Elsa could bring flooding after landfall
Tropical Storm Elsa remained poised to strike the largely rural Big Bend region by late Wednesday morning and bring the potential for flash flooding to rivers across North Florida.
As of 6 a.m. Wednesday, about 26,000 Floridians had lost electricity because of the storm. But Gov. Ron DeSantis said during a morning news conference that the outlook was much-improved from earlier forecasts that showed the system gaining strength as it moved from the Caribbean through the Gulf of Mexico.
Elsa heads toward north Florida landfall
Areas saturated by recent heavy rains might see flash flooding because of Tropical Storm Elsa, which could reach hurricane strength when it makes landfall early Wednesday on the Gulf Coast, Gov. Ron DeSantis warned Tuesday.
At 8 a.m., Elsa was west of Key West, about 240 miles south of Tampa, with maximum sustained winds of 60 mph. It was expected to move north Tuesday off the Gulf Coast, causing rain, wind and storm surge.
West Coast braces for tropical storm
Warnings and watches stretched Monday morning from the Florida Keys up the state’s West Coast as Tropical Storm Elsa prepared to pummel the state with wind, rain and storm surge.
President Joe Biden issued a federal emergency declaration in Charlotte, Citrus, Collier, DeSoto, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Levy, Manatee, Miami-Dade, Monroe, Pasco, Pinellas and Sarasota counties, the White House announced late Sunday.
College athletes can start cashing in
The floodgates have opened for college athletes in Florida and across the country to make money based on their names, images and likenesses, as the first contracts started to be inked Thursday.
A Florida law allowing athletes to receive off-the-field compensation took effect Thursday, after being signed last year by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Backroom briefing: Clashing with California
Governor vetoes two bills, supporters puzzled
Transgender athlete ban challenged
Colleges get shield from COVID-19 lawsuits
Marking a victory for colleges and universities that shut down campuses last year during the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Tuesday shielding the schools from lawsuits seeking refunds for students because of the closures.
Campuses closed in March 2020 in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, with students forced to learn online.
‘Freedom Week’ to offer sales tax breaks
Florida is about to find out how much a week of sales-tax “freedom” translates into capitalism.
Starting Thursday, in what lawmakers dubbed “Freedom Week,” people will receive sales-tax breaks when they make a wide range of purchases that could help spur them to be more active after being limited by the coronavirus pandemic.