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Natalie Milian Orbis says she has qualified for the 2026 Miami-Dade Commission race by petition

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When Miami-Dade Commissioner Natalie Milian Orbis’ name appears on next year’s ballot, it’ll be because she proved she has sufficient support from voters to be a viable candidate, not because she paid for it, her campaign says.

The incumbent Commissioner’s camp announced this week that Supervisor of Elections Alina Garcia’s Office confirmed Milian Orbis had collected and submitted enough verified petition signatures to qualify for the 2026 race.

That accomplishment, Milian Orbis said, is proof her “campaign is powered by the people — not political insiders or special interests.”

“Every signature represents a conversation, a handshake, and a shared commitment to keep working together for safer neighborhoods, better infrastructure, and a stronger quality of life for every community in our district,” she said in a statement.

“I am deeply grateful to the residents of District Six for their trust, support, and willingness to sign their names in support of my campaign.”

A press note from Milian Orbis’ campaign said the signatures were collected “over the past several months” at community events, neighborhood meetings and through “grassroots outreach efforts.”

Those efforts spanned the entirety of District 6, which includes all or parts of Miami Springs, West Miami, Virginia Gardens and parts of Coral Gables, Hialeah, Miami and unincorporated Miami-Dade.

Milian Orbis, a 38-year-old Republican, has represented District 6 since early May, when her County Commission peers appointed her to replace Kevin Marino Cabrera, whom President Donald Trump tapped to serve as U.S. Ambassador to Panama.

She left her post as West Miami’s Vice Mayor and stepped down from her role as Director of the county’s Hispanic Affairs Advisory Board to assume her current role.

Before entering elected office, Milian Orbis worked for nearly two decades in county government, serving as a legislative aide to several former Commissioners, including Rebeca Sosa, Joe Martinez and Juan Zapata.

So far, she has no declared challengers, according to Miami-Dade’s elections website, which does not yet reflect Milian Orbis’ qualification by petition.

But she hasn’t been fundraising as if she assumes her route to a full, four-year term is guaranteed. In the second quarter of 2025, she reported raising $317,500 between her campaign account and political committee, Dade Families First PC, fueled largely by contributions from the real estate, legal and business sectors.

At the time, she said the early fundraising “reflects the trust our community has placed in my leadership” and pledged to deliver results on public safety, small business support, infrastructure and government transparency.

The Miami-Dade Commission and its elections are technically nonpartisan, meaning voters will first be able to weigh in on its races next year during the Aug. 18 Primary.

If no candidate secures more than 50% of the vote to win outright, the two top vote-getters will compete in a runoff culminating in next year’s Nov. 3 General Election.


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Groups call on Ben Albritton to block bill that would lower gun buying age to 18

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March for Our Lives, the Florida League of Women Voters and several pro-gun control groups are urging Senate President Ben Albritton to shut down a push to lower the minimum age to buy guns from 21 to 18.

The legislation (HB 133) has already passed through two House committees and is ready for the House floor. If it becomes law, the measure would repeal portions of protections the Legislature put in place after the Parkland school shooting.

“President Albritton, we urge you to use your authority as Senate President to prevent HB 133 from becoming law. Remember the promises made after our state’s darkest day. Remember those who buried their loved ones because a teenager could access a gun. Honor the bipartisan commitment lawmakers made in 2018: never again. Refuse to file a companion bill to HB 133, as you have done in previous years,” read the letter that was signed by 12 organizations.

The letter argued the evidence against HB 133 is “overwhelming” since individuals between 18 and 20 years old are more likely to commit suicide or shoot others than are older adults. The message also cited the threat that young people face from school shootings.

The Parkland shooter was 19. A 20-year-old suspect is also accused of shooting and killing two people and injuring others in April at Florida State University.

March for Our Lives Executive Director and Parkland survivor Jackie Corin called rolling back the minimum age a betrayal by lawmakers.

“The gun industry wants younger buyers to boost profits, and some lawmakers are willing to help, even if it costs students’ lives,” Corin said in a statement. “Young people in Florida deserve to grow up without wondering if the teenager next to them can legally buy an assault weapon.”

The full list of groups that signed the letter are: Newtown Action Alliance, Ban Assault Weapons NOW, Brady Florida, Brady Sarasota, Team ENOUGH, Community Safety Collective, Let Life Live Inc, Florida National Organization for Women, The Campaign to Keep Guns Off Campus and STOP Moms for Liberty

The House has pushed for years to lower the minimum age back to 18.

“I wasn’t a member of the Legislature when that (Parkland) tragedy occurred. My view is this is the correct public policy to pursue to restore the rights of law-abiding 18-year-olds,” said Rep. Tyler Sirois, a Merritt Island Republican who sponsored the bill during the committee debate earlier this month.



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NWF Health Network expands Christmas adoptions, bringing the gift of family to 22 Florida kids

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‘We celebrate families who have opened their hearts to give children the permanency and stability every child deserves.’

NWF Health Network, with various community partners, is expanding its Christmas adoption ceremony program to two new counties, and adding family reunification in Leon County.

Five children will be adopted in Okaloosa County by three families in a ceremony Monday in Fort Walton Beach. Two children will also be officially adopted by their forever parents Monday in Santa Rosa County, in Milton. It’s the first time that Christmastime adoptions are being hosted by NWF Health Network in the two counties.

Additionally, Leon County’s ceremonies, held Friday, will include reunifications where children temporarily removed from a parent or guardian’s care are returned. Nine families will be reunited. Another two families will adopt a total of four children in ceremonies in Tallahassee.

Six children will be adopted on Christmas Eve in Pensacola in Escambia County by three families. Another five kids will be adopted by two families in Panama City in Bay County on Christmas Day.

Over the past eight years, more than 40 children have been adopted in Christmas ceremonies facilitated by NWF Health Foundation, with 22 more being added this year.

“Our annual Christmas adoption ceremony is one of the most meaningful days of the year,” NWF Health Network CEO Mike Watkins said. “Today, we celebrate families who have opened their hearts to give children the permanency and stability every child deserves.”

Each county has a local partner for the events, including Camelot Community Care in Escambia, Leon and Santa Rosa counties; Children’s Home Society in Okaloosa County; Safe Families for Children of North Florida, Tallahassee Memorial Hospital and Florida’s Early Childhood Courts in Leon County; and Twin Oaks Juvenile Development in Bay County.

NWF Health Network is the only organization in the nation to conduct annual Christmas adoptions, ensuring families in its care have an even more special holiday each year. This is the ninth year NWF Health has conducted its annual Christmas adoption ceremonies.



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Hurricanes kick off Saturday slate for College Football Playoff

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The College Football Playoff gets underway Friday night with No. 9 Alabama playing at No. 8 Oklahoma. On Saturday, No. 10 Miami travels to No. 7 Texas A&M (noon ET, ESPN/ABC).

Also on Saturday, No. 11 Tulane plays at No. 6 Ole Miss, and No. 12 James Madison visits No. 5 Oregon.

The Hurricanes (10-2) are the lowest-seeded at-large team. They finished the season with four straight wins, including a victory at 22nd-ranked Pitt on Nov. 30.

Miami quarterback Carson Beck, a Georgia transfer, threw for 3,072 yards with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions this season. When he has been at his best, Miami has looked like a contender. When Beck has been off, the Hurricanes are a different team.

Defensive lineman Rueben Bain has been a standout with 4.5 sacks, an interception and a forced fumble. Like Beck, his play has been inconsistent. But when he is on, Bain can be a game changer. ESPN has him rated as the fourth-best prospect in the NFL Draft.

Texas A&M (11-1) went undefeated until losing at No. 16 Texas in the last game of the regular season. Running back Le’Veon Moss is dealing with an ankle injury but could return to the Aggies lineup. Dual-threat quarterback Marcel Reed threw for 2,932 yards and rushed for 466, second-most on the team. He accounted for 31 touchdowns this season for the Aggies.

First-round games are all played on college campuses, with quarterfinal matchups played at bowl sites. One of Miami’s biggest challenges will be handling the atmosphere of Kyle Field.

“It comes down to your preparation because at the end of the day, this is going to come down to the 22 that are on the field, that are actually executing against each other, and execution is at a premium,” said Miami head coach Mario Cristobal. “And to get to that point where you’re executing to your standard. It’s steps, it’s fundamentals, it’s a combination of things that you just can’t compromise.”

The winner of the first-round game advances to face second-seeded Ohio State in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31. The top four seeds earned a first-round bye. No. 1 Indiana, No.3 Georgia and No. 4 Texas Tech also await their opponents for the national quarterfinals.



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