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Democrats blast DeSantis for blowing off Spanish TV network after GOP debate
Gov. Ron DeSantis skipped a post-debate interview with Univision, the Spanish-language network that cohosted the GOP primary debate Wednesday night, one of the network’s anchors said. The move drew criticism from the Florida Democratic Party. The recently rebranded Spanish X account of the Florida Democratic Party posted that the governor had refused to talk to […]
State Sen. Thompson elected chair of African American History Museum Task Force
Democratic Sen. Geraldine Thompson of Orlando became this week the chair of the African American History Museum Task Force, saying she’s committed to “tell the unvarnished truth” about the painful past of African Americans in Florida. During the group’s first meeting on Monday, members chose Thompson as its leader, according to a press release. The […]
FL among states with highest rate of adults under 65 without healthcare, CDC survey says
Florida is the second state with the highest rate of adults under 65 who say they don’t have any kind of healthcare coverage, according to newly released data from a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention survey. The CDC released on Tuesday 2022 data from its Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System telephone survey, which tracks […]
Health departments in other states are giving out the new COVID-19 shot. Will Florida?
As Gov. Ron DeSantis campaigns on COVID-19 vaccine distrust, local health departments in other states have started doling out the updated shot. Meanwhile, the Florida Department of Health has not made public any plans to follow suit. Two weeks have passed since Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo advised people under 65 to skip the updated vaccine […]
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 […]