About the Author: Suncoast Searchlight Staff
Is the Sarasota County School Board violating the First Amendment by opening meetings with a prayer?
No. Unless the Sarasota County School Board’s new religious invocation policy is challenged and a court strikes it down, the board isn’t doing anything illegal by opening its meetings with a prayer. The school board’s [...]
Did New College of Florida’s enrollment grow under conservative leadership?
Yes. New College of Florida has seen enrollment numbers increase. In 2023, Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed new conservative members to the school’s Board of Trustees. The new board then ousted the president to align the [...]
Does Florida have the top state university system in the country?
Yes. The U.S. News and World Report has ranked Florida first in higher education for nine consecutive years, including most recently in 2025. Florida's consistent placement as the top state for higher education supports Gov. [...]
Are ‘space jellyfish’ in the sky a natural occurrence?
No. If you noticed illuminated streaks in the sky in early March, that’s not mother nature putting on a show for Floridians. It’s the direct effect of launching rockets at sunrise or sunset. When the [...]
Has Florida attracted more income under DeSantis than any state in the country’s history?
No. Florida typically leads the nation for the state gaining the most net people –– or the amount of people moving into the state compared to those leaving –– but reliable records don’t trace the [...]
Did Trump advocate against war during his 2024 presidential campaign?
Yes. President Donald Trump repeatedly claimed he would be a leader that would “stop wars” during his campaign and immediately following his 2024 election victory. The Feb. 28 U.S. and Israel bombing of Iran has [...]
‘On edge’: Possible citizenship verification has Manatee County nonprofits searching for answers
Local nonprofits fear a provision under consideration in Manatee County to prohibit them from serving undocumented immigrants could jeopardize millions of dollars in funding, causing gaps in critical family services. Manatee County commissioners are [...]
Did Florida alone launch more spacecrafts than anywhere in the world?
Yes. Florida’s two space ports –– Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral Space Force Station –– produced more space launches last year than any other country. The state’s 109 launches in 2025 accounted for 57% [...]
Is there something off with the water in Sarasota County?
No. No treatments or cleanings are being done to Sarasota County’s water distribution system as of late February. In April, the county conducted a two-week free chlorine conversion on its water system. This is done [...]
Are the votes of non-citizens impacting election outcomes?
No. Studies show hardly any non-citizens successfully vote in state and national elections. Byron Donalds, a Republican running for Florida governor, said on a Feb. 9 podcast that requiring proof of citizenship for newly-registered voters [...]
Is Florida trying to change the state bird to a flamingo?
Yes. The Florida House of Representatives passed a bill on Feb. 11 to designate the flamingo as the official state bird. The bill is now headed to the Florida Senate where it awaits a vote. [...]
Cold snap reveals generosity, and gaps, in Sarasota’s homelessness services
During a recent record-breaking cold snap that saw temperatures plummet below freezing on some nights, Sarasota’s homeless population faced life-or-death decisions unheard of this far south in the Sunshine State. Joe Reuth, executive director [...]
