Tuesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 11/10/2020

Florida bracing as Supreme Court hears arguments on fate of Affordable Care Act

Miami-Dade County has the highest Obamacare enrollment of any county in the country. The Supreme Court ruled eight years ago to leave Obamacare intact, but President Donald Trump and his Republican allies are arguing to have it overturned. They argue Obamacare’s individual mandate is unconstitutional because Congress eliminated the financial penalty for individuals who fail to obtain health insurance coverage. More from the CBS Miami.

Florida minimum wage amendment still faces many hurdles ahead

A Florida constitutional amendment that passed on Election Day will gradually increase wages for millions of Florida workers to $15 an hour by 2026. One of them is Tami Santos Barrera, who makes $11.50 an hour working at Walmart. She lives in a trailer park in a tattered mobile home. She worries the electrical problems might burn it down. Barrera has numerous health problems and said her current pay doesn’t allow her to buy healthy foods. More from Florida Today.

Pregnant women more at risk of serious illness from coronavirus, CDC says

A new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that pregnant women who contract the coronavirus are at a higher risk for severe illness. The majority of the women will recover and the risk of death is still low, the study said, but the odds that they may need intensive care treatment, be placed on a ventilator or other serious treatment are slightly higher than their non-pregnant counterparts. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

FSU College of Medicine will mark its 20th anniversary in virtual celebration

Florida State University’s College of Medicine is being recognized by INSIGHT Into Diversity magazine as a recipient of the 2020 Health Professions Higher Education Excellence in Diversity Award. The College of Medicine, in Tallahassee, is but one of 46 health-professions programs in the country being honored, and this year marks the fourth consecutive year it has landed the coveted award. More from the Tallahassee Democrat.

Florida gas prices hit five-month low amid coronavirus surge concerns

Florida gas prices hit a five-month low this week. According to AAA, the Auto Club Group, state gas prices averaged $2 Monday, down 4 cents over the week and 17 cents since last month. Tampa Bay prices were even lower at $1.93 per gallon on average, down 6 cents from last week and 25 cents from last month. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Consumer Concerns
Consumer confidence in Florida drops ahead of holiday season, UF study finds

Consumer confidence in Florida is falling ahead of the holiday season, a study from the University of Florida found. After the largest one-month gain in consumer confidence since the pandemic started in September, the study found that consumer sentiment among Floridians dropped 2 points in October to 84.4 from a revised September figure of 86.4.

» More from News4jax.com.

Virtual Book Fest
Log on for the 2020 Times Virtual Festival of Reading

Many things are different about this year’s Tampa Bay Times Virtual Festival of Reading, but the fundamental mission is the same: bringing writers to readers. And so is the admission: It’s all free. Like so much else in 2020, the festival is virtual this year.