DeSantis Deploys 50 State Law Officers To Patrol The Mexican Border As GOP Governors Target Biden Policies

DeSantis traveled to Pensacola Friday to dispatch 50 state law enforcement agents to the Texas-Mexico border.

Search-And-Rescue Work Continues In Surfside As Deaths Rise To 9; Officials Vow To Get To Bottom Of Condo Collapse

Officials said learning what caused the collapse of a 12-story condo building must take a back seat, to continue search-and-rescue efforts.

Finding Romance On The Road At Giant Beaver-Themed Gas Station

KONKOL ON THE ROAD: Floridians were right. If you're looking for a rainy-day date in a beach town, leave it to beaver — Buc-ee's, that is.

Judge's Epic, 124-Page Cruise-Ship Order Reveals Clash Between Boosting The Economy And Keeping People Alive

Florida's legal challenge to federal guidelines allowing cruise ships to sail under COVID restrictions invoked conservative "enthusiasms."

Confusion Over Civics: What's In The New Civics Literacy Exam? What Happens If Students Don't Pass?

A year-and-a-half after DeSantis's directive, questions and confusion abound over the exam, the report states.

DeSantis Enacts Repeal Of Three Controversial Highway Projects; In Effect, One Remains

Two of three massive highway projects approved by the 2019 Florida Legislature are dead.

DeSantis Travels To S. Florida Condo Collapse Site, Calls Situation ‘Really, Really Traumatic'

Kevin Guthrie, director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management, said, “We will be here as long as we need to be."

Florida Advocates Consider Legal Action Against DeSantis For Ceasing Federal Unemployment Supplement

Saying the benefit "doesn't hurt the state at all" because it is federal money, Templin hopes DeSantis will make the right decision.

Florida Governor Signs Law Reforming Program For Brain-Damaged Infants

DeSantis signs legislation overhauling a controversial state program.

With COVID-19 Vaccine Goal Faltering, White House, Other Groups Redouble Efforts To Vaccinate Americans

First Lady Jill Biden is scheduled to visit COVID-19 vaccine sites in the Orlando area and Tampa on Thursday, part of a nationwide tour.

Traumatizing Practice Of Seclusion Will Soon Be Prohibited In Fla., School Districts

Florida school districts will soon be prohibited from using seclusion and isolation techniques on students — a traumatizing experience.

GOP Attorney General Ashley Moody Fights Against “Court Packing” But She's Also Getting Some Pushback

"It's clear Moody is more interested in wasting taxpayer dollars on partisan stunts than protecting our citizens from violent crime" -- Shaw

Environmentalists Blast DeSantis For Blocking Local Phase-Outs Of Oil And Gas As Fuel Sources

“We are in the midst of a climate crisis, yet Governor DeSantis insists on choosing politics over Florida’s future,” Errett said.

Crucial Third Grade Reading Scores Dropped While Schools And Districts Struggled In The Pandemic

On the Gulf Coast in North Florida, Sharon Hathcock, director of instruction for Taylor County schools, saw some troubling numbers.

Florida 11th Graders Could Take A Free College Entrance Exam Starting Next School Year -- If The State Covers The Cost

Florida 11th graders could take a national college entrance exam — either ACT or SAT — for free starting in the 2021-22 school year.

Delta Variant Seeps Into Florida; Health Experts Warn It Could Be More Transmissible Than Other Strains

A new coronavirus mutation — the so-called Delta variant — has seeped into Florida and dozens of other states.

States Race To Launch Multi-Billion-Dollar Sports Betting For NFL Season; Florida Fans And Foes Ready To Clash

Are you ready for some football? Or, more so, are you ready to legally gamble on it?

Where The Lines Are Drawn: New State Rule Could Threaten Fla., Teachers' Academic Freedom In History, Civics

Nowadays, 7th grade civics teacher Robin Porter is not sure where the lines are drawn when it comes to teaching the past and the present.

State Workers Across The Nation Had A Holiday Friday For Juneteenth Day — But Not Florida

From Alabama to Nebraska, state employees were off Juneteenth Day in honor of a significant event that ended slavery, but not in Florida.

Nikki Fried Accuses Trump Ally Sidney Powell Of Operating An Unregistered Charity In Fla.

Commissioner Fried filed an administrative complaint against an organization tied to former Trump attorney Sidney Powell.

Florida Supreme Court Blocks A Second Pro-Pot Citizens Initiative From The 2022 Ballot

Florida voters won't get to vote on whether to legalize recreational adult use of marijuana next year.

DeSantis, Cabinet Approve Pardons For People Facing Prosecution For Defying COVID Mask Mandates

The Florida Cabinet's GOP majority backed DeSantis, approving pardons to people facing criminal charges for failure to follow mask mandates.

Some Floridians Still Skeptical About COVID Vaccines Because Of Side Effects And Other Concerns

Floridians who aren't fully vaccinated are concerned about potential side effects, misinformation about other vaccines, the report states.

A DeSantis-Fried Debate Breaks Out During Florida Cabinet Meeting

Nikki Fried suggested she'd take DeSantis to court if he doesn't comply with laws on appointing state agency chiefs.

What Do Face Masks Have To Do With Abortion Rights? Florida's First District Court Of Appeal Explains

Abortion rights give women power to make decisions about their very lives and health; mask mandates are designed to help curtail a virus.

Voting-Rights Advocacy Groups Are The Latest To File A Legal Challenge To Florida's New Voting Law

A new Florida law imposing limits on voting by mail attracted a lawsuit by the Southern Poverty Law Center and the Fair Elections Center.

Moment-Of-Silence Law Would "Negatively Impact Separation Of Church And State," Sen. Farmer Says

The report says first-period teachers will lose at least one minute of instruction every day of the school year, as a result of this.

Race For Charlie Crist's U.S. Seat Intensifies With State Rep. Michele Rayner Confirming Candidacy

Michele Rayner, a civil rights attorney and Democratic state lawmaker, could become one of the first lesbian Black women to serve.

49 Innocent Lives: Pulse Remembrance Day In Florida

Flags were at half-staff, sunrise to sunset, commemorating the 49 lives lost and 53 wounded from the mass shooting at the Pulse nightclub.

DeSantis Approves Property Insurance Reform, But Some Fla., Homeowners Could See A Spike In Rates

The property insurance law is aimed to reduce lawsuits and prohibit contractors from encouraging residents to file claims for roof damage.

Some Cruise Ships Are Mandating Vaccines For Guests, Despite Florida, Texas Bans On Vaccine Passports

Florida seeks to dismantle safety protocols and regulations from the federal government through an ongoing court case.

“Let Teachers Teach”: Heavy Pushback On Rule Forbidding Critical Race Theory, Indoctrinating Students

Controversy continues over what students should learn about the past; a board meeting was interrupted with chants opposing indoctrination.

Happy Father's Day To Edwin Burgos

Across Florida Patch is celebrating Father's Day 2021 by sharing father-daughter or father-son photos and messages of love.

GOP Quickly Lashes Out As Orlando Congresswoman Val Demings Announces Campaign For U.S. Senate

Demings helped lower the crime rate in Orlando, she said, as she was involved with law enforcement for 27 years, eventually becoming chief.

After A Tumultuous Two Years, Fla., Surgeon General Scott Rivkees Will Remain As Chief State Health Official

It follows a tumultuous two years filled with surges in COVID-19 cases, transparency issues, and limited public appearances.

What Kids Should Know About Drugs And Alcohol: State Education Officials Propose New Standards

The Department of Education proposes what appears to be expansive guidance on drugs and alcohol instruction for middle and high schoolers.

Florida's Machinery To Import Canadian Drugs Is In Place — But Is It For Real And Will It Help You?

"Not every Floridian would benefit immediately" from imported pharmaceutical drugs from Canada, the report states.

State “Listening Tours” For Proposed Standards In Civics And Other Subjects Are A Big Disappointment So Far

"Listening tours" centering on the new Civics standards proposed in Florida have been inadequately publicized, rushed, and poorly attended.

Some Cruise Lines Are Sticking To Required Vaccines For Passengers, Despite Royal Caribbean Reversal

Following a reversal from Royal Caribbean International on COVID safety measures, two other major cruise lines are still requiring vaccines.

In The Early Days Of COVID, Florida Health Officials Reported Cases Twice Daily; Now It's A Weekly Report

When COVID-19 cases were made public in March 2020, the Florida Health Department quickly began reporting cases of infections and deaths.