By Christine Sexton|Senior Reporter
"This is money laundering. And look, I want to give grace to the first lady here. I think she was used. I think Hope Florida was used.” — Democratic gubernatorial hopeful David Jolly
Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly in Tallahassee on Aug. 28, 2026. (Photo by Jay Waagmeester/Florida Phoenix)
Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly ripped into top Republicans again Friday over the leaked Hope Florida grand jury report. But Jolly said First Lady Casey DeSantis— who was seen a potential successor to her husband before the Hope Florida probe by the Florida House started making headlines—wasn’t involved and that her name shouldn’t be smeared.
An administrative law judge refused this week to toss a legal challenge filed against the DeSantis administration over Medicaid reimbursement rates for pediatricians. The pediatricians argue the state erred when it recalculated rates to reflect the costs of covering applied behavioral analysis (ABA) for children and adults with autism and special needs. The challenge comes as a legislatively mandated 10-member task force considers ways to deliver ABA while “safeguarding long term program sustainability.” The blue-ribbon panel meets again Monday in Tallahassee.
Health & Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited Tampa Bay Boulevard Elementary School with U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody this week to announce a $32.5 million grant for nutrition interventions. While there, RFK Jr. questioned the accuracy of a report that two unvaccinated Pennsylvania residents who contracted the measles virus died.
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