Author
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 […]
New College president search: Richard Corcoran accuses VP Harris of not reading Black history standards
During candidate interviews Thursday for the president of New College of Florida, Richard Corcoran — the current interim president and a candidate — said people upset about Florida’s new African American history standards didn’t take the time to read them, including Vice President Kamala Harris. “There’s 230 pages of standards for K-12 in our in […]
AP Psychology doesn’t break Florida law, Education Commissioner Diaz clarifies
A day before classes started at most public schools in Florida, Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. told superintendents they could offer the Advanced Placement Psychology class without breaking any laws. The commissioner wrote a letter on Wednesday assuring that the course’s learning target relating to sex and gender could be taught. That target sparked an […]
Spread of ‘EG.5’ COVID-19 variant garnering attention in the U.S. and globally
While the Florida Department of Health isn’t placing a lot of emphasis on COVID-19, a subvariant called EG.5 is rising globally. The EG.5 is from the XBB strain of Omicron, and it’s in the United States and other countries. The prevalence of that subvariant has risen from 7.6% in June to 17.4% in July, according […]
Is Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. sending a message in his books of the month picks?
Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. included “Up from Slavery” by Booker T. Washington and “Romeo and Juliet” in his monthly reading challenge for K-12 students. The move comes after national backlash against the state’s African American history standards and reports that public schools are limiting instruction on Shakespeare. The Florida Department of Education has […]
Public school students set to start classes in FL amid rise in COVID-19 cases
Sixty-one school districts will begin classes for students on Thursday as the Florida Department of Health is reporting a nearly 20% increase in new COVID-19 cases. Only 26% of elementary school-aged children, ages 5 to 11, are vaccinated against the disease. There were 12,869 COVID cases posted on July 21, compared to 15,170 on July […]
Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. must clarify state of AP Psychology, advocates say
Three days before most Florida students go back to school, education advocates are putting pressure on Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. to issue clear guidance on the instruction of an Advanced Placement Psychology course. Controversy surrounding the College Board’s course erupted late last week, when the nonprofit released a statement saying Florida had “effectively” banned […]
In South Florida, Latinos with Alzheimer’s face language barriers. Is more outreach needed?
Since founding the Latino Center on Aging in 1991, Mario Tapia has been conscious of the disconnect between Latinos and Alzheimer’s support networks. Florida entities in charge of providing those resources are still not fully meeting the growing demand, he said. The need to reach the Spanish-speaking community is more palpable than ever since a […]
FL Black caucus condemns DeSantis for using African American history standards to boost campaign
Members of the Florida Legislative Black Caucus have criticized Gov. Ron DeSantis, saying he is using the controversy surrounding the state’s African American history standards to boost his presidential bid. “This governor has proven, without fail, that he has no interest in protecting Black history, no interest in helping Floridians, and absolutely no interest in […]