April 18, 2024
News Service of Florida
Florida Jobless Rate Dips to 3 Percent
Florida’s unemployment rate dropped to 3 percent in April, while Gov. Ron DeSantis continues to warn about high gasoline prices and a potential recession that he blames on federal economic...
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Published on 5/22/2022
DeSantis giving green light to budget items
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that he will approve $100 million in the upcoming year’s state budget for cancer research, $37 million more than in the current year.
A day...
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Published on 5/20/2022
Florida jobless claims averaging below 5,000
Florida is averaging just under 5,000 first-time unemployment claims a week over the past month, which is below the average from the period before the COVID-19 pandemic crashed the economy....
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Published on 5/19/2022
State takes aim at redistricting ruling
The state asked an appeals court Wednesday to reinstate a stay on a circuit judge’s ruling that blocked a congressional redistricting plan pushed through the Legislature by Gov. Ron DeSantis....
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Published on 5/18/2022
February trial scheduled in education fight
A federal judge has scheduled a February trial in a legal battle over a new state law that restricts teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida schools.
U.S....
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Published on 5/18/2022
Property insurers are seeking hefty rate hikes in Florida
Roof-damage claims. Lawsuits. Reinsurance costs.
For tens of thousands of homeowners, those issues could add up to large property-insurance rate increases if state regulators sign off on proposals presented Tuesday....
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Published on 5/18/2022
FPL Transmission Line Gets Approval
Florida Power & Light got approval Monday from state utility regulators to develop a 79-mile transmission line northwest of Lake Okeechobee.
In a brief meeting, the Public Service Commission approved...
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Published on 5/16/2022
Ruling eyed in 'big tech' fight
As a battle continues about the constitutionality of a Florida law that seeks to crack down on social-media giants such as Facebook and Twitter, a federal appeals court has allowed...
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Published on 5/16/2022
Florida sees record tourism in first quarter
Florida attracted a record number of tourists during the first three months of 2022, surpassing totals from similar quarters before the COVID-19 pandemic rocked the hospitality and leisure industry.
Visit...
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Published on 5/16/2022
Fast track sought in redistricting fight
Pointing to “urgency” as the 2022 elections near, attorneys for voting-rights groups requested Friday that a battle over a new congressional redistricting plan be put on a fast track to...
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Published on 5/15/2022
Jobless claims low, but gas prices hit high
Florida continues to see unemployment claims roll in at a pre-pandemic pace as new data showed aspects of inflation possibly slowing.
But that trend has not been reflected at gas...
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Published on 5/13/2022
Florida citrus forecast gets boost in down year
The troubled Florida citrus industry received a little sunshine Thursday, but the amount of fruit produced this growing season remains far below average and expectations.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture...
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Published on 5/13/2022
DeSantis signs law requiring Florida school lessons on victims of communism
Calling it a “blockbuster day for freedom,” Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday signed a bill that will require public-school students to observe “Victims of Communism Day” on Nov. 7 each...
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Published on 5/11/2022
Initiative Supporters Say Signature Law Unconstitutional
Groups seeking to place proposed constitutional amendments on the 2024 ballot are urging a federal judge to reject the state's arguments defending a law that prevents paying petition gatherers based...
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Published on 5/11/2022
Long legal fight lies ahead over the Florida law dubbed ‘don't say gay'
A legal battle over a new state law that restricts teaching about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms could continue well into the upcoming school year.
The law,...
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Published on 5/11/2022
Florida fires back in redistricting lawsuit
Attorneys for Secretary of State Laurel Lee fired back Monday at an attempt to block a new congressional redistricting plan, saying plaintiffs in a lawsuit want to “revert to some...
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Published on 5/9/2022
A dozen companies and individuals apply for black farmer medical marijuana license
A dozen companies and individuals have applied for a potentially lucrative medical-marijuana license that state lawmakers targeted to Black farmers.
After voters approved a 2016 constitutional amendment that broadly legalized...
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Published on 5/9/2022
Space launches soar in Florida
Space Coast residents had a chance to wake up Thursday to the 18th orbital launch of the year from Cape Canaveral, as a SpaceX Falcon 9 topped with 53 Starlink...
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Published on 5/6/2022
Jobless claims remain low amid DeSantis warnings
Unemployment claims in Florida continue to roll in at a pre-pandemic pace and tax collections are up, but Gov. Ron DeSantis is maintaining a drumbeat that federal economic policies might...
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Published on 5/5/2022
Florida prepares to resume manatee rescue efforts this winter
After providing more than 200,000 pounds of lettuce to starving manatees because of depleted seagrass beds in state waters, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Executive Director Eric Sutton said...
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Published on 5/4/2022
Sen. Manny Diaz appointed as Florida education commissioner
Following through on a recommendation from Gov. Ron DeSantis, the State Board of Education on Friday appointed Sen. Manny Diaz Jr. as Florida’s next education commissioner.
Diaz, a Hialeah Republican,...
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Published on 5/4/2022
State expands alligator hunting hours
Alligators in Florida will be targeted around-the-clock when the next hunting season begins in August.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved a final rule change Tuesday that will...
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Published on 5/4/2022
Abortion draft ruling ratchets up Florida debate
A leaked U.S. Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion decision ignited a sense of urgency Tuesday among Florida Democrats while drawing praise from...
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Published on 5/3/2022
Northeast Florida to Get Additional Area Code
State regulators Tuesday approved creation of an additional area code in Northeast Florida, as cell phones and other devices continue to gobble up existing numbers.
The Florida Public Service Commission...
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Published on 5/3/2022
Ratings agency says insurance action 'essential' to stabilize market in Florida
The financial-rating agency AM Best said Monday that further “action is essential” to stabilize Florida’s property-insurance market, as lawmakers prepare to grapple with the issue during a special legislative session...
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Published on 5/3/2022
