Tourism improves in early 2021 — but still struggles
May 17, 2021
Florida’s tourism industry saw improvement during the first three months of 2021, but the number of visitors was still down 14 percent from a year earlier as the state continued to grapple with the C…
Mask restrictions lifted for fully vaccinated
May 13, 2021
The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Thursday updated COVID-19 recommendations to allow fully vaccinated people to be maskless in any setting, unless masks are required by federa…
DeSantis signs ‘alcohol to go’ into law
May 13, 2021
Appearing at a Volusia County eatery, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Thursday a bill that makes permanent a popular COVID-19 emergency order allowing restaurants to sell alcoholic drinks with take…
State readies ‘work search’ requirement
May 12, 2021
People in Florida’s unemployment system will have to show they looked for work on a weekly basis after Memorial Day, as the state pushes to get workers back on the job, particularly at restaurants…
Wildlife officials eye shark encounters
May 12, 2021
State wildlife officials are trying to better understand increased encounters between sharks and people fishing in Florida waters.
The incidents haven’t made the waters deadlier. But as conservat…
DeSantis signs major school voucher bill
May 11, 2021
DeSantis, during a ceremony at St. John the Apostle Catholic School in Hialeah, said the bill (HB 7045) will help provide educational choices to families who might otherwise struggle to pay private-s…
DeSantis committee hauls in cash
May 10, 2021
In a show of force, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ political committee raised nearly $14 million in April as he prepares for a re-election campaign next year — and as speculation builds about a possible bid fo…
DeSantis signs bill on gun regulations
May 10, 2021
Amid a legal battle that could be decided by the Florida Supreme Court, Gov. Ron DeSantis has signed a measure that will ratchet up a ban on local gun regulations.
State ballot initiative challenged
May 9, 2021
Just a day after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the bill, the American Civil Liberties Union of Florida filed a constitutional challenge Saturday to a measure that would limit contributions to political co…
Boating accidents, deaths up in 2020
May 8, 2021
Florida waters last year were the deadliest for boaters in at least a decade, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.