Though I was on the road Thursday and Friday, some of our top news posts after Hump Day drew the most attention. The dispute between Team New Zealand and the challengers, including American Magic, over the rules and revenue for the next America’s Cup caught many locals by surprise. Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves remains optimistic that all sides will work out an agreement, and the Center for Maritime Excellence is a go.
Breaking: American Magic drops out of America’s Cup
We will have more on this after the mayor’s weekly press conference. You can read American Magic’s official statement and the statement by Athena Racing.
Daily Outtakes: Meet the Mastermind of UWF takeover
The buzz is that Anastasios “Stasi” Kamoutsas recruited, screened and coached the new appointees to the University of West Florida Board of Trustees. As of March 2025, he serves as Deputy Chief of Staff in the Executive Office of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Stasi is in line to be the next Florida Education Commissioner if Manny Diaz is chosen as UWF’s president. (Note: We reported about Diaz on May 12. The PNJ did on Friday, May 23)
Hidden Camera vs. Reality: UWF Admin’s DEI Ban Comments
Stasi and DeSantis’ minions want so badly to paint the University of West Florida as a radical, liberal institution. I debunk the claims made by Accuracy in Media about this heavily edited video. State Rep. Alex Andrade said it best: “So a low-level UWF employee doesn’t share my worldview, excuse me while I clutch my pearls.”
Breaking: Kissel will evaluate Saunders
Stasi’s puppet, UWF Board of Trustees Chair Rebecca Matthews, has put three DeSantis loyalists on the committee to evaluate UWF President Martha Saunders, who announced her resignation earlier this month. Among the evaluators is Adam Kissel, who was rejected by two Florida Senate committees, but DeSantis has allowed him to stay on the board until the 2026 Legislative Session. The Board of Trustees meets on Tuesday. I will report more on this tomorrow.
Daily Outtakes: Matt Gaetz for governor? Maybe
NBC’s political reporter Matt Dixon thinks former Rep. Matt Gaetz is seriously considering Florida’s 2026 gubernatorial race—and it’s all about political mathematics.
Daily Outtakes: Childers’ auditors issue no reports in first year
A year after she announced setting up an Office of Independent Internal Audit, Escambia County Clerk Pam Childers has no audit reports that show her auditors’ work. Other counties do.
Pensacola’s Youth win with Rafferty Center vote
The Pensacola City Council chambers were packed with passionate community members last Thursday as elected officials deliberated on one of the most significant youth development projects in recent memory.
- After thoughtful discussion and debate, the council approved, 6-1, the land lease for the Rafferty Center.
Escambia County TDC looks to revamp grant process
The Escambia County Tourist Development Council (TDC) held a budget workshop that shone a spotlight on a growing problem: the grant application process for TDC funds has become unmanageable for the Office of Budget Management, straining capacity and threatening the quality of council decisions.
Have a Sweet Summer
If you follow the solstice cycle, summer starts June 20. But we all know that’s way too late, especially around here. That’s why the team at Inweekly decided to push things up and let…
Winners & Losers 5/22/25
WINNERS: DR. MARTHA SAUNDERS We hated to break the news May 12 that Dr. Saunders had resigned. She transformed the University of West Florida (UWF) into a top-performing institution since becoming president in 2017….
The Ides of May
The Escambia County Commission had several “hot” issues on its May 15 agenda, some of which had begged for resolution for months. However, unlike Julius Caesar’s fatal Ides of March, the…
Outtakes—Spring Secrets
Over the past 25 years, May has been a strong month for our investigative reporting. I’m not sure why. Maybe it has to do with people being more mischievous after the…