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FL Dems rebrand Spanish channels as statewide voter registration tour begins
The Florida Democratic Party changed its social media strategy to re-engage the Latino community ahead of the Wednesday launch of a statewide tour to increase voter registration. The Dems ditched the “Vamos Demócratas” username on Facebook and Instagram in favor of the Spanish translation of the party’s name, Partido Demócrata de Florida, to increase branding […]
Richard Corcoran among three finalists for New College of Florida presidency
Six months into his role as interim president of New College of Florida, Richard Corcoran is one of three finalists in the institution’s presidential search. The Tuesday announcement comes days after the liberal arts college garnered criticism over lowering its admissions standards in an attempt to increase enrollment, the Herald-Tribune reported. Corcoran is a former […]
Students anxious about higher ed changes didn’t get clear answers from the FSU president
Five months after requesting to meet with Florida State University president Richard McCullough, student activists finally got the chance Tuesday to voice their concerns brought on by one of the state’s newest higher education law — a measure that essentially abolishes diversity, equity and inclusion programs. Members of the university’s chapter of Students for a […]
FL surgeon general blames COVID-19 vaccine for basketball player Bronny James’ cardiac arrest
Despite scientific evidence from federal agencies, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo this week bolstered the link between the COVID-19 vaccine and cardiac arrests suffered by two University of Southern California basketball players. One of those players is Los Angeles Lakers player Lebron James’ son. Days after Bronny James went to the hospital because of a […]
Could climate change make malaria more common in FL? Experts say it’s complicated
Florida’s climate has been a suitable breeding ground for mosquitoes, but climate change could make temperatures apt for them to spread diseases for longer throughout the year, experts say. Although the malaria vector, the Anopheles quadrimaculatus mosquito species, never disappeared from the state, Florida has kept the disease at bay, for the most part, because […]
‘We have to try to do what we can to give Black men and boys more time on this Earth’
Gun violence, diabetes, colon cancer, hypertension, mental illness, and lack of access to healthcare. Those are some of the challenges Black men and boys face in the United States, according to U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson. The Democrat from Miami-Dade County, who is the chairwoman of the Caucus on the Commission on the Social Status of […]
WHO director pledges to improve childhood cancer survival rates
A day after President Joe Biden faced criticism from Republicans for claiming, “We ended cancer as we know it,” the World Health Organization (WHO) addressed its goals for children’s cancer. The childhood cancer survival rate in low- and middle-income countries is less than 30%. The WHO and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, based in Memphis, […]
A leprosy endemic? So far this year, eight people got leprosy in Florida
Leprosy, the infectious disease most commonly known for its biblical associations, has become more common in Florida, researchers warn. In 2020, the Sunshine State was among the states with the highest number of leprosy cases, contributing to evidence that the infection is becoming endemic in the southeastern region of the country, according to a journal […]
VP Kamala Harris slams FL’s rewriting of Black history standards; ‘What is going on?’ she asked
Outraged at the new Black history standards in Florida, Vice President Kamala Harris on Friday blasted what she called revisionist history promoted in the state’s African American history standards approved this week by top education officials. Just two days after the State Board of Education approved the standards, Harris told the crowd in Jacksonville at […]
Malaria and dengue still spreading across Florida’s coastlines in 2023
While Southwest Florida’s Sarasota County has spent more than $80,000 spraying insecticide trying to control its malaria outbreak, another case of dengue fever appeared in Miami-Dade County. Between July 9 and 15, the Florida Department of Health reported another malaria case acquired in Sarasota, bringing this year’s total number of cases that people contracted locally […]
‘Do not, for the love of God, tell kids that slavery was beneficial’
Students at Florida public schools will now learn that Black people benefitted from slavery because it taught them skills. This change is part of the African American history standards the State Board of Education approved at a Wednesday meeting. The description of slavery as beneficial is not the only grievance parents, teachers, education advocates and […]
Secret searches, political patronage could lead to failed presidents at FL’s universities
This month, Florida Atlantic University became the latest institution to get dragged into what education advocates call a “real mess” of state interference in higher education. The state’s public universities have weathered profound changes under Gov. Ron DeSantis, from weakening tenure protections to defunding diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. Now, presidential searches at FAU, the […]