By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida A&M University’s bitterly divided Board of Trustees on Friday selected Marva Johnson, an attorney and corporate executive, as the school’s next president, despite an outcry from alumni and students who questioned her qualifications and ties to Gov. Ron DeSantis. Johnson, a Charter Communications executive […]
By The News Service of Florida The Legislature on Friday formally sent about 60 bills to Gov. Ron DeSantis, including a measure that would back away from a requirement about starting high-school classes later in the morning. The measure (SB 296) would largely undo a 2023 law that said high schools could not start earlier […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — After a mass shooting last month at Florida State University that killed two people, officials will look at building security on campuses across the state and hold a “safety summit” in October, university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues said Thursday. Rodrigues told the system’s Board of […]
The News Service of Florida Florida had a reported 13,951 abortions this year as of May 5, down nearly 38 percent from a similar period in 2024, according to new data posted online by the state Agency for Health Care Administration. The state had a reported 22,409 abortions during the first four months last year, […]
The News Service of Florida The average price of a gallon of regular unleaded gas in Florida has dropped below $3, at least in part because of fears about the effects of a trade war. The AAA auto club said Florida motorists paid an average of $2.92 a gallon on Monday, down 16 cents from […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida ALLAHASSEE — As legislative leaders try to restart the budget process, Gov. Ron DeSantis indicated Monday he has no desire to take part in a sit-down suggested by the state Republican Party to hammer out differences. DeSantis rejected a “summit” with House and Senate leaders, an idea […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — Legislative budget talks blew up Friday, as the House, the Senate and Gov. Ron DeSantis tangle over tax cuts. House Speaker Daniel Perez accused Senate President Ben Albritton of backing out of a “historic tax proposal” that the leaders outlined last week as they extended […]
By The News Service of Florida First-time unemployment claims in Florida had a slight jump last week. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 6,227 initial unemployment applications were filed during the week that ended May 3, up from a revised count of 5,842 during the previous week. The state has averaged 6,149 weekly […]
By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Attorneys for the state acknowledged Tuesday that a 2021 Florida law that placed restrictions on social-media platforms posed “First Amendment problems” but urged a federal judge to reject a legal challenge that wound its way to the U.S. Supreme Court before being sent back to […]
By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida lawmakers late Friday approved barring students in elementary and middle schools from using cell phones during the school day — and testing the idea in high schools. Current law prevents students from using cell phones during instructional time, but the change would expand that […]