Florida News Archive

As of Friday, the United States had nearly 597,000 reported COVID-19 deaths since the pandemic started. Here are numbers for Florida and other states that have had the most deaths:

— California: 63,376 deaths

— New York: 53,377 deaths

Florida courts are set to resume some jury trials and drop mask and social-distancing requirements, while most court proceedings will continue to take place remotely, under an order issued Friday by state Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles Canady.

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a record $100 billion state budget for the upcoming fiscal year this week, but not before slashing about $1.5 billion from the spending plan using his line-item veto power.

State Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried entered the 2022 gubernatorial race this week, marking the second major Democratic challenger to DeSantis as he seeks re-election.

DeSantis riled the LGBTQ community on Tuesday when he signed into law a wide-ranging education bill that includes a ban on transgender females participating in girls’ and women’s high-school and college sports.

The measure (SB 1028), one of the most-controversial bills of the 2021 legislative session, will make female athletes’ eligibility for sports teams contingent on their “biological sex” on birth certificates issued “at or near the time of the student’s birth.”

Speaking at a private school in Jacksonville on the first day of Pride Month, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday signed a wide-ranging education bill that includes a ban on transgender females participating on girls’ and women’s high-school and college sports teams.

The measure (SB 1028), one of the most-controversial bills of the 2021 legislative session, will make female athletes’ eligibility for sports teams contingent on their “biological sex” on birth certificates issued “at or near the time of the student’s birth.”

After a lower-court judge rejected the state’s arguments, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody wants a federal appeals court to quickly take up a challenge to immigration-enforcement moves by President Joe Biden’s administration.

Florida is not keeping track of the number of nursing home staff and residents who have been fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The state requires nursing facilities to report to the state Emergency Status System the number of residents and staff who have received at least one dose of the vaccine. The facilities also must report the number of residents and staff who have not been vaccinated.

Walt Disney World could approach full capacity by the end of the year, Walt Disney Company CEO Robert Chapek said during the JPMorgan 49th Annual Global Technology, Media and Communications Conference on Monday. Chapek said his team anticipates “low double-digit growth” as the company follows federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention coronavirus operating guidelines, according to a transcript of the conference.

Florida Republican leaders touted the state’s economy Wednesday and said they expect businesses to boost hiring as additional federal unemployment benefits end in the coming weeks.

“We have emerged from the pandemic. At least, I feel like we’ve emerged from the pandemic,” state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis said while appearing at the Florida Chamber of Commerce “Prosperity & Economic Opportunity Solution Summit” in Sarasota.