By Jim Saunders, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — After seeking help from the Florida Supreme Court on the meaning of the word “riot,” a federal appeals court Monday overturned an injunction against a 2021 state law aimed at cracking down on violent demonstrations. A three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of […]
By The News Service of Florida With 84,400 claims filed, estimated insured losses in Florida from Hurricane Helene have topped $835 million. Data posted Thursday on the state Office of Insurance Regulation website showed $835,853,221 in estimated insured losses, up from $656,767,627 on Tuesday and $507,534,581 on Monday. Of the 84,400 claims, almost exactly half […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Four busy Florida ports will see direct impacts from an International Longshoremen’s Association strike for higher wages that began Tuesday. JAXPORT in Jacksonville, Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, PortMiami and Port Tampa Bay are among ports along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts where tens of […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE — Ranchers, farmers and timber growers are reporting widespread damage from the wind and rain of Hurricane Helene, which raced through rural North Florida last week. Chicken houses had roofs blown off. Acres of sweet corn and carrots were laid horizontal. Irrigation systems have been uprooted. […]
Nearly 40,000 insurance claims had been filed in Florida as of Sunday from Hurricane Helene, which made landfall Thursday night in Taylor County and caused widespread damage in the state. The number of claims and estimated insured losses will increase in the coming days and weeks. Here are initial numbers as of Sunday: — $434,696,041: […]
The News Service of Florida Attorneys for the state late Monday urged a Leon County circuit judge to reject a political committee’s request for a temporary injunction to block the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration from disseminating disputed information about a proposed constitutional amendment on abortion rights. A 26-page document filed in Leon County […]
By Jim Turner & Tom Urban, The News Service of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday declared a state of emergency for 41 counties as a storm system is expected to rapidly grow into a powerful hurricane in the Gulf of Mexico. The system, expected to be named Helene, was forecast Monday to reach northern […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Tallahassee TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s unemployment rate remained at 3.3 percent in August as retirements continue to outpace efforts to grow the labor force. The Florida Department of Commerce on Friday estimated 368,000 Floridians qualified as unemployed in August, up 2,000 from July, while the work force of 11.044 […]
By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida A five-year, multimillion-dollar effort to expand student enrollment and continue other major changes at New College of Florida was approved Wednesday by the state university system’s Board of Governors, despite some concerns about the spending. The Board of Governors approved a New College strategic plan, which will […]
By The News Service of Florida A non-profit advocacy group on Tuesday filed a federal lawsuit challenging the state’s process of verifying voter-registration applications, alleging it violates federal laws. The lawsuit, filed in the federal Middle District of Florida, focuses on the process for verifying voter-registration applicants’ eligibility. Prospective voters are deemed eligible by election […]