Politics
Ron DeSantis rehashes ‘hoax’ behind ‘Hands up, don’t shoot’. But he leaves some facts out.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is reiterating his strong stand on an incident in Missouri more than a decade ago.
During a speech Saturday night to the South Florida Police Benevolent Association, DeSantis talked about the “hoax” of the “hands up, don’t shoot” outcry after a police officer shot Michael Brown.
But whether he framed the executive branch’s reaction in 2014 properly is a matter of subjective interpretation, given that just as was the case when he pontificated about the Ferguson incident in 2023, he left out important context from the then-Attorney General.
“And [the Barack Obama Justice Department] eventually did exhaustive investigations, said the officer acted appropriately, but the media created a hoax. ‘Hands up, don’t shoot’. They were telling people that this guy put his hands up, said, ‘Don’t shoot,’ and somehow this cruel officer just gunned him down in cold blood. That was false. That was a hoax. That was a narrative that was done because you have people in the media that care more about desperate attempts to generate clicks or ratings, and they get that by creating conflict. They get that by sowing division,” DeSantis said.
“Well, what does that do? That puts a target on the back of the people that wear the uniform, because people, there are some elements of society that will believe, ‘oh, these police officers can just go gun someone down and nothing happens to them,’” DeSantis said.
“And so when you see these phony narratives, people like me have a responsibility to speak out. Most people don’t speak out. I do speak out because I understand how destructive the lies can be, and you want to know that you’re putting on the uniform, you never know what’s going to call,” he said. “Your life is in jeopardy at a moment’s notice.”
DeSantis has spoken out on this issue before, most recently back in 2023 when Florida sheriffs were endorsing his presidential run.
He credited former Attorney General Eric Holder with having “said that was a lie, there was no ‘Hands up, don’t shoot.’” and “that the officer acted responsibly given the circumstances of the case and yet the media took it” and “ran with it.”
That’s part of the story.
It leaves out important context about the relationship between law enforcement and citizens, though.
While AG Holder contended that “facts (did) not support the filing of criminal charges against Officer Darren Wilson in this case,” falling short of “prosecutable conduct on the part of Officer Wilson,” his remarks couldn’t be confused with exoneration of the Ferguson police department. Indeed, Holder alleged that “deep distrust and hostility often characterized interactions between police and area residents” amid a use of aggressive police tactics for “revenue generation.”
“But seen in this context — amid a highly toxic environment, defined by mistrust and resentment, stoked by years of bad feelings, and spurred by illegal and misguided practices — it is not difficult to imagine how a single tragic incident set off the city of Ferguson like a powder keg,” Holder wrote.
“In a sense, members of the community may not have been responding only to a single isolated confrontation, but also to a pervasive, corrosive, and deeply unfortunate lack of trust — attributable to numerous constitutional violations by their law enforcement officials including First Amendment abuses, unreasonable searches and seizures, and excessive and dangerous use of force; exacerbated by severely disproportionate use of these tactics against African Americans; and driven by overriding pressure from the city to use law enforcement not as a public service, but as a tool for raising revenue.”
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Universal and SeaWorld have announced the details on one of the best theme park deals of the year: concerts that are included in regular park admission during their annual food festivals.
Both theme parks are bringing in major artists as part of Universal Mardi Gras: International Flavors of Carnaval and SeaWorld’s Seven Seas Food Festival.
Disney World also welcomes well-known artists and nostalgic favorites to play for theme park guests. But the Mouse has not officially released the 2026 schedule for the Garden Rocks concerts at the Epcot International Flower & Garden Festival. The festival runs March 4 to June 1.
Universal’s Mardi Gras concerts kick off Feb. 7 through March 28 on select nights. This year’s lineup features Grammy-winning DJ and producer Zedd, Bebe Rexha, and The All-American Rejects, who are returning for the second year in a row as the concert series’ finale.
The nightly concerts take place following Universal’s Mardi Gras parade featuring elaborate floats and plenty of bead throwing.
At SeaWorld, the music includes KISS rocker Gene Simmons, the Beach Boys, Flo Rida, Fitz and the Tantrums, the Fray and Boyz II Men during the concert series running on select nights from Jan. 31 to May 17.
“This is the biggest and most diverse concert lineup we’ve ever presented as part of Seven Seas Food Festival,” said SeaWorld Orlando Park President Jon Peterson in a statement. “With chart-topping artists, throwback favorites, and every concert included with park admission, we’re delivering one of the best entertainment values in Central Florida.”
The majority of the dates have been announced, although SeaWorld said a few additional acts will be announced later in the year.
Orlando has deep ties to boy band history, which you’ll find at the theme parks’ festival concerts.
You won’t see Justin Timberlake anytime soon playing behind a backdrop of roller coasters. But Chris Kirkpatrick of NSYNC performs Feb 22 at the Pop 2000 Tour night at SeaWorld. Meanwhile, Kirkpatrick’s former bandmate Joey Fatone teams up with the Backstreet Boys’ AJ McLean at Universal Orlando Feb. 21.
Politics
Tampa Bay Lightning arena agreement worth up to $358.5M heads to Hillsborough County Commission
Patricia Rumph, a retired state corrections department employee, is running for Orange County Commission’s District 7 in August.
“I am running for County Commission because service is not something I talk about, it is something I have lived every day of my life,” Rumph said.
Rumph’s campaign priorities are public safety, investing in strong infrastructure, affordability, and environmental stewardship, she said in a statement to announce her candidacy.
Rumph is joining a crowded field for a two-year term representing District 7 in the nonpartisan race. The other candidates are Selina Carter, Eatonville Mayor Angie Gardner, Stacey Gordon-Ali, Framily Support Network co-founder Aaron Lewis, Sonya Shakespeare, and former Orlando City Commissioner Vicki Vargo.
A County Commissioner’s current annual salary is $130,262.
District 7, which covers Maitland, Eatonville, Pine Hills, Orlovista and Fairview Shores in the northern part of Orange County, is one of the two new County Commission seats added after last year’s redistricting.
“As District 7 is formed, this is a moment to build something new and to do it the right way,” Rumph said. “Our residents deserve a commissioner who is present, accountable, and deeply invested in the people who call this district home.”
Rumph’s 30-year career in the Florida Department of Corrections included jobs as Correctional Probation Senior Officer, Human Resources Specialist, and Fiscal Assistant. She retired in 2017.
She received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Central Florida.
“In 2020, Rumph was appointed Orange County’s Inaugural Community Ambassador, a role created to build trust between law enforcement and residents and to lead initiatives focused on reducing gun violence and violent crime,” she said in a press release.
“Prior to that appointment, she served for three years as President of the Pine Hills Community Council and has held leadership roles on numerous county boards and advisory committees.”
She was also named the League of Women Voters of Orange County Grassroots Champion of the Year, noted a press release highlighting her public service.
“From Pine Hills to neighborhoods across District 7, I have worked side by side with residents to make our communities safer, stronger, and more connected,” Rumph said in a statement. “This new district deserves leadership that knows our neighborhoods, listens to our families, and fights for opportunity in every zip code. I am ready to bring proven, community-rooted leadership to the County Commission.”
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