NewsNight

State Attorney Bain lays out his first 100 days gameplan which includes eliminating diversion programs but what does that mean for first time offenders? also Brevard County Commissioners cut their cultural grant program funding leaving in total about 25 arts and cultural organizations looking for new funding, and back to school brings new uncertainties about what can be taught in classrooms.

A look at sweeping changes to the way Florida handles undocumented immigrants throughout the state including criminal penalties, expanded employment checks, and unprecedented use of state assets. NewsNight talks to the people most affected, supporters of the new legislation, and reporters covering the issue.

An analysis of the Florida Board of Education’s revised Black history curriculum. The new standards include instruction that slavery benefited African Americans because it taught them useful skills. But critics, including Vice President Kamala Harris, say it amounts to “whitewashing” history. NewsNight gathers reaction, and the panel discusses the political fall-out.

It’s 54 years since NASA first put humans on the Moon. Now the space agency is preparing a crew to head back to the lunar surface. Former astronaut Winston Scott discusses his path from a segregated elementary school in Miami to flying aboard the shuttle, how NASA has changed over the intervening decades, his experiences in orbit, and efforts to diversify America's astronaut corps.

This week on NewsNight, a look at the governor’s decision to veto a bill that would have modernized the way Florida buys state vehicles to encourage the purchase of electric cars and trucks. And the panel discusses uncertainly in the LGBTQ community amid an ongoing court fight over a law opponents say targets drag shows but that supporters say is aimed at protecting children. 

A look at how a U.S. Supreme Court decision striking down redrawn Congressional district lines in Alabama and Louisiana might impact future elections in Florida amid court challenges to the state’s 2022 redistricting maps. Plus, the panel discusses new protections in Florida for human trafficking survivors.

A look at the latest clash between Florida and the federal government as the state sues the U.S. Department of Education over the process for accrediting universities and colleges. And as Brightline announces the competition of its extension to Orlando, new Coast Guard bridge rules could impact future services. 

Orange County officials say Orlo Vista flood mitigation work will move ahead despite the Governor’s veto of a related project in the community in the state budget. The panel looks at what made it into the record budget and what got cut. Plus, as forecasters monitor a tropical depression in the Atlantic Ocean, some coastal rebuilding efforts in Central Florida are slow to reach completion.

Some advocates are calling for Florida’s ‘stand your ground’ laws to be abolished as debate over the controversial legislation reignites following the shooting death of Ajike Owens in Ocala. Florida flies more migrants out of Texas, this time to California, as Governor DeSantis visits the border. Plus, Florida reaction to the indictment of Donald Trump.

As Florida Governor Ron DeSantis officially enters the 2024 Presidential race, taking on Donald Trump for the Republican nomination, NewsNight has an in-depth analysis of the strategies and issues likely to shape the campaign.