News & Notes

I am proud to be the first openly developmentally disabled person appointed to state-level public office in Florida. As chairman of Orange County’s Disability Advisory Board and an appointee of Gov. Ron DeSantis to Vocational Rehabilitation’s direct support organization, I have dedicated my career to championing accessibility, inclusion and empowerment for people with disabilities. Perhaps my most impactful work has been the disability job-training program I launched and have operated since 2020.

President-elect Donald Trump recently announced his intent to create a Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), with a focus on dismantling government bureaucracy, cutting wasteful expenditures, slashing excess regulations and restructuring federal agencies. Florida TaxWatch commends the president-elect for this bold and long-overdue attempt to reign in government spending and make government more accountable. In a recent book entitled “Over Ruled: The Human Toll of Too Much Law,” U.

Q: Thank goodness for Pat Riley and the Miami Heat ownership and management. In regard to the Jimmy Butler public tantrum, unjustifiably (by his play and demeanor) seeking another large contract in the twilight of his career, the Miami Heat put the Miami Heat first. The Heat certainly got the best out of Butler prior to last season.

Dear Eric: Friends of ours, who live on the other side of the country, have a daughter who is a senior in college in the town we live in. It’s not uncommon for the daughter to spend holidays or the occasional weekend with us. Related Articles Advice | Asking Eric: My friend’s wife wanted a kiss on the lips and now I’m uncomfortable around them Advice | Asking Eric: I want him to act like a husband, not a wife Advice | Asking Eric: All I could talk about was my toxic partner, until my friend set me straight Advice | Asking Eric: I’m afraid our kids will suffer from my husband’s odd rule about guests Advice | Asking Eric: That letter was about me, the beastly wife Occasionally, she brings her boyfriend, whose company we also enjoy. Recently, her mom texted us and told us that we were not to allow her daughter to bring the boyfriend to our house for weekends.

Today is Sunday, Jan. 5, the fifth day of 2025. There are 360 days left in the year. Today in history: On Jan. 5, 1933, construction began on the Golden Gate Bridge; the bridge was completed in May 1937. Also on this date: In 1896, an Austrian newspaper reported the discovery by German physicist Wilhelm Röntgen (RENT’-gun) of a new type of radiation that came to be called “X-rays.” Related Articles National News | TikTok creators left in limbo while awaiting decision on potential platform ban National News | Trump appears with Italian Prime Minister Meloni at Mar-a-Lago National News | Today in History: January 4, Nancy Pelosi becomes first female speaker of the House National News | Have an extra $4 million?

President-elect Donald Trump made an appearance Saturday with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who was visiting his Mar-a-Lago club. Meloni follows Argentina President Javier Milei, who became the first world leader to meet with Trump at Mar-a-Lago after his Election Day victory in November. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán of Hungry also traveled to Florida to meet with the president-elect. Trump appeared at a screening of a documentary detailing challenges some conservative lawyers report facing in the legal system.