Politics

Mike Waltz talks about removing ‘argumentative’ Volodymyr Zelenskyy from White House

Published

3 hours ago

March 1, 2025

Friday’s heated confrontation between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy saw two Florida-bred presidential appointees charged with removing the foreign team from the White House.

National Security Advisor Mike Waltz appeared on Saturday’s “Fox and Friends Weekend,” where he described Zelenskyy’s removal by him and Secretary of State Marco Rubio after the meeting was over.

“We had a meeting after that exchange after the press was asked to leave, and we pretty much unanimously advised the President that after that insult in the Oval Office, we just do not see how that could move forward, that any further engagement would only go backwards from this moment on, and that’s what we walked over and told President Zelenskyy and his team,” Waltz said.

Ahead of the negotiation’s collapse, Zelenskyy engaged in cross talk with Trump and Vice President JD Vance.

“The problem is I’ve empowered you to be a tough guy,” Trump said. “And I don’t think you’d be a tough guy without the United States.”

Trump and Vance said Zelenskyy wasn’t sufficiently grateful for American help.

Based on Friday’s actions, Waltz said he wasn’t sure if Zelenskyy “truly wants to stop the fighting,” which has led Trump “frustrated and angry.”

The drama continued off camera.

As he was being walked out, Waltz said Zelenskyy was still “argumentative,” which led the National Security Adviser to tell him that “time was not on his side.”

The former Congressman from North Florida wasn’t the only man with Sunshine State ties who was unhappy with the Ukrainian leader.

During a CNN appearance Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Zelenskyy needed to apologize to President Trump “for turning this thing into the fiasco for him that it became.”

“There was no need for him to go in there and become antagonistic,” the former Senator turned chief diplomat told primetime host Kaitlan Collins.

Rubio also questioned if Zelenskyy wants the fighting to end during Friday’s interview.

“You start to suspect, does he really want an end to this war? Does he just think that we have to do whatever he says and give him anything he wants without any end game?”

Rubio, who sat impassively during the meeting, had worked to engage Ukraine in an exchange of rare earth mineral rights for American security guarantees.

In football terms, it fell short of the goal line Friday. Ahead of the derailed public negotiation, the Secretary of State said it was just a “tush push” away, days after he accused Zelenskyy of lying about the deal for domestic consumption in Ukraine.

On X Saturday, Zelenskyy said Ukraine’s position was a mineral deal was a “first step toward security guarantees.”

“But it’s not enough, and we need more than just that. A ceasefire without security guarantees is dangerous for Ukraine. We’ve been fighting for 3 years, and Ukrainian people need to know that America is on our side,” Zelenskyy claimed.

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Politics

Tom Leek bill targets ‘academic boycott’ of Israel

Published

12 minutes ago

March 1, 2025

May Greene

What’s good for the private sector is also good for non-profits.

An Ormond Beach Republican wants to expand a state ban against companies discriminating against Israel to colleges and universities.

Sen. Tom Leek’s SB 1678 suggests anti-Israeli actions by schools and non governmental agencies amount to an “academic boycott,” and meriting the cessation of state contracts and grants with those entities on the wrong side of the ideological conflict.

These entities would have 90 days to correct their non-compliance and be removed from what would be called the Scrutinized Companies or Other Entities that Boycott Israel List under this proposal. Otherwise, the state would divest itself of contracts with them.

The current list of companies, managed by the State Board of Administration, was first put forth in 2016 after Gov. Rick Scott signed it into law. It currently includes a number of companies, including various subsidiaries of Unilever.

The SBA compiles the list quarterly, using publicly available data and contacting the companies as part of its fact finding.

The 2016 bill passed with unanimous support in the Senate and two no votes in the House.

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Politics

Clay Yarborough, Dean Black look to dump local DEI initiatives

Published

1 hour ago

March 1, 2025

May Greene

Officials voting for legislation of this type could be removed from office.

New legislation from Jacksonville Republicans looks to deep-six local diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.

SB 420 and HB 1571 aim to block local governments from passing DEI initiatives and to make ones already in law illegal. The bills also create a cause of action for citizens to civil suits against local government in the event they feel discriminated against by DEI laws.

City or county officials voting for these initiatives could be removed by the Governor if one of these bills becomes law.

“As a former local elected official, I know local governments should focus all efforts and budget priorities on core, essential services for constituents. These services include law enforcement and public safety, public works and parks, economic development, and the like; not ideological agendas that government should not be imposing upon its people,” said Senate sponsor Clay Yarborough, a who was unanimously elected as President of the Jacksonville City Council back in 2014.

House sponsor Dean Black, a former chair of the Duval County Republican Party, says the bill will “once and for all Destroy Ideological Extremism in local government … and ensure that Florida is where D. E. I. goes to D. I. E. !”

If passed into law, these bills would take effect in July. They don’t contemplate any grandfathering period for DEI laws on the book, and they don’t address whether people who voted for the legislation previously would be subject to removal. However, the retroactivity provision of the current bill language leaves that as a possibility.

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Politics

Chesapeake Utilities opens safety training center to collaborate with first responders in DeBary

Published

4 hours ago

March 1, 2025

May Greene

Chesapeake Utilities Florida Corp. has opened a second public safety training facility for their Florida operations team.

Chesapeake unveiled the “Safety Town” training center in DeBary this week. It will provide personnel for the company education and classroom sessions between employees and community partners, such as first responders, in the event of an emergency or service disruption.

The Central Florida facility is the company’s only training center in the Sunshine State, but it’s fashioned after an existing facility the company owns in Dover, Delaware. The Safety Town educational compounds use simulations and other avenues to prepare their emergency workers to deal with multiple case considerations. The centers have training rooms equipped with technology for running simulations for multiple real-life safety scenarios.

“This facility underscores our dedication to safety for our employees and the communities we serve across Florida. Safety Town’s specialized training environments provide invaluable, hands-on preparation for our team members and local first responders,” said Jeff Sylvester, senior vice president and chief operating officer for Chesapeake. “It allows for seamless classroom instruction and the ability to practice skills immediately.”

The curriculum at Safety Town is designed to enhance technical expertise and emergency preparedness through comprehensive training programs, including:

— Emergency response coordination.

— Main installation, repair and maintenance.

— Underground utility line locating and excavation safety.

— Infrastructure integrity inspections.

— Valve recognition and operation.

— Meter and regulating station meter installation and repairs.

— Propane tank training.

As the facility evolves, more training areas could be added, and additional curricula could also be expanded.

In addition to collaborating with first responders, Chesapeake Utilities officials also donated $10,000 to the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Association Foundation. One of the Foundation’s Board members, Cindy Morgan, accepted the donation in the form of a check.

“Chesapeake Utilities’ generous donation helps advance the Florida Fire Chiefs’ Foundation’s mission by supporting education and scholarships for fire and emergency services professionals. We are proud to celebrate the opening of the new Safety Town facility in DeBary, which will serve as a valuable training resource for Florida’s first responders,” Morgan said.

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