Metro | Politics - The Independent Florida Alligator

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Darts and Laurels Aug. 22

By EDITORIAL BOARD | Aug. 22, 2019

It’s 3:07 a.m.

Lauren Poe speaks to a crowd of reporters and about 100 supporters March 20, 2019 at the Public and General restaurant after elections. Poe beat three opponents to win his second term as mayor of Gainesville.

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Gainesville Mayor faces backlash over antifa tweet from Basketball Cop, residents

By Kalli Johnson | Aug. 20, 2019

Gainesville Mayor Lauren Poe is garnering criticism online for his tweet defending antifa, a movement of anti-fascist groups in the U.S.

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Your vote is your voice in Alachua County

By Henry Fair | Aug. 18, 2019

Welcome, or welcome back, to Alachua County, Gators! Whether this fall marks the beginning of your college career or the beginning of the end of your college journey, you have the chance to make your voice heard in our community.

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Peter Fonda: The passing of an outspoken celebrity

By Jason Zappulla | Aug. 18, 2019

On August 16, 2019, actor Peter Fonda died. A member of a prominent acting family, Fonda is probably best known as a countercultural icon who starred in films like Easy Rider, which is about two motorcyclists traveling through the Southern U.S. However, as my only experience with Fonda is his role in Thomas and the Magic Railroad (likely not Peter Fonda’s proudest moment), I cannot give a proper obituary of the man, nor will I try to. Instead, I would like to focus on his political statements, which brought him a good deal of notoriety in his later years.

From left, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Ohio, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., former Texas Rep. Beto O’Rourke, Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, and former Maryland Rep. John Delaney pose for a photo on stage before the start of a Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Wednesday, June 26, 2019, in Miami.

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What do the first Democratic presidential debates mean for college students?

By April Rubin | July 6, 2019

Free college, student debt, climate change and gun control

Democratic presidential candidates, author Marianne Williamson, former Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper, entrepreneur Andrew Yang, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet, and Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., raise their hands when asked if they would provide healthcare for undocumented immigrants, during the Democratic primary debate hosted by NBC News at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts, Thursday, June 27, 2019, in Miami.

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Five highlights of Thursday’s presidential debate

By April Rubin | June 28, 2019

How did it compare to the first debate?

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The problem with patriotism in the Republican party

By Cassidy Hopson | June 11, 2019

From a young age, we are conditioned to believe patriotism equals decency.

FILE - In this March 12, 2019, file photo, former Vice President Joe Biden speaks to the International Association of Firefighters at the Hyatt Regency on Capitol Hill in Washington. Biden says he does not recall kissing a Nevada political candidate on the back of her head in 2014. The allegation was made in a New York Magazine article written by Lucy Flores, a former Nevada state representative and the 2014 Democratic nominee for Nevada lieutenant governor. Flores says Biden’s behavior “made me feel uneasy, gross, and confused.”(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)

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Joe Biden, please do better.

Mar. 31, 2019

Former Vice President Joe Biden made Nevada state legislator Lucy Flores feel “uneasy, gross, and confused” at a campaign rally in 2014, according to an essay published by The Cut. Flores explains in her essay that Biden came up from behind her, smelled her hair and kissed the back of her head.

Michael Cohen, President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer, is sworn in to testify before the House Oversight and Reform Committee on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Feb. 27, 2019. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

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Cohen says Trump knew about WikiLeaks email dump beforehand

By The Associated Press | Feb. 27, 2019

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump's former personal lawyer told Congress on Wednesday that Trump knew ahead of time that WikiLeaks had emails damaging to Hillary Clinton's presidential campaign, and he testified that Trump is a "racist," a "conman" and a "cheat."

Nestor Garcia, a 21-year-old industrial engineer major, attends the early voting session on Oct. 22, 2018, at the J. Wayne Reitz Union to vote for the first time.

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Our voting system is archaic and in need of change

Feb. 26, 2019

The entire system of how Americans vote could be changing soon if Colorado is any indication. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis has stipulated that he is going to sign a bill that will sidestep the Electoral College in favor of a system that will allow the candidate with the most popular votes to win.

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Vote! You’ll even get a sticker out of it

Feb. 19, 2019

We’ve given our opinion on who you should cast your vote for in the Student Government elections (hello, it was in the opinions section and is online), but now it’s your turn to decide. Consider this a friendly reminder that whether or not you vote, SG has control of nearly $21 million that’s taken from UF students from student fees. So, maybe take five minutes out of your day to vote, so you can have some control over where that money goes. And if you have voted, congratulations, we appreciate it.

Offset, left, and Cardi B arrive at the 61st annual Grammy Awards at the Staples Center on Sunday, Feb. 10, 2019, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)

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Stop putting celebrities on pedestals. They aren’t going to save us.

Feb. 14, 2019

In the age of social media, we’re pretty accustomed to celebrities chiming in with their opinions on a range of topics. Recently, rapper Cardi B posted a series of videos condemning President Donald Trump for the government shutdown. She shamed him for leaving thousands of government employees without pay for over a month and defended previous administrations’ government shutdowns as being over more worthy causes than a border wall. The videos went viral, and people on both sides of the political spectrum commented on them. Not everyone loved it but, of course, her fans praised her for using her social platform to push an agenda.

Robert Mounts, 77, of Gainesville, filed to run for the District 4 Gainesville City Commissioner position Friday morning, the last day to qualify to run for commission.

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Last minute candidate challenges city commission seat

By Karina Elwood | Feb. 3, 2019

Commissioner Adrian Hayes-Santos was running unopposed until now

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Trump gave Clemson the short end of the stick

By Mark Stine | Jan. 15, 2019

Imagine you’re a Clemson Tiger, fresh off your National-Championship win over Alabama, pulling up to the White House.

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Darts and Laurels: January 11. 2019

Jan. 10, 2019

You’re deep asleep. You went to bed at 3 a.m. — still on your Winter Break sleeping schedule — when you hear it: that all too familiar beep beep beeping of your phone alarm. No, it’s not a bad dream. You really are looking at the questionably beige-colored ceiling of your dorm room. It’s the first day of the Spring semester. And you better book it because your chem lecture started five minutes ago.

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