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Claire Heddles

@claireheddles.bsky.social
944 followers 536 following 88 posts

Politics reporter @MiamiHerald.com Reach me at cheddles@miamiherald.com or on Signal @ claire.904

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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 11/09/2026
Our coverage won’t recover from McClatchy’s slashing of two dozen essential Herald journalists. It also upended peoples’ lives & families reliant on Herald loved ones to pay tuition, medical costs and bills. Support our laid off colleagues here: www.gofundme.com/f/support-la...
gofundme.com
Donate to Support laid off Herald journalists in Miami and Bradenton, organized by Alex Harris
On Thursday, a combined 23 guild journalists from the Miami Her… Alex Harris needs your support for Support laid off Herald journalists in Miami and Bradenton
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Charles Ornstein @charlesornstein.bsky.social · 16/07/2026
As private schools proliferate in Florida and across the country, fueled by taxpayer dollars, states are choosing not to closely regulate who is operating them or to oversee student safety and achievement, a ProPublica investigation found. Read this ⬇️⬇️ www.propublica.org/article/priv...
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Miami Herald @miamiherald.com · 11/07/2026
As Donald Trump touts his Miami support, a surprisingly large number of younger Cubans and Cuban Americans recoil at the Trump administration’s tactics.
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A wave of young Miami Cubans disagrees with abuela about politics in the Trump era
As Donald Trump touts his Miami support, a surprisingly large number of younger Cubans and Cuban Americans recoil at the Trump administration’s tactics.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 30/06/2026
Florida's largest union federation endorsed all of the state’s sitting Democratic members of Congress up for reelection — except Jared Moskowitz. How a Mamdani-inspired democratic socialist swayed FL unions against a Dem incumbent www.miamiherald.com/news/politic... w/ @amandarosa.bsky.social
miamiherald.com
A Mamdani-inspired democratic socialist swayed FL unions against a Dem incumbent
The Florida AFL-CIO withheld its endorsement from Democrat Jared Moskowitz after heavy lobbying from Oliver Larkin, a democratic socialist.
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Miami Herald @miamiherald.com · 11/06/2026
Fried’s statement follows warnings that Wasserman Schultz’s decision — and the state party’s silence about it — could have ripple effects.
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Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried ‘disappointed’ in Wasserman Schultz
Fried’s statement follows warnings that Wasserman Schultz’s decision — and the state party’s silence about it — could have ripple effects.
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Jose Pagliery @josepagliery.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
I visited the Newark courthouse to read through restricted docs, then went to Delaney Hall to speak to protesters and a detainee. One woman says she was starved by guards for 5 days. Filings claim a cellmate miscarried and lost her unborn child. www.notus.org/us-news/psyc...
notus.org
Worms, Mold and ‘Psychological Torture.’ Lawsuits Claim Cruel Conditions at Delaney Hall
Court records describe deplorable situation at the ICE jail in New Jersey as protests continue nightly.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 05/06/2026
DeSantis won’t say how much he’s spent to carry out his vision for state-run immigration detention centers, but his office has signed at least 55 contracts worth $1 billion over the past year for the effort, a @miamiherald.com analysis found. www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 05/05/2026
Palm Beach and a Trump company reached a tentative trademark deal to rename PBI -Airport stores can only buy branded merchandise from Trump org approved retailers -Gives Trump veto power over any biographical info in airport marketing materials www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 24/04/2026
Florida doesn’t want to pay $180k for court-ordered phones at Alligator Alcatraz The state has paid private attorneys fighting against expanded phone access at the site more than 3 times that amount, according to spending records. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/i...
miamiherald.com
Florida doesn’t want to pay $180k for court-ordered phones at Alligator Alcatraz
The state has paid its private attorneys fighting against expanded phone access at the site more than three times that amount, according to state spending records.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
After spending hundreds of millions of dollars to detain people in the Everglades, Florida is now arguing spending $180k to set up court-ordered, unmonitored phones on site for legal calls would cause the state "irreparable harm"
Screenshot of a court filing that reads: "The costs for this mobilization will be roughly $180,025, plus an additional $6,283.75 per week to maintain connectivity. Id.
As noted, the Federal Government has not obligated itself to reimburse the State Defendants for the costs of complying with the preliminary injunction. But even if it eventually reimburses for the Facility’s operations, federal tax dollars will still have been spent that cannot be recouped. Moreover, Plaintiffs have made no promises to repay State Defendants for their expenses if the injunction is ultimately reversed on appeal. For these reasons, the preliminary injunction causes State
Defendants irreparable harm and should be stayed pending resolution of the appeal on the merits. Friends of the Everglades, 2025 WL 2598567, at *11"
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 23/04/2026
A major Democratic super PAC is spending $20M in Florida. It's their first ad buy here since 2020. It marks a significant pivot in attention toward the state. National Democratic funding groups largely wrote off Florida’s races during the 2024 election cycle. www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
Major Democratic super PAC to spend $20M in Florida in first ad buy since 2020
“Maria Elvira Salazar, and Carlos Giménez are on notice — Democrats are taking back your seats in November,” a House Majority PAC spokesman said.
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Julianne McShane @juliannemcshane.bsky.social · 25/03/2026
“Florida’s 87th District is the 10th GOP-held state legislative seat Democrats have flipped around the country since Trump took office again last year. Republicans have not flipped any Democratic state legislative seats during that time.”
nbcnews.com
Democrat flips Republican-held Florida state House district that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago
Democrat Emily Gregory narrowly won the special election for the district Tuesday night, The Associated Press projects. Trump carried the area in 2024.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 10/03/2026
FIU Turning Point USA chapter president steps down over racist group chat www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
FIU Turning Point USA chapter president steps down over racist group chat
The Miami-Dade County GOP party secretary, meanwhile, is fighting calls for his resignation.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
I spent the last 2 weeks reading through 28,000+ messages in a Miami young Republican group chat FIU College Republicans recruitment chair: “This isnt even my worst one 😔” FIU Turning Point USA prez: “Yeah I’m in a few on telegram that are definitely worse lmao”
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 05/03/2026
‘Nazi heaven’: Inside Miami campus Republicans’ racist group chat Logs show violent calls to kill Black people, more than 400 uses of n-word, regularly describing women as “whores," using slurs to talk about Jewish & gay people and musings about Hitler. www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
‘Nazi heaven’: Inside Miami campus Republicans’ racist group chat
The chat is the subject of a Florida International University police investigation.
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Dave Levinthal @davelevinthal.com · 12/02/2026
NEW: After months of inaction, Donald Trump nominates two Republicans to the Federal Election Commission, which lost most of its powers 9+ months ago because it didn't have enough commissioners to operate. — w/ @taylorgiorno.bsky.social in @notus.com www.notus.org/money/federa...
notus.org
Trump Nominates Two Republicans to FEC, Paving Path to End Monthslong ‘Shutdown’
The nominees have been on the president’s desk for months while the election agency languished without enough commissioners to carry out high-level responsibilities.
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Miami Herald @miamiherald.com · 12/02/2026
The state has paid more than $166K for restaurants and catering, $717K for travel and $1.7 million to law firms in its immigration crackdown.
bit.ly
From private jets to tacos: Florida’s immigration spending surged last summer
The state has paid more than $166K for restaurants and catering, $717K for travel and $1.7 million to law firms in its immigration crackdown.
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Miami Herald @miamiherald.com · 12/02/2026
A new report accuses the Congresswoman’s advisers of setting up shell companies to funnel money from an oil company to her 2022 campaign.
bit.ly
Haiti oil money, local mayors surface in new Cherfilus-McCormick allegations
A new report accuses the Congresswoman’s advisers of setting up shell companies to funnel money from an oil company to her 2022 campaign.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 23/01/2026
The conservative fundraising platform PSQ Impact landed Trump's library foundation as a client, despite having just launched last month. Trump’s son, Donald Trump Jr., could stand to benefit from the deal. www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
New fundraising platform tied to Trump’s son stands to profit off Trump library
The platform charges a 3.5% donation processing fee, meaning Trump’s library could amount to millions in profit for the newly launched company.
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Miami Herald @miamiherald.com · 18/12/2025
Florida is one of the few places the GOP can still add seats before the midterms — and one of the few states barring partisan gerrymandering
bit.ly
National Republican midterm hopes are falling on Florida’s redistricting process
Florida is one of the few places the GOP can still add seats before the midterms — and one of the few states barring partisan gerrymandering
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Anna Kramer @annackramer.bsky.social · 22/12/2025
EXCLUSIVE: Four House Republicans, including Colorado Rep. Jeff Hurd, joined Democrats to challenge the Trump administration’s dismantling of the nation’s leading weather and climate research institution.
notus.org
Republicans Have Joined the Effort to Stave Off Trump’s Dismantling of a Key Weather Center
Rep. Jeff Hurd and three other Republicans signed on to a letter with Colorado lawmakers requesting continued funding for the Boulder-based center.
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Texas Observer @texasobserver.org · 26/11/2025
Featured story: On a stone slab by the cold waters of Austin’s Barton Springs, transgender Texans celebrate existence. Against the best efforts of the state, they’re still here, laughing and swimming in the heat of a late-August afternoon.
texasobserver.org
At Barton Springs, Trans Existence Becomes Resistance
Following a transphobic incident earlier this year, community members gathered to "protect trans joy."
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Ariel Edwards-Levy @aedwardslevy.bsky.social · 10/12/2025
"there's a new serif in town"
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Miami Herald @miamiherald.com · 26/11/2025
Florida has suspended 25 statutes and rules using the immigration state of emergency justification, according to a Miami Herald review.
bit.ly
FL has suspended 25 rules using DeSantis’ yearslong immigration state of emergency
Florida has suspended 25 statutes and rules using the immigration state of emergency justification, according to a Miami Herald review.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 26/11/2025
Florida has suspended 25 laws and rules using DeSantis’ yearslong immigration state of emergency www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
FL has suspended 25 rules using DeSantis’ yearslong immigration state of emergency
Florida has suspended 25 statutes and rules using the immigration state of emergency justification, according to a Miami Herald review.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 20/11/2025
NEW: The IRS approved the Trump library foundation's tax-exempt status application in just 10 days, during the government shut down. Nonprofit attorneys told me its "extraordinary" and "virtually unheard of" to get approved that quickly. www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
Trump’s library foundation got special treatment from the IRS during the government shutdown
Nonprofit attorneys said the 10-day turnaround Trump’s foundation got on its tax-exempt status application is “virtually unheard of.”
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Zach Everson @zacheverson.com · 19/11/2025
"Exclusive: Tax docs show Trump library is counting on a $1B fundraising haul" @claireheddles.bsky.social for @miamiherald.com
miamiherald.com
Exclusive: Tax docs show Trump library is counting on a $1B fundraising haul
The IRS gave Trump’s library foundation special treatment during the government shutdown, granting speedy approval of its application for tax-exempt status.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 19/11/2025
Exclusive: Tax docs show Trump library is counting on a $1B fundraising haul over 3 years The IRS also gave Trump’s library foundation special treatment during the government shutdown, granting speedy approval of its application for tax-exempt status. www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
Exclusive: Tax docs show Trump library is counting on a $1B fundraising haul
The IRS gave Trump’s library foundation special treatment during the government shutdown, granting speedy approval of its application for tax-exempt status.
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Miami Herald @miamiherald.com · 18/11/2025
Emilio González’s team said they didn’t seek out the endorsement, but González has positioned his race as a way to “push back this blue wave.”
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Trump just turned Miami’s mayoral race into a referendum on himself
Emilio González’s team said they didn’t seek out the endorsement, but González has positioned his race as a way to “push back this blue wave.”
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Jose Pagliery @josepagliery.bsky.social · 17/11/2025
As the United States inches toward war with Venezuela, you'd think the Trump administration would want to solidify its relationship with Colombia. It's been the USA's biggest ally in Latin America for decades. It's Venezuela's neighbor. Nope. @notus.com: www.notus.org/foreign-poli...
notus.org
Trump's War on Drug Cartels Could Hurt Colombia's Own Efforts Against Them
The current diplomatic breakdown with Colombia ties back to Venezuela.
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Jeff Horwitz @jeffhorwitz.bsky.social · 06/11/2025
Meta earns $3.5 billion every six months from showing Faceboon and Instagram users 15 billion “higher legal risk” scam ad impressions a day, internal documents state. That haul vastly exceeds how much the company expects regulators To fine it for running scam ads. www.reuters.com/investigatio...
reuters.com
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 05/11/2025
AG Uthmeier is taking fight to higher court in Trump library sunshine law case, raising the stakes for the future of open gov in FL “If the AG gets his way, then it will embolden every government agency in Florida to be vague, secretive."
miamiherald.com
Florida attorney general goes to bat against transparency in Trump library case
“If the AG gets his way, then it will embolden every government agency in Florida to be vague, secretive and obfuscate important matters that they’re going to discuss at their meetings.”
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Miami Herald @miamiherald.com · 30/10/2025
South Florida Obamacare enrollees worry subsidy expirations could double premiums in 2026, forcing choices between medication, rent and keeping insurance.
bit.ly
South Florida fears as Obamacare subsidies may end in 2026
South Florida Obamacare enrollees worry subsidy expirations could double premiums in 2026, forcing choices between medication, rent and keeping insurance.
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GovExec @govexec.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
EXCLUSIVE: The USDA moved $13 billion from an account designed to support farmers into another designed to provide emergency relief from President Trump’s tariffs, but the funding is now largely sitting in limbo without any immediate function. buff.ly/df2gm1b
govexec.com
USDA transfers $13B into ‘slush fund’ for future tariff relief
The move has left the department incapable of delivering some mandatory farmer aid programs, and is raising concerns in Congress.
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Anna Kramer @annackramer.bsky.social · 30/10/2025
We’re running out of money to help the poorest Americans keep the lights on and the heat running If the shutdown doesn’t end soon, millions of Americans may see their electricity turned off or fuel deliveries stopped for the coldest winter months
notus.org
Millions of Americans Risk Having Their Power Shut Off as the Shutdown Drags On
States are running out of money for annual energy-assistance payments for the lowest-income Americans — and the government can’t send out more until the shutdown ends.
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Shirsho Dasgupta @shirsho.bsky.social · 24/10/2025
NEW @miamiherald.com: Seniors in Miami-Dade — the county with the highest share of food stamp beneficiaries with one elderly member in the household — risk going hungry as federal government shutdown continues (GIFT LINK)
miamiherald.com
New shutdown problem: Miami is the U.S. capital for seniors on food stamps
Florida is warning families not to expect their EBT cards to be reloaded next month, increasing pressure on Congress to end the government shutdown.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
Florida AG to defend Miami Dade College after court temporarily blocks Trump library Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
Florida AG to defend Miami Dade College after court temporarily blocks Trump library
Attorney General James Uthmeier called the case a “bogus lawsuit” after a judge temporarily blocked the college from handing over the land.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 16/10/2025
South FL congressional seats are in Republicans’ crosshairs after this week’s SCOTUS hearing about the Voting Rights Act — a case DeSantis has been closely watching, and which outside advocates say could put three Dem held seats in FL at risk. Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
Eyes are on South Florida for redistricting after SCOTUS voting rights hearing
Democrats and Republicans have set aside resources for the anticipated Florida redistricting battle ahead of the midterms.
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WIRED @wired.com · 15/10/2025
Also, a look back at our unpaywalled story: Army intelligence analysts are monitoring civilian-made ICE tracking tools, treating them as potential threats, as immigration protests spread nationwide.
wired.com
'No Kings’ Protests, Citizen-Run ICE Trackers Trigger Intelligence Warnings
Army intelligence analysts are monitoring civilian-made ICE tracking tools, treating them as potential threats, as immigration protests spread nationwide.
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Miami Herald @miamiherald.com · 14/10/2025
Obamacare insurance plan premiums are set to spike with the new year, and no place stands to be more affected than Miami-Dade County, which has the largest percentage of residents in the country getting healthcare discounts through the marketplace.
bit.ly
Are you worried about Obamacare prices going up? We want to hear from you
Obamacare insurance plan premiums are set to spike with the new year, and no place stands to be more affected than Miami-Dade County, which has the largest percentage of residents in the country getting healthcare discounts through the marketplace.
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Miami Herald @miamiherald.com · 15/10/2025
The judge said the court believes Miami Dade College did not give the public “reasonable notice” about its plans to transfer the land to the state.
bit.ly
Court blocks Miami Dade College from transferring land for Trump library
The judge said the court believes Miami Dade College did not give the public “reasonable notice” about its plans to transfer the land to the state.
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Anna Kramer @annackramer.bsky.social · 14/10/2025
Everyone in the family planning office at HHS has been locked out of their emails + computers, so they can’t confirm if they’ve been fired It appears that the whole office — which funds the country’s repro health clinics — has been cut w/ @margaretmanto.bsky.social
notus.org
HHS Appears to be Cutting Its Entire Family Planning Office
Almost every member of the Office of Population Affairs lost email access and is unable to tell if they were laid off, workers told NOTUS.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 15/10/2025
Court blocks Miami Dade College from transferring land for Trump library until the court issues a final verdict on alleged Sunshine law violations “The court does not believe that the notice was reasonable,” the judge said Tuesday. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/a...
miamiherald.com
Court blocks Miami Dade College from transferring land for Trump library
The judge said the court believes Miami Dade College did not give the public “reasonable notice” about its plans to transfer the land to the state.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 13/10/2025
Judge declines to stop Miami Dade College land transfer for Trump library—for now Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
Judge declines to stop Miami Dade College land transfer for Trump library—for now
Plaintiff Marvin Dunn wanted to prevent the college from transferring the land to the state while the case proceeds.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
A new lawsuit is attempting to void Miami Dade College’s land transfer for Trump’s presidential library until the board of trustees takes a new, publicly noticed vote. The lawsuit accuses the board of violating sunshine laws the first time it voted on it. www.miamiherald.com/news/local/c...
miamiherald.com
Lawsuit accuses Miami Dade College of violating Sunshine Law on Trump library
The lawsuit is challenging the College’s process and is not a “political protest,” according to the complaint filed by local historian Marvin Dunn.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 07/10/2025
Ben Sasse’s defunct Senate campaign gives cash to his old political organization Read more at: www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
Ben Sasse’s defunct Senate campaign gives cash to his old political organization
The campaign gave a large donation to a tax-exempt organization Sasse launched in 2018, new records show.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 30/09/2025
Where other developers tried and failed to get the college to let them develop the property over the past two decades, Trump’s team got the land for free without providing site plans, renderings or any public debate. www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
Trump to build high-rise library ‘visible for miles’ after state gifts Miami land
The only restriction on the transfer is that construction has to begin on presidential library, museum or center within five years.
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Claire Heddles @claireheddles.bsky.social · 29/09/2025
Push to build Trump library on Miami Dade College land shrouded in secrecy www.miamiherald.com/news/politic...
miamiherald.com
Push to build Trump library on Miami Dade College land shrouded in secrecy
One historian who studies presidential libraries said the state’s move to give public land to the cause so early in the process is “unusually fast.”
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ProPublica @propublica.org · 26/09/2025
NEW: After one of Kristi Noem’s major financial supporters contacted her, the DHS chief quickly expedited more than $11 million of federal money to rebuild a historic pier in Naples, Florida, records obtained by ProPublica show.
propublica.org
Kristi Noem Fast-Tracked Millions in Disaster Aid to Florida Tourist Attraction After Campaign Donor Intervened
The DHS chief has been widely criticized for slowing down FEMA’s response after natural disasters. Texts and emails obtained by ProPublica point to an effective way to get help faster: have one of Noe...
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Oriana González @oriana.bsky.social · 19/09/2025
SCOOP: Pam Bondi called @ericswalwell.bsky.social after he said DOJ refused to prosecute death threats against him “Hopefully there’s some action,” he said But other House Dems claim DOJ hasn’t prosecuted threats against them — and they don’t trust Bondi to do it now www.notus.org/congress/bon...
notus.org
House Democrats Doubt the Trump Administration Takes Threats Against Them Seriously
“Every single person in the caucus,” one House Democrat said, “is scared right now.”
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