Florida

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Florida judge declared a congressional district map approved by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis unconstitutional Wednesday because it intentionally “Diminishes African Americans’ ability to elect the representative of their choice.” Leon County Circuit Court Judge Layne Smith... Read More

ATLANTA — The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday reinstated parts of a revised Florida election law that a lower court found intentionally discriminated against Black voters. In its per curiam opinion, the three-judge panel said Chief U.S.... Read More

WASHINGTON — Politicians, Supreme Court protestors, and passersby were all spotted squeezing some Florida sunshine into their day, enjoying free orange juice offered by Florida House’s annual Orange Juice Day giveaway on Capitol Hill Wednesday morning. Each year on May... Read More

WASHINGTON — With just two states, New Hampshire and Missouri, left to finalize congressional district maps ahead of the 2022 midterms, attention is now shifting to primary contests and the inevitable litigation that the decennially-drawn maps inspire. On Friday, The... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida House of Representatives on Thursday voted to advance a redistricting plan proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis that will likely place the state’s representation on Capitol Hill further into the Republican column while eliminating a district... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday asked the Legislature to repeal a law allowing Walt Disney World to operate a private government over its properties in the state, the latest volley in a feud between the... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The Florida Legislature was supposed to take up congressional redistricting during a special session that begins Tuesday, but the Republican leaders of both chambers have already punted the process back to the governor’s office. The back and... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a 15-week abortion ban into law Thursday as the state joined a growing conservative push to restrict access to the procedure ahead of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that could roll... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday that forbids instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade, a policy that has drawn intense national scrutiny from critics who argue it... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Republicans responding to the myth of widespread voter fraud are turning to a new tactic to appease voters who believe the claims: election police. The efforts to establish law enforcement units dedicated to investigating election crimes... Read More

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida tourism is rebounding exceptionally well and even surpassing pre-pandemic levels according to a recent announcement from Gov. Ron DeSantis. The Sunshine State welcomed 30.9 million visitors between October and December 2021, and nearly a full 118... Read More

FORT LAUDERDALE — Democrat Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick has won the election to represent Florida's 20th Congressional District, replacing the late long-time Rep. Alcee Hastings. As of 7:22 p.m. Tuesday night, Cherfilus-McCormick had garned 78% of the total 45,471 votes reported cast.... Read More

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The race to replace the late Rep. Alcee Hastings in Florida’s 20th Congressional District — a contest considered all but signed, sealed and delivered to three-time candidate Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick in the heavily Democratic district — has... Read More

WASHINGTON — Rep. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., among the most prominent of House moderates since flipping a battleground district four years ago, announced Monday she will not seek reelection in 2022. In a video message to her constituents, Murphy said she... Read More

LEON COUNTY, Fla. — In the panhandle of Florida, Leon County, a small county of around 270,000 residents, has been working to offer free menstrual products in school buildings, courthouses, community centers, parks and libraries. "Leon County continues to address... Read More

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.— Eleven candidates will appear on the ballot in Florida's 20th Congressional District on Tuesday, Nov. 2, facing off in a primary allegedly delayed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to help stymie policy gains by Democrats in the U.S.... Read More

Many states are turning to monoclonal antibody treatments to curb the rise in hospitalizations and emergency room visits as COVID-19 cases rise. The demand on orders for the drugs has increased twenty-fold since mid-July, according to a spokesperson from the... Read More

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has appealed a judge's ruling that the governor exceeded his authority by ordering school boards not to impose strict mask requirements on students to combat the spread of the coronavirus. The... Read More

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Just over half of Florida's 2.8 million public school students now face mandates to wear masks in classrooms as a courtroom battle continues over efforts by Gov. Ron DeSantis to leave such decisions up to... Read More

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Ken Welch, a longtime county commissioner in Pinellas County, Florida, will face Robert Blackmon, a St. Petersburg City councilman, in a November runoff that will determine which of the two men is the city’s next mayor.... Read More

WASHINGTON- Education Secretary Miguel Cardono warned Thursday, Americans should not allow adult politics -- particularly the politicizing of the wearing of face masks -- to prevent students from returning to school safely and without future disruptions.  “You know what I’m... Read More

Hospitalizations in some regions of Florida are increasing at their fastest rate since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic as it records more new cases than any other state. Florida recorded 73,199 cases over the course of last week, according... Read More

Even as the search continues over a week later for signs of life in the mangled debris of the fallen Champlain Towers South, the process of seeking answers about why it happened and who is to blame is already underway... Read More

WASHINGTON - Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., made it official this morning, formally launching her Senate campaign to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Marco Rubio. “Unlike some in Washington, I never tire of standing up for what I believe is right, because... Read More

Florida was hit with multiple civil rights lawsuits Thursday minutes after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill to limit mail-in voting and to require more complete voter identification. The NAACP, the League of Women Voters and others said in their... Read More

WASHINGTON - Reps. Stephanie Murphy, D-Fla., and Brian Mast, R-Fla., are urging their colleagues to support bipartisan legislation to protect marine mammals like manatees, dolphins, seals, and whales.  The Marine Mammal Research and Response Act increases funding for two initiatives -- the... Read More

TALLAHASSEE -- The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature passed a sweeping election overhaul bill on Thursday that established a wide range of new voting restrictions in one of the nation’s key battleground states. The bill makes Florida the first major swing state... Read More

WASHINGTON - A dozen members of Florida’s congressional delegation, Republicans and Democrats, are urging their colleagues to make Everglades restoration a priority as they consider infrastructure projects to fund this year. In a letter sent to the House Transportation and... Read More

WASHINGTON - A cross-border battle over water rights extending back some 27 years came to an abrupt end on Thursday when the Supreme Court ruled Florida failed to show its once-thriving oyster region was destroyed by Georgia’s unrelenting thirst for... Read More

MIAMI BEACH, Fla. — Miami Beach Interim City Manager Raul J. Aguila declared a state of emergency Saturday lasting through April 12 as spring break crowds overwhelm the popular tourist destination. Officials have imposed strict curfews to curb the partygoers'... Read More