As Vaccines Come To Florida, State Data Shows More Than 4,000 COVID Cases Related To Schools Last Week

While COVID vaccines promise a sense of nearing the end of the pandemic, most Floridians will not gain access to doses for quite some time.

Florida Legislature Lays Out Safety Protocols For Committee Meetings; From COVID Tests To Virtual Testimony

If you want to participate in legislative politics next month you may have to give testimony from a couple blocks away from the Capitol.

See ‘Christmas Star’ As Planets Line Up On Winter Solstice: FL

Jupiter and Saturn were last this close to create a "Christmas star" in 1623. The Ursid meteor shower peak matches the winter solstice.

Community Raises $6,000 For Beloved 'Taco Bell Joe'

A longtime employee of a Taco Bell in South Daytona was moved to tears by the gesture.

300,000 Dead: Remembering Floridians We Lost To Coronavirus

Here at Patch, we know your friends, families and loved ones are more than numbers. We want to help you share the stories of FL lives lost.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos Heads For The Exits, Leaving A Legacy Of Turmoil

Mr. Biden said he will make sure the next secretary of education "is not Betsy DeVos," the report indicates.

Investor-Owned Power Companies Pull The Plug On 110,000 Florida Customers, Took Their Power Through Oct. 31

Investor-owned power companies in Florida have issued more than 700,000 disconnect notices to their residential and commercial customers.

Gov. DeSantis Won’t ‘Jump The Line’ For The Coronavirus Vaccine

Although he’s encouraging health care workers and vulnerable groups to take the COVID-19 vaccination, DeSantis plans to wait his turn.

Educators Are Grappling: Some Florida Teachers Want The COVID Vaccine ASAP, But Others Are Hesitant

In almost 40 years of teaching, Deborah St. John, a high school English teacher in Central Florida, has to face a pandemic and a decision.

Biden Rallies For Democrats In Senate Runoffs ‘To Get Something Done’

Unlike Trump's rhetoric and baseless claims, President-Elect Biden gets right to work, fights for "the soul of the nation."

Congress Close To Emergency Relief Deal Including Direct Payments, Added Unemployment Benefits

A coronavirus relief deal appeared within reach late Wednesday following months of stalemate in Congress.

Critics Aim To Block Utilities Rule They Say Negates Energy-Saving Goals, Keeps Bills High

The draft rule is “short-sighted” and “ridiculous” because it does not promote energy efficiency that would lower bills, the report says.

Appeals Judge Decries What He Sees As Erosion Of Legal Shield For Confidences To Psychiatrists

Legal questions relevant to psychotherapist-patient privilege arise following a custody dispute.

Major Boondoggle? National Public-Interest Group Rips Florida's Toll-Road Plans; State Says Too Soon To Judge

The U.S. Public Interest Research Group calls the controversial plan a “boondoggle” of the first order, according to the report.

DeSantis Refuses To Congratulate President-Elect Biden

Commissioner Fried called DeSantis's refusal to acknowledge Mr. Biden as president-elect "ludicrous," and that it is "time to move on."

Uncertainty And Lack Of Data Can Make Pregnant Women Wary About Taking COVID-19 Vaccine

For pregnant women, and for those who may become pregnant, it’s a disconcerting time.

On ‘Historic Day,’ Florida's COVID Vaccination Program Begins With Inoculation Of A Tampa Nurse

A 31-year-old nurse at Tampa General Hospital was the first person in Florida to receive the COVID-19 vaccine Monday morning.

Defense Attorneys And Prosecutors Team Up To Exonerate Innocent Man Imprisoned For 16 Years

A Black man misidentified as an armed robber, convicted, and sentenced to life in prison in 2004 was exonerated Monday.

U.S. Attorney Alleges Conspiracy To Sell Answers To Florida's Teacher, Principal Certification Tests

Federal prosecutors in Tallahassee released an indictment Friday alleging a massive conspiracy by a Fort Myers couple.

As Parkland Panel Condemns Florida Mental-Health Services, DeSantis Decides To Spend Federal COVID-Aid Funds To Improve Things

Coincidentally, following a damning report by a grand jury investigating the 2018 school massacre in Parkland, DeSantis allocates funding.

FDA Authorizes First COVID-19 Vaccine, Clearing The Way For States’ Rollout

The Food and Drug Administration has authorized for emergency use the first COVID-19 vaccine in the United States.

Frail, Elderly, And Frontline Workers In Florida Are In Phase 1 For Vaccines, Unless They Are In Prisons

Florida’s vaccine priorities exclude tens of thousands of at-risk adults and juveniles living in Florida prisons, the report states.

Small Business Owner Pays Utility Bills For 114 Families

Michael Esmond, owner of Gulf Breeze Pools and Spas, spent more than $7,000 on the good deed.

Will A Former National Teacher Union President Be The Next U.S. Education Secretary?

Eskelsen Garcia is being "talked about" for U.S. Secretary of Education; she has the endorsement of 40 national Latino groups, it's stated.

States Just One Step Away From COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout After Federal Panel OK

A federal advisory panel on Thursday gave the green light to a COVID-19 vaccine developed by U.S. pharmaceutical company Pfizer.

More Than Half Of U.S. House Republicans Back Texas Suit Claiming Election ‘Irregularities’

News outlets have referred to this suit as "frivolous" and "anti-democracy," sprouting from "baseless claims."

U.S. Appeals Court Likely Will Strike Down Tampa’s Ban On ‘Conversion Therapy’ For Minors

Similar ordinances were struck down recently in Palm Beach County banning the use of “conversion therapy" on minors.

Nearly 4,000 New Cases Of COVID-19 Related To Florida Schools During The Week Following Thanksgiving Break

The Florida Department of Health listed nearly 4,000 new COVID-19 cases related to Florida schools during the week following Thanksgiving.

Florida's Republican AG Moody Gets Involved In Presidential Election Challenge Before U.S. Supreme Court

Commissioner Fried called this Texas lawsuit "embarrassing to the integrity of our democracy and resolution of this election.”

Governors, Including DeSantis, Describe Their Preparations For COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout During White House Summit

Trump attempted to take credit, despite months of inaction and rarely showing sympathy for the hundreds of thousands dead.

Distrust, Skepticism, But Also Relief, As Floridians Weigh Rollout Of Initial COVID-19 Vaccines

For all the anticipation surrounding the rollout of vaccines, large portions of Florida’s population would give the injections a pass.

Congress Set To Strip Confederate Names From U.S. Military Bases, Flouting Trump Veto Threat

Trump's threatened veto centers on his favoritism toward keeping Confederate generals' names on monuments.

Chair Of Black Male Council Regarding DeSantis: ‘I Don’t Think He Likes Us. I Don’t Think He Likes Black People.’

About a month after George Floyd's death, the report states, DeSantis cut $150,000 which would have been for improving Black males' lives.

Marine Conservationists Sound Alarm About Hazardous Plastics In Florida, Other Southeastern Waters

Plastic waste kills more sea turtles, manatees and marine mammals off the coasts of Florida and neighboring states than in any other region.

Is Gov. DeSantis’ ‘Law-And-Order’ Agenda Happening Or Not? Floridians Would Like To Know What’s Going On

Democratic lawmakers, civil rights advocates, and voters are dogged by DeSantis's blatant irresolution.

Conservative Think Tank Summit With Florida Ties Convenes To Pitch Law Blocking More Justices For U.S. Supreme Court

A conservative think tank holding a virtual summit this week is pitching draft state legislation to prevent expansion of the Supreme Court.

Trump Attacks Election Results, Rants About Kemp At Georgia Rally

As his acolytes "hung on every word," some reports indicated, Trump unleashed a fusillade of falsehoods to a Valdosta, Ga., gathering.

FSU President John Thrasher Says ‘We Have A Long Way To Go’ On Racial Equality

In his last year as president of Florida State University, John Thrasher reminisced about his school’s achievements.

Women Senators Make Some Inroads In Florida's Senate’s Committee Appointments

Last legislative session, Democratic State Sen. Annette Taddeo was the only woman on the eight-member Banking & Insurance Committee.

Florida Supreme Court Willing To Reverse Precedent, But Declines Invitation To Reinstate 100 Death Sentences

The Florida Supreme Court made clear its willingness to overturn its own precedents — even relatively recent ones.