Florida’s Pam Bondi Tapped for U.S. Attorney General

President-elect Donald Trump nominated veteran prosecutor and former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as his new pick for U.S. Attorney General hours after Matt Gaetz withdrew his name from consideration.

In 2019, Bondi joined Trump’s White House team to focus on “proactive impeachment messaging.” She served as his legal advisor and defense attorney during his first impeachment, which concluded with his acquittal.

The 59-year-old also served on Trump’s Opioid and Drug Abuse Commission and, more recently, led the legal arm of the America First Policy Institute, a conservative think tank founded by former Trump staff members.

If confirmed by the Senate, Bondi will become the nation’s chief law enforcement officer, overseeing the Department of Justice, which comprises over 115,000 employees and operates with an approximate $45 billion budget.

Trump Meets With NATO Head in Florida

President-elect Donald Trump and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met in Palm Beach on Friday to discuss global security and challenges facing the military alliance.

Rutte, former prime minister of the Netherlands, and his team met U.S. Rep. Michael Waltz, Trump’s pick for national security adviser, and other members of the president-elect’s national security team.

Rutte took over at the helm of NATO in October and said in a statement that Trump’s leadership will be key to keeping NATO strong and that he looks forward to working with him.

DeSantis Promotes Florida Fishing at the Holidays

On Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced an extension of the state’s 2024 Gulf red snapper recreational season, adding 17 additional fishing days for Florida families and visitors to fish red snapper during the holiday season.

Earlier this year, DeSantis announced a record-long 103-day red snapper season, noting that the season would be reevaluated if impacted by the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season.

DeSantis recently announced a second consecutive year of discounts on fishing and hunting licenses for Florida families, including half-off short-term licenses and reduced prices for lifetime sportsman licenses for children.

“Many Floridians are still recovering from the impacts of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, and I hope this extended season allows families to enjoy fishing together this holiday season,” DeSantis said.

➤ Statewide: The Florida Department of Transportation says the days before and after Thanksgiving make this the busiest travel week of the year. AAA projects that a record 4.5 million Floridians will travel 50 miles or more. (More)

➤ Brevard County: President-elect Donald Trump endorsed Randy Fine to run for the 6th Congressional District seat opened by the nomination of Michael Waltz to be the national security adviser. Fine was elected to a Florida Senate seat representing Brevard County and has not announced a plan to run for Congress. (More)

➤ Okaloosa County: “Operation Cold Turkey” led to the arrest of nine adult online predators targeting minors. (See Details)

➤ Tallahassee: The State Board of Education put a new rule in place that requires school districts to remind parents each year of the consequences they could face if their child makes false threats of violence. (See Details)

➤ St. Petersburg: A drug trafficker was sentenced to 21 years and 10 months in federal prison on Friday after being arrested for selling methamphetamine, cocaine, bath salts, and prescription pills out of multiple trap houses. (More)

➤ Palm Bay: The city council fired City Manager Suzanne Sherman, with two of the three newly elected council members supporting the decision. The vote was not on the agenda. (More)

➤ The Miami Dolphins won their third game in a row, beating the New England Patriots 34-15. Tua Tagovailoa threw for four touchdowns. (More) 

➤ The Tampa Bay Buccaneers crushed the New York Giants 30-7, improving their record to 5-6 and keeping their playoff hopes alive. Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield was 24 of 30 for 294 yards. (More)

➤ No. 8 Miami put together a dominant 42-14 win over Wake Forest in college football on Saturday, while Florida pulled off an upset win over No. 9 Ole Miss. (More) 

Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NCAAF |NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | PGA | LPGA | MLS

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➤ Unemployment claims in Florida dropped for the week ending Nov. 16, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. New jobless claims fell to 6,013, down from 6,660 the week before. (More)

➤ The Anchor Glass Container Corp., Florida’s only remaining glass bottle manufacturing plant, is closing and ending a century-long run in Jacksonville. Its customers have included Anheuser-Busch. (More)

➤ Blue Origin’s New Shepard rocket launched a Winter Park couple and four other civilians into space on Friday. The half-dozen crew traveled beyond the Kármán line, the internationally recognized boundary of space at 62 miles above Earth. (See Photos)

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➤ A Port St. Lucie couple on their way to adopt a new dog had a unique wildlife encounter with a tegu lizard. (See Video)

➤ A Brevard County man survived a fall of 30 feet off a bucket truck after being attacked by a swarm of bees during a tree-trimming job. He was stung more than 100 times. (See Video)

➤ One year after the Biden administration gave Florida the green light to become the first state to import lower-cost prescription drugs from Canada, the program has yet to begin. (More)

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What type of cranberry sauce do you eat on Thanksgiving?

1. Fresh or homemade
2. Jellied out of a can
3. Whole berries out of a can
4. Combined with another fruit
5. I don’t eat cranberry sauce

Friday’s Results:

Would you go on a cruise for dogs and their humans?

1. Absolutely: 22.8%
2. No: 58.1%
3. Where’s it going?: 19.1%

What is the motto of the Seminole Tribe of Florida?

Show me the answer