June 4, 2023
News Service of Florida
Worker shortage puts group homes in ‘survival mode'
A labor shortage has unleashed a litany of problems for Florida employers scrambling to fill vacant slots and hold on to workers.
But for some of the state’s most vulnerable...
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Published on 10/6/2021
Children's hospital looks to cryptocurrencies
The Nicklaus Children’s Hospital Foundation has started accepting donations of cryptocurrencies, as it looks for new ways to reach more donors.
The hospital said in a news release Tuesday that...
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Published on 10/6/2021
Justices Weigh Red-Light Camera Fees
Florida Supreme Court justices appeared skeptical Tuesday of a potential class-action lawsuit challenging credit-card fees that a company collects from motorists who get caught on camera running red lights.
The...
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Published on 10/5/2021
Hearing set on workers' comp insurance rates
Florida regulators will hold a public hearing next week on a proposal that could reduce average workers’ compensation insurance rates next year by 4.9 percent.
The state Office of Insurance...
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Published on 10/5/2021
COVID-19 hospitalizations continue to drop
The number of Florida patients hospitalized with COVID-19 continued to drop during the weekend.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services posted data Monday showing that Florida hospitals had...
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Published on 10/4/2021
Deal makes Florida company largest marijuana retailer
Trulieve, the state’s largest medical marijuana operator, is now the nation’s biggest cannabis retailer, after closing on a $2.1 billion deal to acquire former competitor Harvest Health & Recreation Inc....
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Published on 10/4/2021
Sowell to exit top job at Enterprise Florida
Enterprise Florida President and CEO Jamal Sowell will step down as the leader of Gov. Ron DeSantis’ business-recruitment efforts this month to prepare for specialized training with the U.S. Navy...
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Published on 10/4/2021
State expects employment push to start paying off
With weekly unemployment claims rolling in at pre-pandemic numbers, state leaders say they remain optimistic about seeing results from a summer push to get people back into the labor force....
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Published on 9/30/2021
Visit Florida to seek at least $75 million in taxpayer dollars for next year
Florida’s tourism-marketing agency will ask lawmakers to maintain increased funding and extend its life, as the state ramps up efforts to attract international visitors amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Visit Florida...
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Published on 9/30/2021
Lawmakers propose all renewable energy by 2040
Two Democratic lawmakers have filed proposals that would require Florida to generate all of its electricity through renewable energy by 2040.
Sen. Lori Berman, D-Delray Beach, filed a Senate version...
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Published on 9/29/2021
Florida faces challenges on sex offender registry
Florida is facing two constitutional challenges from men who live in other states and contend they have been improperly kept on public sex-offender registry lists in Florida.
Oregon resident Moji...
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Published on 9/28/2021
Feathers Fly Over State Bird
Sen. Jeff Brandes wants a new state bird.
The St. Petersburg Republican filed a proposal (SCR 324) for the 2022 legislative session that would rescind the designation of the mockingbird...
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Published on 9/27/2021
Fried Takes Aim at Polystyrene
Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried said Friday the state Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will start a rule-making process that takes aim at polystyrene products --- such as Styrofoam cups,...
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Published on 9/27/2021
Florida minimum wage workers get a boost to $10 an hour this week
Minimum wage workers in Florida will get a voter-approved pay boost this week, while about two-dozen new laws kick in, including a regulatory framework for electronic cigarettes.
After just over...
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Published on 9/27/2021
Doctor fights state after marijuana sting operation
A physician who orders medical marijuana for patients is accusing state health officials of breaking the law to create fake records in a sting operation involving an investigator falsely posing...
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Published on 9/27/2021
Florida health leaders cite confidential data in COVID-19 public records lawsuit
The Florida Department of Health is trying to scuttle a public-records lawsuit seeking information about COVID-19, arguing that requested reports don’t exist and that the underlying data is confidential.
Attorneys...
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Published on 9/27/2021
Florida jobless claims remain steady
Florida continues to see relatively little change in new unemployment claims, with the U.S. Department of Labor estimating Thursday that the state had 6,845 initial claims during the week that...
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Published on 9/23/2021
State revamps COVID-19 rule for schools
Pointing to a need to “minimize the amount of time students are removed from in-person learning,” the Florida Department of Health on Wednesday issued a revised rule that gives parents...
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Published on 9/22/2021
State Goes to Appeals Court in School Board Mask Fight
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has asked an appeals court to block challenges filed by five school boards against a Department of Health rule aimed at preventing students from being forced...
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Published on 9/21/2021
Senate kicks off redistricting process
Senate Reapportionment Chairman Ray Rodrigues said Monday he wants the Florida Legislature to avoid the “shadow process” that occurred in 2012 when lawmakers drew new political district lines that were...
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Published on 9/21/2021
Report finds Florida tied for highest COVID nursing home death rate in nation this summer
As the delta variant of the coronavirus caused Florida to become a hotspot for COVID-19 in late July and August, the state’s nursing homes also felt the brunt.
Using federal...
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Published on 9/20/2021
Fried asks Biden to delay reductions to COVID-19 treatments
A day after Gov. Ron DeSantis pledged to “fight like hell” to maintain Florida’s supply of monoclonal antibody treatments for people with COVID-19, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried asked President Joe...
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Published on 9/20/2021
Florida gas prices soar 10 cents per gallon
Gas prices across Florida jumped an average of 10 cents a gallon in the past week following reports that energy infrastructure across the Gulf of Mexico is recovering slower than...
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Published on 9/20/2021
$200 Million in Refunds Unclaimed in Florida Prepaid College Program
More than 30,000 families have yet to claim over $200 million worth of refunds from Florida's Prepaid College Tuition Program, according to program officials.
Prices for the prepaid plans were...
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Published on 9/20/2021
Florida's longtime pension fund manager to step down
Ash Williams, the longtime head of Florida’s pension fund, is retiring at the end of September, with Gov. Ron DeSantis and Cabinet members expected to name an interim replacement next...
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Published on 9/17/2021
