Manatee County

How law enforcement struggles to rein in illegal “adult arcades,” told through the saga of Spin Fun Arcade.

Florida Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia said Manatee's spending was the "largest we have seen so far as we're doing these calculations."

All state lawmakers representing Sarasota, Manatee and DeSoto counties voted for the “Schools of Hope” expansion . Now that a Miami-based charter operator has filed early notices to occupy several local schools, most of those lawmakers have declined to answer questions about the law or its local impacts.

The Schools of Hope program was established in 2017 to allow charter schools to offer alternatives at poor-performing schools. This year, Florida lawmakers expanded the program.

In Marion and Sumter counties, for example, local ordinances passed in 2021 wiped out dozens of storefront gambling dens and curbed related crime.

After more than 40 years in business, owner John Wong says Wong Kai Imports, one of the few Asian markets in Manatee County, may shut down by the end of the year.

Immigrants arrested on minor charges in Florida often remain jailed after posting bond because of ICE detainers, which transfer them into federal custody for possible deportation.

The proposal would establish clearer legal definitions for these businesses, then create a local licensing process to deny and police those not following the new rules.

Benita Cantero said life without her husband has been hard. She's dealing with liver cirrhosis while taking care of her two young children.

The program, "Food for Our Neighbors," collects food and household items for immigrant families struggling in the midst of heightened immigration enforcement.

As Trump ramps up mass-deportation efforts, Suncoast Searchlight found Florida jails have become a main pipeline for ICE arrests — sweeping up thousands of immigrants on minor charges before their local cases are resolved. Among them is Bradenton resident Oscar Romero Santos, whose wife is now struggling to keep their family and business afloat after his sudden deportation.

The situation raises questions about the balance between local autonomy and executive power in Florida.