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Miami Herald
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
The Republican Party can't be pro-business while crushing the American workforce
It has been odd to watch the Republican party, my party, slip into an alternate universe and abandon its pro-business stance to actively work against employers. Republicans have long championed free markets, labor growth and economic pragmatism. Now they're abandoning that legacy with an all-out attack on immigration — and America is feeling the consequences. We need an immigration policy that supports economic growth, not a shock and awe campaign meant to terrorize communities of color and undermine the businesses the GOP claims to defend. It's clear by now that this is no longer the party of Ronald Reagan. Yet, I'm still perplexed by how far the GOP has strayed from conservative ideology, most notably when it comes to the link between the economy and immigration. Back in 1980, when Reagan and George H.W. Bush were discussing immigration during the Republican presidential primary debate, neither candidate brought up mass deportations. Rather they understood the impact that shutting down the border would have on America's economy. Both men recognized the importance of immigrant labor. Treating immigrants with dignity wasn't a liberal idea. It was a conservative value. That type of pragmatism is absent in today's Republican Party. And the consequences are playing out across the country. Key industries that are the backbone of America's economy, such as agriculture, construction and meat packing, are now feeling the impact of immigration enforcement. In Tallahassee, over 100 construction workers were detained by immigration agents last month. Rusty Payton, CEO of the Florida Home Builders Association, told WCTV, 'We do have a workforce shortage, which means it's harder to get our trades out and schedule our trades. When we have to shut down for whatever law enforcement or regulatory authority is showing up, it's harder on the back end' to complete projects. In June, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers raided Glenn Valley Foods, a meat packing plant in Omaha, Nebraska, and arrested 67 people. After the plant reopened, about a third of the remaining staff came back — others stayed home because they were afraid or traumatized. As a result, production dropped by 20% on that day, according to the president of the company Chad Hartmann. Farms in California are also experiencing large-scale immigration raids in fields. Economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin, president of the American Action Forum, told me workers aren't showing up to work out of fear of being targeted. 'We're seeing the impact of near-term fluctuations in immigration,' he said. 'Businesses are vocal about the difficulty in finding workers, and this will get worse over time.' These aren't isolated incidents. They are a preview of what happens when ideology ignores economic reality. Holtz-Eakin warned that a labor shortage could cause food prices to rise. He noted: 'That's been one of the flashpoints in the economic discontent that got Trump elected in the first place.' Supporting immigration policy doesn't mean abandoning border security. We can have secure borders and economic growth. President Donald Trump seems to be second-guessing his wrecking-ball style approach to immigration, posting last month on Truth Social : 'Our great farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace. That is not good… Changes are coming!' Sounds like reality is setting in. Economic projections by Brookings in December 2024 predicted Trump's immigration policy could reduce America's GDP growth by between 0.1 and 0.4 percentage points, or by $30 and $110 billion. The GOP has forgotten economic growth and prosperity require pragmatic policies that work alongside market forces, not against them. A truly conservative approach, as expressed by Reagan and Bush, recognizes the role that labor — immigrants, naturalized and native-born — plays in keeping America's economy running. Until the GOP remembers and gets back to foundational conservative principles of pro-growth and pro-freedom, it will continue to damage the businesses — and workers — it has long claimed to champion. Mary Anna Mancuso is a member of the Miami Herald Editorial Board. Her email: mmancuso@
Miami Herald
26-06-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
FAMU's plan to pay Marva Johnson depends on state budget
The question of how Florida A&M University (FAMU) will pay incoming President Marva Johnson now depends on the state budget. FAMU Foundation Pauses Budget Talks As reported by WCTV, the FAMU Foundation has paused its budget review. The Foundation was working to find money for Johnson's contract. A Monday meeting to discuss the issue was canceled, according to the meeting notice. On Tuesday, WCTV shared a statement from FAMU Foundation Executive Director Anthony Neal. He said the meeting was canceled because of a "legislative provision regarding the President-Elect's salary." New Budget Provision Offers Flexibility The provision is part of Senate Bill 2502, which lawmakers passed last week. It gives FAMU's Board of Trustees the power to use available reserves and old balances to pay the president's salary. The money cannot come from the state's General Revenue Fund or from tuition and fees. WCTV reported that the provision was added to the bill on June 14. This was eight days after the FAMU Board of Trustees approved Johnson's contract. Contract Details and Funding Gap Johnson's contract includes a base salary of $650,000 per year. She is also eligible for extra bonuses and incentives that could total hundreds of thousands of dollars each year. The state can pay up to $200,000 toward her annual salary. The FAMU Foundation must cover the rest. The Foundation had previously approved only $388,562 for the president's pay, leaving a shortfall. A Possible Solution for FAMU The new budget provision could solve this issue. If Governor Ron DeSantis signs the bill without vetoing the provision, Florida A&M can use reserves to pay Johnson's full contract. This could prevent the Foundation from cutting other positions or projects. The governor has until June 30 to approve or veto the budget. According to Neal, the Foundation will meet again later to review its budget if needed. A new meeting date has not been announced yet. The post FAMU's plan to pay Marva Johnson depends on state budget appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Miami Herald
18-year-old was shot, found dead in submerged car, FL cops say. 2 friends charged
Florida 18-year-old was shot, found dead in submerged car, FL cops say. 2 friends charged William Powell Jr., 18, was found dead in a submerged vehicle in the Suwannee River in north Florida, authorities said. Street View Image from September 2023 © 2025 Google When an 18-year-old's body was pulled from a submerged car in the Suwannee River in Florida, investigators learned he had also been shot, authorities said. William Powell Jr. was found in the river in White Springs after a 911 call came in shortly after midnight on Sunday, May 4, Hamilton County Sheriff Brian Creech said at a news conference on May 6. Cameron Fine, 18, was charged with second-degree murder and destroying evidence, while Josh Daniel, 18, was charged with accessory after the fact and destroying evidence, the sheriff said. Investigators said Powell was killed May 3, and his body was retrieved from the submerged vehicle the next day. Creech called it a 'senseless murder that should've never happened.' The same day Powell's body was discovered, investigators said they arrested the two 18-year-olds. The sheriff told McClatchy News they were friends of Powell. Sherry Blankenship told WCTV her cousin Powell was a 'wonderful kid' who was loved widely. 'We love him so much and we want justice done for Junior,' Blankenship told the outlet. 'We want justice. We want no stone unturned.' Investigators are working to determine a motive. Hamilton County is on the border of Florida and Georgia, about a 90-mile drive west from Jacksonville. OL Olivia Lloyd mcclatchy-newsroom Go to X Email this person Olivia Lloyd is a National Real-Time Reporter for McClatchy covering the Southeast. She is based in South Florida and graduated from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Previously, she has worked for Hearst DevHub and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Express Tribune
18-04-2025
- Express Tribune
6 hurt after shooting at Florida university
First responders respond to a reported shooting at the Florida State University campus in Tallahassee, Florida, US on April 17, 2025. Courtesy: CNN At least six people were hurt, one of them critically, after a mass shooting at a Florida university on Thursday, hospital officials said. The campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee was locked down after gunfire erupted, with students ordered to shelter in place. Local media, citing a police spokesperson, reported one man was in custody. The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper said the spokesperson did not confirm the identity of the man, or comment on social media reports that there was more than one shooter. Witnesses spoke of chaos as people began running through the sprawling campus when shots rang out in the area of the student union. "Everyone just started running out of the student union," a witness named Wayne told local news station WCTV. "About a minute later, we heard about eight to 10 gunshots." The eyewitness said he saw one man who appeared to have been shot in the midsection.
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Yahoo
Six hurt after shooting at Florida university: hospital
At least six people were hurt, one of them critically, after a mass shooting at a Florida university on Thursday, hospital officials said. The campus of Florida State University in Tallahassee was locked down after gunfire erupted, with students ordered to shelter in place. Local media, citing a police spokesperson, reported one man was in custody. The Tallahassee Democrat newspaper said the spokesperson did not confirm the identity of the man, or comment on social media reports that there was more than one shooter. Witnesses spoke of chaos as people began running through the sprawling campus when shots rang out in the area of the student union. "Everyone just started running out of the student union," a witness named Wayne told local news station WCTV. "About a minute later, we heard about eight to 10 gunshots." The eyewitness said he saw one man who appeared to have been shot in the midsection. "The whole entire thing was just surreal. I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. "Everything was really quiet, than all chaotic." The university, a public institution with more than 40,000 students, warned all those on campus to take shelter. "An active shooter has been reported in the area of Student Union," the university said on social media. "Police are on scene or on the way. Continue to seek shelter and await further instructions. Lock and stay away from all doors and windows and be prepared to take additional protective measures." A statement from Tallahassee Memorial Hospital said doctors were "actively receiving and caring for patients." A spokesperson for the hospital told AFP: "We have six patients, one in critical condition, and the rest in serious condition," confirming they were hurt in the shooting. Student Sam Swartz told the Tallahassee Democrat he had been in the basement of the student union when shooting started. "Everyone started freaking out," Swartz said, adding he had heard around 10 shots. A group of eight people, who were working on a project, huddled in a hallway and barricaded themselves with trash cans and plywood. "I remember learning to do the best you can to make them take time because they don't want to do anything that takes time, they're just trying to get as many people," Swartz said. Footage on social media showed a stream of young adults walking through corridors with their hands in the air as they evacuated the building. Mass shootings are alarmingly common in the United States, where a constitutional right to bear arms trumps calls for stricter rules. Despite widespread public support for tighter control on firearms, including restricting the sale of high-capacity clips and limiting the availability of automatic weapons of war, an entrenched political establishment refuses to act. A tally by the non-profit Gun Violence Archive shows there have been at least 81 mass shootings -- which it defines as four or more people shot -- in the United States so far this year. hg/acb
