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VP Harris in Tallahassee: ‘Can we truly be free if a woman cannot make decisions about her life?’
In a direct challenge to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Vice President Kamala Harris traveled to his back yard Sunday to announce that President Joe Biden was ordering his administration to protect access to abortion-inducing medications. During a roughly 20-minute address in Tallahassee marking what would have been the 50th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, Harris […]
Hybrid immunity: COVID vaccination, infection offers highest protection against severe disease
With omicron subvariants continuing to increase across the nation, people who are vaccinated against COVID-19 and had a previous infection have the highest level of protection against severe disease and hospitalization, according to a study by the World Health Organization. WHO officials released a report published in “The Lancet Infectious Diseases” this week, revealing that […]
On the abortion front: VP Kamala Harris to visit FL; GOP lawmakers could push for further bans
Amid an announcement that Vice President Kamala Harris will speak in Tallahassee on Sunday about the fight for abortion access, there’s this: House Speaker Paul Renner told reporters on Thursday that, “we have a ‘pro-life’ majority,” indicating that GOP lawmakers could easily push for further abortion bans in the 2023 legislative session. Florida now bans […]
5 minutes: Offenders must present cases quickly to be considered for pardons that change lives
In a packed room in the state Capitol on Wednesday, where lives could change or remain stagnant, more than 60 cases were considered for pardons or other measures, such as authority to own and possess guns. People asking for clemency would be allowed no more than five minutes to state their case, according to the […]
DeSantis wants to permanently ban vaccine, mask requirements for schools, businesses
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday unveiled an initiative to permanently ban mask requirements across Florida and permanently block COVID-19 vaccine requirements at schools and businesses. During a press conference in Panama City Beach, the Republican governor announced a proposal on those issues, including prohibiting employers in Florida from firing employees who aren’t vaccinated. The proposal […]
Gov. DeSantis questions ‘intensive’ treatment for childhood obesity
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday made remarks about treatment options for children who are overweight or obese, saying pediatricians are “trying to monetize this issue” by using drugs and surgeries. DeSantis also attacked the federal government for its quick approval for vaccines for young children during a press conference Thursday in The Villages, in central […]
Flu season: High levels of flu viruses detected in FL; certain counties with outbreaks
While new mutations of COVID-19 continue to circulate across the nation, seasonal flu activity also has been high in Florida, federal health officials have warned. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s weekly Influenza Surveillance Report shows that Florida overall has seen high activity by the virus, also known as influenza, in the week […]
What happens to low-income families when federal COVID Medicaid requirement ends?
Health advocates in Florida are warning that millions of low-income residents could soon lose Medicaid health coverage, even as the COVID-19 pandemic continues. The federal government has been requiring states to provide continuous Medicaid coverage for children and families to address gaps in coverage in vulnerable communities across the nation. But that’s going away in […]
XBB.1.5 ‘rapidly replacing other COVID subvariants’; global health officials expect surge in cases
Global health officials are warning of an expected surge in cases of COVID-19 in the United States and other countries as the latest, most transmissible omicron subvariant continues to circulate. That new subvariant is called XBB.1.5 and it’s been rapidly growing in the United States. Both the World Health Organization (WHO) and the federal Centers […]
House Health panel prepares to scrutinize care standards, more curbs on abortion
Ensuring quality of health care for Floridians will be a major priority for Florida House members during the 2023 legislative session, a pivotal state committee chairman said Wednesday. Abortion access likely also will come up, although the topic didn’t come up during a meeting of the Healthcare Regulation Subcommittee. Charles “Chuck” Clemons, presiding over the […]
Three years into the pandemic: ‘As 2022 draws to a close, we still have many reasons for hope’
During the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot has changed in three years: public safety measures have dwindled, fewer people wear face masks, the more transmissible omicron variant and subvariants swept the nation in 2022, triggering an uptick in infections, and COVID test kits were widely distributed to homes, with less testing at mobile sites. Overall, the […]
FL Supreme Court OKs statewide grand jury to look into COVID vaccine-related crimes or wrongdoing
The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a statewide grand jury to investigate crimes and wrongdoing related to COVID-19 vaccines, including pharmaceutical manufacturers and their executive officers. The decision came after Gov. Ron DeSantis himself received a single shot of the COVID vaccine — Johnson & Johnson — in April of 2021, according to the Florida […]