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Trans university employees could be punished for using bathrooms that align with gender identity
Following the passage of a law targeting transgender people’s use of bathrooms, the entity overseeing public universities in Florida is determining a rule that would punish employees for using bathrooms that align with their gender identity. The Board of Governors on Wednesday voted to open the draft regulation for public comment ahead of the November […]
Will 20 more years have to pass until another woman leads the Florida Legislature?
Florida is ahead of most other states when it comes to the number of women in its Legislature, but, for the next two years, both chambers will go back to the status quo of male leadership. In addition, a Phoenix analysis of top leadership positions in legislative committees show that few women get to be […]
During National Day of Action, FL immigration advocates call for reform
Immigration advocates gathered on Friday afternoon to demand closure of immigrant detention centers, including one in Northeast Florida previously criticized over reports of medical mistreatment. The group that gathered at the First Presbyterian Church in Tallahassee consisted of representatives from the ACLU of Florida, Immigrant Action Alliance, Southern Poverty Law Center, Florida People’s Advocacy Center, […]
FL’s state guidance on new COVID boosters isn’t backed by its own references, experts say
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has provided state guidance advising people under 65 not to get the updated COVID-19 booster — but several of the references listed in the guidance document state that boosters help. Ladapo’s three-page document posted Wednesday points to “outstanding safety and efficacy concerns.” Those concerns include the negative effectiveness of the […]
Florida Surgeon General advises against new COVID-19 booster for anyone under 65
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said during a live stream on Wednesday with Gov. Ron DeSantis that the state’s department of health would advise against the new COVID-19 booster for people under 65. “What I have directed our department to do is to provide guidance that really recommends and advises against the use of these […]
Malaria no longer spreading in FL; other mosquito-borne diseases still a threat; chickens affected
After a flurry of malaria cases in Sarasota the past few months, the county and adjacent Manatee County are no longer under a mosquito-borne illness alert. However, other parts of Florida are still under the threat of dengue, West Nile virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis virus. No one has obtained malaria in the state since […]
Fate of abortion access in FL: Some young people want more info and influence on the issues
This is the second in a two-article series. Alexa Matos didn’t know about Florida’s abortion history until she tracked the six-week abortion ban for a state politics class at the University of South Florida. At her high school, reproductive health education focused solely on abstinence, she said. “I didn’t even learn a lot of what […]
West Nile Virus spreads in Panhandle; Dengue emerges in central Florida
The Florida Department of Health reported four cases of dengue fever and two cases of West Nile virus emerging in the state last week, according to the department’s newest arbovirus surveillance report. One case of West Nile virus in each Escambia County and Bay County appeared last week in Florida’s Panhandle. The virus is the […]
Miami Mayor Suarez claims he qualified for GOP presidential debate; Trump says he’ll steer clear
In a video on Friday, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said he had qualified for the Republican presidential debate on Aug. 23 in Milwaukee. But, Republican National Committee officials said that wasn’t the case. In fact, senior advisers of the RNC told the Associated Press that he had not met the criteria for the debate, and […]
FL student activists gear up: ‘I feel empowered, even in the face of fear right now’
Weeks before the academic year starts at Florida’s public universities, chants of student activists have already pierced Tallahassee. “Drop the charges!” “Free the Tampa 5!” “Protesting is not a crime!” rang out from a group of about 10 as cars drove by and honked in the state capital. Florida State University students had gathered across […]
Loss of Medicaid coverage in FL raises concerns, ‘possible violations,’ policy experts say
Over half of Floridians who have lost Medicaid coverage did so because of procedural reasons and not because they were ineligible, according to an analysis from the Georgetown University Center for Children and Families. The Georgetown center, and several healthcare policy groups, discussed the state’s handling of the Medicaid redetermination process following the end of […]
Dengue spreads to Broward County; 10 people in FL have gotten sick this year
Broward County is under a mosquito-borne illness alert, joining Miami-Dade County as dengue spreads in South Florida. The Florida Health Department reported two cases of locally-acquired dengue in Broward County in the department’s latest arbovirus surveillance report. Dengue fever comes from mosquitos that are infected with the virus. So far this year, there have been […]