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Florida bear hunt to take place next month after judge rejects injunction

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Florida’s first bear hunt in a decade will take place as scheduled next month after a state judge on Monday denied a motion by a conservation group to stop it from taking place.

Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey denied the temporary preliminary injunction sought by Bear Warriors United, which argued the hunt authorization was based on outdated data and will harm the bear population in Florida — right now estimated at around 4,050.

The group filed a lawsuit in September seeking to stop the 23-day hunt, after it was approved by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in August and is scheduled to take place from Dec. 6 to Dec. 28.

“I’m going to find here that the plaintiff has not met their burden on substantial likelihood of success on the merits,” Judge Dempsey said at the end of a two-and-half-hour hearing that took place via Zoom on Monday.

“The 2015 hunt was found constitutional under the rational basis test and this hunt is significantly more conservative than that hunt in 2015, both in number of bears that could be harvested as well as the timing, when it’s a little less likely for more female bears to be killed.”

Supporters of the hunt point to increased interactions between bears and humans and consequent fears of attacks.

Questions about the data
Bear Warriors United contended the FWC was relying on “stale and outdated” data to reach the conclusion that the best way to manage the black bear population in Florida was a regulated hunt.

The most dramatic part of the hearing was an exchange between Thomas Crapps, attorney for Bear Warriors United, and FWC bear management coordinator Mike Orlando. Crapps asked Orlando at one point whether it “wouldn’t be more prudent to wait to get that information to decide whether or not a hunt was appropriate, based on more current data?”

“Actually, the science that we have now is actually very good data and, as those population estimates come in over time, we have the ability to actually adjust harvest rates and other things. But no, the population estimates that we’re working with right now are fantastic,” Orlando responded. “It’s good science.”

Orlando said that it takes up to two years for FWC to conduct a population study. That prompted Crapps to ask him why not wait to get more current data before making such an important decision?

“Because we will never have new data. It will always be old,” Orlando said. “So, what we’re doing again is taking a very conservative estimate approach to the hunting season, using the best available science that we have and, any new science that comes in, we will make adjustments. We have to be adaptive. That’s management 101.”

This will be the first bear hunt in Florida since 2015, when the hunt was shut down at the end of its second day after nearly 300 bears had been killed.

The bears are spread out across the state in seven areas known as Bear Management Units by the FWC. In justifying the hunt, the agency has said that, since 2015, the four largest subpopulations of bears have grown annually, and no subpopulations have shown evidence of decline.

Plan calls for removal of 172 bears in four ‘hunting zones’
The plan now allows for the removal of 172 bears from four “bear hunting zones” — 68 in the East Panhandle; 31 in the North; 18 in Central Florida; and 55 in the South hunting area.

To participate, individuals must have been at least 18 years old by Oct. 1 and hold a hunting license and a bear harvest permit. Bear harvest permits cost $100 for Florida residents and $300 for non-residents and are not transferable. It cost $5 to submit an application, and there was no limit on how many applications individuals could submit.

However, not all of those who have received a permit will use it to kill a bear.

News 6 WKMG in Orlando reports that 44 people selected for the bear hunt are against killing bears.

“By the time it’s all over with, we’ve got at least 52 of the 172, which will reduce the number of bears killed down to about 120 or less,” said Chuck O’Neal, president of Speak Up for Wildlife.

In his closing statement representing Bear Warriors United, Crapps noted that agency staff presented the first report on the Florida Black Bear Management Plan in December 2024 with a recommendation that no immediate action was needed.

“And it’s the FWC commissioners then direct them to have a hunt,” he said. “At that point, the science is being driven by the politics. And that is wrong.”

Not true, argued attorney Rhonda Parnell, representing the FWC.

“The science is sound,” she said. “Bears have always been a game animal. This hunt is no different than any other hunt, whether it is deer, turkey, quail, etc. We are the ones who get to make that determination. It is not for the court to say, ‘Well, you can determine deer hunting, but you can’t determine bear hunting.’ That would be an impermissible ruling by this court.”

Litigation will continue, as Judge Dempsey declined FWC’s request to dismiss the lawsuit. A hearing on that motion will take place on Dec. 15 — halfway through the bear hunt.

In a survey conducted by the FWC of more than 13,000 self-selected participants, 75% opposed the proposal, with just 23% in support. Other polls, such as a Remington Research survey commissioned by the Humane World for Animals, showed that 81% of Florida residents oppose the reopening of bear-hunting season.

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Mitch Perry reports via Florida Phoenix, a part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Florida Phoenix maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Michael Moline for questions: [email protected].



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Last Call for 1.19.26 – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida

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Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

Did Christina Pushaw break the law by asking gubernatorial candidate James Fishback to delete text messages the two exchanged in recent months?

Maybe.

Pushaw, who earns a $179,000 tax-funded salary as a senior management analyst for Gov. Ron DeSantis, all but confirmed the authenticity of texts between her and Fishback in which she appears to have written, “I need you to confirm that you deleted everything with my name on it.”

The exchange has raised questions about whether she solicited the destruction of public records, which would be illegal if the messages involved her government duties, but likely not if they were strictly campaign-related, as she says.

Fishback posted a screenshot of the exchange following a public blowup between the two after they, according to Pushaw, spoke “frequently” since October about Fishback’s campaign.

On X, Pushaw accused Fishback of deception, writing: “Thanks for proving my point that you have no qualms about lying and revealing private messages. I truly believed that we were friends, and I feel sickened and violated by this betrayal.”

Pushaw, who has worked for DeSantis as both a campaign and government staffer, says she was never paid for advising Fishback and never told the Governor about her communications with Fishback.

In a brief phone interview on Monday, she said none of her messages with Fishback touched her state job.

“I never talked to him about government business,” she said. She declined to explicitly confirm the authenticity of Fishback’s screenshots, including one that referenced her government position.

Read more on Florida Politics.

Evening Reads

—“Donald Trump ties Greenland takeover bid to Nobel Prize in text to Norway leader” via Ellen Francis and Steve Hendrix of The Washington Post

—”Trump’s letter to Norway should be the last straw” via Anne Applebaum of The Atlantic

—”Trump’s Greenland move is one of the dumbest political decisions I have ever seen” via Chris Cillizza of So What

—”The race to build the DeepSeek of Europe is on” via Joel Khalili of WIRED

—”Three maps tell a tale of the 2026 Midterms.” via Ashley Cai and Shane Goldmacher of The New York Times

—”Orlando Sentinel 150: Remembering MLK’s only visit to Orlando in 1964” via the Orlando Sentinel

—“Jeff Brandes: Six ideas Legislature can’t afford to ignore in 2026” via Jeff Brandes for Florida Politics

—”The Indiana-Miami CFP game is the Hollywood tangle we didn’t know we needed” via Steven Zeitchik of The Hollywood Reporter

—”‘It shaped my DNA’: The very Miami story of Mario Cristobal” via Andrea Adelson of ESPN

—”Two other Hoosiers from Miami are coming home, too — and could play a big role” via David J. Neal and Jordan McPherson of the Miami Herald

Quote of the Day

“I didn’t vote for this weather.”

Marc Caputo on a frigid morning in Miami.

Put it on the Tab

Look to your left, then look to your right. If you see one of these people at your happy hour haunt, flag down the bartender and put one of these on your tab. Recipes included, just in case the Cocktail Codex fell into the well.

Even though it’s booze-free, the Duval delegation could use a Cortisol Cocktail to calm their nerves after a bomb threat landed in their inboxes.

Disney and Universal are getting an Investigators Rite, courtesy of Central Florida Democrats, who are requesting they look into a company that operates independent restaurants on their properties.

Someone should’ve sent an Out of Office for Attorney General James Uthmeier, because he picked an odd day to drop his latest opinion.

Breakthrough Insights

Tune In

Miami plays for national title at home

The Miami Hurricanes try for the program’s first national championship since 2001 when they face top-seeded Indiana at Hard Rock Stadium tonight (7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN).

Miami entered the College Football Playoff as the 10th seed and knocked off Texas A&M, Ohio State, and Ole Miss to reach the finals. The Hurricanes (13-2) have benefitted from a defense that has limited opponents to 14 points per game this season. Defensive end Rueben Bain Jr. was named the ACC defensive player of the year and is a likely Top 10 pick in the NFL Draft.

Indiana (15-0) has enjoyed the greatest season in program history. In the second season under Curt Cignetti, the Hoosiers have not only won more games than they ever have in a season, but also more than the program ever did in two consecutive seasons combined before Cignetti’s arrival.

The Hoosiers are led by Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Fernando Mendoza.

The two programs have met twice in history, with Indiana winning the first meeting in 1964 and the Hurricanes taking the return match in 1966. The two programs have not met since.

The last time a college football team won the national championship by winning a game on its home field was the Hurricanes, who won the Orange Bowl following the 1987 season to win the program’s second of five national championships.

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Last Call is published by Peter Schorsch, assembled and edited by Phil Ammann and Drew Wilson, with contributions from the staff of Florida Politics.





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James Fishback ordered to turn over Azoria stock, luxury items to pay $229K court judgment

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Gubernatorial candidate James Fishback’s legal woes are deepening.

A federal magistrate Judge has ordered Fishback, the founder and CEO of Azoria Capital, to turn over company stock certificates and a slate of luxury purchases to the U.S. Marshals Service by the end of the month as payment on a $229,000 judgment to his former employer, Greenlight Capital.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Martin Fitzpatrick of the Northern District of Florida granted two unopposed motions by Greenlight after Fishback failed to respond by a court-ordered deadline.

It’s the latest escalation in a dispute between Greenlight and Fishback, a former analyst for the hedge fund who has made more headlines recently for his race-baiting rhetoric in the Governor’s race, allegations of grooming, multistate voter registration and public blowup with Gov. Ron DeSantis adviser Christina Pushaw.

Greenlight told the court that Fishback still owes it money under a June 2025 court order. The firm asked the court in late November to compel Fishback to surrender his stock or share certificates in Azoria Capital, Inc., a Delaware corporation Greenlight described as founded by Fishback and controlled by him at “75% or more.”

Because Fishback did not oppose the request, the court granted it and directed him to “locate, obtain, and turn over” all Azoria stock and/or share certificates to the U.S. Marshals Service by Jan. 30.

The Marshals Service, in turn, is ordered to sell the stock for the benefit of Greenlight as the judgment creditor. Fitzpatrick warned Fishback that federal courts have inherent authority to enforce orders and cautioned that ignoring the directive could place him “in danger of being held in contempt of court.”

Fitzpatrick also granted a second motion by Greenlight seeking the turnover of personal property belonging to Fishback. The firm alleged that Fishback claimed he lacked means to pay the $229,000 judgment while making more than $37,000 in debit card purchases over 16 months through a previously undisclosed JPMorgan Chase account.

The court summarized transactions at retailers including eBay, Nordstrom, Burberry, Bucherer and others, but noted it did not know what exactly Fishback purchased. Still, Fitzpatrick described the spending as “extravagant” and found that Fishback, by not responding by the deadline, waived his chance to argue the items were exempt or not personal property.

Under the order, Fishback must turn over 43 items listed in the motion paper, along with a list, to the Marshals Service by Jan. 30. The Marshals must hold the items for 30 days, allowing Greenlight’s lawyers to retrieve and sell them as partial satisfaction of the judgment.

Fishback worked at Greenlight from 2021 to 2023, after which he and the company became embroiled in a very public dispute over how he described his role there. He said he was “head of macro” for Greenlight, while the New York hedge fund insisted no such title ever existed and that the loftiest role Fishback held was as a research analyst.

Greenlight alleged that Fishback misrepresented his position to boost credibility and attract investors for Azoria. Fishback, meanwhile, argued Greenlight’s denial harmed him with potential backers and pointed to internal communications he says support his version of events.

He did, however, admit to sharing confidential Greenlight portfolio information and agreed to pay costs to resolve a separate lawsuit.

Trustees of a white-label exchange-traded fund (ETF) under Tidal Financial Group also voted in October to liquidate two Azoria ETFs — SPXM and TSLV, which together held about $40 million in assets — after Fishback admitted to sharing the information.

Between when he launched his campaign on Nov. 24 and Dec. 31, when fourth-quarter bookkeeping closed, Fishback reported raising less than $19,000 through his campaign account and nothing through an affiliated political committee.

Fishback is seeking the Republican nomination for Governor. The race’s poll-tested front-runner, U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, amassed $45 million last quarter.



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Anna Eskamani hits $1M fundraising milestone for Orlando Mayor race

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Rep. Anna Eskamani says she has raised more than $1 million so far as she tries to become the next Orlando Mayor.

The Orlando Democrat says she hit the milestone last week as lawmakers returned to Tallahassee for the start of the 2026 Legislative Session.

Term-limited in the House, Eskamani is running in 2027 to replace Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer, who is not running for re-election.

“This campaign is powered by everyday Orlandoans who believe our city can be more affordable, more connected, and safer for everyone,” Eskamani said in a statement.

“Raising over one million dollars from thousands of grassroots donors sends a clear message: people are ready for leadership that listens, leads with integrity, solves problems, and puts community first. Together, we’re building a movement that reflects the heart of Orlando and delivers real results for working families.”

Her campaign has given out 900 yard signs and knocked on more than 33,000 doors in the city, according to a press release.

So far, no other established candidates have filed to run against Eskamani, although she has drawn her first competitor on the ballot: Abdelnasser Lutfi.

Lutfi, who filed to run for Mayor in late December, was not immediately available when reached for comment Monday afternoon.

Eskamani and Lutfi are running to replace Dyer, the longest-serving Mayor in Orlando’s history. Dyer was first elected in 2003.

Eskamani also said she is launching a podcast called “Twinning with Anna and Ida” with her twin sister. 

Every episode will unpack economic public policy issues that are critically important to everyone, but aren’t always well understood by the vast majority of people — often because they have been made intentionally opaque by politicians and the corporations who fund them to benefit from the complex system,” a press release said.

“But they will also have some fun along the way, from exposing a ‘grift of the month’ in Florida politics to exploring the punk rock scene in Orlando.”



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