The Tallahassee Reports Daily Briefs: Thursday, May 16, 2024

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LOCAL NEWS

With the recent tragic pedestrian death on the FSU campus, the focus on pedestrian safety is making the rounds in the news cycle. And as is often the case, the reporting fails to provide proper context while highlighting a tragic event. TR tabulated the numbers and this what we found.

The Leon County Commission news briefs from the May 14th meeting are now available. The Commission approved a 542 unit residential development, allocated $1 million to storm relief and addressed budget issues.

The latest information from the Tallahassee International Airport shows the April 2024 passenger traffic increased 15.9% when compared to traffic one year ago. The number of passengers were up 10,939 from the 68,624 reported during April 2023 to 79,563 in April 2024.

The Tallahassee Police Department is set to honor fallen law enforcement officers Thursday as part of its annual law enforcement memorial. Thursday, starting at 10 a.m., the ceremony will commemorate those who have “bravely and courageously gave the ultimate sacrifice while serving the community.” TPD’s Honor Guard is also expected to lower the flags to half-staff for the day. 

LOCAL SPORTS NEWS

The Lincoln Trojans beat Clay County 2-0 in the Regional final last night and will now head to Fort Meyers for the 5A State final four.

As stadium and field readiness continues after last week’s tornados, Thursday night’s Florida State game on Mike Martin Field at Dick Howser Stadium between Florida State and Georgia Tech will now begin at 7:00 p.m. All three games will be televised on ACC Network Extra and heard on 100.7 WFLA. 

FLORIDA NEWS

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed three bills on Wednesday combatting the climate agenda pushed by “green energy zealots.” The slew of legislation slashes climate agenda directives in Florida’s energy policy, places a greater emphasis on nuclear energy and focusing on cost efficiency for Floridians, bans state holdings for Chinese Communist Party-linked companies, and bars state investments into companies that utilize “forced labor.”

The DeSantis administration is seeking a Congressional probe into NGOs that are facilitating the migration and immigration throughout the country. Department of Children and Families Secretary Shevaun Harris sent a letter on Tuesday that asked members of Congress to read a report on the role of these groups that was issued earlier this year by the Florida grand jury. Harris in her letter called the grand jury findings “alarming and have uncovered practices sanctioned by the federal government that indirectly facilitate the human trafficking of unaccompanied children crossing the border.” 

The U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) has formally requested that the Supreme Court deny a petition filed by West Flagler Associates, which seeks to challenge the legality of a sports betting compact between the Seminole Tribe and the State of Florida. The Department of the Interior contends that Indian Gaming Regulatory Act, although enacted prior to the internet era, should be interpreted broadly to encompass modern economic developments like internet-based sports betting.

NATIONAL NEWS

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump agreed yesterday to participate in two presidential debates. The announcement came hours after Biden said he would not participate in traditional debates organized by the nonpartisan Commission on Presidential Debates, calling instead for an expedited debate schedule and stricter rules on interruptions, among other conditions.

More than 107,000 people in the US died of a drug-related overdose last year, according to data released yesterday from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The preliminary tally represents the first drop in drug-related deaths since 2018 and a 3% drop from 2022. The CDC data did not reveal the cause of the overall decline.

US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +1.2%, Dow +0.9%, and Nasdaq +1.4%); all three indexes notch record highs, fueled by latest inflation data (More)

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