Federal transportation officials on Tuesday announced a plan to ease licensure requirements for school bus drivers in an attempt to relieve driver shortages in Florida and other states.

HCA Healthcare, which operates 47 hospitals in Florida, has purchased a network of 59 urgent-care centers in the state, the company announced Tuesday.

More than four years after Hurricane Irma plowed through the state, a judge has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit against Florida Power & Light because of customers’ electricity getting knocked out.

Legislative leaders are monitoring the spike in coronavirus cases across Florida but haven’t made plans to reimpose restrictions on public access that were used during the 2021 session.

Two Republican lawmakers filed proposals Monday that would restrict subjects that could be included in ballot initiatives. Sen. Jason Brodeur, R-Sanford, and Rep. Mike Beltran, R-Lithia, filed the identical measures (SJR 1412 and HJR 1127) for consideration during the legislative session that will start Jan. 11.