First Coast Ledger

FATAL CRASH ON EDGEWOOD AVE: WOMAN KILLED AS CAR LEAVES ROAD, HITS POLE — A fatal single-vehicle crash claimed a woman's life Monday on Edgewood Avenue North after her car left the road and struck a wooden pole. Details on the cause of the crash remain... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/fatal-crash-on…

DESANTIS SIGNS DOMESTIC TERRORISM BILL — DEMS CRY CRACKDOWN, LAWSUITS INCOMING — Florida's governor put his signature on a sweeping domestic terrorism bill Monday, legislation critics on the left say could be weaponized against liberal college... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/desantis-signs…

FLORIDA BAR DROPS THE HAMMER: 8 LAWYERS DISCIPLINED, ONE LICENSE REVOKED — The Florida Bar and the Florida Supreme Court moved against eight attorneys for professional misconduct, with most facing suspensions and at least one seeing his license... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/florida-bar-dr…

DESANTIS: FLORIDA REDISTRICTING ON THE TABLE — Population Surge, SCOTUS Ruling Could Redraw the Map — Speaking at a Tampa press conference Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signaled that Florida could be headed for a redistricting overhaul — driven by rapid... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/desantis-flori…

MIAMI-DADE'S SCHOOL BUS CAMERA DEBACLE IS HEADED TO DUVAL COUNTY — Miami-Dade's school bus stop-arm camera program was supposed to boost safety and pay for itself, but instead became a bungled mess of mismanagement and broken promises. Now Duval County... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/miami-dades-sc…

DESANTIS PUSHES BAN ON COUSIN MARRIAGE, CITES 'STEALTH JIHAD' — Governor Ron DeSantis is demanding the Florida Legislature ban cousin marriage, framing the practice as a vehicle for what he calls 'stealth jihad' — a remark already drawing sharp reaction... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/desantis-pushe…

GIMENEZ: CUBA REGIME AT 'WEAKEST POINT IN DECADES' — PRISONER RELEASES A STALL TACTIC — U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez is sounding the alarm that Cuba's communist regime is releasing prisoners as a calculated delay tactic — not a sign of softening — while the... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/gimenez-cuba-r…

FLORIDA AG UTHMEIER: I WON'T ENFORCE STATE LAWS CUTTING OFF RELIGIOUS INSTITUTIONS FROM PUBLIC FUNDS — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a sweeping legal opinion concluding that state laws blocking religious institutions from accessing... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/florida-ag-uth…

60% OF JUDGES NOW USING AI — WHILE LAWYERS STILL GET SANCTIONED FOR IT — A sweeping legal ethics roundup finds that 60% of judges are now using artificial intelligence in their work — even as courts continue to sanction lawyers caught doing the same.... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/60-of-judges-n…

FLORIDA GAS HITS $4 A GALLON FOR FIRST TIME IN 4 YEARS — AND IT MAY GET WORSE — Florida gas prices have topped $4 per gallon for the first time in four years, and analysts warn another crude oil price spike on Thursday could push them even higher. With... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/florida-gas-hi…

HORMUZ FALLOUT: UN WARNS IRAN WAR ENERGY CRISIS NOW BATTERING ENTIRE GLOBAL ECONOMY — The United Nations' trade and development arm is sounding the alarm: the global energy crisis triggered by the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz disruption has grown... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/hormuz-fallout…

JACKSONVILLE 10 INCHES BELOW NORMAL RAINFALL AS DROUGHT TIGHTENS GRIP ON NORTHEAST FLORIDA — Jacksonville is running a staggering 10-inch rainfall deficit as drought conditions intensify across Northeast Florida and the broader state, with temperatures... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/jacksonville-1…

ST. PETE MAYOR'S RACE HEATS UP: GABBARD LAUNCHES BID AS CANDIDATES STACK CASH — Brandi Gabbard is officially joining the race for St. Petersburg mayor, launching her campaign Tuesday amid a competitive field already moving to build war chests. Gabbard... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/st-pete-mayors…

TRUMP PLAYS PAKISTAN CARD: U.S. Seeks Off-Ramp as Iran and Afghanistan Wars Rage Simultaneously — With Operation Epic Fury underway against Iran and Pakistan locked in open war with Afghanistan, the Trump administration is betting that a revived... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/trump-plays-pa…

TRUMP DROPS F-BOMB ON IRAN: 'OPEN THE STRAIT, YOU CRAZY BASTARDS' — Reviving a page from Nixon's Cold War playbook, President Trump is deliberately projecting unpredictability toward Iran, demanding the Strait of Hormuz remain open with language that... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/trump-drops-f-…

CHINA OWNS THE COPPER SUPPLY CHAIN — TRUMP AND JAPAN MOVE TO CLOSE THE GAP — For decades, the U.S. talked supply chain resilience on critical minerals like copper while China quietly seized dominance over refining and production — leaving America's... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/china-owns-the…

ALTMAN'S POWER PLAY: OpenAI CEO Publishes Blueprint for Government to Tax and Control AI Wealth — OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has released a detailed policy blueprint calling on government to tax, regulate, and redistribute wealth generated by AI — technology... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/altmans-power-…

SOCIAL SECURITY CHECKS HIT WEDNESDAY: $5,181 CAP, HERE'S WHO GETS PAID FIRST — April's first round of Social Security payments — capped at $5,181 — hits bank accounts Wednesday, April 8, for retirees born on or before the 10th of the month. A second... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/social-securit…

EDGE Communications Plants Flag in Palm Beach County, Eyes Florida's Power Center — EDGE Communications has opened a new office in Palm Beach County, positioning the firm closer to Florida's increasingly influential political and government hub. The... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/edge-communica…

BRENT CRUDE TOPS $110 AS IRAN WAR RATTLES GLOBAL OIL MARKETS — Brent crude climbed more than 1% to above $110 a barrel Sunday as mixed signals from the Iran conflict continue to roil global energy markets and squeeze consumers at the pump. President... [Apr 6] firstcoastledger.com/brent-crude-to…