Florida's biggest legal battles to watch in 2026
From immigration detention and gun laws to book bans, marijuana and social media, a wide range of legal battles in Florida remain unsettled as the state heads into 2026.
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From immigration detention and gun laws to book bans, marijuana and social media, a wide range of legal battles in Florida remain unsettled as the state heads into 2026.
The declaration issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services called treatments like puberty blockers, hormone therapy and surgeries unsafe and ineffective for children and adolescents experiencing gender dysphoria.
The proposals run counter to the recommendations of most major U.S. medical organizations.
Under a school system policy guide at the time, the parents were not informed of the social transition at school.
A U.S. district judge said a 2023 Florida law restricting pronouns that transgender teachers can use to identify themselves violates a federal civil-rights law — but the outcome of the issue might ultimately hinge on an appeals-court ruling in a Georgia case.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee has effectively barred transgender women from competing in women's sports, telling sports governing bodies it has an "obligation to comply" with federal policy.
In their brief, Florida's lawyers acknowledged that the case involves adults and minors but said that "doesn't matter."
The Supreme Court will take up cases involving laws in Idaho and West Virginia that prohibit transgender athletes from participating in girls' and women's sports.
The pronoun restrictions were part of a series of controversial measures that Gov. Ron DeSantis and Republican lawmakers have approved in recent years that focus on transgender people — and have drawn legal challenges.
The Supreme Court ruled that Tennessee's law restricting gender-affirming care for transgender youth does not violate the 14th Amendment.
Army guidelines instruct commanders and soldiers on interacting with and identifying service members with gender dysphoria as they leave the military.
President Trump issued an executive order in January that targeted active-duty and prospective service members with gender dysphoria.
In its lawsuit, the ACLU described how one woman had her passport returned with a male designation while others are too scared to submit their passports because they fear their applications might be suspended and their passports held by the State Department.
U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes ruled in favor of transgender active-duty service members and transgender people in the process of enlisting.
Transgender troops will be removed from U.S. military service unless they obtain a waiver, according to the Pentagon's memo.
Model and actress Hunter Schafer said her new passport lists her gender as male despite selecting female while filling out paperwork.
The requests by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission mark a major departure from its prior interpretation of civil rights law.
The military announced in a social media post on Friday that it will no longer allow transgender people to enlist.
President Trump issued an executive order that seeks to restrict access to gender-affirming care for young people under the age of 19.
President Trump's executive action sought to restrict access to gender-affirming care for people under the age of 19.
A group of transgender people sued in federal court over an order that led to the halting of allowing gender markers to be changed on passports and barring the use of the "X" marker used by many nonbinary people.
The issue was a political lightning rod during the 2024 campaign, with Republicans spending tens of millions of dollars on ads focusing on transgender rights issues.
The order prohibits federal funding for puberty blockers, hormone therapy and gender-affirming surgeries for those under 19.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed an executive order aimed at cutting federal support for gender transitions for people under age 19
The executive order means Americans won't be able to select "X" on passports any longer.
A man was shot in Fort Lauderdale after an altercation Monday morning, police say.
At an emergency UN meeting on Monday, UN ambassador Mike Waltz repeated the Trump administration's argument that the air and ground assault was not an attack.
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is facing narco-terrorism and weapons charges.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the Pentagon had begun a process that could result in Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona being demoted and having his retirement pay cut.
An arrest has been made after a woman was found dead on Hollywwod Beach at the ed of December, police say.
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife appear before a federal judge in New York to face charges related to drug trafficking.
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is facing narco-terrorism and weapons charges.
South Florida lawmakers will speak on Monday after the U.S. captured former Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro over the weekend.
In a special live episode, Jim DeFede brings us the latest developments and the fallout following the Saturday morning strikes.
A man was shot in Fort Lauderdale after an altercation Monday morning, police say.
A former prison guard trainee has been sentenced to death for the 2019 execution-style killings of five women inside a Florida bank.
Florida coach Billy Napier is getting a fourth season to try to get the Gators back to their winning ways.
A Florida man has filed a federal lawsuit against Jacksonville sheriff's officers who severely beat him last year after he ran from a traffic stop.
The Marion County Sheriff's deputy told authorities that he accidentally shot and killed his girlfriend while cleaning his gun.
The American Automobile Association said this is a dangerous time of year for young drivers.
At an emergency UN meeting on Monday, UN ambassador Mike Waltz repeated the Trump administration's argument that the air and ground assault was not an attack.
Ousted Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro is facing narco-terrorism and weapons charges.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Monday that the Pentagon had begun a process that could result in Democratic Sen. Mark Kelly of Arizona being demoted and having his retirement pay cut.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar is seriously considering a run for governor in the wake of Tim Walz's decision Monday to end his bid for a third term.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz says he is dropping his reelection campaign amid increased criticism over his handling of fraud in the state.
In a special live episode, Jim DeFede brings us the latest developments and the fallout following the Saturday morning strikes.
Jim Defede's guest this week on Facing South Florida is James Fishback, a Republican candidate for the Florida governor's office.
Guest host Lauren Pastrana is joined by Ron Book, chairman of the Miami-Dade Homeless Trust.
Guest host Laura Pastrana talks with one of the big winners from Tuesday's runoff elections, Miami Beach Commissioner-elect Monica Matteo-Salinas.
Jim Defede goes in-depth on the second vote by the Miami Dade College Trustees to donate land for the proposed Trump Presidential Library.
In his new wellness book, "Eat Your Ice Cream," Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel goes beyond the basics of eating, exercise and sleep, to the importance of being happy, social engagement, and recommended behaviors (like "don't be a schmuck") that can benefit longevity.
If you don't feel well, particularly if you have a fever and worsening symptoms, Dr. Glazier says, skip the get-together.
Millions of people with an Affordable Care Act health plan face a massive jump in premiums next year — this chart shows just how much.
A California digital health company and a Florida medical practice have been indicted in an alleged $100 million scheme to illegally distribute Adderall over the internet to patients across the country who didn't need it, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Physicians and educators spoke out against the proposed repeal of vaccination requirements for diseases such as chickenpox during a Department of Health workshop in Panama City Beach, while vaccine critics applauded Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration for advancing the plan.
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A lawsuit filed late last month took Chicago-based McDonald's to task over the McRib sandwich, calling its name a form of false advertising.
Florida insurance policyholders could be seeing some form of relief in their wallets thanks to market reforms made statewide, Gov. Ron DeSantis said.
The company said Tuesday that 85% of its retail products and "nearly all" of its school offerings are already made without "certified colors."
Less than two days after Delta Air Lines offered $30,000 to each passenger on board the flight that crashed and flipped in Toronto on Monday afternoon, the company is facing its first two lawsuits in the incident — and they likely won't be the last.
Activists are calling for a nationwide boycott of Target stores following the company's decision to roll back its diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives.
A woman who was found dead in San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel on New Year's Day has been identified as Victoria Jones, daughter of actor Tommy Lee Jones, officials said.
George Clooney and his wife, Amal Clooney, were granted French citizenship because "they contribute, through their distinguished actions, to France's international influence and cultural outreach," the French government said.
Here are the significant books, films and characters joining the list of works in the public domain on Jan. 1, 2026.
Here's what to know about the lineup of performances scheduled for New Year's Eve, as crowds gather in Times Square to ring in 2026.
Isiah Whitlock Jr. is perhaps best known for his role as state Sen. R. Clayton "Clay" Davis on HBO's "The Wire."