Florida
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
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — The federal government granted Florida’s request for wider authority over wetland development, a move announced Thursday that came under immediate fire by environmentalist who worry that the country's largest network of wetlands could be at risk... Read More
About Salazar: Maria Elvira Salazar was born in Miami’s Little Havana to Cuban parents. While being raised in Miami and Puerto Rico, Salazar listened as her parents told stories of the oppressive communist regime from which they escaped. Becoming American... Read More
About Shalala: Donna E. Shalala has spent her entire life fighting to improve the lives of others. A lifelong Democrat, she has advocated tirelessly for women’s rights, civil rights, increased access to health care, better education and schools and a... Read More
About Donalds: Born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, Byron Donalds is the product of a single-parent household. Throughout his life, his mother made every sacrifice possible in order to give him the best opportunity at the American Dream. That... Read More
About Keith: Pam Keith is the Democratic Nominee for Florida’s 18th Congressional District, winning the 2020 primary with 80% of the vote—a record for this district. Keith is the daughter of a U.S. diplomat and former U.S. ambassador. She was... Read More
About Mast: After graduating from South Christian High School in 1999, Brian Mast followed in his father’s footsteps and enlisted in the U.S. Army. There, he enjoyed service for over 12 years. During his service,he had the honor of serving... Read More
About Cammack: Kat Cammack is a small business owner who grew up on a cattle ranch, a third-generation sandblaster, an alumnus of the United States Naval War College, and the longtime former deputy chief of staff and campaign manager to... Read More
About Cohn: Alan Cohn is an investigative journalist and has been for three decades. His stories include a three-year investigation, where he uncovered a defense contractor installing defective parts on Black Hawk Helicopters, a South Florida Water Management System facility... Read More
About Franklin: Scott Franklin was a Naval Aviator in the U.S. Navy. During his 26-year career – 14 years on active duty and 12 years in the reserves – Franklin flew jets from the decks of 13 aircraft carriers. He... Read More
About Mucarsel-Powell: Mucarsel-Powell started working the early-morning shift at a doughnut shop starting when she was 15 years old. But even while she worked her way through high school, her mom never let a job get in the way of... Read More
About Gimenez: Born in Cuba in 1954, Gimenez immigrated to the United States with his family following the Cuban Revolution in 1960. His family settled in Miami’s Little Havana neighborhood and Gimenez has been a Miami-Dade resident ever since. Mayor... Read More
MIAMI — Karem Yepez proudly displayed her Latinos for Trump sign in the windshield as the car inched along a busy stretch of road as part of a caravan. Her driver, Alfredo Zapata, was not happy about her love for President Donald Trump; he called... Read More
WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump burst back onto the campaign trail Monday night, delivering an energetic and combative hourlong speech in Central Florida meant to demonstrate his recovery from COVID-19 and resuscitate his faltering reelection campaign. Trump portrayed his illness... Read More
MIAMI — Cuban-American voters continue to favor President Donald Trump over Joe Biden in Miami-Dade County, but more are moving toward the Democratic nominee, boosting Biden’s chances of winning battleground Florida, according to a poll by Bendixen & Amandi International... Read More
WASHINGTON — Florida Republican Sens. Marco Rubio and Rick Scott want to make sure there is plenty of time for wasting away again in Margaritaville in the sunlight this winter. If they get their way, revelers in Key West, Florida,... Read More
WASHINGTON - It was the end of a long day and night in Florida’s Martin County. Straggling reporters wandered into the newsroom, filing a few late sentences to be added to the local election coverage. But inside the newspaper's library,... Read More
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A Florida judge struck down a state order Monday that required "brick and mortar” schools in the state to be open five-days-a-week by the end of the month. Judge Charles Dodson of the Leon County Circuit Court... Read More
