News
How Florida teacher unions are coping with a new anti-union law
As a “right-to-work” state, Florida’s Constitution says that the “right of persons to work shall not be denied or abridged on account of membership or non-membership in any labor union or labor organization.” However, legislation signed into law in May by Gov. Ron DeSantis aims directly at unions for public employees, including one of his […]
Former ACLU-FL legal director Nancy Abudu to begin service on Eleventh Circuit
Nancy Abudu, former legal director for the ACLU of Florida, will be installed as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit on Friday in Atlanta. In doing so, she will make history as the first Black woman to serve on that court. Abudu, 49, was nominated to the court by […]
At GOP debate, DeSantis stumbled on health care question and was criticized by his opponents
On the campaign trail and now in both Republican presidential debates, Gov. Ron DeSantis frequently boasts about his vast achievements as governor of Florida since he entered the office in 2019. But DeSantis appeared absolutely flatfooted on Wednesday night in Simi Valley, California, when he was asked during the GOP debate by Fox News Business […]
GOP presidential hopefuls tear into each other and absent Trump at second debate
The candidates polling from second to eighth in the race for the Republican nomination for president largely agreed on policy, fought over their records and took aim at former President Donald Trump at their second debate of the year Wednesday night. Trump, who leads polls of the race by substantial margins, skipped the event at […]
Foreign ownership of U.S. farmland probed at U.S. Senate hearing
WASHINGTON — U.S. senators said during a Wednesday hearing that foreign ownership of U.S. farmland is a national security threat that should be further examined. The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry discussed foreign ownership of the nation’s agricultural lands, with testimony from experts and Senate colleagues who have been taking the lead […]
Menendez to address U.S. Senate Democrats Thursday about his indictment
WASHINGTON — New Jersey U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez will address his Democratic colleagues in a closed-door meeting Thursday amid growing calls for him to resign following a federal indictment. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said Wednesday that he was “deeply disappointed, disturbed” after reading the indictment, which charged Menendez with conspiracy to commit bribery, conspiracy […]
Testimony: N. FL Blacks lost attention from Congress after DeSantis destroyed district
When he was a congressman representing portions of Tallahassee, Al Lawson steered through Congress a measure renaming the city’s main post office after Edwina Stephens, the “mother of the Southside,” the predominantly Black area where the building is located. By the time the naming ceremony transpired this June 10, Lawson, a Black Democrat, had lost […]
Sen. Menendez pleads not guilty to corruption, bribery charges
Sen. Bob Menendez pleaded not guilty to three bribery and corruption charges in a New York federal courthouse Wednesday morning, days after an unsealed indictment alleged the senator received cash, gold bars, and a luxury car in exchange for his political influence. Menendez, a Democrat, was released on a $100,000 bond and was forced to surrender his […]
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 […]
Canteen prices rise in Florida prisons, impacting inmates and their loved ones
In the last couple of years, inflation and food prices have been high as Americans go to the grocery store. But for inmates in Florida prisons, prices have gone up even higher when it comes to purchasing food, drinks, health aids, toiletries and other goods at the canteen, or commissary, of the institutions they’re housed […]
The farm bill is on the verge of expiring. Congress is months away from a new version
WASHINGTON — As the deadline for Congress to pass a new farm bill looms this weekend, staff members of the House and Senate Agriculture committees say it will be months – if not longer – until they reach agreement on a new bill. Lawmakers must rewrite the sweeping farm bill every five years to set […]
How a looming government shutdown could hit national parks
National parks and nearby communities could forego millions of dollars per day during a partial government shutdown that could start this weekend. Would-be visitors will likely see restrictions on park access, though the extent of those restrictions was still unclear just days before a potential lapse in federal appropriations set to begin Sunday. Parks would […]