Clarence Smith, Former Long Beach Councilman, Dies

Florida’s high housing costs can be burdensome for many families. Fortunately, some tax savings are on the way. Your Homestead Exemption just received a cost-of-living increase beginning in 2025. The general election ballot had six proposed state constitutional amendments. For an amendment to pass, at least 60% of Floridians voting must approve the proposed amendment.

Dear Eric: I frequently have gatherings at my house, most recently debate-watch parties. Close friends gather, have cocktails and eat snacks. The most recent time, I decided to go for the cozy vibe and have a debate-watch pajama party. I just invited ladies. Then a guy I dearly love asked if he could come.

By LISA MASCARO, Associated Press Congressional Correspondent WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress returns to a changed Washington as President-elect Donald Trump’s hard-right agenda is quickly taking shape, buoyed by eager Republican allies eyeing a full sweep of power on Capitol Hill while Democrats are sorting out what went wrong. Even as final election results are still being tallied, the House and Senate leadership is pushing ahead toward a second-term Trump White House and what he’s called a “mandate” for governing, with mass deportations, industry deregulation and wholesale gutting of the federal government. Trump is already testing the norms of governance during this presidential transition period — telling the Senate to forgo its advise-and-consent role and simply accept his Cabinet nominees — and he is staffing his administration and finding lawmakers willing to bend those civic traditions. “Trump’s going to deliver his deportations, the drilling, the wall — it’s going to take all of us getting together,” said Rep.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My daughter is a talented chef. She has a job cooking for a family of four. They appreciate her food, are not too terribly picky, and pay better than her former thankless jobs in “hospitality.” The problem is that their kitchen is simply one area of a large, open family space.

By ELLIOT SPAGAT, Associated Press SAN DIEGO (AP) — Donald Trump’s first picks for immigration policy jobs spent the last four years angling for this moment. Stephen Miller and Thomas Homan had critical roles in the first Trump administration and are unapologetic defenders of its policies, which included separating thousands of parents from their children at the border to deter illegal crossings.

Many of us have spent our lives pursuing our American dream. For me, this meant getting a college education, building a career and starting a family. That probably doesn’t sound all that different from your dreams or those of people you know. But for many LGBTQ+ people, achieving this dream remains out of reach.