The Tallahassee Reports Daily Briefs: Wednesday, May 21, 2025

LOCAL NEWS

U.S. Census Bureau information shows that Leon County’s 2.8% growth rate in population, from 2020 through 2024, ranked 56 among the 67 Florida counties.

The latest information from the Tallahassee International Airport shows the April 2025 passenger traffic decreased 1.0% when compared to traffic one year ago. The number of passengers was down 806 from the 80,229 reported during April 2024 to 79,423 in April 2025.

Leon County Government is seeking applications from qualified individuals interested in serving on the Children’s Services Council of Leon County (CSC Leon).

LOCAL SPORTS NEWS

No. 1 ranked and No. 1 seeded Stanford defeated No. 4 ranked and No. 4 seeded Florida State, 3.5-1.5, in the semifinals of match play at the NCAA Division I Women’s Golf Championships at the Omni La Costa Resort. Stanford will face Northwestern for the national championship on Wednesday while one of the most historic seasons in the history of the Seminole program comes to a close.

FLORIDA NEWS

Records related to a state House probe of a nonprofit linked to First Lady Casey DeSantis’ signature Hope Florida assistance program are part of an “open” investigation, Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell’s office said Tuesday.

Florida set a tourism record in 2024, drawing 143 million inclusive of domestic, Canadian and overseas. It’s a 1.7% rise from 2023’s record 140.2 million.

NATIONAL NEWS

US health officials released new guidelines for COVID-19 vaccine booster shots yesterday, narrowing approval to Americans over 65 and anyone older than 6 months with at least one risk factor for severe illness. For those between 6 months and 64 years, regulators will require more stringent randomized controlled trials to test the clinical efficacy and safety of each booster rather than rely on immune response data.

Trump administration secures release of US Air Force veteran from detention in Venezuela; veteran’s father says his son traveled there to get treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (More).

US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.4%, Dow -0.3%, Nasdaq -0.4%) driven by tech stocks drop; S&P 500 ends six-day winning streak (More). 

TALLAHASSEE WEATHER