The state is giving nearly $168 million to small and rural counties, primarily to improve infrastructure in areas hit hard by hurricanes last year, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.

One of the biggest winners was Taylor County in the Big Bend region, which will receive $36 million out of the Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery and the Rural Infrastructure Fund. Taylor will get $4.9 million for a special needs ceremony, the Governor highlighted.

The city of Perry in Taylor County, will receive $12 million for a new parallel treatment train, $8.5 million to replace current wastewater infrastructure, and $4.5 million to create an independent water source, according to DeSantis.

Meanwhile Doctors’ Memorial Hospital in Perry will receive $4.4 million to install a facility emergency power system, replace the phone and communication system and modernize the facility’s water treatment system.

“All these different things, huge for Perry, Taylor County Commissioners,” DeSantis said.

Cross City will get $32 million to build a new waste water treatment plant and another $5.7 million to upgrade stormwater drains.

The Governor said $7.3 million is earmarked to construct and harden the Cedar Key Water and Sewer District potable water system, while $4.5 million is for the Big Bend Water Authority to repair and replace critical water mains in Steinhatchee

Other grants ranged from $100,000 up to a few million dollars.

DeSantis joked that he was awarding so many grants, it was impossible for him to bring his giant ceremonial mock checks that he normally hands out at press ceremonies.

“There’s too many awards,” DeSantis said. “I’d be taking pictures until dinnertime. I can’t, I’ve got to get back. I’ve got meetings.”

At Wednesday’s press conference, DeSantis made splashier political news by announcing he plans to call an April Special Session on congressional reapportionment. DeSantis also teased another Special Session focused on eliminating property taxes.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio is laying out a “threefold process” to make Venezuela’s government secure going forward.

He spoke to press after detailing the plan to Congress, and as Florida lawmakers call for the release of political prisoners incarcerated under deposed President Nicolás Maduro.

“Step one is the stabilization of the country. We don’t want it descending into chaos,” Rubio told press after briefing lawmakers. “Part of that stabilization, and the reason why we understand and believe that we have the strongest leverage possible, is our quarantine.”

Even before Maduro was arrested in an overnight raid last weekend, the U.S. ordered a quarantine of all oil being shipped out of Venezuela in violation of sanctions, as reported by Reuters. U.S. Southern Command on Wednesday morning announced the capture of a Venezuelan tanker in the Caribbean by the U.S. Coast Guard. Rubio announced another ship was also captured the same day.

Rubio said the U.S. will control the flow of the crude now.

“We are in the midst right now, and in fact, about to execute on a deal to take all the oil. They have oil that is stuck in Venezuela,” Rubio said. “They can’t move it because of our quarantine and because it’s sanctioned. We are going to take between 30 and 50 million barrels of oil. We’re going to sell it in the marketplace at market rates, not at the discounts Venezuela was getting.”

He said under U.S. control, the profits will be disbursed in a way that benefits the Venezuelan people, not the Maduro regime. On the horizon, Rubio wants to see a return to legitimate economic activity.

“The second phase will be a phase that we call recovery, and that is ensuring that American, western and other companies have access to the Venezuela market in a way that’s fair,” he said.

He also wants to “begin to create the process of reconciliation nationally within Venezuela, so that the opposition forces can be amnestied and released and from prisons or brought back to the country, and begin to rebuild civil society.”

That is an especially important goal to several lawmakers in Florida, a state home to 49% of Venezuelans living in the U.S.

U.S. Rep. María Elvira Salazar, a Coral Gables Republican, posted messages on social media several times on Wednesday demanding Venezuela Interim President Delcy Rodríguez release individuals from custody.

“For decades, the Venezuelan regime has imprisoned, tortured and disappeared dissidents. From (Hugo) Chávez to Maduro, political prisoners have been used as weapons of terror to silence an entire nation,” Salazar posted on X.

“Delcy Rodríguez must FREE all political prisoners IMMEDIATELY. The United States will not stand idly by while the Venezuelan regime continues to imprison and torture innocent people. FREE THEM ALL. NOW.”

Rubio said the final phase in Venezuela will be a transition, which could overlap with reconciliation and recovery.

He said operational details of current efforts in Venezuela could not be discussed for “obvious” reasons related to national security.