'What a farce': Gov. DeSantis slams California's ongoing vote counting weeks after election



Florida Governor Ron DeSantis criticized California on Wednesday for its ongoing ballot counting weeks after the November 5 election.

DeSantis wrote in a post on X, "We are on the eve of Thanksgiving and California still hasn't finished counting votes. Post-election day ballot 'dumps' continue to net Democrat votes over two GOP incumbents."

'No one believes this isn't completely shady.'

He raised concerns that the ongoing ballot counting could reduce the Republican House majority to "a razor thin" margin of 220-215.

“What a farce,” DeSantis declared.

The Republican National Committee reported that it has already filed lawsuits against several states, including California, for counting mail-in ballots after Election Day.

RNC Chairman Michael Whatley called it "absurd." He noted that California allows ballots received a week after Election Day to be counted, adding that it has taken the state "almost a month to count them."

"Every vote in every state matters, and the RNC will work with our state parties and candidates to ensure Election Integrity across the country. It is clear that we need real election reforms to Protect the Vote in California," Whatley declared in a post on X.

He stated that the RNC and the California Republican Party "have been on the ground with attorneys and observers across the state throughout the process of voting, curing, and counting."

Fox News Digital reported that the RNC partnered with the National Republican Congressional Committee and Elon Musk's America PAC to launch a ballot-curing operation in California.

Gates McGavick, senior adviser to Whatley, told the news outlet, "The RNC, NRCC, and CAGOP's election integrity operation was on the ground in California before Election Day, on Election Day, and has continued working ever since November 5th. Our attorneys and trained volunteers are in place to ensure transparency throughout the election process."

The vast majority of voters in California opt to mail in their ballots, which has reportedly slowed down the tabulating process. During the 2022 election, nearly 90% of the votes cast were via mail-in ballots.

Due to California's prolonged ballot counting, several local races still have not been called, including House bids for the 13th and 45th Congressional Districts.

Former Acting Director of U.S. National Intelligence Richard Grenell commented on the sluggish vote counting.

Grenell wrote on X, "No one believes this isn't completely shady that California is still counting votes."

Rep. Mike Collins (R-Georgia) called on California to lose an electoral vote for every day it spends after Election Day counting the ballots.

Even Musk also commented on the state's slow progress, stating, "India counted 640 million votes in 1 day. California is still counting votes."

The California Secretary of State’s office stated earlier this month, “Counting every vote takes time, but at the CA Secretary of State’s office, we’re committed to ensuring every eligible vote is counted. Final results will be certified on December 13th. Thank you for your patience as we work to protect your voice in our democracy!”

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‘It is hurricane season’: DeSantis schools reporter who tries to blame Hurricane Milton tornadoes on global warming



During a Thursday press briefing, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) came prepared with the facts on hurricane history, schooling a reporter who tried to blame tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton on global warming.

Two hurricanes and dozens of tornadoes have hit Florida in the last couple of weeks.

'People should put this in perspective.'

When asked by a reporter whether he thinks the increase in tornadoes could be linked to climate change, DeSantis responded, “I think you can go back and find tornadoes for all of human history for sure.”

When Hurricane Milton made landfall in Florida late Wednesday, it had a barometric pressure of roughly 950 millibars, the governor stated.

“I think, if you go back to 1851, there’s probably been 27 hurricanes that have had lower [barometric pressure] — so the lower the barometric pressure, the stronger it is,” he continued. “I think there have been about 27 hurricanes that have had lower barometric pressure on landfall than Milton did, and of those, 17 occurred, I think, prior to 1960.”

The most powerful hurricane to hit Florida since the 1850s was the Labor Day Hurricane in the 1930s, which had a barometric pressure of 892 millibars, according to DeSantis.

“It totally wiped out the Keys. We’ve never seen anything like it, and that remains head and shoulders above any powerful hurricane that we’ve ever had in the state of Florida,” DeSantis said.

He noted that the state’s most deadly storm was the Okeechobee hurricane in 1928, which killed more than 4,000 people.

DeSantis added that Hurricane Ian, which killed 149 people in Florida two years ago, “wasn’t even close to that.”

“I just think people should put this in perspective. They try to take different things that happen with tropical weather and act like it’s something; there’s nothing new under the sun. This is something that the state has dealt with for its entire history, and it’s something that we'll continue to deal with,” he said.

DeSantis argued that what has changed is Florida’s population.

“We’ve got 23 million people. A storm that hits is likely to hit more people and property than it would have a hundred years ago. And so the potential for that damage has grown,” he continued, adding that the state’s prevention ability has also significantly improved.

“We never did the pre-staging of power assets until I became governor. Now, people, like, expect that, but that wasn’t what was done in the past. That’s why people would be out with power for three weeks when we’d have hurricanes,” DeSantis stated. “Now we have to pay to get these guys to come in, but my view is, the quicker you get everyone hooked up, the better off the economy is going to be anyway.”

Another reporter asked DeSantis if he would denounce “misinformation” about “some entity controlling the weather.”

The governor replied, “This is on both sides. Some people think government can do this, then others think it’s all because of fossil fuels.”

“There’s precedent for all of this in history,” he said. “It is hurricane season. You are going to have tropical weather.”

“These are natural occurrences,” DeSantis added.

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DeSantis takes command as Florida braces for another destructive hurricane



TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Driving to Florida's capital from Jacksonville on Interstate 10, you'll notice the large, fallen tree branches and tree trunks still lining the road. Those are the reminders of Hurricane Helene, which passed through the region a little under two weeks ago, and already the state is bracing for another hurricane that can make Helene look like a walk in the park.

Hurricane Milton has been described as a once-in-a-lifetime hurricane because of how it formed in the western part of the Gulf of Mexico and how fast it developed into a Category 5 storm. While it is still too early to say definitely where Milton will make landfall later this week, many models are predicting it will slam directly into Tampa Bay, which hasn't taken a direct hit since 1921.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) and his administration are back working in emergency mode, barely catching their breath after dealing with Helene and its aftermath. Sitting in the state's Emergency Operations Center, DeSantis assured Blaze News everyone who has been mobilized the past few weeks is ready to take on the challenges Hurricane Milton will bring.

"We've mobilized all the resources that are available to us, probably more resources than we've ever done. ... This is a major storm right now. It's strengthened beyond what anyone predicted," DeSantis explained.

One of the worrisome aspects of Milton is that it is projected to still be a hurricane when it moves past Florida, meaning intense winds and flooding will be seen as far away as Orlando and Jacksonville. DeSantis said those areas will not be forgotten in the cleanup.

"You'll have over 30,000 linemen that'll be stationed to be able to resume power as soon as the storm passes and it's safe to do so. We did 2.4 million [power] restorations for Hurricane Helene in record time. You potentially could have more outages on this storm and, perhaps, significantly more depending on the path that it takes as it cuts across the Florida peninsula," DeSantis continued. "These guys are primed for this."

'They were one of the first outfits to be in western North Carolina. They certainly beat the federal government there.'

For now, the state is racing against the clock before Milton arrives to remove debris in the Tampa Bay area that was caused by Helene. While state workers have made great strides in securing the loose trash, crews have been working 24/7 to get as much of it off the streets to prevent further damage. While crews have removed tons of debris, a process which normally takes months, the area is not expected to be fully cleaned up before Milton makes landfall due to the untold tons still left and the short amount of time between Helene and Milton.

In addition to Florida's National Guard, the Florida State Guard that was reactivated under DeSantis has been tested with Helene in both Florida and North Carolina.

"They've been incredible. They've saved lives; they made a difference here in Florida. They did have a brief mission in North Carolina. ... They were one of the first outfits to be in western North Carolina. They certainly beat the federal government there. And now they're here, staging and being ready to go as needed," DeSantis noted.

On Tuesday, Florida officials stressed that while there is still time to evacuate out of the expected impacted areas, that window is closing. Those planning on leaving must do so by Wednesday morning. DeSantis explained while it is possible Milton can weaken down to a Category 3 storm, the state is assuming it will be much stronger when it reaches the United States.

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Doctors warn Florida voters about purposely 'misleading' abortion amendment: 'Very deceptively worded'



A large coalition of medical professionals is warning Florida voters about a purposely "misleading" abortion amendment that would overturn the state's six-week ban if passed in the upcoming November election.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) signed the Heartbeat Protection Act into law in 2023. The legislation prohibits abortions after six weeks.

'Traffickers and abusers will be able to much more easily coerce girls into abortions.'

A new ballot measure, Amendment 4, called the "Right to Abortion Initiative," seeks to rescind the state's restrictions by adding language to the Florida Constitution's Declaration of Rights that states, "No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider."

The amendment has received national attention, in part because Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump recently reiterated statements to the press that he believes DeSantis' six-week ban is "too short." His response sparked backlash from pro-life supporters, which prompted Trump, a Florida resident, to clarify how he plans to vote on the measure, Blaze News previously reported.

Trump noted in a recent interview that he does believe that six weeks is "just too short a period," but he plans to vote against the amendment, citing Democrats' "radicalization" regarding supporting abortion up to nine months. If passed, the initiative could block any laws attempting to implement time restrictions.

Florida doctors recently voiced concerns about the measure's "brief" and "vague" language.

Dr. Richard Sandler, a pediatric gastroenterologist, is one of a few hundred medical professionals who joined Florida Physicians Against Amendment 4 to speak out in opposition to the amendment.

"To me, the most powerful [argument] is abortion until birth, because even the pro-choicers are typically not in favor of that," Sandler told the Florida Phoenix. "And certainly, the majority of voters are not in favor of that, that's clear. But they're not reading this amendment to realize this is what's being allowed. It's not explicitly what's in there. You have to read between the lines a little bit, which makes it harder to explain, but it's there."

Sandler accused the measure of being "very deceptively worded" and filled with ambiguous language.

"It's so brief. It's so vague. So many terms undefined," he added. "And there is so much money and deception that is behind it."

Florida Physicians Against Amendment 4's website explains that, if passed, the measure will allow abortions up to nine months and eliminate parental consent for children.

The amendment states that it will still "require notification to a parent or guardian before a minor has an abortion." However, critics noted that "notification" is not the same as "consent."

Dr. Stephen Hannan, president of the Southwest Florida Guild of the Catholic Medical Association, explained that the measure is "very misleading," the Diocese of Venice in Florida reported.

"Simply notifying a parent does not mean consent is required, just that someone was notified," Hannan said. "And the ballot summary provides no stringent criteria for notification as proof of identification as a parent."

Dr. Karen Liebert, an OB/GYN and medical director at the Community Pregnancy Clinic in Sarasota, warned that the amendment could pose significant risks to children.

"Traffickers and abusers will be able to much more easily coerce girls into abortions, since the parental consent requirement is removed with the passage of this amendment. This is a real issue. Even worse, with no doctor involved, it's easier for an abuser to get someone, any loosely defined 'healthcare provider,' to say an abortion is needed," Liebert explained.

Dr. Ana Garcia Iguaran, an OB/GYN and general practitioner, stated that the initiative would "provide unlimited, unrestricted access to abortion."

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Trump calls 6-week abortion ban 'too short'



During an NBC News interview on Thursday, Republican presidential nominee and former President Donald Trump was asked about his position on Florida's Amendment 4, called the "Right to Abortion Initiative."

The state's legislature passed the Heartbeat Protection Act in 2023, which banned abortions at six weeks. That ban went into effect in May.

'He simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short.'

A vote in support of Amendment 4 on the upcoming November ballot would add language to the Florida Constitution's Declaration of Rights that states, "No law shall prohibit, penalize, delay, or restrict abortion before viability or when necessary to protect the patient's health, as determined by the patient's healthcare provider."

On Thursday, an NBC News reporter asked Trump, "In Florida, the state that you are a resident of, there's an abortion-related amendment on the ballot to overturn the six-week ban in Florida. How are you going to vote on that?"

Trump responded, "Well, I think the six week is too short. It has to be more time. And I've told them that I want more weeks."

"So, you'll vote in favor of the amendment?" the reporter asked.

"I am going to be voting that we need more than six weeks. Look, just so you understand, everybody wanted Roe v. Wade terminated for years, 52 years. I got it done. They wanted it to go back to the states. Exceptions are very important for me, for Ronald Reagan, for others that have navigated this very, very interesting and difficult path."

Trump has previously referred to Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' six-week abortion ban as a "terrible mistake."

After Trump's most recent comments, his campaign released a statement attempting to clarify his position in the wake of pushback from pro-life voters.

In a Thursday press release, Trump campaign national press secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote, "President Trump has not yet said how he will vote on the ballot initiative in Florida, he simply reiterated that he believes six weeks is too short."

Trump also recently stated that he would support in-vitro fertilization and having the costs associated with the fertility treatment covered by insurance.

"Under the Trump administration, we are going to be paying for that treatment," he declared. "We're going to be mandating that the insurance company pay."

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