THE VILLAGES

Friends up north and across Tampa Bay snickered when Brian Lafferty revealed where he’d bought a new home. His 30-year-old daughter in Boston called to express concern. Even his ex-wife asked him about it. “Without exception, every person I’ve told I bought a house in The Villages has asked the same thing,” Lafferty said. “‘Isn’t that the STD capital of the United States?’” The Villages, a ...

ORLANDO, Fla. — Three residents of The Villages were recently arrested and face charges of casting more than one vote during the 2020 election, according to affidavits. Joan Halstead, Jay Ketcik and John Rider all face felony charges of casting more than one ballot in an election, arrest reports provided by the office of Ocala-based State Attorney Bill Gladson show. The complainant against the ...

A Florida neighborhood is adapting to demand for retirement homes, but it has to balance that with protecting the environment.

A Florida neighborhood is adapting to demand for retirement homes, but it has to balance that with protecting the environment.

The fastest-growing U.S. metro area is a Florida retirement community, and other 2020 Census highlights

On May 7, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., spoke at an “America First” rally with Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., at The Villages retirement community in Florida.

California secured a more than $75 billion budget surplus after boosts from a thriving stock market and tax revenues, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) said Monday.Why it matters: Last year, the governor's office projected a budget deficit of up to $54 billion due to the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic — about a quarter of the entire budget. On Monday, Newsom laid out his plan to use the surprise surplus to fund what he called the biggest economic recovery package in state history.Get market news worthy of your time with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free.Details: Newsom's $100 billion proposal would provide $12 billion more in direct payments to residents: $600 for most people along with an additional $500 for families with dependents. The money would go to families earning less than $75,000 annually.The package would also assist renters, covering 100% of their past-due rent. What to watch: Newsom will announce the rest of his proposal in an address on Friday.What he's saying: "This is just the first of many announcements this week across the spectrum that amplify the narrative of this state truly roaring back," Newsom said at an address.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

The two members of Congress may not have much power on the Hill, but they get celebrity treatment from Trump supporters.

Mr. Trump declared on early voting that the campaign is "way ahead of where we are supposed to be." At the second rally in Pensacola, Mr. Trump emphasized Biden's comments from the debate on oil and fracking. Moments later, he said the U.S. can never have a "socialist president," but especially a "female socialist president," in reference to vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris. We're not going to have a socialist president, especially a female socialist president, we're not gonna' have it, we're not gonna' put up with it," he said. On Friday, Mr. Trump claimed Biden said he would shut down the country over the pandemic, which is not what Biden said.

Carts line up before a parade of over 300 golf carts supporting Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden caravanned to the Sumter County Elections office drop off their ballots Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2020, in The Villages, Fla. (AP Photo/John Raoux)THE VILLAGES, Fla. – Aides say President Donald Trump’s campaign has seen an alarming drop in support among older adults in its internal research. The campaign’s worries are supported by some public polls suggesting that Joe Biden could perform better among older people than Hillary Clinton did four years ago. The shift appears to be driven largely by Trump’s handling of the coronavirus, which affects these voters more acutely than others. Nowhere is the battle for the 2020 election more evident than in The Villages, the nation’s largest retirement community, located in the all-important swing state of Florida.

Those tensions got international attention last weekend when President Donald Trump tweeted approvingly of a video showing one of his supporters at the retirement community chanting a racist slogan associated with white supremacists. Those tensions, though, flared two weeks ago during a golf-cart parade for President Donald Trump's birthday in which a man shouted, White Power, when confronted by anti-Trump protesters. A video clip of that confrontation in Americas largest retirement community was tweeted approvingly by Trump last weekend and then taken down. In the past, when conflicting political views came up in The Villages, residents said it was best to say, I disagree, and quickly change the topic. A man driving by in a golf car responded by shouting, White Power," a racist slogan associated with white supremacists.

WASHINGTON President Donald Trump on Sunday tweeted approvingly of a video showing one of his supporters chanting white power," a racist slogan associated with white supremacists. The video appeared to have been taken at The Villages, a Florida retirement community, and showed dueling demonstrations between Trump supporters and opponents. Thank you to the great people of The Villages, Trump tweeted. Moments into the video clip he shared, a man driving a golf cart displaying pro-Trump signs and flags shouts 'white power." The White House did not immediately respond to questions about Trump's decision to share the video.

Retirees gather outside of Darrell's Diner amidst coronavirus-related event cancelations in The Villages, Florida, U.S., ahead of the upcoming Democratic primary March 14, 2020. REUTERS/Yana PaskovaTo Democrat Andrew Walker, Republican President Donald Trumps handling of the outbreak proves he is unfit for the White House. He cast an early vote in Tuesdays presidential nominating primary for former Vice President Joe Biden, the Democratic front-runner. Louis Peltola, 71, a lifelong Democrat, said he believed the coronavirus outbreak had been pooh-poohed and mishandled by Trump. Retirees play golf amidst coronavirus-related event cancellations at Fenney Recreation Center in The Villages, Florida, U.S., ahead of the upcoming Democratic primary March 14, 2020.

U.S. President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order during an event in The Villages, Florida, U.S., on Thursday, Oct. 3, 2019. An executive order signed on Thursday by President Donald Trump includes a call for expanding access to medical savings accounts, or MSAs. While details are thin, the move echoes other efforts by the administration geared at making tax-advantaged savings options more readily available to Medicare recipients. Broadly, the executive order is about bolstering Advantage Plans, which are used by about 36% 22 million of Medicare's 60.8 million beneficiaries. While the use of Advantage Plans has been steadily rising, a small fraction of Medicare beneficiaries about 6,000 are estimated to use MSA plans, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.

"My husband, that is not in his nature," said Bedner, who lives in The Villages retirement community in Florida where on Thursday, Trump was making his first appearance outside Washington since Democrats ramped up their impeachment inquiry. Some blew whistles to show support for the whistleblower whose report led to the impeachment inquiry. At one point, Trump supporters at a neighboring Greek restaurant started shouting at the anti-Trump protesters, who blew their whistles back at them. Other Trump supporters waved Trump flags in front of the protesters, and at several points deputies had to get between the two groups. If you aren't a Trump supporter here, it's mean stuff.

President Donald Trump is leaving Washington for the first time since House Democrats ramped up their impeachment inquiry _ and he's heading straight into the warm embrace of a Republican stronghold. As for the impeachment inquiry, Gruters said it will only drive up turnout for Trump among the GOP base. "The strongest support for Trump in Florida, arguably, is in The Villages," said University of Florida political science professor Dan Smith, who agreed that the impeachment inquiry would only strengthen that support. In contrast to harsh criticism of the impeachment inquiry from many Florida Republicans, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio has taken a more measured approach on the issue. "The Democrats, if Trump changes shoes, that must be an impeachable offense," Scott said on Fox News last week.