace have accused Israel of undermining the ceasefire with its daily strikes and want the U.S. to rein in its close ally. They have called on Hamas to disarm but say Israel’s withdrawal is just as important.

Senior Hamas official Ghazi Hamad, who is a member of the group’s negotiating team, told Qatar's Al Jazeera TV on Friday that the agreement is a “full package” of which Hamas’ disarmament is a part.

“Hamas and Palestinian factions are making concessions for the sake of our Palestinian people in Gaza,” Hamad said. He added that Hamas will not take any step unless they are sure that Israel will implement the deal from its side.

Israel defines demilitarization as extending from heavy weapons like rocket-propelled grenades all the way down to roughly 60,000 rifles that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says would have to be given up.

Trump — along with son-in-law Jared Kushner and envoy Steve Witkoff — has laid out ambitious plans for rebuilding Gaza with international investment.

In Davos last year, Kushner suggested reconstruction could be complete in a matter of three years, even though U.N. forecasts suggest that clearing rubble and demining alone could take much longer.

Kushner’s slides showed a reconstructed Gaza with a coastal tourism strip, industrial zones and data centers. He conceded that rebuilding would begin only in demilitarized areas and that security would be essential to attract investment.

A stabilization force

The ceasefire deal also calls for a temporary International Stabilization Force made up of soldiers from Arab and Muslim-majority countries. Its mandate is not spelled out in detail, but would include securing aid deliveries, preventing weapons smuggling and vetting and training a Palestinian police force.

Maj. Gen. Jasper Jeffers, who is leading the effort, said in February the plans call for 12,000 police and 20,000 soldiers for Gaza.

Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have pledged to send troops for the force, while Egypt and Jordan have committed to train police.

Troops will initially be deployed to Rafah, a heavily damaged and largely depopulated city under full Israeli control, where the U.S. administration hopes to first focus reconstruction efforts.

The biggest blow to the planned force came about a week after the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, when Indonesia put its commitment of 8,000 troops on indefinite hold. Some 1,000 were to have been sent in April, followed by the remainder in June.

At approximately 6 a.m., the City of Kissimmee received a call reporting a fire at Simple Pawn on West Vine Street. Crews from the Kissimmee Fire Department arrived on scene and are actively working to contain the blaze.

Officials said the building was unoccupied at the time of the fire and no injuries have been reported.

Eastbound Vine Street is currently closed from N. Hoagland Boulevard to Armstrong Boulevard as crews continue their response. Drivers are asked to avoid the area and use alternate routes while emergency personnel work at the scene.

The cause of the fire has not been released.

The rocket’s upper stage will unintentionally slam into the moon on Wednesday, carving out a crater and sending up a plume of dust and rubble that scientists — and skygazers — are eager to observe.

Space tracking expert Bill Gray predicts an impact of 5,400 mph (8,700 kph) — seven times the speed of sound — near Einstein Crater on the moon’s sunlit western limb. With the action unfolding in the wee hours, the eastern portions of the U.S. and Canada, and much of South America should have the best views.

While scientists are not too concerned about this particular piece of space junk, it highlights the growing threat as more and more items cram into orbit.

“Things are getting crowded up there,” said Gray, who plans to view the aftermath from New Brunswick, Canada.

It was never SpaceX’s intent to hit the moon. But space experts said the crash could have been avoided if the upper stage had been nudged into orbit around the sun.

It will be the second dead rocket known to crash into the moon accidentally. A Chinese rocket segment dug out a pair of craters on the lunar far side in 2022.

Lucky for astronomers, the upcoming smashup will occur on the moon’s near side, packing the equivalent energy of three tons of TNT.

The impact flash, lasting less than a second, will probably be too dim to see, according to experts. But the stream of ejected material could stretch for several miles (kilometers) into space and remain visible to telescopes for tens of minutes.

“The gravity on the moon is low and there is no wind to blow the dust away,” said Los Alamos National Laboratory’s Benjamin Fernando, who’s encouraging observations by professionals and amateurs alike.

“Part of the reason for our interest in this event is to figure out how much of a hazard debris impacts pose to future astronauts,” he added in an email.

Fernando anticipates an impact crater nearly 90 feet across and 16 feet deep (27 meters across and 5 meters deep), too small to see from Earth but visible to spacecraft.

NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter and South Korea’s Danuri lunar orbiter will gather before-and-after shots of the crash scene. Danuri will stray within a mile or two (a few kilometers) of the SpaceX rocket just two minutes before impact, according to Fernando and his team.

The abandoned rocket segment — measuring some 40 feet (12 meters) and weighing around 10,000 pounds (4,500 kilograms) — hoisted two private lunar landers on Jan. 15, 2025.

One of them — Firefly Aerospace’s Blue Ghost — became the first private spacecraft to pull off a fully successful lunar touchdown. The other, Japan-based ispace’s lander, wrecked.

With meteoroids and other natural objects offering little if any warning before walloping the moon, scientists said there’s much to learn by observing well-tracked strikes by human-made objects like the one coming up. NASA hurled rocket sections and lunar modules into the moon during the Apollo era for seismic measurements. Decades later, in 2009, NASA intentionally crashed its LCROSS spacecraft and upper stage in search of ice near the lunar south pole.

With the moon as the new travel hot spot, scientists said it’s crucial to improve debris monitoring and traffic control before packs of robots and astronauts arrive.

The United States and China are racing to land astronauts on the moon in the next few years. Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin are vying to provide the lander for NASA’s yet-to-be-named moonwalkers of Artemis IV, who will succeed the 12 Apollo astronauts who strolled the lunar surface.

“This impact will not be a problem,” retired astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell said in an email. “But in a future where there are long-term bases on the moon, similar impacts would be an issue and we need not to leave rocket stages in chaotic orbits of this kind.”

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The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. The AP is solely responsible for all content.

The 19-year-old Agbayani, who is the son of former Mets fan favorite Benny Agbayani, is a middle infielder who hit .268 in 10 games for Fort Myers in low Class A this season. The sixth-round 2025 draft pick, a native of Hawaii, has been limited by injuries.

The 23-year-old Amick batted .217 with 23 homers in 86 games for Double-A Wichita this season, playing first and third base. He was a second-round draft pick in 2024.

Minter had a 2.35 ERA in 23 innings with 20 strikeouts and only two walks. He didn't make his season debut until May 26, going more than a year between major league appearances. His 2025 season ended after 13 appearances when he injured his left lat muscle in his back and needed surgery.

Minter signed a two-year, $22 million contract with the Mets in 2025. His 2024 season with the Atlanta Braves also was cut short by a torn labrum in his left hip, but when he's been healthy he's been one of baseball's most effective late-game lefties. The 33-year-old, who was a second-round 2015 draft pick by the Braves, has a 3.18 ERA with 456 strikeouts in 382 2/3 innings over 420 career appearances.

Minter likely will be the first of multiple Mets players moved before the trade deadline on Monday. They have the second-worst record in the National League.

The Twins, who started a nine-game road trip at Seattle on Friday, have a 4.92 relief ERA that ranks fifth worst in the major leagues. They lead the American League in runs scored and entered Friday one game out of a wild card spot.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

Darci Combs spent Thursday packing her belongings into a U-Haul after she said Ponderosa Mobile Home Park gave her three days to leave. Combs owns the home but leases the lot beneath it. She said she has withheld rent since May because of the conditions inside the home.

“Why will they not come out here and see my home and see we can’t live like this?” Combs said. “Why does JR. Davis get to do this, and the state of Florida is backing him and paying him to do it? That’s my question.”

Combs lives just feet from work connected to the widening of Florida’s Turnpike between Partin Settlement Road and Osceola Parkway. Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise says the $321 million project will expand the highway from two to four lanes in each direction and is expected to continue through 2031.

Combs showed News 6 cellphone videos she recorded of dump trucks, heavy equipment, backup alarms, dust and nighttime work near her backyard.

“At three o’clock, I had a spotlight on my home,” she said. “I had trucks right here and a cloud of dust. I had to take a leave of absence from work because you can’t function with no sleep.”

Inside the home, Combs showed News 6 dark residue on windows, ceiling fans and an air-conditioning unit she said she has to clean repeatedly.

“I eat at work or I eat in my car,” Combs said. “I can’t live at home. I don’t live here. I come in, I sleep, I dust the bed off, and I wash my blankets every few days.”

The lawsuit, filed July 22 in Osceola County Circuit Court, names JR. Davis Construction Company as the defendant. It seeks more than $50,000 in damages and includes claims of negligence, intentional tort and injunctive relief.

The complaint alleges JR. Davis failed to erect proper barriers to prevent soot, dust and dirt from accumulating around and inside Combs’ home. It also alleges that after she complained, workers brought construction equipment closer to the home and worked during hours that made it difficult for her to sleep.

Photographs attached to the complaint show dark residue on portions of the home and other property, along with construction equipment beyond the backyard.

The lawsuit asks a judge to order JR. Davis to provide Combs with a temporary alternative place to live while the dispute is resolved. The complaint says she has been advised not to continue breathing the air around the home.

Combs’ attorney told News 6 that JR. Davis has been served with the lawsuit.

News 6 emailed JR. Davis Construction seeking a response to the allegations but had not heard back as of publication.

News 6 also contacted Florida’s Turnpike Enterprise to ask what protections were required between the construction site and neighboring homes, whether officials inspected the site and how the agency responded to Combs’ complaints. A response had not been received as of publication.

Combs said most of her belongings are going into a storage unit in St. Cloud. She expects to stay with friends but does not know where she will live permanently.

“I would rather sleep and breathe on someone else’s couch than lay in my own dirty bed,” she said.

The state attorney’s office, however, said the victim’s family requested the plea deal to avoid a lengthy trial.

The case involves 48-year-old Hassan Adeyemo, who is charged with first-degree murder in the death of his wife, 43-year-old Nanchin Adeyemo.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a home on Taxiway Circle on Aug. 26, 2023. Investigators said Hassan Adeyemo shot his wife, remained at the home and waited for deputies to arrive before he was arrested.

The case was delayed in 2024 after Adeyemo was found incompetent to stand trial. Following additional evaluations, doctors determined he was competent to proceed, and a judge agreed. Adeyemo later pleaded not guilty as the case moved toward trial.

A plea hearing was scheduled for Thursday, but Ninth Circuit Judge Eric Netcher rejected the proposed agreement.

Following the ruling, Uthmeier posted on social media, calling the proposed agreement a “sweetheart deal.”

“Today Judge Netcher in the Ninth Judicial Circuit rejected State Attorney Monique Worrell’s attempt to give a sweetheart deal,” Uthmeier wrote. He added that judges in the Ninth Judicial Circuit “need to keep pushing back on her reckless conduct.”

In a statement to News 6, Monique Worrell defended the proposed plea agreement, saying it would have required Adeyemo to serve 30 years in prison.

Worrell said the agreement was not a “sweetheart deal” and was requested by the victim’s family, who did not want to relive the events of the shooting during a lengthy trial.

“It was a resolution the victim’s family requested — a request rooted in the fact they did not want to sit through a trial that would force them to relive one of the worst days of their lives in open court, in front of strangers, for days or weeks on end,” Worrell said.

She also said the victim’s family deserves “better than watching their tragedy repurposed for political gain.”

News 6 contacted Judge Netcher for comment on the ruling but had not received a response. Adeyemo’s attorney told News 6 she did not have her client’s permission to discuss the case publicly.

Court records show Adeyemo’s jury trial is currently scheduled to begin in October.

An expanding crisis for soccer's governing body reached into Infantino's longtime inner circle when his pick to represent FIFA on the White House Task Force for the World Cup walked away calling the Joshua Kushner-backed $20 billion commercial subsidiary plan “a bad deal for football.”

Carlos Cordeiro is a former Goldman Sachs banker and officially Infantino's Senior Adviser yet revealed he was not involved in the secretive investment plan that has rocked the sport since media reports revealed it Tuesday.

“I cannot stand by while FIFA considers selling a stake in the World Cup,” Cordeiro said in a statement formally resigning, just hours after FIFA insisted in a statement: “Nobody is selling football.”

Cordeiro's exit — and call for other senior staff to speak out — intensified scrutiny on Infantino one day after European soccer body UEFA threatened to boycott all FIFA games and events until the plan is dropped. North America's CONCACAF also rejected Infantino’s offer of one-off $20 million payments to each member federation by a mid-September deadline.

Cordeiro often joined Infantino on working visits to meet U.S. President Donald Trump at the White House in recent years, and took part in meetings of the administration's World Cup task force led by Andrew Guiliani.

“Let me be clear. I had no involvement in this proposal, and I oppose it unequivocally,” said Cordeiro, the former U.S. Soccer Federation president.

Asia joins Europe and North America

On another seismic day in soccer politics, Asia’s soccer body that has been a key ally in Infantino's 11-year presidency opposed the investor plan and said FIFA must urgently review its management style

The Asian Football Confederation said it “stands in solidarity” with UEFA and CONCACAF, the first two continental bodies to oppose Infantino whose combined 90 FIFA member countries near a majority of the 211 global total.

“Football should never have been placed in such a position,” said the Asian soccer body, which counts 46 of FIFA's 211 members

Infantino has proposed spinning off FIFA's commercial businesses — including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women — into a $20 billion subsidiary with 20% owned by private investors.

The “anchor investor,” described by FIFA, is a New York-based investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the younger brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

“(T)he proposed (FIFA Forward Enterprise) cannot realistically achieve the necessary broad consensus and unity required to move forward” and must be reconsidered, the AFC said.

The statement did not name Infantino yet criticized FIFA for problems beyond the content of the private equity plan plus failing to consult about the secretive proposal.

“Rather, it has exposed fundamental weaknesses in FIFA’s consultation and decision-making processes that must now be addressed,” said the AFC, whose longtime president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa narrowly lost the FIFA presidential election to Infantino in 2016.

“Accordingly, the AFC calls upon FIFA to undertake an urgent review of its governance and decision-making framework,” said the organization based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Infantino's job at risk?

Infantino had seemed — 11 days ago after the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey — to have a clear path to being reelected unopposed for a fourth and final term in office through 2031.

FIFA had briefed during the tournament that Infantino had letters of support from about 200 members, despite a furor over letting United States forward Folarin Balogun play against Belgium even though he received a red card in his previous game. Trump acknowledged asking Infantino to review Balogun's mandatory one-game ban.

FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for potential candidates to declare in a presidential vote of the 211 members scheduled next March in Rabat, Morocco.

FIFA blames the media

The Asian statement came hours after FIFA blamed the media and doubled down on pursuing the project which now seems to have a majority of the 211 in opposition.

“Our planned consultation process was disrupted by incorrect media reports,” FIFA said in a statement early Friday. “We will proceed with this consultation process to ensure that each (member) has the ability to express its vote based on facts.”

The next FIFA event that would be targeted by the threatened European boycott is within weeks — the Women’s Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5. The four British federations comprise FIFA’s only bidder to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup. That decision is due Nov. 23.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

• Housing affordability remains near historic lows as higher prices, mortgage rates, insurance costs, and maintenance expenses squeeze buyers.
• Prospective buyers should calculate the full cost of homeownership before deciding what they can afford.
• Home sellers may face unexpected capital gains taxes if their home’s appreciation exceeds IRS exclusion limits.

The U.S. housing market has entered a period of uncertainty.

After years of rapid price appreciation fueled by low mortgage rates and intense competition, higher borrowing costs have cooled demand in many parts of the country. While home prices have remained relatively resilient, affordability has become one of the biggest challenges facing prospective buyers, leaving many households questioning whether now is the right time to purchase a home.

Today’s buyers must account for more than just a monthly mortgage payment.

Rising homeowners insurance premiums, higher property taxes in some communities, and increasing maintenance and repair costs have significantly raised the overall cost of homeownership. At the same time, elevated mortgage rates mean that even buyers with solid incomes may find themselves stretching their budgets further than they expected.

For homeowners considering selling, the picture is mixed as well.

Many have built substantial equity after years of rising home values, but those gains can also create unexpected tax consequences.

As buyers and sellers navigate a market that looks very different from just a few years ago, we spoke to our favorite business analyst, Jill Schlesinger, about how careful home ownership planning – and understanding the full financial picture – is more important than ever.

Here’s the full transcript of our interview:

WKMG-TV: The housing market has stalled this year. CBS News Business Analyst Jill Schlesinger is here to discuss what you should know if you buy or sell.

Jill, where do we stand with affordability when it comes to owning a home?

Jill Schlesinger: It’s pretty tough out there. We’ve got higher prices, increased mortgage interest rates, and elevated costs of homeowner’s insurance. All this has come together and been like a toxic combination for buyers. It really does mean that if you’re looking at what share of your income you have to devote to buying a house, it’s risen dramatically over the last five and 10 years.

In fact, think of it this way.

Let’s look at a house that you could have bought five years ago. Today, just five years later, when you look at the monthly payments for the same house, they’ve gone up by 80%. So affordability is difficult right now.

WKMG-TV: And Jill, if you are hoping to buy a home, what are the specific steps you should take?

Jill Schlesinger: Well, we always say you should run the numbers, but when I say run the numbers, don’t just do what your mortgage broker’s telling you to do.

Add, in addition to the mortgage, the principal, the interest, the homeowner’s insurance, the property taxes, and the maintenance. People are really finding that to do a costly repair every year or every couple of years adds to the cost of owning a home. You just wanna make sure that your cash flow, your income, can absorb the cost of that new home.

And even if those numbers do work, I think it’s important to ask yourself that if you were to buy that home, would you have to change your spending substantially?

Would you be able to keep funding your retirement account?

If you really are looking at that and saying, ‘I can’t do anything, I would have to live like a miser and not put money into retirement or education,’ you might be overextending.

Just remember, renting is a great option, especially in a market that’s not affordable. It buys you flexibility, liquidity or access to your money and freedom.

WKMG-TV: And Jill, we’ve talked about the buyers; let’s flip it around for a second. If you’re thinking about selling, what should you know?

Jill Schlesinger: You know, I think because housing prices have gone up by so much, a lot more sellers – many more of them are actually paying taxes, and they are very surprised by that.

So think of it this way.

You know maybe you bought a home many years ago for like a hundred grand. You go to sell it and it’s five or six hundred thousand dollars. Well, the IRS allows each individual to exclude up to $250,000 of capital gains. So you would still be subject to capital gains taxes, and you probably don’t consider yourself rich.

Just know that those capital gains taxes, they’re not going to go away.

But if you are selling, you’ve got to keep some of your proceeds in a safe cash account so you can pay Uncle Sam. That way you can avoid that terrible surprise that we often find occurs in April.

WKMG-TV: Jill, thank you very much.

You can see Jill regularly on CBS Mornings and the CBS Evening News. For more analysis, go to JillOnMoney.com.

“It’s extremely important to us,” said Itai Nixon, who leads the diaspora department for Israel’s Ministry of Diaspora Affairs. “We’re the state of the Jewish people, not just Israelis.”

Lesley Sachs, who has protested the current Israeli government and chairs the Israel Movement for Progressive and Reform Judaism, also considers a close relationship with diaspora Jews a “strategic asset” for both Israel and Jews worldwide.

So she’s greatly concerned about diaspora Jews losing the sense that Israel can be a homeland for them, especially as rising antisemitism targets them regardless of political and religious affiliations.

“That was always really, really important that everybody around the world, especially after the Holocaust, knows that there is a country that will always take them,” Sachs said in her synagogue in Tel Aviv. “This is already a few generations after, and this is less prominent in their DNA. And I think that this is really a failure on the part of both Israel and world Jewry, that we have not managed to keep that prominent.”

Since 2000, Taglit-Birthright Israel has brought a million Jewish young adults from the United States and elsewhere for a free 10-day “discovery” tour of Israel. The organization’s CEO says it’s more necessary than ever to show what their connection to Israel could be like beyond controversial politics.

“That really increases the importance of my job to expose people to what they give up on,” said Gidi Mark. “What we give them is a mirror.”

The staunch Israel-US relationship shows some cracks

Israel and the United States have long been staunch allies. U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met in Washington earlier this week to discuss the war against Iran they launched together five months ago.

“The United States is perceived as the best friend of Israel in the entire world, and that’s still the case,” said Tamar Hermann, who directs the Israel Democracy Institute’s Viterbi Center for Public Opinion and Policy Research in Jerusalem.

Divisions over the ceasefire in the Iran war, however, have weakened Jewish Israelis’ belief that Trump prioritizes Israel’s security — from 64% in March to 26% in June — according to the center.

Amid diplomatic tensions, the role of Jewish Americans who historically lobbied for political, military and financial support for Israel gains new prominence, Israelis said. And that deepens the concern that many young progressive Americans, including Jews, now see supporting Israel in any way as irreconcilable with their worldview.

The decline in support for Israel has become particularly stark since the Oct. 7, 2023, attack when Hamas-led militants killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians in southern Israel, and abducted 251 others. Israel’s ensuing war against Hamas in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 people, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. The ministry, which was part of the recently dissolved Hamas-run government, maintains detailed records viewed as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and international organizations. It does not distinguish between civilians and militants but says women and children make up around half of all fatalities.

That in turn ignited protests across the United States, especially on college campuses.

“Holocaust, refugees, the importance of Israel in times of need abroad, and the fact that Israel is a small country fighting for its existence … that’s history they read in a book,” Sachs said of younger Jewish Americans. “They weren’t emotionally part of it in any way or any form. And so they look at their values and the things that they believe in. And they don’t see it in Israel.”

Jewish Americans have complicated relationship with Israel

Only about 4 in 10 religious Jewish adults under 45 in the United States say that supporting Israel is “extremely” or “very” important for their Jewish identity, while about half of older religious Jewish adults do, according to the AP-NORC poll.

The survey of 1,022 Jewish adults — including people who identify as Jewish by religion and religiously unaffiliated people who identify as Jewish through culture, ethnicity or family background — also found that only about half of religious adults say Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza are justified. The number drops to 2 in 10 among Jewish adults without a religious affiliation.

At the same time, about 6 in 10 Jewish adults say prejudice against Jewish people is an “extremely” or “very” serious problem in the United States today.

To many Israelis, safety threats against Jews make it all the more tragic — and dangerous — that young Jewish Americans do not see the state of Israel as a refuge or even an ally.

“Antisemitism sadly helps us to explain why a Jewish homeland is not a bad idea,” said Asaf Zamir, a deputy mayor of Tel Aviv who served as consul general in New York. “Opposing the government is fine, but you cannot understand your history as a Jew without understanding the part of Israel in it.”

Israel reaches out to secular and liberal Jews in North America

In order to promote deeper attachment between Israel and diaspora Jews, both the government and religious organizations are reinforcing exchange programs. For decades, young Israelis have traveled to Jewish summer camps across North America, and non-Israeli Jews get free trips to Israel.

“To see Israel and meet Israelis is the gold standard,” Itai Nixon said of programs bringing teens to the country.

Taglit-Birthright’s Gidi Mark said that since 2023, with multiple wars, tour participants are fewer — and their reactions to touring Israel have also changed. He recalled one participant shouting “Israel! Israel!” outside his hotel just because he felt safe to express himself.

“These people don’t feel free to experience who they are in the places that they are coming from,” Mark said.

These and other initiatives are focusing on secular Jews and adherents to Reform Judaism. The largest branch of the religion in North America, it emphasizes progressive values such as social justice.

Orthodox Jews abroad tend to have stronger ties to Israel — and Orthodox Jews in Israel tend to see themselves as closer to diaspora Jews than do secular Israelis, Hermann said.

Within the Israeli Reform movement, which is a small part of Judaism in the country, there’s a push to send more young Israelis to the United States, including as camp counselors.

“That kind of action is important, that one-on-one connection saying, ‘You know what, we believe in the same things you do. Really, we have the same ideology in general, and we feel we need to change Israel together,'" Sachs said. “We need to be partners in making Israel the country that we all need.”

Alma Edry, 18, is spending two months as a counselor at a progressive Jewish summer camp in Ontario with teens and young adults from Canada and the United States. She said her biggest surprise has been “that Israel is such a big deal for people outside the country.”

“Most of their friends are anti-Israel,” she said of the campers. “This is their chance to celebrate their connection.”

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

Jessica Treviño, 34, filed a lawsuit through her attorney this week asking a federal judge to intervene.

Treviño and her husband were arrested in December after federal agents followed them and two of their daughters into a Home Depot parking lot in South Texas. Both were deported and are living in Matamoros, Mexico, just south of Brownsville, Texas. Their three children, all U.S. citizens, are living with family on the U.S. side near the border.

After being brought to the country as a child at the age of 7, Treviño subsequently received legal permission at 20 to remain in the U.S. under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. Introduced in 2012, DACA does not confer legal status but has allowed hundreds of thousands of people who had come to the U.S. as children to temporarily remain and obtain work permits.

As a DACA recipient, she must maintain a clean criminal record and is not allowed to travel outside the United States.

Her attorney, David Rozas, filed the lawsuit. He noted her status and work permit were most recently authorized until April 2027.

Notice to terminate DACA cites ‘unauthorized travel’

Last week, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services sent her a notice of intent to terminate her status for “unauthorized travel outside of the United States on or about March 25, 2026,” the same day she was deported from the country by the Department of Homeland Security.

In a statement, DHS said Treviño's husband was in the country without permission and driving at the time of the arrest. After a collision between the couple's vehicle and an unmarked Homeland Security Investigations vehicle, the couple was arrested. DHS claimed she “knowingly accepted voluntary departure and waived appeal. She left the U.S. on March 25, 2026, and will NOT return.”

In a recent interview with The Associated Press, Treviño said she did not sign any forms at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility and did not want to be deported.

Lawsuit seeks restitution of status

Rozas filed a petition asking a federal judge in Brownsville to declare the woman's expulsion was unlawful, order the government to facilitate Treviño's return to the U.S. and allow her DACA status to remain valid.

“The government had no lawful basis to remove her, and we filed this petition to demand she be brought back home,” her attorney added.

An immigration judge under the Justice Department had issued a voluntary departure order for Treviño in February while she was in ICE custody, but a valid DACA status prevents the Department of Homeland Security from deporting her.

“I would be so blessed to be able to go back home, because that’s what I long for most right now. I’m really desperate. It’s been seven months since I’ve been home,” Treviño said Thursday. Her three children are set to start school next month and their mother said she would like to be there.

The current Trump administration has deported 86 DACA recipients and arrested 241 others, according to a DHS letter sent in February to Democratic Sen. Richard J. Durbin of Illinois.

Advocates for DACA recipients say Treviño's deportation is part of a pattern.

“This is what a deliberate, systematic effort to destroy DACA looks like in practice: target recipients one by one, manufacture justifications after the fact, and leave their children to grow up without them,” said Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, a policy organization defending immigration rights.

___

This story has been revised to correct that Treviño arrived in the U.S. at age 7, not 8, later receiving DACA status at 20 years old.

Having released her new single “Shotty” on Friday, Reid wants people to meet the less pristine version of herself: a 23-year-old from Atlanta who falls in love, deals with boy problems and is still finding her way.

“I think people might think I have it all together when I really don't,” said Reid, who is known for performances in “ Euphoria, ” “ A Wrinkle in Time ” and “ The Last of Us, ” which earned her an Emmy in 2024. She graduated from the University of Southern California last year.

“I'm a normal girl trying to figure it out,” she continued.

“Shotty” follows Reid’s debut single, “Clean Sweep,” continuing a music journey she has pursued over the past year. So far, she has recorded more than 25 songs.

Reid said she hopes to focus work on her first EP after wrapping production on Teyana Taylor's feature directorial debut “Get Lite,” giving herself time to shape a project that tells a cohesive story. She's releasing music independently through her label, 1720 Music, saying the approach gives her greater creative freedom while leaving the door open to partner with a major label in the future.

“The indie route, you have a little bit more autonomy of what you want to do and how you do things,” she said.

Reid said ownership also gives her an opportunity to create doors for other artists.

“It’s the most powerful thing,” she said. “I want to sign people. I want to sign songwriters and producers and artists, and give them opportunities.”

Music has quickly become as important to Reid as acting, a career she'll continue with upcoming projects including Netflix’s “Roommates” and “Get Lite.” Preparing for Taylor's film pushed Reid outside her comfort zone as a dancer, challenging her to become more comfortable as a performer.

It's a skill Reid hopes will eventually translate to performing her own music.

“It’s as big and as important as acting is,” she said. “It’s something that I want to continue to do and want to continue to grow at.”

Reid said years in Hollywood prepared her for criticism.

“People didn’t feel like I deserved to win an Emmy, but it’s still sitting in my house,” she said. “It’s still in my mama’s house, so I don’t really care what people say.”

Since releasing “Clean Sweep,” Reid said she has largely stayed away from reading online comments.

“I don’t want to get distracted or discouraged,” she said. “Mostly I’ve been so thankful. The sentiments have been really nice and people have been supportive. ... I'm excited and can’t wait for them to hear more.”

For Reid, music has become more about who she's always been.

“Not everything is gonna be perfect. Not everything is gonna be prim, proper and pristine and eloquent,” Reid said. “Like yeah, that’s a part of me, and I can do that, and I can do it really well. But also … this is me too.”

Winfrey opened the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls in 2007 after being inspired by conversations with former South African President Nelson Mandela about the transformative power of educating girls. He was among the guests at the school's opening ceremony.

Winfrey's charitable foundation ran and funded the school, but it was always part of the agreement that the academy campus near Johannesburg be ultimately handed over to the provincial education department, the academy said.

“The dream was never simply to build a school,” Winfrey said in a statement issued by the academy on Wednesday. “It was to invest in the limitless potential of young women. That mission doesn’t end with one campus. It continues in every girl whose future can be transformed through education.”

The academy said Winfrey’s commitment to educating South African girls would continue through an expanded national scholarship program supporting academically talented girls at leading schools across the country.

More than 500 girls have graduated from the academy and some have attended top universities in South Africa, the United States and Europe, according to the Oprah Winfrey Charitable Foundation.

The Gauteng provincial government will take over the 52-acre academy campus, which has 21 classrooms, six science and computer laboratories, a 10,000-volume library and a 600-seat theater. It did not immediately say what the plans for the property were.

Gauteng Provincial Minister for Education Lebogang Maile said those currently enrolled in the school will be able to complete their education with uninterrupted financial support.

The academy drew international attention shortly after opening in 2007 when several students accused a dormitory matron of physically and sexually abusing them.

Winfrey traveled to South Africa to meet with students and parents, publicly apologized, and commissioned an independent investigation.

The matron was acquitted of criminal charges in 2010.

___

This report has been corrected to show Oprah Winfrey’s statement as issued on Wednesday and not Thursday.

___

AP Africa news: https://apnews.com/hub/africa

The death toll rose to 34, the Kumamoto prefectural government said, as rescuers raced to find those still missing after the quake triggered a mall explosion, toppled a factory chimney and flattened homes.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi stressed that authorities must secure water supplies by doing “whatever it takes” and called for close coordination with the military and other relevant agencies. The earthquake left thousands of homes without power, but electricity was fully restored by Friday evening. The local power company also said there were no immediate reports of remaining outages.

The magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu on Tuesday. As search operations entered a fourth day, it wasn’t known how many people remained missing.

More than 1,500 buildings were damaged, including 179 that were destroyed, according to preliminary assessments by Kumamoto officials.

Officials said one more death and its connection to the quake is under investigation. At least 96 people were injured, including six seriously.

Debris collected at a severely damaged century-old Japanese inn

In Yatsushiro City, another hard-hit area in southern Kumamoto, Kinparo, a 116-year old Japanese inn, was severely damaged, with its roofed main entrance collapsed to the ground, white walls cracked and rooftiles fell.

On Friday, three days after the quake, workers were removing parts of the gate, which is part of a registered historic property that needs to be restored.

Started in 1910, the three-story ryokan with traditional architecture and its hot bath have attracted many fans from the region and across Japan.

“The damage is tremendous and it would require significant repairs, and I can’t even think if or how I can do that,” inn owner Keisuke Matsumoto said. “But it’s a valuable family inn that has been handed down for generations since my great-great grandfather built it, so I do hope to preserve it.”

Inside, his mother Misao Matsumoto said she was not injured in the quake but “I’m mentally discouraged. It’s very painful to see parts of what I’ve lived with and enjoyed for decades crumble to that state.” But she said experts of historic buildings will come in to discuss the reconstruction, so “I have to hang in there."

Across the street from the Kinparo inn, a fish cake shop owner unable to resume his business due to the water cutoff was giving away tube-shaped fish cakes while they are still edible.

Signs for the “chikuwa” fish cake hang from the ceiling. “I just wanted to cheer up this neighborhood,” said shop owner Shinichiro Katayama. He says he cannot clean or check his fish cake machine is intact until the water supply resumes. “I don’t even know if the machine still works. When water supply is back that would be my first step toward a recovery.”

Thousands are without water as heat soars

Kumamoto authorities said nearly 80,000 homes remained without water. More than 9,000 people were staying in shelters, where power sources were being added to provide air conditioning.

Fuel has also become scarce as power outages disabled gas stations and quake damage disrupted deliveries from other regions. Many have resorted to sleeping in their cars for privacy, but with the fuel shortage, they struggle to keep the air conditioning running in sweltering temperatures.

Japan's weather agency and the Ministry of the Environment issued an extreme heat alert for Kumamoto city Friday as temperatures peaked at 36 C (97 F).

Hirokazu Sato, who lost his home in the earthquake, said he and his wife and three children would remain in their car until they can move into temporary housing.

“I don’t know how soon I’d be able to move in,” said Sato. “We need to have the air conditioning on throughout the day and night, which uses up gas.”

Kumamoto is also a major industrial hub, and there are concerns that the quake could possibly disrupt semiconductor and auto-parts supply chains for months to come.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, a global chip giant that operates a lab in Kumamoto, said all personnel were safe and operations were gradually resuming after postquake inspections found the structure was sound, although detailed inspections and impact assessments were still underway.

Searches continue, with the number of missing unknown

Japanese officials had described Friday afternoon as a crucial point for rescue efforts as some experts say survival chances decline after the first three days.

With search dogs, rescuers continued looking for survivors across the Kumamoto area, including at the collapsed Aeon Mall in the town of Kashima, one of the hardest-hit sites. The complex was bustling with thousands of people when the quake happened.

The company said about 3,000 shoppers were evacuated to a parking lot before an explosion happened in another part of the mall, where some staff remained working. The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people. Seven of the 11 rescued were confirmed dead, but officials did not say if anyone else is missing.

A search operation had ended at a Nippon Paper Industries factory in the Yatsushiro city where a chimney collapsed in the quake, officials said. Of the 11 people dug out there, nine were confirmed dead.

Smaller-scale searches continued Friday at the sites of collapsed houses in badly hit towns in southern Kumamoto. Authorities haven't supplied a firm figure for how many people are missing.

____

Ono reported from Tokyo. Associated Press writer business writer Yuri Kageyama contributed to this report.

Though there was no shortage of levity, a sense of urgency filled the Detroit meeting room as Abdul El-Sayed, a former gubernatorial candidate who is running as a Democrat for the U.S. Senate in Michigan, began speaking about how his Muslim faith informs his progressive views.

The public health researcher asked the group of faith leaders ahead of Tuesday’s primary, “What does the inspiration of holding yourself accountable to something bigger than you mean for what you do for the people around you?”

El-Sayed added, “If you can’t eat food and I have something to do about it, I better do it.”

Progressive Democratic politicians have won major electoral victories across the country in recent months amid growing frustrations surrounding inequality, affordability and potential threats to job security posed by artificial intelligence. As the economy becomes a flashpoint for the November midterms, many of these candidates and voters who support them are citing religion as a justification for their positions.

“We’re in an era of historical inequality,” El-Sayed told The Associated Press. “Most faith traditions — certainly the Abrahamic faith traditions — put a lot more burden on the wealthy.”

The interfaith roundtable took place days after a high-profile rally for El-Sayed, who has made “Medicare for All” a fixture of his campaign and is running against the more moderate Rep. Haley Stevens. It featured speeches from progressive heavy hitters like Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.

Though not a member of the Democratic Socialists of America, El-Sayed is being endorsed by liberal allies, many of them members of the DSA, while being criticized by Republicans and centrist Democrats for being too far left to be electable in a swing state.

If elected in November, he would be the first Muslim senator in U.S. history.

Representatives for Stevens, who is identified in congressional profiles as a Protestant, did not respond to requests for comment.

Progressive ideologies carry different connotations for different generations

Religious support for progressive economic and labor movements is not new, even if it has ebbed and flowed in the U.S. over the centuries. Pope Leo XIV’s recent encyclical was in many ways an ode to “Rerum novarum,” Pope Leo XIII’s seminal 1891 text on labor, wages and unions that helped shape Catholic social teaching.

This embrace of religion isn't unique to the Democratic Party's progressive wing. More moderate candidates like James Talarico, the seminarian running for the U.S. Senate in Texas, also highlight their faith. But as left-leaning Democrats and democratic socialists like New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is Muslim, score wins in local and national races, Republicans have repeatedly decried the party's progressive wing as communists devoid of religion.

“Republicans and conservatives believe in natural rights that flow from a creator. I think communism rejects that. It espouses a very atheistic, centralized sort of secular view of society,” said Douglas Blair, a spokesperson for Heritage Action for America.

Megan Romer, a DSA national co-chair and ordained ruling elder within the Presbyterian Church (USA), conceded socialism is a troubling concept for some people of faith.

“People’s idea of it is, ‘Oh, that’s when you’re not allowed to have a religion, right?’ Which has been true in some socialist projects,” she said.

But experts say that narrative carries less weight among many younger Americans who have no memory of the Cold War and the anti-religious associations it begot.

Theology informs more than just faith

Though there are more Democrats unaffiliated with religion than Republicans, many people of faith do not see progressive ideologies like socialism as contradictory to their beliefs. They cite Black religious activists who were outspoken critics of capitalism, including Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X and W.E.B. Du Bois, as models for their thinking about the relationship between religion and politics.

The Rev. Andrew Wilkes, who co-pastors the Double Love Experience Church in New York City, became interested in democratic socialism more than a decade ago after presiding over a funeral for someone whose insurance wouldn’t cover a critical operation. “It was not God that sent him home but an unjustly organized healthcare system and economy,” he said.

“There’s an increasing recognition, I would say, connecting socialism to a sense of a moral compass,” Wilkes said, adding that religion can bring optimism and creativity in a time of pessimism. “There’s a level of world-building that faith can speak to.”

Romer, who joined the DSA in 2018 in part because of Sanders’ unsuccessful presidential run two years earlier, thinks there is a theological component to why Christianity in particular has thrived among conservatives.

“That flavor of Christianity is a very individualistic one. They talk a lot about your personal relationship with God,” she said. “My interpretation of Christianity is one that, I think the early Christians — they were not communists in the modern sense, but they lived in communal situations.”

Attitudes toward capitalism are changing, and religion is playing a role

This faith-driven economic focus is not limited to elections.

Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice is a nonprofit organization that works with congregations throughout Southern California to support workers’ rights. Earlier this month, it facilitated a visit to Live Oak United Church of Christ in Brea, California, to support efforts to unionize a local grocery store chain.

“We just feel very, very overworked,” Luis Cueva, a Mother’s Market employee, told members of the congregation after their Sunday service as he asked for support.

“Jesus was a socialist,” Cueva said after the meeting, citing his teachings about it being difficult for rich people to go to heaven. “It means a lot to know that the church is willing to help.”

About half of U.S. adults have a positive view of capitalism, according to a poll last year from Gallup, down from 61% in 2010. Democrats have driven part of the shift, but favorable views of capitalism have also declined among independents.

President Donald Trump and other Republicans have cast these attitudes and candidates as being fundamentally at odds with religion.

“These are hard core, godless communists,” Trump said recently during a speech to the Faith & Freedom Coalition. “All communists are godless. They don't believe in God.”

Faith can be both a political asset and a liability

Although there are myriad points of contention within the Democratic Party, such as support for Israel, El-Sayed considers economic issues a top issue for his campaign.

“I talk about taking money out of politics because it’s the reason life is not affordable,” he said. “People are realizing that politicians on both sides of the aisle really are being paid off by the same people.”

The son of Egyptian immigrants, El-Sayed is aware that his Islamic faith can be weaponized or misunderstood. But since having a religious experience in college that followed a rebellious childhood, he takes seriously the implications of his faith.

“If you put your morals on a mantel, they’re not morals. They’re just, you know, things that you can admire and then you give yourself the permission to step away from them when it’s convenient,” he said.

As the roundtable concluded, leaders from each faith took turns praying. Their heads lifted, but the Rev. Horace Sheffield chimed in with one last request on behalf of El-Sayed.

“I don’t think y’all were specific enough. So I’m gonna say it real simple,” he said. “Lord, let him win.”

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

None of those initiatives would have passed under a ballot measure getting decided by voters Tuesday.

Missouri's proposed Amendment 4 would make it significantly harder to amend the constitution by requiring citizen initiatives to pass in all eight of the state's diverse congressional districts instead of by a traditional, simple statewide majority. No other state has such a high standard — or has even asked voters to consider it.

“This is a first-of-its-kind,” said Kelly Hall, executive director of the Fairness Project, a national group that backs progressive ballot initiatives like the ones Missouri's Republican lawmakers are hoping to quelch.

“It would be nearly impossible for citizens to participate meaningfully in any sort of direct democracy,” said Hall, who believes other states could try to copy Missouri's proposal.

Lawmakers seek to rein in citizen initiatives

The Missouri proposal is the culmination of years of attempts by lawmakers in numerous states to raise the bar for citizen-initiated petitions to qualify for the ballot and win voter approval. Some elected officials contend lawmaking is best left to themselves — the people's representatives — because citizen initiatives lack the vetting that comes from the multistep legislative process of public hearings, debates and revisions.

The effort to curtail citizen initiatives on state ballots comes as President Donald Trump pushes for greater restrictions on who can vote and how ballots are cast, asserting the integrity of elections is at stake.

Missouri’s measure “fits into the larger narrative and story around what the future of democracy looks like in the United States,” said Chris Melody Fields Figueredo, executive director of the Ballot Initiative Strategy Center, which supports progressive ballot measures.

Citizen initiatives are allowed only in some states

About one-third of U.S. states allow people to bypass their legislatures by gathering signatures to place proposed constitutional amendments on the ballot. Several others allow the process for proposed laws.

In most of those states, a simple majority of voters is all that’s needed to approve constitutional amendments. Colorado requires a 55% vote for most measures, and Florida a 60% vote.

Voters in recent years rejected ballot measures to raise the approval threshold for amendments in Arkansas, Ohio and South Dakota. Still, South Dakota lawmakers have placed a proposal for a 60% approval threshold on the November ballot. North Dakota voters will consider a similar measure, and Utah voters will decide on a 60% requirement for citizen-initiated tax increases.

Missouri’s proposal would apply only to citizen initiatives. Constitutional amendments proposed by the Legislature still would need only a statewide majority. No other state has a dual standard like that.

Missouri proposal requires geographic consensus

Republican state Rep. Ed Lewis, who sponsored Missouri's measure, said he wants to ensure people in all parts of the state have their voices heard. He said activists funded by out-of-state interest groups have run up large majorities in St. Louis and Kansas City to pass controversial initiatives that failed throughout most of the rest of Missouri.

The abortion, marijuana, sports betting and Medicaid initiatives all were placed on the ballot by petitions between 2020 and 2024 after lawmakers declined to act. All passed with 53% or less of the statewide vote.

Requiring “50% in each of our congressional districts is not a difficult barrier for anything that has a consensus,” Lewis said. But “it is a difficult barrier for either a very conservative or a very liberal initiative petition,” he said.

“If you’re going to change the constitution, shouldn’t it be broadly accepted?” Lewis asked rhetorically.

Amendments to the U.S. Constitution require ratification by three-fourths of the states.

Critics say Missouri's proposed amendment could undercut consensus, because an initiative backed by large margins in seven congressional districts still would fail if opposed by a slim margin in just one district.

“It is an astonishing level of unfairness, and it crushes our notion of one person, one vote and majority rule, which we learned about in school as kids,” said Scott Charton, a spokesperson for the Missouri Realtors campaign committees, which have backed previous initiatives.

Republicans are divided over initiative restrictions

Though Amendment 4 was referred to the ballot by Republican lawmakers, people at a recent Republican club meeting in Jefferson City were divided about whether to make it harder for citizens to amend the state constitution.

Rick Kolb said he supports the tougher standards.

“Our country was founded as a republic not a democracy,” he said. When initiatives appear on the ballot, “everybody votes on these things that they haven’t put any thought into it.”

But Jim Bryan said he opposes the amendment, fearing it could allow voters in St. Louis or Kansas City to thwart measures supported by the rest of the state.

“The popular vote is what I want,” he said.

A new petition could fortify citizen initiatives

Regardless of the outcome, Tuesday's vote may not be the last on Missouri's citizen initiatives.

The Respect Missouri Voters coalition submitted more than 300,000 petition signatures — currently being verified by election officials — to try to place a constitutional amendment on the November ballot protecting the initiative process. It would reverse the Legislature's amendment by requiring only a statewide majority to pass citizen initiatives. It also would bar the Legislature from increasing the number of signatures needed to qualify for the ballot, shortening the time to do so or imposing other requirements that weaken initiative rights.

The measure also would make it harder for the Legislature to reverse or amend voter-approved initiatives by requiring an 80% vote in both the House and Senate instead of a simple majority. That comes after the Legislature last year repealed a paid sick leave law approved by voters and referred a new constitutional amendment to the November ballot to reverse voter-approved abortion rights.

Supporters insist their measure is nonpartisan, noting that Democratic lawmakers also tried to restrict citizen initiatives before Republicans gained control of the Capitol.

“Politicians in power want all the power in their hands,” said Benjamin Singer, co-founder of Respect Missouri Voters. “They don’t want citizens to have a check on their power.”

FRIDAY

After a few early morning showers, additional thunderstorms are expected to develop as temperatures heat up into the afternoon. Rain chances remain elevated at 60-70% as some storms could produce lightning, gusty winds and heavy downpours.

High temperatures will reach the lower 90s, with heat index values between 100 and 105 degrees before storms develop.

WEEKEND

Saturday through Monday looks to be the wettest stretch of the forecast. Rain chances increase to 60 to 80 percent each afternoon as deep tropical moisture remains in place and weak disturbances continue moving across the state.

Unlike a typical summer pattern, storms may develop earlier in the day or linger into the evening. The greatest concerns remain frequent lightning, gusty winds, and heavy rainfall that could lead to localized flooding.

Temperatures will stay seasonable, with afternoon highs in the lower 90s.

NEXT WEEK

By Tuesday, the overall weather pattern begins to shift. Winds are expected to weaken, allowing the sea breeze to once again become the main trigger for afternoon thunderstorms.

That means storms should return to a more familiar summertime schedule, with the highest coverage during the afternoon and evening, especially across the interior. While daily 40%-50% chance of rain remains in the forecast, the pattern should become less widespread than what is expected over the weekend.

Temperatures will remain near to slightly above normal, with highs in the mid 90s each afternoon.

Anthropic, the San Francisco-based AI company behind Claude, posted on its website Thursday that it discovered the three incidents after reviewing more than 141,000 evaluation runs.

It had launched a “large-scale” cybersecurity review which specifically looked for evidence whether its AI models were able to access the internet from within testing environments that should have been sealed off, in response to the OpenAI incident, Anthropic said.

Anthropic said the models involved in the incidents were Claude Opus 4.7, Claude Mythos 5 and an internal research test model. The earliest incidents date to April, the AI company said.

“Claude compromised the impacted organizations’ infrastructure using basic techniques,” Anthropic said, such as exploiting weak passwords.

In all three incidents, the AI models were tasked with a “capture the flag” cybersecurity challenge, which Anthropic said has been one of the ways it assesses a model’s cyber capabilities.

The models were given a fictional scenario and told a piece of secret information, or the “flag,” had been hidden on a different machine on the network with the objective of breaking in and retrieving it, it said.

It added that it had already reached out to the affected organizations, which it did not name. Two of them said they had not previously detected the activity. Anthropic said it was “continuing to reach out to the third.”

Anthropic said it conducted its review with Irregular, which describes itself as the “first frontier security lab.”

“Addressing these risks will require closer cooperation across the AI ecosystem,” Irregular said in a post on X.

Last week, OpenAI said its AI models went rogue during an evaluation of its models, breaking into the servers of AI startup Hugging Face. OpenAI described it as a “significant security incident.”

These incidents have highlighted the vulnerabilities in AI security and controls and raised questions over how AI can be safely kept under human control as the technology’s usage becomes more widespread globally.

Researchers have warned for years about risks from technology and the need for stronger AI defensive engineering.

“Safety testing happens before a model is released precisely because we don’t yet know what it is capable of,” Anthropic said on Thursday on its website.

Kok Tin Gan, co-founder & CEO of cybersecurity firm NyxLab, which specializes in cybersecurity and threat detection, believes there will be more such incidents in the future.

“It is increasingly about governing what agents are available to the AI, what authorities they possess, which actions require approval, and how we ensure they remain within scope,” Gan said.

But the future of AI safety extends beyond just the safety of AI models, he said.

“If we simply give the AI a goal and allow it to decide how to achieve it, we should not be surprised when it takes actions that technically satisfy the objective, but fall outside our intended scope or expectations,” Gan said.

Therefore, stepping up the governance of the organizations and authorities behind these AI models is going to be increasingly important, he said.

Brussels aims to track the use of AI models for violations of its new regulations, like the publishing of sexually explicit material, fake photos and videos, and cyber threats to public infrastructure. When the bloc's AI Act comes into force on Sunday, AI companies will be required to make clear to consumers with labels or digital watermarks that chatbots or imagery are generated with AI.

“As enforcement begins, we are taking an important step towards AI that people and businesses can understand and trust, and whose benefits are shared widely across our society,” said Henna Virkkunen, the EU chief for tech sovereignty, on Friday.

The European Commission said in a statement that new regulations also include “systemic risks” posed by AI like “chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear incidents, loss of control, cyber offense, harmful manipulation and threats to fundamental rights."

The team is the latest move in the 27-nation EU’s “tech sovereignty” strategy that welds landmark digital regulations with economic ambition that has seen over the past week billions of euros in fines on Big Tech companies as well as record investment in AI infrastructure inside the bloc.

The rollout comes on the heels of shocking AI safety failures that rattled the nascent industry. Political leaders worldwide are now weighing control of the technology with market leadership.

Anthropic said on Friday its artificial intelligence models hacked into three other organizations during testing, just days after ChatGPT maker OpenAI raised concerns over AI controls after it disclosed its rogue models hacked another company.

The EU is now expanding its AI Office in Brussels with an additional 38 people who will begin monitoring AI companies, from the new firms to the American and Chinese tech titans like OpenAI and DeepSeek.

Those companies must “document certain information,” said the European Commission, the bloc's tech enforcer, which reserves the right to interview AI company staff during investigations. It has also launched a Whistleblower Tool for tech workers and a Compliance Tool for tech users to confidentially alert authorities to illegal conduct.

If models or other products break the EU's sector regulations, called the AI Act, Brussels can fine the firms or cut off their access to the EU market. Recent gigantic antitrust fines on U.S. tech companies have irked U.S. President Donald Trump.

The EU now clearly sees systemic vulnerability in its deep reliance on American software companies like Amazon, Google and Microsoft as well as imports of Chinese industrial goods and critical minerals. While it is seeking protections from AI, it is also keen to catch up in the AI arms race, where it is a distant third behind the U.S. and China.

More broadly, the EU is seeking more independence from both Washington and Beijing by reinvigorating specific domestic industries like manufacturing and defense and forging new trade deals from Brazil to Australia to meet the global rise in economic nationalism spearheaded by Trump.

The rights group said an attack aircraft identified as a Russian Sukhoi Su-24 dropped two munitions on Kyrnia village in the Mopti region on June 15. One strike hit near the home of the village chief, killing his wife and three children. The second hit a nearby cattle market, killing four men. No fighters from the Islamic militant group JNIM, which has controlled the village for six years, were reported among the casualties.

The Associated Press was not able to independently verify the claims by Human Rights Watch.

Mali has been plagued for over a decade by militants affiliated with al-Qaida and the Islamic State group, including JNIM, as well as a Tuareg separatist rebellion in the north.

Violence escalated in recent months after an alliance of JNIM and Tuareg separatists carried out the largest coordinated attack in over a decade, targeting the airport of the country’s capital, Bamako, the nearby garrison town of Kati, and several northern and central cities.

April’s attacks exposed the weaknesses of Mali’s strategy to combat the rebellion, including relying on Russia, which has partnered with the military-led government after it distanced itself from former allies such as France.

Russian mercenaries have been present in Mali since late 2021 to help its military junta fight militants and separatists. Last year, Africa Corps, which reports to Russia’s Defense Ministry, replaced the private mercenary Wagner Group in the country.

Human Rights Watch said it interviewed 19 people, analyzed satellite imagery, and reviewed a video the Africa Corps posted online describing the strike last month as targeting a “terrorist” gathering. Researchers said roughly 100 JNIM fighters were in the village at the time but were mostly gathered elsewhere, and that the strikes did not appear to target a clear military objective.

The rights group called on Mali’s government to investigate the strike and hold those responsible accountable, saying it could otherwise be complicit in war crimes.

Russia’s Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

After completing right-of-way acquisition, the Florida Department of Transportation is expected to begin work this fall on a stretch of State Road 434 near Ronald Reagan Boulevard.

The intersection work includes the addition of dual left turn lanes for east and westbound traffic, and a new exclusive right turn lane on eastbound State Road 434.

The project will also include bicycle lanes on State Road 434 from South Milwee Street to Ronald Reagan Blvd.

Bill Moss lives in Longwood and is looking forward to the planned improvements for drivers.

“That’s a dangerous intersection. It’s bad all the way through, and they need to do something about it,” Moss said. “They’re always doing something around here, but it’s progress.”

In addition to added lanes in the area, safety improvements will be made at five signalized intersections between Rangeline Road and US 17-92.

Planned improvements include sidewalk repairs, curb ramp reconstruction, and upgrades to pedestrian signals.

Construction on the project is expected to begin in September, and lane closures will be needed.

The traffic and safety improvements are expected to be completed in early 2028.

Rescuers recovered 32 bodies from the mine on the outskirts of Quetta, the capital of Balochistan province, and were working to retrieve the remaining two, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority said in a statement.

Mine inspector Ghani Baloch said authorities initially believed 42 people had been inside the mine when the explosion occurred Thursday.

Balochistan’s Minister for Mines and Minerals Shoaib Nosherwani expressed condolences to the victims’ families and announced compensation of 500,000 Pakistani rupees (about $1,800) for the family of each victim. He said authorities would investigate the cause of the explosion and review safety measures at coal mines across the province.

Deadly accidents are common in Pakistan’s coal mining industry, particularly in Balochistan, where many mines lack adequate ventilation, gas-monitoring systems and other basic safety measures.

Despite the dangers and low wages, thousands of workers rely on coal mining for their livelihoods in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest but least-developed province, where poverty and unemployment remain widespread.

The Dodgers open a three-game set against the Boston Red Sox.

The two-way superstar wanted to play Thursday against the Seattle Mariners, manager Dave Roberts said, but it was the team's decision to rest him. Ohtani told the training staff of renewed soreness after Wednesday night's 4-2 win.

“I appreciate the communication,” Roberts said. “I can’t read minds, the training staff can’t read minds, so just for him to communicate that then allows for us to make a decision.”

Second baseman Tommy Edman went 0 for 3 in Ohtani’s place for the series finale, a 6-2 win.

Ohtani has been dealing with knee soreness since June 11 and hasn't pitched since July 3 while also dealing with a right biceps issue. He skipped the All-Star Game in Philadelphia to stay home and receive a lubricant injection in the knee.

He is still serving as the designated hitter. Ohtani was 5 for 7 combined in his last two games against the Mariners, with a home run, four RBIs and two runs scored.

"The last couple days he’s been on base a lot more whereas the last part of the road trip he wasn’t, so there might have been a little something to that,” Roberts said, adding that nothing occurred in the game Wednesday to precipitate Ohtani sitting out the next day.

The Dodgers expect Ohtani to return to pitching this season, but they're not rushing him back to the mound.

“If there was something structural, then we would be much more concerned,” Andrew Friedman, president of baseball operations, said Wednesday. “The fact that there’s not and the fact that it does keep improving suggests that we’re on the right path.”

For now, the team doesn't have any plans to shut down Ohtani entirely to give him time to recover from his ailments.

"We're talking about this constantly,” Roberts said. “Nothing should be off the table and nothing is set in stone. So I think it’s more of how he feels. With this new information we’ve got to have new conversations.”

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

The White House announcement comes nine months after a U.S.-brokered ceasefire was signed. Negotiations between Israel and Hamas had largely deadlocked over the implementation of its second phase, including the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of Gaza.

“The agreement will be carried out in carefully structured phases,” Trump said on social media. “As disarmament is completed, Israeli forces will withdraw, and the International Stabilization Force will work with a new Palestinian police force to take responsibility for Gaza being safe for its residents and its neighbors.”

Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan calls on the militant group to surrender its weapons and destroy its vast network of tunnels. It also envisions Israeli forces withdrawing from Gaza, the arrival of a new technocratic Palestinian government, deployment of an international security force and the rebuilding of the battered Palestinian enclave.

Trump announced what he said was an agreement to realize one of the most difficult portions of the Gaza ceasefire while negotiations have stalled and military attacks have escalated in the war that the U.S. and Israel in February launched against Iran, a key sponsor of Hamas.

On Friday, a Hamas official said they have reached an agreement on disarmament, the most crucial part of the ceasefire deal. Israel didn't give an indication that they had agreed.

Officials offer long or unspecific timelines for Hamas to disarm

U.S. and Board of Peace officials, describing the deal to reporters on condition of anonymity under guidelines set by the White House, gave an extremely optimistic assessment of the agreement that laid out a scenario very similar to the one described by Trump and his top aides when the Board of Peace, an international body established by Trump to oversee the ceasefire in Gaza, was first formed.

The officials were unable to offer specific timelines for the disarmament of Hamas or other groups that operate in Gaza, such as Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but said the Gaza police force would turn over weapons to the technocratic Board of Peace-backed Gaza administration in the next two weeks.

The Gaza police force, however, does not include the vast majority of Hamas militants and heavy weaponry is not included in that part of the agreement, according to the officials.

Instead, the surrender of heavy weapons and the decommissioning of Hamas tunnels and other infrastructure are to come later in a process that could take between 200 and 350 days, a Board of Peace official said.

Israel has not responded but has been deeply skeptical

A U.S. official said Israel, which has been deeply skeptical about Hamas’ willingness to give up its guns or relinquish at least behind-the-scenes control of Gaza, had been consulted at every step of the negotiation.

However, the official said Israel was not being asked to do anything more than what it had initially committed to when it agreed to Trump’s 20-point plan, which essentially involves withdrawing its forces from Gaza and committing to ending airstrikes on the territory.

The official said Trump would be “very, very disappointed” if Israel didn't adhere to the agreement. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu met at the White House on Tuesday, but neither said much about what was discussed in their first face-to-face meeting since launching the war against Iran.

Israel’s U.N. Mission said it had no immediate comment.

The official added that Iran remains a wildcard in the equation because although it counseled Hamas members not to accept a deal, it is also not in a position to offer the group much support because it is preoccupied with the conflict with the United States.

Hamas previously had insisted on implementing the first phase of the ceasefire before moving to discuss its weapons. The group’s founding charter calls for armed resistance against Israel, and it has been reluctant to give up an arsenal, including rockets, anti-tank missiles and explosives, that lies at the heart of its identity.

Hamas announced earlier this month, however, that it had dissolved its government in Gaza and was preparing to transfer power to a technical committee backed by the United Nations as part of the ceasefire deal.

The war in Gaza began after the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 taken hostage. Israel’s retaliatory offensive in Gaza has killed more than 73,000 Palestinians, including those killed since the ceasefire, Gaza’s Health Ministry said.

Israel’s military now controls more than half of Gaza, leaving Palestinians confined to squalid tent camps and heavily damaged urban neighborhoods.

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Cooper reported from Phoenix, Amiri from New York and Magdy from Cairo. Associated Press writer Edith M. Lederer contributed from the United Nations.

The 30-year-old entertainer, whose real name is Andres Felipe Valencia Barrientos, wept after the verdicts were delivered in the District Court of Western Australia state in Perth.

He had pleaded not guilty to six charges of rape, three charges of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of choking in a Perth hotel room in September 2024.

The accuser cannot legally be named. She was 20 at the time.

Three days after the jury began deliberating, they found him guilty of only two of the assault charges which relate to him biting the woman. He testified during his eight-day trial that they were “love bites” and denied his victim had complained that he was hurting her.

He was found not guilty on some charges, but he could potentially face a retrial on three charges of rape on which the jury could not reach a verdict.

Despite the convictions, the Colombian-born entertainer remained free on bail until the case returns to court on Aug. 21 to discuss next steps.

Barrientos had been touring Australia and had already performed in Sydney and Melbourne before he encountered his victim in Perth. He was arrested several days later in the east coast city of Brisbane, where the tour was to end.

Prosecutors alleged the woman initially agreed to have sex but withdrew her consent because she feared for her safety.

Photos of the woman with bruising as well as bite marks on her face and neck were shown to the court.

Barrientos has been free on bail since he was charged and was allowed to return to Britain for several months.

The book was returned to the library in the seaside town of Kiama last week by a local Ross Simmons who had found it during recent home renovations inside a tea crate bricked into a sealed fireplace, Kiama Library manager Michelle Hudson said.

“We’ve never had anything that old come back to us,” Hudson said Thursday.

“I follow lots of libraries on social media and often you’ll get things that are maybe 30 or 40 years old when they’re cleaning out estates and stuff like that,” she added.

Ross Simmons, told The Associated Press on Friday he assumed the book was borrowed by his great-great-grandfather John Simmons, who had owned the house where it was found.

“I'm making an assumption. He was in residence in the cottage around about that time and his children were probably too young,” Ross Simmons said.

The library opened in 1872, and the book, “Antiquities of Athens,” published in 1858, was marked as No. 506 in the library’s original collection of around 1,000 books. Hudson suspects the book was lost within a few years of the library opening.

The late return fine would be around 28,000 Australian dollars ($19,500), allowing for inflation, Hudson said. That was calculated on the British three pence-a-week overdue fee that was printed on the inside cover of the book, along with a list of rules that applied when the library opened.

But Hudson said the library's records of borrowers in the 1870s had been lost. “Unfortunately, we have a missing link. There’s nothing in the book that tells us who the last borrower was,” Hudson said.

Library rules in the 1870s stated that a book had to be returned and an overdue debt paid before another book could be borrowed. “Maybe that’s why they never returned it to us,” Hudson said.

Antiquated rules of the day included that up to three books could be borrowed by households in which at least six members were “known to be able to read.” Proof of reading ability is no longer required to use today’s library.

In the 1870s, books were not lent to people who arrived at the library in a “state of intoxication.” Library users are now asked to leave if their behavior impacts others, but the rules are not specific about intoxication.

Ross Simmons said he had no idea why his English immigrant ancestor, who had also served as an alderman in Kiama's municipal government, would not have returned the book.

He said he hadn't been concerned by the prosect of being held liable by an angry librarian for his family's debt.

“I've spent a lifetime dealing with irate customers and being irate with customers himself. Just stick to your guns and say do your worst,” the 77-year-old said.

The returned book will be displayed in the library’s local history collection.

“We’re not going to allow it to go back out again. We don’t want to wait another 150 years for this book to be returned,” Hudson said.

Devers did get a sacrifice fly, but Tatis added on to his impressive list of home run robberies.

Tatis tracked Devers' fly ball and leaped to get his glove high above the short wall in right-center at Petco Park to make the catch. He landed and tumbled onto his backside, but flipped the ball to center fielder Jackson Merrill, who tossed it into the infield.

Merrill helped Tatis to his feet and patted him on the chest. Pitcher JP Sears raised his left arm in celebration.

Tatis was an All-Star at shortstop in 2021 and was moved to right field in 2023, after missing the 2022 season with injuries and a PED suspension. He won the Gold Glove and Platinum Glove awards in 2023 and 2025.

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AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

“UEFA and its national associations will not participate in FIFA competitions,” the European soccer body said after an urgent online meeting of its 55 member nations.

FIFA issued a statement early Friday saying that “nobody is selling football” and that it plans to continue the consultation process. But it appeared to back off from establishing the public equity move — what it calls the FIFA Forward Enterprise (FFE) — if member countries do not agree.

“FIFA acknowledges and respects feedback and concern aired in public,” it said, while blaming "erroneous reporting in the media” for disruptions to its planned consultation with member associations.

But it said that without the support of FIFA's 211 member associations, “FIFA’s commercial activities would remain unchanged. FFE would not be established.”

"Nobody is selling football. This is not something FIFA would ever entertain.”

The next scheduled FIFA tournament is within weeks in Europe — the Women’s Under-20 World Cup hosted by Poland from Sept. 5 — and the four British federations comprise FIFA’s only bidder to host the 2035 Women’s World Cup. That decision is due Nov. 23.

“Some things are simply too important to sell,” UEFA said in a statement. “The FIFA World Cup belongs to football. It always will. And so long as Europe has a voice, it will never be for sale.”

The strategy meeting was called to counter FIFA President Infantino’s offer of $20 million to each of FIFA’s 211 global members that has to be accepted by mid-September.

Later Thursday, the 41-member Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) met and announced it rejected Infantino's plan.

In a statement, CONCACAF said members “expressed deep concerns about the lack of due process surrounding the proposal, the artificially short deadline imposed, and the absence of any review or approval by the relevant FIFA governance bodies.” It also questioned the need for outside investment "following the most profitable FIFA World Cup in history.”

Infantino’s secret project was revealed Tuesday to spin off its commercial operations in the new $20 billion FFE subsidiary 20% owned by private investors. The core investor would be a New York investment firm created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of U.S. President Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner.

Infantino wrote Tuesday to the 211 members — already the effective owners of FIFA as a non-profit association under Swiss law — that if they approve FFE their promised $10 million basic funding for the next four years will double to $20 million. He projected their FIFA funding through 2038 would be $86 million each, instead of about $36 million.

“This is not merely a profound failure of leadership, but an abdication of FIFA’s duty as the custodian of world football,” said UEFA, where Infantino was a long-time staffer and its CEO-like general secretary when he was first elected to lead FIFA in 2016.

Infantino’s presidency at risk?

Infantino’s high-stakes financial gambit now could threaten his previously secure 11-year presidency of FIFA as anger and frustration with him rises among soccer stakeholders including three of the six continental bodies.

FIFA has set a Nov. 18 deadline for potential candidates to declare in a presidential vote of the 211 members scheduled next March in Rabat, Morocco.

Infantino had seemed — 11 days ago after the World Cup final in East Rutherford, New Jersey — to have a clear path to being re-elected unopposed for a fourth and final term in office through 2031, despite a furor over letting United States forward Folarin Balogun play against Belgium despite a red card in his previous game.

Soccer officials have said privately Infantino has eyed a lucrative commissioner-like role at the FFE spinoff beyond 2031.

“Game over, Gianni #InfantinOUT,” the Football Supporters Europe group, which advises UEFA on fan issues such as ticket prices, posted after the boycott threat.

Soccer’s concern at investor pressure

UEFA detailed Thursday why soccer officials fear external investors owning a stake of the global game’s biggest events, including World Cups and Club World Cups for men and women.

“The moment external investors acquire ownership interests in FIFA competitions, football changes forever,” UEFA said. “Commercial return becomes a permanent obligation. Investor expectations become a daily pressure.”

Infantino has presented the private equity offer as a chance to “turbocharge” funding development of soccer across the world, where a majority of the 211 FIFA members rely on its funding.

Officials from about 40 UEFA member spoke at the urgent meeting, with anger expressed that FIFA is not using some of its multi-billion reserves to fund extra development programs.

“As a result of today’s discussion, no UEFA national teams will participate in any FIFA competition for so long as these proposals remain alive,” the European soccer body said, “unless this proposal has been abandoned in its entirety and binding assurances have been given that FIFA will never again open its governance or competitions to private ownership.”

Asia adds rare criticism of Infantino

On a seismic day in soccer politics, a traditional bedrock of support in Asia for FIFA and Infantino had earlier Thursday been shaken.

“FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football,” the Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa said in a letter to its 46 members of FIFA, warning of risks to their own competitions.

Sheikh Salman, an ally to Infantino since losing the FIFA presidential election to him in 2016, wrote “such an initiative will not succeed without the support of all the confederations, which is not the case now.”

In a video message published Wednesday by FIFA, Infantino insisted spinning off its money-making operations was “an offer, not an obligation.”

A FIFA presentation for its members, co-written with its banking advisors from J.P. Morgan and seen by the AP, set a goal for FFE as “commercial rigor and expertise to better capitalize on broadcast rights, sponsorships and a growing tournament portfolio.”

FIFA squeeze on continental games

That growing portfolio likely would include adding more teams to FIFA competitions like the World Cup and Club World Cup for men and women, and potentially staging them more often than every four years, including in the U.S.

FIFA adding teams, games and competitions would squeeze the value, status and space in the congested global fixture calendar for those that fund and are organized by the six continental soccer bodies like UEFA and the AFC. Those include World Cup qualifying games, continental tournaments and Champions Leagues.

“It is important that the AFC family has a complete understanding,” Sheikh Salman wrote, “of how such an initiative may affect key areas of global and Asian football, including the sustainability of confederation and (domestic) competitions, as well as the organization and commercial landscape surrounding the AFC’s activities.”

UEFA’s previous boycott threat

A threatened World Cup boycott from Europe helped derail Infantino’s plan in 2021 to play World Cups every two years instead of four.

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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer and AP World Cup coverage

Across the country, Democratic candidates are grappling with their previous positions calling to “defund the police” — a prominent demand during the protests that followed George Floyd's death — by either reimagining public safety services altogether or redirecting some police departments’ funds to other social programs. Now, they are facing tough questions about their past positions.

Democratic leaders fear that the outlier opinions favoring police defunding may again tarnish the party's brand and sink its chances of gaining ground in Congress, governor's mansions and statehouses nationwide.

“It was a serious debate in 2020 that arguably cost us some seats that year and caused us to lose on something where we should have had the upper ground, because a few members of our party wanted to have a stylistic debate rather than one on substance,” said Antjuan Seawright, a Democratic strategist.

Seawright said to avoid being painted as politically toxic on safety issues, Democrats “have to define the narrative before others define us with the narrative.”

That task may become more challenging as the party grapples with a rising left flank that has captivated its base, just as Republicans move to make warnings about crime, immigration and growing support for democratic socialism core to their closing midterm message.

Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate reckons with past ‘defund’ rhetoric

In Wisconsin, a swing state known for razor-thin elections that President Donald Trump won in 2016 and 2024, insurgent democratic socialist State Rep. Francesca Hong has upended the Democratic gubernatorial primary by running far to the left in a state where independent and moderate voters are key in statewide races. A single mother and former line cook, Hong has captured the imaginations of liberal Democrats upset with the party establishment.

But she’s also raised concerns among more moderate Democrats that her past support for defunding the police would hurt her chances in the general election against Trump-backed Republican U.S. Rep. Tom Tiffany.

“I support defunding the police as a first step towards abolishing the police,” Hong said in a 2020 social media post after the police shooting of Jacob Blake, a Black man in Kenosha, Wisconsin. A year later, while serving in the State Assembly, Hong again posted about Blake, writing: “Police exist to uphold white supremacy. Defund then abolish. Reform can’t be an option.”

But as a candidate for governor, Hong had softened her tone while not disavowing her past statements. On Tuesday night, in the only televised debate ahead of the Aug. 11 primary, Hong said she did not support cutting police funding.

“The governor cannot defund the police and I’m not here to govern by slogan,” Hong said. “I’m here to make sure that I am the governor that is most serious about public safety, and that means investing in the things that we know prevent crimes.”

New York, Michigan politicians distance themselves from ‘defund’ calls

In neighboring Michigan, Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, a staunch progressive, has faced questions about his past support for defunding the police. Last November, CNN reported that the public health researcher and Rhodes scholar had deleted scores of posts expressing support for defunding the police. He now says he rejects the idea.

And in New York, Mayor Zohran Mamdani has tried to distance himself from his past criticisms of the city’s police department and a previous call to defund the agency. He is at times still dogged by a set of social media posts he made in 2020, at the height of the Black Lives Matter protests, where he described the department as “racist, anti-queer & a major threat to public safety” and pushed to “Defund this rogue agency.”

Mamdani apologized for the language during his campaign and stressed that he no longer wanted to defund the agency. He has since moved to ease lingering concerns by retaining his predecessor’s police commissioner, Jessica Tisch, an establishment moderate respected by the city’s business leaders and law enforcement community. That decision angered some of Mamdani’s progressive allies.

The backtracking illustrates how the politics of criminal justice have shifted since 2020, posing dilemmas for Democrats’ midterm strategy and their ability to enact their preferred solutions.

Memphis voters reject ‘defund the police’ but decry National Guard presence

The stakes are life and death for communities caught in the middle of the political debate.

In Memphis, Tennessee, residents are exhausted at being thrust into the national discourse over crime and safety. The president surged the city with National Guard troops last year as part of an “anti-crime” task force. The task force has faced renewed local backlash after federal agents earlier this month killed a man experiencing a mental health crisis and another person during an altercation while agents executed a drug warrant. The city's local Democratic lawmakers claim that the tough-on-crime policies only temporarily reduced crime while troop presence was at its peak.

“They don’t like how it was done, how President Trump and the governor were able to snap their fingers, and all of a sudden we see federal agents flooding our city,” said State Sen. London Lamar, who represents Memphis and has faced tough questions from constituents and her statehouse colleagues about how to address crime in the city.

But Lamar added that outside of frustrated local progressive activists, residents outraged by the administration's anti-crime crackdown were still skeptical of calls to “defund the police.”

“It's not really sticking because, though it's quietly kept, the vast majority of the community still wants law enforcement's presence,” said Lamar. The debate is a useful distraction, Lamar said, from real conversations over how to boost public safety.

“Our challenges are being exploited for political gain,” she added.

The announcement came after local authorities in Ceuta had asked the central government in Madrid for reinforcements to manage a border crisis that boiled over Thursday with large crowds of people breaching the border fence.

Spain’s government said it would send the Armed Forces to help the Civil Guard “maintain security in the city of Ceuta.” It also announced that Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez would join Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska in a visit to Ceuta on Friday.

“The situation is absolute chaos,” Rachid Sbihi, head of the association that represents Spain’s Civil Guard officers who police the border in Ceuta, told The Associated Press. “It’s not possible to give precise numbers, but there are thousands of migrants crossing,” he said, adding that the border had “totally collapsed.”

Achraf Maimouni, a member of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights in northern Morocco, described the situation as “exceptional.”

“The Tarajal border was opened under unusual circumstances this morning and people crossed," he said.

Video footage showed crowds of people, mainly Moroccans, walking around the breakwaters at Tarajal beach onto local roads. While most appeared to be young men, there were also families with women and small children.

“Viva España!” some shouted to a freelance photographer working for the AP. It was not immediately clear what prompted so many migrants to cross to Ceuta.

Spain’s government delegation in Ceuta said at least nine people died Thursday during the chaos. It did not provide details on the circumstances of the deaths but bodies could be seen floating in the water. Dozens have died this year trying to reach Ceuta, according to local authorities.

Arrivals had been increasing, but reasons are still unclear

The escalation at the frontier between Spain and Morocco comes after a surge in migrants attempting to reach the small exclave, mainly by swimming, on Wednesday.

Moroccan authorities have not publicly commented on the crossings, and Morocco's Interior Ministry did not respond to requests for comment.

Spain’s Interior Ministry said the Moroccan government was “closely cooperating” with Spain to handle the situation and that Moroccan police are stopping “numerous people” who are trying to cross the border. Both countries agreed to work together “for the return, as soon as possible, of all the people who entered Ceuta illegally.”

The ministry earlier said it would guarantee the safety of citizens and the integrity of the nation’s border but that the Spanish government could not declare a national emergency — as local authorities had asked — over migration concerns.

The chaos had ripple effects in Italy, another key destination for migrants. Premier Giorgia Meloni threatened to suspend Italy's open-border Schengen agreement with Spain “to defend our borders and ensure the safety of our citizens," though Italy doesn't share a border with Spain.

Ceuta authorities had previously linked the surge to a Spanish Supreme Court ruling earlier this month that barred authorities from immediately returning migrants who arrive by sea without due process. The ruling does not apply to migrants who enter Spain by land, including by climbing over the border fence.

But some activists in Morocco expressed doubt that the ruling was behind the surge, arguing most migrants would have been unaware of such legal decisions.

Spain is a main point of arrival into Europe for migrants seeking better economic opportunities or an escape from violence in their home countries.

To reach Ceuta, located on the northern African coast, migrants often swim from the Moroccan town of Fnideq, covering about 3.1 miles (5 kilometers) to reach Spanish territory. Others attempt the crossing from the nearby town of Belyounech, where the distance is shorter.

The scenes of people streaming across the frontier recall the border crisis of May 2021 when more than 8,000 migrants poured into Ceuta in just two days.

At the time, Morocco was accused of easing border controls and allowing migrants to cross into Ceuta after Spain allowed Polisario Front leader Brahim Ghali to receive treatment at a Spanish hospital, triggering a diplomatic crisis between Rabat and Madrid. The pro-independence Polisario Front for decades has claimed to be the legitimate representative of the Sahrawi people of the Western Sahara. Morocco claims Western Sahara as its own.

Ceuta authorities ask Madrid to declare emergency, send army

Juan Jesús Vivas, the head of Ceuta’s regional government, called for the national government to declare an emergency on grounds of national security, asking for more police and for the army to be deployed on the border “to guarantee the inviolability of the frontier and citizen safety.”

He had warned Wednesday that migrant reception centers were overwhelmed with hundreds of people sleeping on the streets after more than 1,500 migrants entered the territory in the past week. Thousands more crossed overnight and on Thursday.

Spain’s Interior Ministry, which tracks irregular migration, would not confirm the number of migrants who had made it to Ceuta in the last few days but said it would publish its next migration report on Aug. 3. As of July 15, nearly 3,000 migrants had entered Ceuta by land or sea this year, according to ministry figures.

Legislation covering a declaration of national emergencies does not consider migration flows as a risk to national security, according to the ministry, which said government agencies are “coordinating to respond with speed and efficacy to the situation in Ceuta.”

Ceuta, which is perched on a historical isthmus, has been a Spanish possession since 1580. Its mixed population of Christians and Muslims, Spanish and Moroccan residents and day workers, lives in relative harmony behind a border fence that many desperate migrants from across Africa attempt to cross for a better life in Europe.

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Brito reported from Barcelona, Spain. AP journalists Joseph Wilson in Barcelona and Akram Oubachir in Casablanca, Morocco, contributed to this report.

A person familiar with the deal said Samuel agreed on Thursday to return to the 49ers on a one-year contract worth up to $7 million. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal hadn't been announced.

NFL Network first reported the agreement.

Samuel spent his first six seasons with the 49ers after being drafted in the second round in 2019, helping the team reach the Super Bowl twice and earning All-Pro honors in 2021 when he had 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns.

Samuel was traded to Washington in 2025 for a fifth-round draft pick and had 72 catches for 727 yards and five TDs for the Commanders last season. He became a free agent in March and now will join the Niners to provide reinforcement with Pearsall out.

Samuel has 406 career catches for 5,519 yards and 27 touchdowns and has been one of the most dynamic players after the catch in the NFL. His average of 8.7 yards after the catch on receptions rank first among all receivers with at least 100 catches since 2019. He also has rushed for 1,218 yards and 21 TDs in 97 career games.

The move comes a day after the 49ers announced that Pearsall was sidelined with a knee injury that could require surgery. The team said Pearsall had swelling in the right knee that was related to the posterior cruciate ligament injury that forced him to miss eight games in the 2025 regular season. The Niners are concerned that the knee is still an issue after Pearsall participated in just two practices in training camp and were evaluating all options.

Pearsall has flashed when he is healthy, but has struggled to stay on the field since being drafted in the first round in 2024. He missed most of training camp as a rookie with a shoulder injury and then was shot in a robbery attempt just before the start of that season. Pearsall returned to make 31 catches for 400 yards and three TDs in 11 games.

Pearsall was slowed early last summer by a hamstring injury, but got off to a fast start with 20 catches for 327 yards in his first four games before going down with a knee injury in Week 4. He has 67 catches for 928 yards and three TDs in 20 games over two seasons.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

Time was running out to find survivors, as rescuers continued to work in the Kumamoto area on Japan ’s southern main island of Kyushu, where the magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Tuesday. The number of people missing was unclear.

Of the deaths given in the latest tally, 25 have been confirmed as related to the disaster, but there were nine more deaths under investigation as likely to be connected, the Kumamoto prefectural government said. The quake left at least 86 people injured, five of them seriously, it said.

Survivors spoke about desperately pulling family members out of the wreckage. Some had suffered injuries and were rushed to the hospital.

Thousands of people spent another night at evacuation centers set up throughout the area at schools and other big spaces. Some homes were still without water or electricity, while others were simply afraid to go back.

Nearly 19,000 homes were still without electricity and more than 9,000 people were staying in the roughly 400 shelters, where power sources were being added to provide air conditioning.

Concerns were growing about illness, including from the sweltering heat. The Ministry of Environment sent out a heatstroke alert for the Kumamoto area, with temperatures rising above 33 C (91 F) Thursday.

Some evacuees sleep in cars

In the town of Hikawa, one of the hardest-hit areas in Kumamoto, many residents are without water or electricity, or both, and some were staying inside their vehicles in parks, at the town hall parking lot, or outside their homes. More than 800 of the town of about 4,500 households were destroyed or damaged, officials said.

At the front entrance of the town hall, officials delivered bottled water and packaged instant rice, while the Ground Self-Defense Force service members came with a trolley to provide fresh water.

Hirokazu Sato, a nurse, whose house was destroyed, is staying in his passenger car at the town hall parking lot with his wife and three children, because he worries that his 1-year-old baby could be a nuisance to others if they take shelter at an evacuation center.

“I can't sleep sitting in the car, so sometimes I go out for a walk during the night,” Sato says. “I hope the town will provide temporary housing soon.”

Yoshiaki Nakashima, a 66-year-old resident who came with two bottles and his beloved pet dog to get water, said he is staying in a car because of his reluctance to stay at one of the three evacuation centers in the area. He also said he doesn’t want to sleep at home because aftershocks made him feel uneasy.

“It’s difficult to turn over while sleeping in a car,” he said, but added that living at a shelter is even more difficult.

Akiko Inazaki, another resident in her 30s, is living in a tent set up in the yard of her home, which has been without water and electricity since the quake. Inazaki, who also came to get water, said she will use it little by little.

“Fresh water is so valuable,” she said. Inazaki said she drank so little that she almost had a heatstroke.

Risks of heatstroke are a major concern among officials.

Yutaka Kobayashi, a doctor dispatched from central Japan's Aichi prefecture, said he was touring evacuation centers Thursday to assess the condition of evacuees, especially elderly people and those with injuries as they cope with a harsh environment.

“We have to make sure elderly people are not developing heatstrokes or dehydration,” he said in Hikawa.

While the town parking lot was nearly packed the first night, some residents have moved to three public schools where air-conditioning is running, Hikawa officials said.

A town official, Yuzuru Tamura, said they are starting to run out of emergency food supply, such as canned bread and instant rice.

Emergency personnel search for missing people

The most serious damage was at the Aeon Mall shopping center in the town of Kashima, which was bustling with thousands of people when the quake struck in the late afternoon.

The company said some 3,000 customers were evacuated to a parking lot before the explosion happened in another part of the mall, where some people were still working. The mall’s second floor collapsed, trapping people.

On Thursday, seven people were confirmed to have died at the mall site among the 12 people pulled out of the wreckage, according to Kumamoto authorities.

In the Yatsushiro area, where a chimney collapsed at a Nippon Paper Industries factory, 10 people were rescued, but eight others died, and one remained missing, the Kumamoto prefectural disaster team said.

Footage provided by the Japanese government and military showed rescue workers drilling through the collapsed parts of the building in an attempt to get to anyone who may still be trapped inside.

Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told reporters the central government will take a lead role in coordinating the various rescue efforts. Restoring electricity, gas and water to stricken areas, while providing a supply of fresh water is key, she said.

“The needs on the ground are constantly changing. To put to rest the people's feelings of uncertainty, we will do all that needs to be done,” she said.

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Associated Press writer Yuri Kageyama in Tokyo contributed to this report.

Amazon’s fully autonomous Zoox vehicles got approval Thursday to begin charging customers for rides in the specially designed cars that feature four inward-facing seats once they secure state and local approval. Zoox has already been offering free rides in Las Vegas and San Francisco since last year. At least a couple people were waiting at most stops Thursday afternoon for rides up and down the Vegas strip aboard one of the distinctive boxy-shaped vehicles.

“It’s kind of scary at first, but when I just got used to it, it’s really cool and chilling. I really liked the music and how you can adjust the temperature,” Chloe Huu from Ann Arbor, Michigan, said after taking a ride in a Zoox Thursday. But the projected wait time for the ride kept changing, which made it hard to plan.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration also proposed a rule last month to allow robotaxis to operate without brake pedals, but that proposal is still pending. Administrator Jonathan Morrison said his agency wants to update the regulations to fit these fully autonomous vehicles while still acting as the “cop on the beat to make sure that this is being done right.”

Most vehicle safety regulations were written decades ago, always with the assumption that there would be a human driver behind the wheel. But Morrison said that things like steering wheels, windshield wipers and side-view mirrors aren't really needed in an autonomous vehicle.

“If you’re going to be developing a standard in the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, nobody at that time had this imagination, nobody had a crystal ball that you might have technologies that would enable the vehicle to drive itself,” Morrison said.

Questions remain about robotaxi safety

The Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety group raised concerns about Zoox’s plan to operate without a steering wheel or other standard controls because the company didn’t provide detailed evidence to show that its vehicles could operate safely on public roads.

“Lots of promises, lots of glossy language, lots of ‘We believe, we think we’ll do this.’ Yet there really was no data behind the promises, and that’s really concerning to us,” said Peter Kurdock, who is general counsel for the Advocates group.

Morrison said this technology does offer the promise of never driving distracted or drunk like human drivers do, but robotaxis have had some problems. Sometimes they're just weird behaviors like stopping in the middle of the road or struggling to get out of a parking lot. But he said NHTSA responded to the incidents of autonomous cars passing school buses or interfering with first responders, with investigations, recalls and calls to action.

“Sometimes we have seen unsafe behaviors, and we jump on that really quickly again. That’s our job at NHTSA,” Morrison said. But he said Americans shouldn't be terribly worried about the safety of these robotaxis.

“By and large we’re really excited about the promise of this technology and we want to see that promise fulfilled,” he said.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety said recently that the limited crash data the government requires autonomous vehicle companies to submit makes it hard to assess the safety record of these robotaxis as they continue to expand across the country.

Most companies don't report how many miles their autonomous vehicles drove, which makes it impossible to calculate a crash rate, according to the IIHS. And there isn't a clear standard for which incidents must be reported. So autonomous vehicle companies are reporting many more minor incidents than human drivers, who tend to only report a crash when there is significant damage or injuries.

Robotaxi industry is expanding quickly nationwide

Zoox and Tesla are working to catch up to the industry-leading Waymo that already operates in multiple cities. Waymo is owned by Google's parent company, Alphabet.

Zoox CEO Aicha Evans said this approval is an important milestone for autonomous vehicles.

“This achievement reflects a shared commitment to enabling innovation while maintaining the highest standards of safety,” Evans said.

Amazon hopes to eventually produce as many as 10,000 robotaxis a year at a plant near Silicon Valley as it works to challenge Waymo. Amazon paid $1.2 billion to acquire self-driving startup Zoox. Initially, Zoox will only be allowed to deploy up to 2,500 vehicles without steering wheels over the next two years as it works to prove the technology is safe. The company said that more than half a million people have already ridden in its vehicles.

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AP Transportation Writer Josh Funk reported from Omaha, Nebraska.

The changes at the National Jamboree, which ends Friday, reflect shifts made by Scouting America since the organization became a target of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth over what he calls “woke” policies. Some scouts who had planned to attend the event in West Virginia said they backed out because Scouting America scrapped the inclusion initiatives it previously celebrated.

Hegseth threatened to end the Pentagon's century-old partnership with Scouting America if it did not make changes including refocusing away from diversity initiatives. The organization, previously known as Boy Scouts of America, rebranded in 2024 to emphasize inclusion and the growing number of girls in the scouting ranks.

“Scouting fundamentally is a safe place for young people to have fun,” said Samuel J. Aronson, an assistant scoutmaster who has organized inclusive events at previous national events. “In the absence of these spaces, we’re denying all that, both the safety and the fun, to thousands of young people.”

Thousands attend the National Jamboree

This year, about 15,000 scouts, leaders and volunteers from across the country are attending the 10-day event in the mountains of West Virginia. In addition to activities including mountain biking and kayaking, the gathering hosts leadership programs and educational sessions.

A Scouting America spokesperson said the organization remains “fully committed to welcoming and serving all youth,” but did not address questions about the changes to the jamboree.

The Pentagon made a deal with Scouting America in February but the two sides have given conflicting accounts of that agreement. This month, a gay rights activist obtained the memo outlining the agreement from the Defense Department after filing a lawsuit, arguing that clarity was of public importance.

The six-page document spells out ways the Pentagon will monitor compliance, including that officials from each organization would have “periodic touchpoints and meet” as needed. It was obtained by James Dale, who was expelled from the Boy Scouts in the early 1990s for being gay and later sued over discrimination. He equated the Pentagon's tactics to the actions of a bully.

“They basically have their thumb on the organization, threatening them under constant pressure,” Dale said.

Deal preserves ties between Scouting America and Pentagon

The scouts and the military have long held close ties; The military provides logistical support for the jamboree and some scout troops meet on or near bases.

Asked about the implementation and monitoring of the deal, a Pentagon spokesperson referred to previous comments by Hegseth.

In February, Hegseth posted a video that said his department would “vigorously review” changes made by Scouting America and would cease the military’s longtime support of the organization if it failed to comply by late August.

Some scouts disappointed by changes to inclusion efforts

John Andrew Segebarth, a 21-year-old college student and Eagle Scout, has been disheartened by the agreement. He joined the scout ranks in first grade and said he had been looking forward to staffing the space for LGBTQ+ and Allied Scouts at this year’s jamboree.

Segebarth, who is gay and was elected by peers as a national officer for scouts in 2024, said the removal of inclusive spaces is a sharp reversal for Scouting America. National scouting events in recent years included community spaces for girls, scouts of color, LGBTQ+ scouts and persons with disabilities, according to Aronson.

“Scouting’s kind of walking back on its values that they told me they believed in,” said Segebarth who, along with Aronson, decided not to attend the jamboree this year.

It was at a community tent that Layla Grace found the first place where she could talk openly about being a transgender female. Now a 21-year-old assistant scoutmaster, Grace had also planned to staff the space for LGBTQ+ and Allied Scouts in West Virginia this year.

When the spaces were canceled, Grace said she almost didn't go to the jamboree but decided she wanted to be there to help those in need. She wound up volunteering at an area dedicated to addressing issues that include mental health, food security and education.

And she's trying to fill the gap left by the removal of inclusive areas.

“I am wearing so many rainbows on me, my right hand has my nails painted in the lesbian flag and my left hand has my nails painted in the transgender flag,” she said. “I am being as loud as I can to do my best to hopefully make up for the lack of community spaces.”

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Associated Press reporter Ben Finley contributed to this report from Washington.

The blast was apparently triggered by a buildup of methane gas and occurred on the outskirts of the Baluchistan provincial capital of Quetta, said government mine inspector Ghani Baloch.

The bodies of seven people were recovered hours after the blast, and emergency responders later found 25 more bodies, officials and a provincial disaster management agency said in a statement. It said the search and rescue operation was continuing, with rescue teams working to locate and recover the remaining trapped miners.

Baloch said rescue operations would continue until all the trapped miners were found, but he added that officials believed the death toll likely would rise further.

“The chances of finding anyone alive diminish after methane gas explosions because oxygen levels drop to zero, and rescuers are also proceeding cautiously inside the mine,” Baloch said.

Authorities were handing over the bodies to their families for burial, while relatives of those still trapped waited anxiously for news, Baloch said.

Baluchistan’s Minister for Mines and Minerals Shoaib Nosherwani said the rescue teams were working under extremely difficult conditions.

Nosherwani expressed condolences to relatives of the victims and said the provincial government would pay compensation of 500,000 Pakistani rupees (about $1,800) to the family of each miner killed in the blast.

He said authorities would conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the explosion, and would review mining safety measures.

A coal miners’ labor union said it suspected negligence led to the explosion and called for action against those responsible. In a statement, the Pakistan Central Mines Labour Federation urged the government to strictly enforce safety regulations and take tough action against companies that violate mine safety laws.

Deadly accidents are common in Pakistan’s coal mining industry, particularly in Baluchistan, where many mines lack adequate ventilation, gas monitoring systems and other basic safety measures.

Mine workers and labor groups have long accused mine owners of failing to enforce safety regulations or provide adequate protective equipment.

Despite the risks and low wages, thousands of miners depend on the coal industry for their livelihoods in Baluchistan, Pakistan’s largest but least developed province, where unemployment and poverty remain widespread.

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Ahmed reported from Islamabad.

Mayor Katie Wilson's announcement followed hours of speculation about whether Police Chief Shon Barnes would step down, as some of his supporters said he had rebuffed Wilson’s request to resign.

Wilson said she was appointing Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, a law enforcement veteran with more than two decades of experience, as interim chief.

Barnes told The Seattle Times earlier Thursday that whether he remained as chief was “up to the mayor.” He said he was off for the day and spending time with family.

In a written statement, the mayor said she was grateful for Barnes' service. The statement included comments in which Barnes called it an honor to have served the city.

“I hope this transition gives the city and this department the opportunity to return full focus to what matters most, addressing youth gun violence and preventing more tragedies,” Barnes said.

Barnes was out of town at a law enforcement conference when gunfire erupted last weekend at the Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers. Three people, including one suspect, were killed, and four people were wounded. One of the injured was a 2-year-old boy.

Dozens of officers were at the event, and at least one saw a 15-year-old suspect firing into a crowd and quickly persuaded him to surrender, according to court documents. Police are still searching for at least one other person.

While Wilson credited the quick police response with potentially saving lives, she acknowledged that the city was slow to communicate in the aftermath.

After an initial social media post announcing the shooting, it took nearly five hours for police to provide any additional information to the public, including whether there was any ongoing threat. The city also failed to send out any notifications through its emergency alert system. In the meantime Wilson announced that two people had been taken into custody, a statement she later retracted.

Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis finally provided an update around 11 p.m. Sunday during a news conference that was also attended by the mayor, Gov. Bob Ferguson and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal.

“What I did not fully understand in that moment was how little information had reached the public or the press since the incident began at 6 p.m.,” Wilson said in a video statement Thursday. “Had I known that, I would have pushed for an immediate briefing, rather than waiting for a press conference to be organized.”

Barnes was the second Black police chief in Seattle.

Several Black community organizations, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, rallied to try to save his job Thursday. In an open letter to the mayor's office, they credited him with improving relations between the department and the community, helping reduce gun violence and strengthening the department's operations.

“Chief Barnes should not be made a scapegoat for the complex challenges of public safety,” the letter said.

At least six City Council members issued statements supporting Barnes. A statement signed by four of them pointed out that the city has had four chiefs in less than three years.

“Our priority must be stability, not further disruption,” it said.

Barnes was appointed by Seattle's previous mayor, Bruce Harrell, in December 2024 after serving as chief of the Madison, Wisconsin, police department.

When Wilson — a democratic socialist who once supported defunding police — won the mayor's race last year, she kept Barnes on as chief. That was a signal to the city's business establishment and community groups that she did not intend to take a radically different approach to public safety.

“Seattle had been on a positive course on public safety with police hiring trending up and crime trending down,” Jon Scholes, president of the Downtown Seattle Association, said in an emailed statement. “It’s imperative the next chief of police is able to maintain progress that’s been made and instill confidence in our community.”

Barnes faced some criticism for spending time in Chicago, where his family lives. Sgt. Patrick Michaud, a department spokesperson, said Thursday that Barnes has made four trips to Chicago this year and spent in total about 18 days traveling there.

The resignation comes as Seattle heads into another big festival weekend. Seafair Weekend Festival 2026 — a boating event, air show and festival — starts Friday.

The U.S. and Iran each fired barrages of missiles Thursday, as the pattern of back-and-forth strikes took hold again. After a brief respite, the risk of a return to all-out war emerged once more, with the fighting threatening to engulf even more countries. Jordan said Thursday it intercepted Iranian missiles for a second day, while Kuwait said a strike in the northern part of the country killed one person.

Most Americans say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, and Trump’s approval rating on Iran has fallen slightly since last month, according to a new AP-NORC poll. The results are a stark repudiation of Trump’s approach to the conflict, which has dragged on far longer than he originally predicted.

Here's the Latest:

Body cameras will start being shipped to ICE offices next week, Maine senator says

Republican Sen. Susan Collins said she met Thursday with Immigration and Customs Enforcement for an update after the deadly shooting of a Colombian native in Biddeford, Maine.

Collins says Acting ICE Director David Venturella confirmed that its policy requires at least one ICE officer to wear a body-worn camera when conducting enforcement interactions, including any vehicle stops.

She says that by the end of August, body-worn cameras will be deployed nationwide and worn by all ICE agents in the field.

Collins, who is the chair of the powerful Appropriations Committee, said that Venturella told her that Homeland Security has awarded a contract to purchase additional body-worn cameras, and that they will start being shipped to field offices next week. She said he agreed with her request to prioritize Maine.

Collins helped secure $20 million for the cameras in the department’s funding package Congress approved earlier this year.

Appeals court rejects the administration’s expansion of mandatory detention for immigrants

A federal appeals court says the Trump administration cannot deny immigrants detained inside the United States a chance for release on bond.

The 2-1 decision Thursday by the San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals deepens a split between federal appeals courts over the administration’s mandatory detention policy.

Under previous administrations, most noncitizens without a criminal record who were arrested inside the U.S. could seek a bond hearing while their immigration cases were pending. Last July, immigration officials issued guidance expanding mandatory detention to immigrants in the U.S. interior.

The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement it was confident in its legal position on mandatory detention.

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The Trump administration is ending a Medicare drug subsidy program. Here’s how it could affect costs

Millions of older adults on Medicare prescription drug coverage could face higher monthly costs in 2027.

The Trump administration said this week it has decided to end a temporary subsidy program that helped offset premiums for the past two years.

The program was initially implemented by former President Joe Biden’s administration in 2024 to lower Medicare Part D prescription drug costs in response to the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act.

While federal officials say the financial impact will be minimal, the decision opens the administration to potential political consequences in a high-stakes midterm election year.

Democrats have criticized the move, calling it an attack on healthcare affordability.

▶ Read more

RFK Jr. launches an HHS cooking show

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is known for eating a “carnivore” diet of red meat and fermented foods – but he’s broadening those horizons for a new online cooking show.

He and celebrity chef Andrew Gruel prepared crispy salmon cakes and an arugula, apple and white bean salad in the first episode of “The Real Food Show,” posted Thursday with the branding of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The department says the show will provide examples of nutritious and affordable meals for Americans who want to eat healthier. It comes months after the Trump administration released new dietary guidelines at the start of this year.

Bessent says US expects China to meet rare earth and agriculture commitments

After meeting on Thursday with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on social media that the Trump administration expects Beijing “to fully meet its commitments on rare earths and U.S. agricultural products.” Trade representative Greer also attended, Bessent said.

The meeting between finance and trade officials sets the stage for Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s expected meeting face to face in September.

Bessent said the group also discussed implementation of the Trade and Investment Boards as a way to build more “balanced, fair, and constructive U.S.-China economic relationship.”

What to know about Trump’s nearly $1.8B fund to compensate allies claiming political targeting

Back in May, the Justice Department announced that allies of the president who believe they have been wrongly investigated and prosecuted could soon have access to a nearly $1.8 billion compensation fund.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” would represent “a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.” Blanche’s statement made no mention of how investigations and prosecutions of Trump’s political opponents under his watch have exposed the Justice Department to the same claims of politicized law enforcement that he has said he opposed.

The fund was announced as part of a deal to resolve Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns, but was subsequently scrapped and a federal judge blocked the fund’s creation.

Trump-branded commemorative USA 250 passports to become more widely available

The State Department says its limited-edition Trump-branded commemorative USA 250 passports will soon become available to Americans outside the greater Washington, D.C., area.

Beginning next month, the department’s 27 passport agencies around the nation will start one-day events, offering the so-called “Patriot Passports” that feature a page emblazoned with a stern portrait of Trump. Previously, the commemorative passports were only available at the Washington, D.C., passport office for in-person applicants.

Starting on Aug. 8, passport offices in seven cities including Chicago, New York City and Dallas will offer the Trump passports. More passport offices will be included throughout August. Applicants wanting the special passport must apply to the selected offices in person on the day specified. Those wanting a traditional passport must apply on different days.

A total of 250,000 of the commemorative passports will be available.

Trump wants more military veterans to become commercial truckers

The president hosted an event on the White House campus where he said America’s roads had been “terrorized by unqualified illegal aliens dangerously driving big rigs” and that he would replace these immigrants with “highly qualified American veterans.”

The administration has dubbed the program the “Freedom Haulers Initiative,” under which anyone who has driven a heavy truck for the military would automatically be eligible for a commercial drivers license.

Trump said that 34 states are part of the initiative.

Immigrants account for about 20% of all truck drivers, but all of these non-domiciled licenses for immigrants represent only about 5% of all commercial driver’s licenses, or about 200,000 drivers.

State Department says ‘unfortunate error’ led to badly mislabeled map of Africa at AIDS conference

The State Department is taking full responsibility for a badly mislabeled map of Africa that was presented at a global AIDS conference last week in Brazil.

It said that should not take away from the Trump administration’s commitment to fighting the deadly virus.

“This was an unfortunate error caused by a team member who hastily altered the slide deck immediately before the presentation at the AIDS 2026 Conference,” the department said Thursday after photos of the map were posted online by conference participants.

A photo of the map was shared by AIDS activist Emily Bass in a Substack post on Sunday showing six countries mislabeled. Among them, Nigeria was placed in roughly the same location as Niger; Ivory Coast, placed in southern Africa; Mozambique, placed in the Horn of Africa; and Cameroon, placed in what appeared to be the location of Ghana. The State Department confirmed that six countries were misidentified.

Senate rejects another war powers resolution to halt Iran war

Most Senate Republicans voted against advancing the measure in the Democrats’ latest effort to end Trump’s engagement in military action without congressional approval.

“We were told this president would bring peace and lower prices,” said Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New Year, who sponsored the resolution. “What is President Trump doing? Pouring bills of tax dollars into an open-ended war with Iran.”

The tally was 49-50. Three Republicans, Sen. Susan Collins of Maine, Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska and Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, joined most Democrats to advance the measure. Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania joined Republicans to oppose.

Since the war began earlier this year, House and Senate Democrats have introduced more than a dozen war powers resolutions. None has passed both chambers.

Democratic senators call on Treasury to move forward with new Tubman $20 bill

Ten Democratic senators are calling on Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to provide more details about whether a longtime effort to place Harriet Tubman’s likeness on the $20 bill has been canceled or merely delayed.

The senators are following up on comments Bessent made to Spectrum News, saying Treasury was “not at present” planning to put Tubman on the $20 bill.

The senators in their letter are calling on Bessent to immediately reconsider and resume plans to create the new bill. They are also asking for a briefing on the matter. Meanwhile, the senators noted that Treasury has prepared the design for a $250 bill featuring Trump.

The effort to place the 19th-century abolitionist leader on the $20 bill began more than a decade ago.

Trump says he may delay Blanche nomination until dissenting senators leave office

Trump says he may withdraw Todd Blanche’s nomination as attorney general until Republican senators who are seeking concessions from the top prosecutor leave office next year.

Trump doubled down Thursday on choosing his former personal lawyer as the nation’s top lawman, calling him “a STAR.” He said he’ll keep Blanche as acting attorney general until Republican Sens. John Cornyn and Thom Tillis are gone.

Cornyn and Tillis have demanded additional assurances in writing that the “Anti-Weaponization Fund” is dead and have pressed for clarification on the scope of a tax immunity deal Trump secured by suing the Internal Revenue Service. Cornyn has said he wants the administration to modify that piece of the settlement to make clear that it covers only existing audits and does not protect the president from examination of future tax filings.

Trump’s comments came after the Senate Judiciary Committee postponed a planned vote on Thursday to advance Blanche’s nomination.

Senate committee advances nomination of Dr. Erica Schwartz to be Trump’s CDC director

A Senate committee on Thursday advanced Dr. Erica Schwartz’s nomination to be director of the nation’s top public health agency, setting aside concerns that she won’t stand up to political meddling.

If confirmed by the full Senate, the 54-year-old would become the 22nd director of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Her resume includes medical and law degrees, a stint as deputy surgeon general, and a leadership position with the U.S. Coast Guard.

Schwartz appeared to be on shaky ground after Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and others questioned whether she would be willing to stand up to Robert F. Kennedy Jr. if the health secretary ordered CDC to do something unsupported by science and good public health practice. Cassidy later expressed confidence that “she knows what she’s doing.”

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US-Iran conflict enters new phase as Saudi Arabia helps hit proxies and diplomacy stalls again

The stop-start fighting between the United States and Iran appears to have entered a new phase with Saudi Arabia publicly joining military escalations against Tehran-backed proxies and an already untenable diplomatic effort to end the war faltering once again.

Little is clear about what strategy, if any, American or Iranian officials have for a path forward. The Republican president has vacillated for months between insisting a deal was near to end the war and Tehran’s nuclear program, and using vulgarities and threats to try to get Iran to capitulate.

The stakes for continued U.S. military action have never been higher for Trump and his party as the conflict, unpopular among many Americans, has jolted the world economy months before voters get their say in November. The renewed fighting has killed and injured more American troops and raised concerns about drawing down the stockpiles of key U.S. air defense systems.

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Trump touts his tariffs in Michigan despite rising costs

Flying to a rally at General Motors this week, the president declared that “car companies are doing better than they’ve ever done” thanks to his tariffs, “all because of Trump.”

“It’s amazing what tariffs will do for General Motors,” he said before autographing a white Corvette. “Michigan is thriving,” he told cheering supporters.

That’s not exactly true, according to many metrics. Tariffs have cost businesses in Michigan and across the country billions of dollars while stoking inflation that continues to run hot. Many Americans believe tariffs have pushed prices higher and the war in Iran has increased gasoline prices, hurting consumer confidence in the economy.

There are few places where Trump’s boasts and economic reality are more likely to collide ahead of November’s midterm elections than in battleground Michigan, which holds its primary on Tuesday.

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Opposition to FIFA’s World Cup private equity plan grows

Global opposition is growing to FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s plan for selling a stake in World Cup revenue to private investors.

The FIFA project would be underwritten by a New York investment vehicle, Thrive Eternal, created by Joshua Kushner, the brother of Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner. Infantino has had close ties to Jared Kushner and held secret talks with potential backers in the U.S. about creating the $20 billion FIFA Forward Enterprise subsidiary with $4.2 billion of private equity.

“FIFA’s unilateral actions appear to undermine the very foundations of continental football,” the Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al Khalifa warned in a letter Thursday to member federations that was seen by The Associated Press.

It circulated as the 55-nation European soccer body UEFA met Thursday to shape a resistance strategy. The 35-member North American soccer body CONCACAF, meanwhile, said it is “deeply concerned by the lack of due process” in Infantino’s project.

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US economy turns in sluggish 1.5% second-quarter growth and inflation remains above Fed target

The U.S. economy expanded at a sluggish 1.5% pace from April through June as rising imports weighed on growth. But consumer spending rose. And the Federal Reserve’s favored measure of inflation grew more slowly last month, by 3.7%, but remained above the central bank’s 2% target.

The Commerce Department reported Thursday that growth in U.S. gross domestic product — the nation’s output of goods and services — decelerated from 2.1% in the first three months of 2026 and came in below economists’ expectations.

The Fed on Wednesday chose to leave its benchmark interest rate unchanged for the fifth straight meeting. But three regional Fed presidents dissented, saying they wanted to raise rates to combat elevated inflation.

Higher costs have frustrated Americans ahead of November’s midterm elections, which will determine whether Trump’s Republicans keep full control of Congress.

US filings for jobless benefits rise to 197,000 last week, but layoffs remain historically low

The number of Americans applying for unemployment benefits rose last week but layoffs remain in the historically healthy range of the past few years.

U.S. filings for jobless aid in the week ending July 25 rose by 9,000 to 197,000, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The previous week’s figure was revised up by 1,000 to 188,000 but remains the lowest in more than 50 years.

Analysts surveyed by the data firm FactSet forecast 207,000 new applications.

Weekly filings for unemployment benefits are considered representative of layoffs and are close to a real-time indicator of the health of the U.S. job market.

Urban League report says Trump harms Black Americans’ chances at American Dream

The American Dream may not be dead for many Black Americans, but a National Urban League report warns that it’s further away than at any point since the Civil Rights Movement.

The 50th annual “State of Black America” report released Thursday grimly describes Black Americans ’ economic and political prospects as having worsened due to Trump’s policies. A copy obtained by The Associated Press says all Americans should be concerned.

“While they have targeted and focused on Black Americans, these attacks are going to impact broadly working Americans, poor Americans, aspirational middle-class Americans, and this is what this report points to,” said Marc Morial, the league’s president and CEO.

Morial urged concerned Americans to respond at the ballot box and with their pocketbooks. “We cannot be dejected. We cannot be cynical. We must act,” Morial said.

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Most say it’s important to keep gas prices down: AP-NORC poll

Many Americans continue to be concerned about the pocketbook impact of the Iran war, the new poll shows.

About 7 in 10 U.S. adults — 72% — say it’s “extremely” or “very” important for the U.S. to prevent domestic oil and gas prices from rising, up slightly from 67% in March.

A similar share, 70%, say it’s highly important for the U.S. to reach a ceasefire agreement with Iran.

Americans’ goals for the Iran war may not be fully aligned with Trump, who has repeatedly said the war was launched to keep a nuclear weapon out of Iran’s hands.

While about two-thirds of U.S. adults say it’s “extremely” or “very” important to keep Iran from gaining a nuclear weapon — with Republicans especially likely to say this — Americans are more likely to prioritize low gas prices and a permanent ceasefire with Iran.

About two-thirds say the Iran war is not worth fighting: AP-NORC poll

Most U.S. adults say the war in Iran has not been worth fighting, according to a new AP-NORC poll. About two-thirds of U.S. adults say the war with Iran, which began Feb. 28, has not been worthwhile. That includes the vast majority of Democrats and independents, as well as about 37% of Republicans.

The poll shows little appetite among Americans for a prolonged conflict.

Only about 2 in 10 U.S. adults want to continue military action in Iran, while about 3 in 10 say the U.S. should pause military action and seek a renewed ceasefire through negotiations. About 2 in 10 want to completely stop military action in Iran and roughly one-quarter don’t know enough to say.

Preston Tolth is the only person ever charged and convicted in connection with the 2021 disappearance of Begay, a weaver and grandmother of nine from a remote community on the Navajo Nation who has never been found. He acknowledged stealing her truck, beating her and leaving her on the side of the road.

Her case has become emblematic of the heartache felt across Indian Country when loved ones go missing or are killed. Begay's photo appears at marches. Her name is regularly invoked at rallies calling attention to the crisis.

Phoenix police arrested Tolth, 27, on Tuesday after getting a call about a home break-in. Officers found him about a block away, wearing clothing that matched the description of the suspect and carrying a pocket knife, according to court records.

Tolth was released from federal prison in June, five years to the day Begay vanished and two years earlier than his sentence was scheduled to end. The Bureau of Prisons cited a federal statue that counts time served after the commission of a crime but before sentencing, including on unrelated charges, in releasing him early.

Tolth was sent to a transitional housing facility in Phoenix. Under the terms of his plea agreement in federal court, he was not to commit any additional crimes while on supervised release. He also was barred from possessing dangerous weapons.

He faces a single charge of burglary in Maricopa County. Court records did not have an attorney listed for him, and his public defender in the federal case did not respond to an emailed request for comment Thursday.

Esther Winne, a spokesperson for the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona, said the office is aware of his arrest.

“There is a process for handling violations,” Winne said in an email Tuesday, declining further comment.

Gerald Foxworth, an employee at Phoenix Oasis where Tolth was staying, said Tolth returned to the facility drunk on July 4 in violation of program rules. Tolth left on his own after refusing to be transported to a medical center, Foxworth said, and the facility informed Tolth's probation officer.

The U.S. Marshals Service had an active warrant out for Tolth’s arrest when he was picked up by Phoenix police.

The Associated Press left phone and email messages with Tolth's probation officer Thursday requesting comment.

Begay's family said they were unaware Tolth left transitional housing. His arrest is the latest frustration in a case they say has offered little in the way of justice or closure. The eldest of Begay's three children, Gerald Begay, said he is relieved no one was harmed in the break-in.

“(Federal officials) made the decision to release this person. Now he’s out here hurting people,” Begay said. “This could have ended far worse.”

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This story is published through the Global Indigenous Reporting Network at The Associated Press.

He just got quite a confidence boost.

Malnati shot a career-best, 9-under 61 to tie a tournament record in the first round of the final Rocket Classic on Thursday, giving him a two-shot lead.

When Malnati stood on the first tee, his caddie suggested leaving the driver in his bag to play it safe and set up a solid start.

Malnati, though, went against the advice and used his driver to put a tee shot in the middle of the fairway that set up his first of seven birdies on the front nine.

“Even in the beginning before I knew it was going to be a special day, I didn’t feel the same level of like anxiety," he said.

With thoughts of a sub-60 round crossing his mind, he made a 55-foot putt for birdie at No. 11 and was nine under through 13 holes before missing some putts down the stretch in a bogey-free round.

Detroit Golf Club underwent a $16 million renovation, including converting a couple of par-5 holes into par 4s and adding a lot of bunkers, in an attempt to restore Donald Ross’ vision for it more than a century ago, while making it more challenging.

“I don’t think I took advantage of a super easy course,” said the 39-year-old Malnati, who has won on the PGA Tour in 2024 and 2015. “I played great.”

He wasn't alone.

Rickie Fowler and Ryan Gerard shot 63s, putting them two shots back and one stroke ahead of Patrick Cantlay and Patrick Fishburn.

Michael Brennan surged up the leaderboard after starting 2 over through four holes with eight straight birdies — one shy of the PGA Tour record. He finished with a 65, putting him four strokes back with a pack of players that includes Keegan Bradley.

Despite significant changes at the course, Malnati and many other players still went low at a tournament that has been a birdie fest since 2019, when a Detroit-based mortgage company ended a decade-long drought in Michigan without a PGA Tour stop that dated to Tiger Woods winning the last Buick Open.

The PGA Tour is moving to a new model for 2028, effectively creating two tours and Detroit organizers are taking an exit. The Rocket Classic wasn't interested in continuing to spend $15 million a year to be part of the second tier and didn't want to double the costs to be part of the elite tier.

“It’s definitely been a bummer to kind of come into this knowing it was the last one,” said Fowler, a Rocket Mortgage spokesman and the tournament's 2023 champion.

Malnati will have to hold off a field that is stronger than usual in Detroit.

Some of the top players in the field, though, did not get off to a good start. Cameron Young, the No. 3 player in the world, shot a 1-under 69 and U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark was 1 over.

The Rocket Classic and next week's Wyndham Championship are the last two tournaments left before the top 70 advances to the FedEx Cup postseason.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

According to the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, the incident happened Monday night near County Road 452 and Felkins Road in Leesburg, just outside the property of 52-year-old Johnny Paulk.

Investigators said Paulk initially approached the workers on foot and began arguing with them about the flashing warning lights being used at the work site.

Deputies reviewed cellphone video recorded by the workers, which investigators say captured Paulk making threats during the confrontation. One worker told deputies, “He said he was going to flip our truck.”Another worker described the encounter, saying, “He tried to kill us. The ground stopped his forks.”According to investigators, a second video showed Paulk driving his tractor toward the workers. Deputies said the tractor stopped approximately 15 feet away after its front forks dug into the ground, preventing it from reaching the crew.

Business records reviewed by Sunbiz list the address where the incident occurred as the registered location for Johnny Aaron’s Tree Services, a business registered under Paulk’s name.

Former roadside flagger Nadine Winter, who lives near County Road 452, said safety lights are essential for protecting both workers and motorists.

“We’re trying to help keep people safe,” Winter said. “It’s bloody well important. That’s why we have lights like this.”Deputies later located Paulk after spotting the tractor parked behind a mobile home on his property. Body camera video captured deputies taking him into custody without further incident.

Paulk was arrested and charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Jail records show he was released Tuesday after posting a $5,000 bond.

He is expected to appear in court next month.

Whether Hill — the only player in the NFL's Super Bowl era to amass 1,000 or more yards passing, rushing and receiving — continues to play professional football remains to be seen. He did not announce his retirement.

“I’ve taken time this offseason to think carefully about what comes next for my family and me,” Hill said in a social media post Wednesday night. “I still don’t have a clear answer about what the future holds, but I know that returning to New Orleans is not in the cards."

Hill's announcement was largely anticipated; he sold his New Orleans-area home during the offseason and had not signed an extension with the Saints after becoming a free agent in March.

Soon after Hill's post, the Saints posted a highlight video, narrated by record-setting, Hall of Fame-bound quarterback Drew Brees, thanking Hill for his contributions to the franchise.

On the eve of training camp, Saints general manager Mickey Loomis said he had spoken to Hill, but wanted to keep those conversations private for the time being. The uncertainty surrounding those conversations lasted little more than a day.

“As training camp begins, I didn’t want my silence to be misinterpreted," Hill said. "As hard as it is to put into words, I wanted to express my gratitude. To the city of New Orleans: thank you.”

Hill's NFL career began as an undrafted free-agent QB with Green Bay during the 2017 offseason. When he was waived at the end of training camp, the Saints, then coached by Sean Payton, claimed him.

Payton, now coaching the Denver Broncos, initially planed to groom Hill as a possible successor to Brees at QB. But not wanting to let the 6-foot-2, 220-pound Hill's athleticism go to waste, the Saints decided to try him out on special teams as a returner, an upback on punts and covering kicks.

After Hill proved effective in those roles, he became a change-of-pace, running QB who also chipped in at running back, tight end and receiver, earning him the moniker of the Saints' “Swiss Army Knife.”

“You didn't know where they were going to line him up,” said Saints linebacker Kaden Ellis, who played against Hill while with Atlanta the past three seasons. “And then, when he gets the ball, it's a whole other issue.”

Saints coach Kellen Moore said Hill's success led other clubs to explore whether they could incorporate a versatile skill player into their offenses in similar ways.

“Everyone for the last few years has been chasing — let's find the next Taysom — and there's really just one Taysom,” Moore said.

While Hill never won a full-time starting QB job, he started nine times because of injuries. The Saints went 7-2 in those games.

Hill now has career statistics of 2,554 yards and 34 touchdowns rushing; 2,426 yards and 12 TDs passing; and 1,034 yards and 11 touchdowns receiving. In 2023, Hill became the first NFL player in half a century to have 10 touchdowns rushing, passing and receiving.

During his final home game for the Saints, Hill surpassed the career 1,000 yard mark as a receiver and also threw a touchdown pass. He waved goodbye to fans as he left the field after the game, saying he wasn't sure if he'd play in the Superdome again.

If he does, it'll be in a different uniform.

“Taysom’s career to this point as a member of the Saints organization has been remarkable in all facets,” Loomis said in a statement. “His intelligence, unique athletic ability, versatility and unselfishness have benefited this team in many facets for the past nine seasons. Additionally, he’s been a great teammate, excellent leader and mentor."

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL

Darnold was asked Thursday if he feels the narratives about him have gone by the wayside. For years, the discourse on Darnold centered around him being a bust, considering his pedigree as a former No. 3 overall pick, and a transient quarterback who hopped from team to team. Darnold’s first year under center for the Seahawks, after all, marked his fifth team in eight seasons.

Despite the scrutiny, Darnold said his confidence in himself has never wavered.

“I don’t allow myself to really pay attention to anything like that,” Darnold said five days into training camp. “If I do catch wind of it, I have my process on how to handle that. Like I said, it’s just about handling my process and doing it my way, so that when I get out there, it’s not about what I’ve done or what I’m going to do, it’s about what I’m doing right now.

“I think if I just continue to have that mindset as we go on, we’ll be just fine.”

What Darnold is more interested in is getting up to speed with the Seahawks’ new offensive scheme.

First-year offensive coordinator Brian Fleury and Darnold have some familiarity with one another, though. Fleury spent the last four years as the 49ers’ tight ends coach, and Darnold was San Francisco’s backup for the 2023 season.

Darnold has enjoyed getting to reconnect with the stoic Fleury, who has been tasked with replacing current Las Vegas Raiders head coach Klint Kubiak.

“Whether it’s a good play or bad play, his mentality never changes out there on the field, which I already knew about, being in San Francisco with him,” Darnold said. “But, he was always very even keel. Now, getting to spend a lot more time with him as the offensive coordinator, it’s fun to be able to watch him work every single day and see his mentality out there.”

Darnold would also like to keep working on his report with wide receiver Rashid Shaheed, who signed a $51 million, three-year contract in March.

Shaheed, who had 59 catches for 687 yards and two touchdowns last season for Seattle and New Orleans, spent a good chunk of the offseason training with Darnold. The two Southern California natives teamed up at Saddleback College in Orange County, which Darnold imagines will only help Shaheed further get up to speed with the Seahawks ahead of his first full season in Seattle.

“He’s a friendly receiver to throw to,” Darnold said. “... I’m looking forward to him continuing to get more reps and build that chemistry so that we can see him more often getting catches and doing his thing at the receiver position.”

Fans will have plenty of chances to get sneak peaks of Darnold’s and Shaheed’s progress on the HBO show “Hard Knocks”. As the quarterback of the reigning Super Bowl champions, Darnold understands he very well may be one of the focal points of the show.

It’s an impending experience Darnold is prepared for ahead of his ninth NFL season. After a second straight Pro Bowl season, Darnold has proven he belongs among the NFL’s elite quarterbacks after a much-criticized beginning to his professional career.

While Darnold isn’t one to reflect on how far he’s come, coach Mike Macdonald is more than willing to shower praise on his even-keeled quarterback as the Seahawks seek to defend their Super Bowl title.

“The thing I appreciate about Sam – and you can’t speak for everybody — but just every rep is a rep,” Macdonald said. “If it’s in the quarterback room and they’re going over the script, he treats that rep the same as he does here, if it’s practiced online or we’re in a game. It’s all the same. That’s the mental approach that we want all of our guys to take.”

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl

The recording, released by Mississippi authorities this week, captures a July 4 call to a private marine towing company requesting assistance for a boat that was taking in water off Horn Island, where Wells was last seen.

“Our bilge pump stopped working. We’re sinking. Can y’all please come?” the caller asks, noting that there were about seven people on board. The dispatcher then speaks with a captain for the towing company, who said a relative of the boat owner reported those onboard had solved the issue and "don't need any help right now.”

The distress call was made to Sea Tow, a private company, and released to media outlets by the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. Law enforcement officials have said they were told by witnesses that Wells was not on the boat when it left the island.

Speaking at the National Urban League Conference on Thursday, the civil rights attorney Ben Crump said Wells' family had retained audio engineering experts to review the recording. The legal team is also calling on prosecutors to include outside authorities in the review of phones belonging to friends who traveled with Wells to the island.

A voicemail left with the Jackson County District Attorney’s office was not returned.

Wells' parents also attended the conference, pleading for anyone with information to come forward. “We will not rest until we get answers," said his mother, Christine Wonsley.

Online speculation and suspicion mount

The teenager's death has touched off rampant speculation, deepened in part by uncertainty about his final hours, distrust of law enforcement and Mississippi’s long history of racist violence.

The teenager, who was Black, had traveled to the uninhabited island with a group of friends from high school, all of whom were white. He did not return with his friends to the mainland that evening. His body was found two days later off the island’s coast.

A day after the discovery, Jackson County Sheriff John Ledbetter said Wells’ friends were cooperating with authorities and that investigators did not suspect foul play. The sheriff has released few details since but has said the investigation is ongoing.

An independent autopsy commissioned by Wells’ family was inconclusive about the cause of his death. The official autopsy will remain sealed until a grand jury reviews the evidence, which is a standard practice in Jackson County, according to the local district attorney.

In the absence of new information, social media users have seized on videos and photos shared online. Some have made unsubstantiated claims against Wells’ friends, whose attorneys and family members have since reported death threats and doxing campaigns.

Following the release of the dispatch call this week, online sleuths quickly tracked down some of the people mentioned in the audio.

In a statement Wednesday, the parents of a 21-year-old said their son had been doxed and threatened as a result of “outright fabrications” stemming from the audio.

They said he had boarded the malfunctioning boat to help, then briefly towed it a short distance with his own boat. He has since cooperated with law enforcement, provided names of potential witnesses and allowed authorities to inspect his boat and GPS device, the statement added. An attorney for the family said they had already served one person with a cease-and-desist letter for alleged defamatory claims and planned to serve others this week.

Crump defends the attention on the case

On Thursday, Crump rebuffed criticism that his attention on the case could inspire online targeting of others. He noted that Wells’ parents also have faced online attacks.

“We’re not trying to cast aspersions on anybody, we want the truth,” Crump said. “If it was your child, you’d want the same thing."

The attorney was also joined Thursday by relatives of Tyler Smith and Daniel Erving, two Black 18-year-olds who died in recent months, in circumstances that Crump described as “very similar” to Wells' final hours.

Smith, a recent high school graduate from Lexington, Kentucky, died on July 4 from a gunshot wound that police said was accidental and self-inflicted. His family has disputed the determination. Police said the investigation remains ongoing.

Erving drowned in a Texas lake in April after jumping from a railway bridge with two teenage friends, local authorities said. Earlier this month, the two friends were charged with evidence tampering because they had “failed to report the incident and later discarded items belonging to Daniel,” according to a Dallas police spokesperson.

Relatives of both Erving and Smith said their concerns about the investigations had not been taken seriously by local law enforcement.

“Three 18-year-old Black boys all within three months,” Crump said. “We want answers.”

“I can’t wake them up — I can’t get them up!” he frantically told the officers who, along with firefighters and paramedics, gave jurors firsthand accounts on Thursday of the aftermath.

The murder trial has centered on Clancy’s mental state at the time. Her lawyers do not dispute that she strangled the children with exercise bands. But they say she was in the grip of postpartum psychosis, a rare mental illness linked to the stress, sleep deprivation and hormonal changes that follow childbirth.

Prosecutors say Clancy, a former labor and delivery nurse at Massachusetts General Hospital, acted intentionally and is criminally responsible for the deaths in January 2023.

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EDITOR’S NOTE: If you or someone you know needs help, the national suicide and crisis lifeline in the U.S. is available by calling or texting 988. There is also an online chat at 988lifeline.org

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The testimony came after jurors spent two days listening to testimony from Patrick Clancy and his anguished 911 call. He was still on the phone when he discovered the bodies of 3-year-old Dawson, 5-year-old Cora, and 8-month-old Callan, minutes after returning home from an errand his wife asked him to run.

Patrick Clancy has said in interviews that he forgives his ex-wife, whom he viewed as ill rather than evil. The trial marks the first time he has seen Lindsay Clancy since the killings.

She remains paralyzed from the waist down after using multiple methods to try to end her life that night. She says a voice told her, “This is your last chance. Kill the children so you can kill yourself,” according to her lawyer.

Officers Stephen Hall and Brian Josephine testified Thursday that they were each dispatched separately to the house in Duxbury, a coastal town south of Boston. Hall said they arrived to find Patrick Clancy yelling for help from behind the home.

Patrick Clancy testified earlier this week that his injured wife told him the kids were in the basement, but she didn't say they were dead.

When the officers followed the sound of his screams downstairs, only 8-month-old Callan had a faint pulse, Josephine testified.

“Based on my training experience from previous incidents, I knew it wasn’t going to be good,” Josephine said. They began rendering aid with help from firefighters.

PJ Hussey, a fire department supervisor, arrived in time to glimpse through a basement window as Patrick Clancy unwrapped an exercise band from his child's neck.

“It turned very chaotic very quickly” as more ambulances rushed to the house, Hussey testified. Duxbury firefighter and paramedic Jennifer Stratton said the infant never regained a pulse.

If convicted of murder, Lindsay Clancy faces life in prison without parole. If found not guilty due to a lack of criminal responsibility, she would be committed to a state mental health facility.

In opening arguments Monday, her attorney said she had bipolar disorder, and that antidepressants prescribed after the birth of her third child worsened her condition.

Patrick Clancy testified about his wife’s deteriorating mental health in the months leading up to the killings. He said she told him about intrusive thoughts of harming the children, as well as thoughts of suicide.

She sought care from experts in postpartum mood disorders and was put on multiple psychiatric medications. When nothing worked, she checked into a psychiatric hospital. She killed the children 19 days after she was discharged.

Clancy and her ex-husband accuse her medical providers of failing to properly diagnose, treat and monitor her, according to lawsuits filed earlier this year.

Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, the chair of the Senate Commerce Committee and cosponsor of the bill, sent out a social media post that said “The cap is a hard cap. Full stop. That loophole is closed.”

But the refusal by the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference to sign off on changes to the Protect College Sports Act during a frenzied week of negotiating is a sign that they do not agree with Cruz's assessment and would like to see stronger language in the bill.

The Senate broke for the weekend late Thursday without taking action on the bill. It goes on vacation next Friday and the likelihood of the bill reaching a vote before then has grown slim.

One of the key concessions made over the past week was the addition of an up to $27.5 million (up from $25 million) “retention pool" that could be used to keep players on rosters. It would be added to the $21.3 million salary cap already in place to make the new number $48.8 million.

The new cap would then presumably include many of the third-party name, image, likeness deals that circumvent the current cap — many arranged by schools' multimedia rights groups. The bill would restrict future third-party deals to what Cruz called truly “open market” deals.

The Senate negotiators say language in the bill already does that.

“Some commissioners want more: bar any company doing business with a school from signing that school’s players,” Cruz said in his post. “So a QB couldn’t sign with Nike because Nike has a separate contract with his university. That’s not protecting a cap. That’s blocking a kid from selling his own name.”

A letter to the conferences from a key negotiator, obtained by Yahoo Sports, spelled out how the language in the bill deals with the commissioners' concerns.

The letter also addressed concerns that the new salary cap would blow past revenue-sharing amounts established in the House settlement, which dictates the terms of paying players.

“To the extent the current House settlement framework or its implementation treats these payments differently, federal statute, and the rules that are protected by it, trump the settlement,” it said.

The letter did not explain how and plaintiffs' attorney Jeffrey Kessler has said he would need to see the legislation before weighing in on how it impacts the settlement.

The NCAA, which has supported the bill, put out a statement from President Charlie Baker acknowledging the shrinking window to get this done.

“While no bill is perfect, I implore college sports leaders and Senators to support this bill now," Baker said. "It is our best chance to deliver the benefits and level playing field student-athletes deserve while providing the protections institutions need to sustain college athletics long-term.”

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AP college sports: https://apnews.com/hub/college-sports

Lettuce prices rose sharply in the first half of 2026 due to hot weather in Arizona, where about one-third of America’s lettuce is grown. Now, restaurants are dealing with the fallout from a cyclospora outbreak linked to shredded lettuce that has sickened thousands of Americans.

Yum Brands, the parent company of Taco Bell, said Thursday that Taco Bell's U.S. same-store sales are down 2% so far in the July-September period due to customers' concerns over the outbreak. That compares to a 7% same-store sales increase in the April-June period.

Federal health officials first tied the diarrhea-causing outbreak to shredded iceberg lettuce served at Taco Bell restaurants in Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio and West Virginia. Later, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said customers in Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania were also affected.

Taco Bell removed shredded iceberg lettuce supplied by Taylor Farms from its U.S. restaurants on July 17. The following day, Taylor Farms recalled iceberg lettuce grown in central Mexico.

Taco Bell's sales bottomed out the weekend of July 18-19 but have been steadily improving since then, Yum Brands Chief Financial Officer Ranjith Roy said Thursday in a conference call with investors. Over the last four days, Taco Bell's U.S. sales have climbed halfway back to their year-ago level, he said.

Yum Brands CEO Chris Turner said Taco Bell's quick action to contain the issue and its clear communication on social media helped bring diners back. The brand also enticed fans with daily specials like $1 Mexican pizza.

“With respect to the consumer sentiment, we’ve seen real improvement as consumers have understood better the nature of the issue,” Turner said. “They understand that it is not a Taco Bell specific issue.”

Yum Brands shares rose 3.3% Thursday.

Other chains are also feeling some impact from the outbreak even though they haven't been named in government investigations. Chipotle Mexican Grill said Wednesday that it expects its same-store sales to rise only 1% in the July-September period because of lower traffic due to the outbreak. It had previously expected same-store sales to rise 3% in that period.

Foot traffic at Chopt, a salad-focused chain with 105 locations, plunged 24% on July 18 compared to the normal average for a Saturday, according to Placer.ai, a market research company. M Science, another market research firm, found that weekly spending at the salad chain Sweetgreen dropped 10 percentage points compared to last year during the first half of July.

Chopt didn't respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press. Sweetgreen, which has 285 U.S. locations, did not confirm a drop in sales and said in a statement that its food hasn’t been connected to the current cyclospora outbreak.

“We follow rigorous food safety standards and can trace our ingredients from restaurant to farm,” the company said.

Cyclospora cases have continued to grow. As of July 27, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it has received reports of 6,707 laboratory-confirmed cases. It's investigating multiple clusters, including a new outbreak involving 72 people that was announced last week. As the FDA investigation progresses, officials should get a better understanding of which illnesses are connected and “how complex this outbreak actually has become," said Craig Hedberg, a food safety researcher at the University of Minnesota.

The outbreak came on top of an already difficult year for the lettuce industry and people who love eating salads. The retail price of a pound of iceberg lettuce jumped nearly 20% between January and June of this year, according to government data. Consumers paid an average of 33% more last month for all fresh lettuce compared to a year earlier, the U.S. Department of Agriculture said.

Lettuce prices advertised by major grocery stores last week averaged $1.86 for a head of iceberg, 25 cents more than the same week a year earlier, according to the USDA. A head of red leaf lettuce cost 52 cents more at $1.66, and a bunch of romaine had an advertised price of $2.49, which was $1.55 higher, the department reported.

Shoppers caught a break with some types of salad mixes, though, which stores advertised at prices 7 to 24 cents cheaper than a year prior, the USDA said.

Elizabeth Canales, an associate professor of agricultural economics at Mississippi State University, said unusually hot weather in Arizona early in the year caused crops to mature too early. That caused big supply gaps until California production began in late April.

Fuel costs, which increased after the U.S. and Israel launched strikes on Iran and Iran blocked most oil tankers from leaving the Persian Gulf, have also been an issue, according to Canales. Lettuce is especially perishable and requires energy for cooling from the time it's picked to the time it's sold, Canales said.

“The cold chain needs to be maintained. Cooling and transporting it is very important,” Canales said.

Lettuce has been linked to multiple food poisoning outbreaks in the past, including two in 2018 involving E. coli linked to romaine lettuce grown in Arizona and California.

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Associated Press Writer Mike Stobbe contributed from New York.

Minnesota IT Services said state officials had yet to identify who was behind the attacks that took place Sunday and Monday. There were no reports that residents had been impacted by the attacks, though one city asked residents to conserve water for a couple hours while they tried to determine what was wrong.

The FBI, which is investigating, has not publicly identified a culprit and a spokesperson declined to say Thursday who the bureau thought might be responsible. The FBI, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and other agencies warned in an advisory last week that Iranian hackers have been targeting water and wastewater systems and the operational controls other critical infrastructure sectors.

Digital warfare has become ingrained in military conflict, and local water plants or healthcare facilities often lack the funds and know-how to install the latest software patches or take other security steps. That has made them a favorite target, both because of the relative ease of penetrating them and because of the panic such disruptions can cause.

Iran has the “geopolitical motivations” and a recent history of targeting water systems, said Cynthia Kaiser, the former deputy assistant director of the FBI's cyber division who has been closely monitoring threats to critical infrastructure from hackers linked to the country.

“I think most credible researchers and responders would be right to treat it like it’s Iran until proven otherwise,” added Kaiser, who is now the senior vice president of Halcyon’s Ransomware Research Center. “When it walks like a duck and talks like a duck, it's really important to call it out.”

Iran's interest in the operations of water systems inside the U.S. dates back years. In 2016, the Justice Department charged a group of Iranian hackers in connection with a cyberattack targeting a small dam near New York City.

Minnesota IT Services said that as of Thursday, there were no active requests from Minnesota communities for residents to modify usage of their drinking water. The state agency said most of the confirmed attacks involved technology that water systems use to remotely monitor and control equipment. It said that being impacted meant investigators confirmed there was malicious activity involving the system’s technology and didn’t mean every impacted community had their water service disrupted.

The state agency said there are similarities among the incidents, including timing and the types of technology used, but investigators haven’t determined if the same culprit was behind each one.

For a few hours on Monday, the city of Braham asked residents to minimize water use as they tried to determine why the water plant was offline. The city of about 1,700 people, located about 70 miles (113 kilometers) north of Minneapolis, said in a news release that the water plant outage was due to a cyberattack, but it didn't cause any issue with water quality.

The city said the attackers shut down the operating controls that shut down the well and water treatment plant. That left the city for a time only able to provide residents with the water held in the water tower.

In Plymouth, a city of about 80,000 located outside of Minneapolis, officials said on social media that their water infrastructure communications had been restored by Tuesday afternoon following a cyberattack. The city said crews were able to continue operating the system during the outage and it didn't have any impact on water levels or quality.