Gov. Ron DeSantis finds himself in the same place he was last year: the governor's mansion. But things couldn't be more different beyond those brick walls and oak trees. His presidential aims stand deflated, his ego bruised and his agenda unclear.

Why it matters: He still sits in the driver's seat of the nation's third-largest state, and with his campaign behind him, he's got both hands on the wheel again — but the road ahead is anything but clear, Axios Tampa Bay's Yacob Reyes reports.

• DeSantis, once an "all-powerful figure" in Florida, is wounded. Political analysts and elected officials on both sides of the aisle say a lot will hinge on his response in the coming weeks.

State of play: State Rep. Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay) tells Axios that he sees three ways DeSantis can cope with the loss: giving up, seeking revenge or stepping back to understand what went wrong and plan for the future. "I certainly hope he picks the third one."

• DeSantis, for his part, has shown no signs of circumspection, telling the Republican-controlled Legislature this month to "stay the course." Even while suspending his campaign, he vowed to end "woke ideology."
• Democrats view his return with concern. Party Chair Nikki Fried tells Axios that DeSantis will want to prove to the nation that he's right. State Senate Minority Leader Lauren Book says they must fight to disentangle the state "from his political ambitions."

What to watch: There isn't much of a preview for the next steps of his "Florida Blueprint." He often campaigned as a leader who had already delivered on his promises.

• He's also taken a more hands-off approach this session than in years past. Lawmakers say it may be too late for him to propose any ideas now.

What they're saying: "I suspect Ron's learned very few lessons from this campaign," says Rick Wilson, a former Republican consultant and a co-founder of the anti-MAGA Lincoln Project.

• "He's gonna come home and kick the dog."

Go deeper

Real estate developers Related Group and Integra Investments are developing the St. Regis Residences condo project in Brickell.

What's happening: Pre-construction sales are underway for the 50-story tower with 152 units.

• The property features two half-floor upper penthouses, each encompassing two floors, crowned with an indoor/outdoor roof deck on a third level.
• The first penthouse residence, with five bedrooms and seven baths, is on the market for $45 million.
• The building was designed to have a full-size pickleball court, private marina, restaurant, tea room, spa and indoor lap pool.
• Amenities will include butler service, a "house car" and shoeshine service.

Go deeper: What they're saying

💰 State Senator Ileana Garcia (R-Miami) filed a bill that would use $5 million in state funds to make grants to Floridians who are running for president and facing criminal charges — effectively directing money toward former President Trump's legal bills. (Bloomberg)

🗳️ Miami-Dade's chief of public safety, James Reyes, announced he's running for county sheriff, which is changing from an appointed position to an elected position this year. (CBS4)

🎈 A bill introduced in the state legislature would make it illegal to intentionally release balloons, which harm the environment. (WLRN)

💵 County investigators are looking into at least 11 of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez's side jobs, through which he earned millions during his time as a public servant. (Miami Herald)

🙆 Stretchlab, an "assisted stretching boutique," opened yesterday in Midtown.

New cancer diagnoses in the U.S. are expected to top 2 million for the first time in 2024, driven in large part by an alarming increase in cancers among younger Americans, according to new American Cancer Society data.

Zoom in: A new ACS report estimates Florida will see 160,680 new cases in 2024 — down from an estimated 162,410 last year.

• Florida's most recent cancer mortality rate was lower than the U.S. average, at 140 per 100,000 people between 2017 and 2021.

The big picture: The U.S. cancer death rate has been cut by a third in the last 30 years, partly due to improved screening, a sharp drop in smoking and more effective treatments against certain cancers, Axios' Tina Reed reports.

• People 50 years and younger were the only group of three to experience an increase in overall cancer incidence in the last 30 years, per the report.

The bottom line: The study highlights the importance of timely screening, particularly among people with a strong family history of cancer or who are experiencing symptoms of the disease.

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🥳 Manny is back! And for this week's photo contest, he's determined to leave you thinking in circles.

• Will you make a splash and score some Axios swag, or will your mind be gridlocked in a thought loop?

Correctly guess the location of this photo, and you can win an Axios Miami tote bag.

"You're entitled to your opinion my boy!!!!"

🙄 Catch up fast: Boston Celtics great — and noted Heat hater — Paul Pierce said Udonis Haslem's jersey retirement was "given" and not earned.

• Haslem, who already had bad blood with Pierce, took the high road in his response.

Throw the shade