Weekly Roundup: Alligators and ICE

Weekly Roundup: Alligators and ICE

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Amid what Gov. Ron DeSantis called the “sauna stage of Tallahassee weather,” attention shifted this week to a proposed migrant detention center in the Everglades and speculation about what the governor will redline from the state’s 2025-2026 budget. During an appearance Thursday in Boca Raton, […]

States Plan University Accreditation Revamp

States Plan University Accreditation Revamp

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida is working with university leaders from five other Southern states to form a new higher-education accrediting body, Gov. Ron DeSantis and officials from the other states announced Thursday. The Commission for Public Higher Education, which will need federal approval, would be an alternative to […]

Detention Center Likely at Camp Blanding

Detention Center Likely at Camp Blanding

By The News Service of Florida Amid controversy about a plan to build a detention facility for undocumented immigrants in the Everglades, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday said a similar facility probably will be added at North Florida’s Camp Blanding. DeSantis said state Division of Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie is working on the plan […]

State Employees to Get Extra Day Off

State Employees to Get Extra Day Off

By The News Service of Florida State employees will get a little extra time to enjoy the Independence Day weekend. Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday announced that state offices will be closed July 3, in addition to the already-planned closure on July 4. His office said nearly 100,000 people will get the extra day off. […]

Settlement Eyed in Immigration Fight

Settlement Eyed in Immigration Fight

By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida is attempting to settle a long-running legal battle with the federal government over immigration policies during the Biden administration, a court document filed Monday shows. The document, a joint motion filed by state and federal attorneys, asked the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals […]

Groups Urge Continued Halt of Social Media Law

Groups Urge Continued Halt of Social Media Law

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Saying parents should make decisions about their children’s social-media use, industry groups Friday argued a federal appeals court should continue to block Florida from enforcing a law that targets social-media platforms. The groups NetChoice and the Computer & Communications Industry Association filed a 30-page document […]

Florida Jobless Rate Stays at 3.7 Percent

Florida Jobless Rate Stays at 3.7 Percent

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s unemployment rate held at 3.7 percent in May, after inching up earlier in the year. The Florida Department of Commerce on Friday released a report that showed an estimated 414,000 Floridians were out of work in May from a labor force of 11.2 million […]

Weekly Roundup: ‘Long and Winding Road’ in the Rearview

Weekly Roundup: ‘Long and Winding Road’ in the Rearview

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — House and Senate leaders brought the gavel down on the 105-day legislative session before midnight on Monday, celebrating with the traditional hanky drop signaling a wrap to their work. Attention now is focused on which items in the $115.1 billion state spending plan, which took […]

Out-of-State Students Could Face Tuition Hikes

Out-of-State Students Could Face Tuition Hikes

By Dara Kam, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Out-of-state students attending Florida universities could see a 10 percent increase in tuition this fall and an additional hike the following school year, under a rule unanimously adopted by the state university system’s Board of Governors on Wednesday. Tuition hikes for out-of-state students would have […]

Florida Jobless Claims Dip

Florida Jobless Claims Dip

By The News Service of Florida An estimated 7,415 first-time unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended June 14, according to a U.S. Department of Labor report released Wednesday. The total was down from an estimated 8,786 claims during the previous week. Florida has averaged 6,377 claims a week since the […]