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.
Judge upholds ban on gun sales to people under 21
California bans travel to Florida, four other states
California added five more states, including Florida, to the list of places where state-funded travel is banned because of laws that discriminate against members of the LGBTQ community, the state attorney general announced Monday.
Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta added Florida, Arkansas, Montana, North Dakota and West Virginia to the list that now has 17 states where state employee travel is forbidden except under limited circumstances.