TheFloridaStar Podcast

  (WIB) – The Education Department office responsible for protecting the rights of marginalized and minority students in the nation’s K-12 public schools dismissed nearly every discrimination complaint it received last year, due to the Trump administration’s massive reduction in force, according to a new government watchdog report. At the same time, the Government Accountability Office found that the administration’s attempt to lay off about half of the department’s Office for Civil Rights — a move that was challenged in court — may have cost taxpayers as much as million over the nine months it took to resolve the...

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    As the U.S.- and Israel-led war continues to expand, its justifications have grown thinner and its timeline more elusive. At the same time, the Trump administration appears increasingly eager to rein in unfavorable coverage. During a Pentagon press briefing on March 13, 2026, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth urged journalists to adopt more favorable framing of the conflict, telling reporters, “Here’s a real headline for you, for an actual patriotic press… ‘Iran shrinking, going underground.’” Hegseth’s quip implies that coverage of Iran which questions the administration’s actions or portrays them in an unflattering light is somehow unpatriotic. The pressure...

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  Barbados Prime Minister Mia Mottley became the second Caribbean politician to win all the seats in a national Parliament on three occasions as she led the Barbados Labor Party (BLP) to yet another whitewash of her opponents in the Barbados general election. Mottley, 60, follows former Grenadian Prime Minister Dr. Keith Mitchell, who earlier this year announced he was bowing out of active politics after he had become the first regional leader to win all the seats in his country’s Parliament. She led the BLP to consecutive clean sweeps since winning all 30 seats in the Barbados Parliament when...

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What Mother Nature took away in the outdoor atmosphere, Samara Joy more than made up for in sheer artistry Sunday night. The 26-year-old, seven time Grammy Award winning jazz vocalist headlined the Fort Mose Jazz and Blues Festival after inclement weather forced the event indoors to Ponte Vedra Concert Hall and if the crowd noticed the change of scenery, they didn't show it. Every seat in the house was filled, and the energy matched it. Joy, widely regarded as one of the most gifted jazz voices of her generation, delivered a performance that reminded the audience exactly why her career...

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TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Tommy Castellanos accounted for three touchdowns as Florida State defeated Virginia Tech 34-14 on Saturday night at Doak Campbell Stadium, moving the Seminoles within one win of bowl eligibility. Castellanos rushed for two touchdowns and threw a 50-yard scoring strike to Duce Robinson as Florida State (5-5, 2-5 ACC) scored on six consecutive drives after a scoreless first quarter. The junior quarterback completed 12 of 24 passes for 189 yards and added 45 yards on seven carries. Robinson caught six passes for 134 yards, recording his third consecutive 100-yard receiving game and fifth of the season. He now...

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Story and photos by Davril Grant JACKSONVILLE – The 10th-ranked Florida Gators used their dominant frontcourt to pull away from Miami 82-68 on Sunday night at VyStar Memorial Arena in the Jacksonville Hoops Showdown. Alex Condon scored 15 first-half points to stake the Gators to a 10-point halftime lead, finishing with 19 points and seven rebounds. Rueben Chinyelu took over in the second half, recording his second consecutive double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds on 7-of-10 shooting. Thomas Haugh added 17 points and nine rebounds in 37 minutes. The surprising star was reserve guard Urban Klavzar, who broke out...

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GAINESVILLE - Jadan Baugh delivered a historic performance Saturday night, rushing for 266 yards and two touchdowns as Florida demolished rival Florida State 40-21 at The Swamp, denying the Seminoles bowl eligibility for the second consecutive season. Baugh’s 38 carry masterpiece marked the second highest single game rushing total in Gators history, trailing only Emmitt Smith’s 316 yards in 1989. The sophomore punished FSU’s defense all night, crossing the 1,000-yard season milestone and becoming Florida’s first 1,000-yard rusher since 2015. DJ Lagway complemented Baugh’s ground assault with three touchdown passes, connecting with J.Michael Sturdivant, Tony Livingston, and Hayden Hansen. Florida’s...

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Fifth-ranked Georgia Bulldogs extended its winning streak in the rivalry to five games with a 24-20 victory over Florida Gators on Saturday at EverBank Stadium in Jacksonville. The Bulldogs (7-1) rallied from a 20-17 fourth-quarter deficit after stopping the Gators on fourth-and-1 at the Georgia 18-yard line. Chauncey Bowens capped a seven-play, 82-yard drive with a 36-yard touchdown run with 4:36 remaining. Gunner Stockton threw two touchdown passes while Zachariah Branch caught 10 passes for 112 yards in Georgia’s fourth come-from-behind SEC win this season. Florida (3-5) played inspired football in their first game under interim head coach Billy Gonzales...

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      I was honored to have been a public-school teacher. It gave me a front row seat and glimpse into the future. That was a long time ago.   Back then, my teacher friends and I were always excited about the beginning of a new school year. Students were excited to see us, and we were thrilled to see them. There were smiles all around.   The smiles all around part began when I was a young boy. The kids in my neighborhood in North Carolina didn’t dread returning for another school year. Our teachers welcomed us back...

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  Facial recognition technology is now in use for security screening at some of the nation’s busiest airports, with TSA’s PreCheck Touchless ID available at 15 locations including Chicago O’Hare, Dallas-Fort Worth, Denver, Detroit, Las Vegas, Atlanta, New York’s JFK and LaGuardia, Los Angeles, Newark, Portland, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, Seattle, and Ronald Reagan Washington National. The system allows enrolled TSA PreCheck travelers with valid passports to verify their identity with a quick photo instead of a physical ID. TSA says the images are deleted within 24 hours of a flight and are not used for law enforcement or...

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