By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s unemployment rate inched up to 3.8 percent in August, after holding steady at 3.7 percent since April, according to a report released Friday by the state Department of Commerce. The August rate represented 424,000 Floridians qualified as unemployed, up 7,000 from July. The civilian […]
By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix TAMPA — While Byron Donalds hasn’t received the backing of Gov. Ron DeSantis in his quest to succeed him as governor of Florida next year, the U.S. House member from Naples has no problem showering the love on the state’s chief executive. “We have the best governor in America right […]
By Christine Sexton, Florida Phoenix The main Democratic candidate for governor — former Republican U.S. Rep. David Jolly — called Thursday for changes to Florida’s universal school voucher program, which helps pay to send students to private school. Jolly, however, did not call for the elimination of the program notwithstanding criticism of it by many […]
By The News Service of Florida The University of South Florida College Republicans and the Pinellas County Young Republicans this week filed a federal lawsuit arguing that improper statistical methods were used in the 2020 U.S. census. The lawsuit, which names as defendants the leaders of the U.S. Department of Commerce and the U.S. Census […]
By Mitch Perry, Florida Phoenix The campaign for Florida Democrat David Jolly said Wednesday that a new public opinion poll it has commissioned shows the former GOP congressman in a statistical dead heat with both Byron Donalds and Paul Renner, the two major Republicans to enter the contest for governor in 2026. Jolly leads Donalds, […]
By Livia Caputo, Florida Phoenix Attorney General James Uthmeier filed two new complaints Monday against pornography companies based in Cyprus, Florida, and California for failing to prevent children from accessing online adult content. The complaints were both filed in the Twelfth Judicial Circuit in Sarasota County seeking $50,000 per violation from each of the pornographic […]
By Jay Waagmeester, Florida Phoenix State government is investigating teachers over social media comments made following Charlie Kirk’s assassination. Faculty and classroom teacher union leaders are calling it an attack on freedom of speech. Last week, Florida Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas wrote a letter to school superintendents statewide, reminding them that he has the power to discipline […]
By The News Service of Florida A House panel created to look at the possibility of cutting property taxes will receive presentations next week about a series of issues including school taxes and rural counties. The House Select Committee on Property Taxes is scheduled to meet from noon to 4 p.m. Monday as Gov. Ron […]
Gasoline prices dropped in Florida during the past week, with the approach of autumn and a transition to cheaper winter-blend gas. The AAA auto club said Florida motorists Monday paid an average of $2.98 a gallon for regular unleaded gas, down a dime from a week earlier. “As we transition into fall, lower fuel demand […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Monday said people being able to openly carry guns is “the law of the state,” after a panel of the 1st District Court of Appeal last week ruled that a longstanding ban was unconstitutional. Uthmeier sent guidance to prosecutors […]