Last Call – A prime-time read of what’s going down in Florida politics.

First Shot

The fight over Florida’s black bear population is back in the spotlight, and back on the steps of the Capitol.

More than 160,000 people applied for just 172 permits in what would be Florida’s first bear hunt in nearly a decade, according to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The limited December hunt has reignited fierce debate over whether killing bears is necessary wildlife management or needless cruelty.

Environmental groups led by Sierra Club Florida, Bear Defenders, and Speak Up for Wildlife plan to rally Nov. 17 outside the Capitol to urge Gov. Ron DeSantis and FWC to cancel the hunt before it begins. Organizers said to expect advocates, signs, banners, speakers, and organize

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