Romy Ellenbogen

Sham news sites are increasingly common across the US and are a dangerous development for democracy. Florida Trib reporter @hellokatepayne and @zsaintlou with the Question Everything @PlacementTheory podcast and @kcrw dug into one such site in Florida: floridatrib.org/2026/05/14/the…

NEW: A routine surrogacy case last year became a springboard for Florida's AG, who is fighting surrogacy as a whole. The case, which is pending in the 4th DCA, has the potential to alter other reproductive issues in Florida including IVF and abortion. tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

Surrogacy is akin to slavery, Florida AG says, with big implications for families, by @romyellenbogen tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

The redistricting effort will cost taxpayers statewide millions, with local elections supervisors hurrying to inform voters about their new district. From @katelynferral tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

“Over the years, my lab has collected a lot of seaweed samples, which are all stored in that building, in the freezers,” one professor said. “Now I’m very concerned those samples are gone. I cannot go back to history to recollect those samples.” tampabay.com/news/education…

NEW: The architect of DeSantis' new congressional map, which would likely give four more seats to Republicans, said Tuesday that he used partisan info to make the plan. The gov's office is arguing that Florida's partisan gerrymandering ban is invalid tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

NEW: DeSantis' staffer said he used party affiliation data when drawing up a map that would give Republicans four more seats in Congress. By @romyellenbogen: tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

Here's how the DeSantis proposed Florida congressional map (left) would split Tampa to avoid a blue seat in Tampa Bay. East Tampa/Ybor joins Citrus County. Downtown Tampa joins Pasco. South Tampa joins deep suburbs. St. Pete would split north/south. (Current map on the right.)

Florida's constitution bans partisan gerrymandering, adopted by voters in 2010. But DeSantis' office is implying that the Fair Districts Amendment can't be followed. New map gives GOP 4 more seats. tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is voicing its displeasure after a Florida city commission on Tuesday moved forward with a plan to build the state’s first hyperscale data center. Via @romyellenbogen tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

New: @GovRonDeSantis layers AI regulations + vaccine exemptions into agenda for now-delayed special session on redistricting, simultaneously shortens schedule by one day. w/ @romyellenbogen miamiherald.com/news/politics-…

Florida's first large scale data center could be thwarted by a state water management district rule that was quietly adopted last year. With @mahoneysthename tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

DeSantis said he didn't get involved in the Tampa state Senate race because the GOP candidate, Josie Tomkow, didn't share his values and goals. As for the Republican loss, "that's just kind of the way the cookie crumbles." tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

Gov. Ron DeSantis today signed emergency funding for Florida's AIDS Drug Assistance Program to run through June 30. State cuts to the program would have left around 12,000 people without access to life-saving HIV/AIDS medication. tampabay.com/news/florida-p…

Fla. Attorney General James Uthmeier told reporters on Tuesday that he “would not support” a letter some of the state’s top sheriffs plan sending to Congress urging them to scale back mass deportations for immigrants w/o criminal records. @MiamiHerald miamiherald.com/news/politics-…

🚨 Florida Republican sheriffs want Trump to end mass deportations of undocumented immigrants who haven’t committed crimes. "Congress, they need to get off their butts and they need to fix it,” sheriff Bill Prummell said floridaphoenix.com/2026/03/16/flo…

NEW: The Florida Legislature have approved a bill to ban local governments/schools from adopting net-zero policies, where the goal is to offset the planet-warming greenhouse gases they emit into the atmosphere. tampabay.com/news/environme…

Florida Senators are trying to fund the state's AIDS Drug Assistance Program for the next few months, a stop-gap measure that would keep around 12,000 from losing access to vital medicine. Now, the House has to sign on. tampabay.com/news/florida-p…