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FAU presidential search still in holding pattern; Attorney General may or may not get involved
As the search for Florida Atlantic University’s next president has been halted by a state investigation, Florida higher education officials said they would take steps to ensure similar issues don’t arise in future searches. At Friday’s Board of Governors meeting, State University System Chancellor Ray Rodrigues brought up one of the search’s “anomalies” presented to […]
FL Board of Governors approves new exam called Classic Learning Test for university admissions
The Florida Board of Governors voted Friday to require that state universities accept the Classic Learning Test as an admissions exam, allowing an alternative to the longtime SAT and ACT exams. The only vote against the regulation, which came as the result of legislation passed in May 2023 and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, was […]
Inside the new Classic Learning Test: Why are FL conservatives pushing for it, and what’s on it?
In a national climate where there are growing calls to abolish college admissions tests such as the SAT and ACT, Florida is set to add an alternative exam: the Classic Learning Test — a three-section exam on verbal reasoning, grammar and writing, and quantitative reasoning, or math, that has been pushed by conservative politicians and […]
Atlantic tropical depression likely to become hurricane this weekend
As Florida still undergoes efforts to recover from Hurricane Idalia’s landfall on Wednesday, the National Hurricane Center is eyeing a tropical depression it forecasts to become a major hurricane this weekend. The NHC said by the time it reaches hurricane status, with the name “Lee,” the storm could already could have affected the Leeward Islands, […]
Florida begins to shift to recovery efforts in Big Bend following Idalia’s wrath
Florida has begun to shift from search and rescue operations to recovery operations, as homes and businesses have been destroyed by Hurricane Idalia and thousands of people remain without power in the state’s Big Bend region. “I was able to go yesterday and meet with some of the business owners [in Horseshoe Beach] that had […]
DeSantis cites ‘significant’ damage to Big Bend, but many Florida K-12 schools are already open
Thirty of the 52 Florida school systems that closed due to the hurricane are already open, with another eight expected to reopen tomorrow, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a news conference Thursday. However, schools in Taylor, Madison, Lafayette, Hamilton, Jefferson and Dixie will remain closed through Friday, September 1, according to the Florida Department of […]
FL mobilizes rescue services as Idalia’s eye passes over state; some roads still impassable
As Hurricane Idalia’s eye has crossed into Georgia, parts of the state remain inaccessible as officials begin recovery and inspection efforts, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday. “The state is still being impacted by the storm’s bands, and we’re seeing that particularly in the northern part of the state,” DeSantis said at a press conference at […]
Idalia reaches hurricane status overnight; Florida to see effects Tuesday
Hurricane Idalia is strengthening as it pushes north along the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico as officials expect it to make landfall along Florida’s west coast Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis confirmed at a press conference Tuesday morning. “This storm is going to hit tomorrow morning,” DeSantis said at the State Emergency Operations Center […]
Florida schools are already closing as Idalia approaches
As Tropical Storm Idalia expects to make landfall this week in Florida as a Category 3 storm, dozens of school systems and colleges and universities are planning to close starting Monday and beyond. So far, 34 public school districts in Florida — there are 67 traditional school districts — will be closed, with the vast […]
Florida’s Gulf Coast bracing for Idalia to make landfall as a Category 3 hurricane
Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Floridians Monday morning to prepare for Tropical Storm Idalia to make landfall on Wednesday as a Category 3 Hurricane, with forecasts predicting the storm will strengthen as it moves up the Gulf of Mexico. “This is going to be a major hurricane, this is going to be a powerful hurricane, and […]
FL officials urge residents to prepare for a possible tropical storm on the Gulf Coast
A day after Gov. Ron DeSantis said that a potential tropical system could impact Florida, the National Hurricane Center issued an advisory on Friday, saying a tropical depression will likely form within the next several days. The advisory characterized the system as “Disturbance 1.” The area of low pressure is currently producing showers and thunderstorms, […]
At FL’s community colleges, can students get in trouble if they use the wrong bathrooms?
Under a new rule, Florida community colleges must restrict bathroom usage to the state’s definition of biological sex at birth. But it’s unclear what specific discipline students could face if they don’t use their assigned bathroom. At a Florida Board of Education meeting Wednesday, the issue of bathrooms and biological sex became contentious. Some public […]