Author: Casey Owens

Motion to Dismiss Lawsuit Challenging Florida’s Fairness in Women’s Sports Act Filed

Casey Owens

A motion to dismiss a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of the Fairness in Women’s Sports Act that bans transgender females from participating in high school athletics, was sent to a federal judge on Monday.

The Act, also known as SB 1028, was approved in April by the Florida Legislature, and signed into law by Governor DeSantis in June on the basis that it would ensure that biological males do not participate in female sports in order to keep spots open for biological females.

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San Francisco Based Tech Company Will Create 630 New High-Wage Jobs in Orlando

Casey Owens

Commissioners for the City of Orlando unanimously approved an incentive agreement between the city and a tech company known as Checkr Inc. that will establish an office that will create 630 new high-wage jobs by the end of 2024.

Additionally, Checkr will receive just over $1.1 million from the city over the next six years, but will make a $2.7 million capital investment to the city in return that includes the lease to a 25,000 square foot office building in the Millenia Lakes area of Orlando.

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Governor DeSantis Appoints Three New Members to the Florida Elections Commission

Casey Owens

The Florida Elections Commission will look to add three new members after Governor DeSantis appointed Nicholas Primrose, Marva Preston and Carlos Lopez-Cantera to the panel on Friday, Primrose being the designated Chair.

DeSantis’ appointments are subject to confirmation by the Florida Senate and are the first in over a year to replace all current members of the FEC whose terms have expired but are still serving.

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Charlie Crist Releases Attack Ad Against Florida Governor DeSantis over Mask Mandate Order

Casey Owens
Charlier Crist

U.S. Representative and 2022 gubernatorial candidate Charlie Crist (D-FL-13) released his first attack ad Tuesday against Florida’s current Governor Ron DeSantis for his recent executive order regarding mask mandates in schools.

Signed on July 30th, the executive order cites the “Parents’ Bill of Rights” that expanded upon the rights parents have regarding their children’s education, health, and upbringing. For example, the decision to not make their kids wear a mask.

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Florida’s Real Estate Market Could Slow Down in Coming Months

Casey Owens

After a year of Florida’s real estate market being a “sellers’ market,” data from Florida Realtors for quarter two (Q2) of 2021 shows that the “red-hot” market could slow down in the coming months.

Florida Realtors’ Chief Economist, Dr. Brad O’Connor, said that now that the ratio of buyers to sellers seems to be falling, home price growth should begin to “cool down.”

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President Biden Announces Vaccine Requirement for Nursing Home Employees

Casey Owens

The Biden Administration announced Wednesday its plan to require nursing home employees across the country to receive the vaccination for COVID-19 in order to receive federal Medicaid and Medicare funding.

Given the fact that Florida is a common retirement destination for people across the country, it is responsible for almost 700 nursing homes out of more than 15,000 nursing homes in the U.S. that will be affected by the mandate.

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Florida Tourism Industry Rebounds in the Second Quarter of 2021

Casey Owens

Tourism numbers in Florida continue to rebound in 2021, as data from quarter two (Q2) by the state’s tourism marketing agency, Visit Florida, shows 31.692 million visitors from April 1st to June 30th – 16.3% more visitors than quarter one.  

The first two quarters of 2021 show an improvement compared to quarters two, three, and four of 2020 during the pandemic, which recorded 9.92 million, 20.33 million, and 19.09 million visitors, respectively.

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Governor DeSantis Supports Monoclonal Antibody Treatment for High-Risk COVID Patients

Casey Owens

Governor DeSantis expressed his support for Regeneron’s monoclonal antibody treatment Thursday, as COVID cases and the number of hospitalizations continue to surge in Florida.

According to DeSantis, “These treatments have been proven successful, with clinical trials resulting in a 70% reduction in hospitalization and death for COVID patients,” especially those who have higher risk for severe complications due to age or preexisting medical conditions.

As reported by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), “Monoclonal antibodies are laboratory-made proteins that mimic the immune system’s ability to fight off harmful antigens such as viruses.” The treatment is meant for individuals who have tested positive or recovered from COVID.

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Florida Power and Light Faces Opposition for New Settlement Agreement That Raises Rates

Casey Owens

Three membership organizations in Florida joined together Wednesday to oppose a settlement agreement by Florida Power and Light (FPL) that increased base electricity rates for its residential consumers, as well as a plan to develop solar energy that is also paid for by residential consumers.

FPL is the largest retail energy company in the U.S. and serves more than 5.6 million customer accounts that represent over 11 million Florida residents, primarily along the east coast, but also in some parts of southwest and north central Florida.

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Despite Criticism, Florida Governor DeSantis Awards Bonus Checks

Casey Owens

Governor DeSantis held three ceremonies in the state of Florida Tuesday, awarding first responders and educators with $1,000 bonuses from the for their hard work and dedication through the pandemic.

In addition to first responders’ work through the pandemic, DeSantis’ first ceremony was held in Surfside for search-and-rescue task force members who helped in the aftermath of the Champlain Tower collapse. The last two ceremonies were in Jacksonville and Pensacola respectively.

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Florida Plans to Appeal Judge’s Decision in Norwegian Cruise Line Lawsuit

Casey Owens

The state of Florida plans to appeal U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams’ decision to grant the injunction proposed by Norwegian Cruise Line against the law that bans Florida businesses from requiring vaccine documentation for service. 

While state attorney Peter Patterson previously stated that they may take the issue to the U.S. Supreme Court, it will first appeal the ruling in the 11th Circuit Court of Appeal, which has previously sided with the state regarding the ban on vaccine passports.

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Leon County Judge Sets Trial Date for Lawsuit Challenging 2015 Florida Abortion Law

Casey Owens
baby sleeping in crib

A lawsuit arguing the constitutionality of a 2015 law (HB 633) that requires women to wait 24 hours before having an abortion is set to be heard in trial next year, as directed in an order issued by Leon County Circuit Judge Angela Dempsey on Wednesday. 

 The lawsuit was filed by two women’s health clinics in Florida and a group of medical students shortly after the law was signed by then Governor Rick Scott. 

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U.S. District Judge Questions State Law in Norwegian Cruise Line Lawsuit

Casey Owens

The lawsuit filed by Norwegian Cruise Line proposing an injunction against the law (SB 2006) that bans businesses from requiring vaccine passports in Florida, was seen in court Friday by U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams.

After the cruise line argued to Judge Williams that lawmakers approved the law for “political points,” she did not make a ruling, but she did, however, question the state’s attorneys on the merits of the law.

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Florida Department of Education Data Shows Surge in Homeschool Students

Casey Owens
Homeschoolers

Data from the Florida Department of Education (FDOE) for the 2020-2021 school year shows a significant increase in the number of students who were enrolled in home education, which the Department believes is “direct result” of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Not counting public school students who opted to learn virtually, 143,431 students were homeschooled during the 2020-2021 school year, representing a 35.2% increase from the 106,115 students from the 2019-2020 school year.

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Florida Appeals Court Denies Motion Related to Concealed Weapons Licensing Case

Casey Owens

A motion to move a case concerning concealed-weapons licensing to the Florida Supreme Court was denied by the 1st District Court of Appeals in a 12-3 vote on Friday.

The case was filed by a Floridian by the name of R.C. in court documents, who was denied a concealed-weapons license by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (DACS). R.C. was convicted of a felony in 1969 his civil right to possess a weapon was restored. 

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Governor DeSantis, Seminole Tribe Celebrate Approval of Gaming Compact

Casey Owens

Governor DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida celebrated the approval of the historic Seminole Gaming Compact Friday after a 45-day review of the agreement was completed by the U.S. Department of Interior. 

The compact, the state’s largest gambling agreement in history, was ratified in May, and will look to generate a “minimum of $2.5 billion in new revenue to the state over the next five years and an estimated $6 billion through 2030,” according to a press release from the Governor’s Office. 

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New Florida Chamber of Commerce Poll Shows DeSantis Ahead of Crist

Casey Owens
Charlie Crist

After a poll released by St. Pete Polls Tuesday had U.S. Representative Charlie Crist (D-FL-13) leading Governor DeSantis, a different poll released by the Florida Chamber of Commerce (FCC) on Friday showed the exact opposite. 

Rather than being behind Crist, the FCC poll shows DeSantis ahead 51% to 43%, with an approval rating of 54% among all poll participants as opposed to 43.7% in the St. Pete Poll. 

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Poll Shows Crist, DeSantis in Statistical Dead Heat for Florida Governor

Casey Owens

A recent poll shows U.S. Representative Charlie Crist slightly ahead of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis for the first time since announcing his campaign in May.

The poll, conducted by St. Pete Polls, gages the current approval rating of each gubernatorial candidate across a sample size of 3,952 registered voters across all regions of Florida, as well as asking voters their approval of masks mandates in schools.

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June General Revenue in Florida Exceeds Economic Forecasts

Casey Owens
Florida’s Historic Capitol and Florida State Capitol

The Florida Legislature’s Office of Economic and Demographic Research (EDR) reported just under $4.1 billion in general revenue (GR) for the month of June to cap off the 2020-2021 fiscal year (FY).

On Monday, the EDR released the report that shows $975.7 million (31.2%) more than the forecasted amount of $3.124 billion, which was updated on April 6th during the EDR’s last General Revenue Estimating Conference (GREC) for the 2020-2021 FY.  

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U.S. Senator Marco Rubio Criticizes Media for COVID-19 Hysteria

Casey Owens

U.S. Senator Marco Rubio criticized the media for causing “hysteria” among Americans over the new rise in COVID-19 cases that the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said is the pandemic of the unvaccinated. 

According to CDC data, on Thursday and Friday of last week combined, there were almost 40,000 new cases reported in Florida, which is almost 32% of all cases that were recorded across the country during the same time.

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Governor DeSantis Calls for Reduction in Toll Rates for Garcon Point Bridge

Casey Owens
Garcon Point Bridge

Toll rates for the Garcon Point Bridge in Milton, Florida, will be practically cut in half after Governor DeSantis directed the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to reduce the rates to match FDOT facilities across the state. 

For drivers with SunPass, the rate will be reduced from $4.50 to $2.30, and for drivers paying cash, the rate will reduce from $5 to $2.75.

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Governor DeSantis Signs Executive Order Banning Mask Mandates in Florida Schools

Casey Owens

Governor DeSantis praised Florida parents’ “freedom to choose” before signing an executive order (EO 21-175) Friday, stopping Florida schools from issuing mask mandates for students.

The executive order cites HB 241, known as the “Parents’ Bill of Rights,” that expanded upon the rights parents have regarding their children’s education, health, and upbringing. For example, the decision to not make their kids wear a mask. 

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Florida Standards Assessments Results Show Decline in Math and English

Casey Owens
Close up of a pencil on top of a multiple choice exam paper

The Florida Department of Education (FDOE) released the 2021 Florida Standards Assessments (FSAs) scores Thursday, which showed a decline in passing scores for students in both English and math.

 The 2021 scores are in comparison to the 2019 scores, given the fact that the FSAs were not administered in spring 2020 due to school closures at the beginning of the pandemic. 

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Three Major Florida Corporations Change COVID-19 Policies to Match CDC Guidelines

Casey Owens

Major Florida Corporations, Publix, Disney World, and Universal Orlando, have updated their COVID-19 policies to coordinate with the new Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines. 

The new CDC guidelines have reversed course due to the surge in delta variant cases across the nation, with Florida being responsible for one-fifth of those cases. 

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Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics Backs Masks in Schools

Casey Owens
Two women at table together, wearing masks

A group known as the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FCAAP) representing over 2,500 pediatricians across the state released a statement Thursday backing the use of masks in schools. 

With the delta variant causing a influx of COVID-19 cases across the state, Thursday’s announcement resembles the FCAAP’s recommendations from this time last year before the 2020-2021 school year but with the inclusion of vaccination protocols.

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The State University System of Florida Encourages Students to Get Vaccinated

Casey Owens

The State University System of Florida (SUSF) released a letter to students across the state entering the 2021 fall semester, encouraging them to get the Covid-19 vaccine prior to arriving to campus in August. 

Although the letter does not require students to get vaccinated, the low vaccination rate in Florida and the rise in delta variant cases have given university Presidents the reason for concern. 

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Eleven Florida Mayors Sign Letter to Congress Calling for Immigration Reform

Casey Owens

Out of 84 mayors across 28 states who signed a letter to Congress calling for immigration policy reform through budget reconciliation, 11 were from Florida with 10 being from South Florida.

We Are Home, an organization that advocates for immigration reform, created the letter part of a campaign to create “pathways to citizenship” for Dreamers, Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders, essential workers, and their families.

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Lawsuit Filed to Restore Federal Unemployment Assistance in Florida

Casey Owens
Gov. Ron DeSantis

A lawsuit against Governor DeSantis, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), and its Director Dane Eagle was filed on Sunday in attempt to bring back the $300 a week in federal unemployment assistance to Floridians. 

The federal assistance was suppose to be available through September 6th but was cut off on June 26th by DeSantis and the DEO under the “Return to Work” initiative. 

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Governor DeSantis Receives More Criticism on Anti-Riot Law

Casey Owens

Governor Ron DeSantis has been criticized for being hypocritical for the lack of enforcement of the “anti-riot” law against Cuban protesters who marched on multiple highways in Florida.

Given the fact that the new law made it a felony offense to block traffic while protesting, multiple African American leaders saw the lack of arrests as “selective enforcement” by DeSantis and law enforcement. 

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Nikki Fried Encourages DeSantis to Form Task Force Following Surfside Tragedy

Casey Owens

In response to the Surfside condo collapse, Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried held a press conference Friday to encourage the Legislature to update regulations for condominiums and establish a task force to examine said regulations to prevent future tragedies. 

Fried also announced the steps being taken to address consumer and homeowner complaints through Florida’s Division of Consumer Services (FDCS), as well as their dedication to weed out fraudulent charities in relation to the condo collapse. 

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U.S. Rep. Al Lawson Jr. Endorses Charlie Crist for Florida Governor in 2022

Casey Owens

U.S. Representative for Florida’s 5th Congressional District, Al Lawson Jr., announced his endorsement of 2022 Gubernatorial candidate and current U.S. Representative, Charlie Crist on Thursday. 

Lawson, a Democrat, was re-elected to his third term in 2020 and has represented the 5th Congressional District in North Florida since 2017. Before Congress, Lawson represented North Florida for 28 years in the state legislature.

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Governor DeSantis Celebrates $270 Million for Literacy Initiatives in Florida

Casey Owens

Almost a month after it was signed, HB 3, which dedicates $271 million in literacy initiatives throughout Florida, was celebrated on Thursday by Governor Ron DeSantis.

The bill created the state’s first statewide book distribution program known as “New Worlds Reading Initiative” (NWRI), which will provide and deliver free “high-quality” books to the home of elementary school students who are reading below grade level.

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Florida Governor DeSantis Praises $21 Billion Settlement to Combat Opioid Crisis

Casey Owens

Governor Ron DeSantis praised a multi-state agreement between three of the largest pharmaceutical companies in the nation, AmerisourceBergen, Cardinal Health, and McKesson, worth $21 billion.

DeSantis also praised a separate agreement by Johnson and Johnson who will pay $5 billion over the next nine years. The agreements will aim to settle litigation regarding the opioid crisis in not only Florida, but the nation as a whole. 

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With Less Border Restrictions, Canadian Tourism in Florida Could Increase

Casey Owens

The number of international travelers coming to Florida is expected to increase after Canada loosened its COVID-19 border restrictions allowing vaccinated travelers in and out of the country. 

Policy coordinator for the governor’s Office of Policy and Budget, Holger Ciupalo, said that he expects the White House to “follow suit” with Canada and match their border policy in the next three weeks. 

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Florida First District Court of Appeal Dismisses Digital Ballot Lawsuit

Casey Owens

Eight county elections supervisors were dismissed by the First Circuit Court of Appeal in Florida from a lawsuit proposing the requirement for county elections offices to save digital copies of paper ballots during elections, also known as Digital Ballot Copies.   

The suit was filed by The Florida Democratic Party and Democratic lawmakers against Secretary of State Laurel Lee, Division of Elections Director Maria Matthews, and the “Supervisors”. 

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Injunction Blocking CDC Guidelines for Cruise Ship Industry Lifted by Circuit Court of Appeals

Casey Owens
Aerial shot of several cruise ships in the ocean, clear water.

The future of Florida’s cruise ship industry remains in question after a panel of three judges for the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals issued a stay, or suspension, on a preliminary injunction blocking the CDC’s authority in allowing cruise ships to set sail.

U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday in Tampa issued the now-lifted injunction in June after siding with the state that the CDC’s guidelines overstepped its legal authority to control an entire industry.

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Florida Department of Health Reports Spike in Covid Cases

Casey Owens
Staff if Florida Health Department

The Florida Department of Health (FDOE) reported a spike in the number of COVID-19 cases for the week that ended July 15th, making it the second week in a row that the number of cases increased. 

The FDOE reported 45,604 new cases from July 9th to July 15th which increased the COVID-19 positivity rate from 7.8% to 11.5%. The number of COVID-19 deaths during that week was 59. 

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The Dismantling of Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund Begins

Casey Owens
Ron DeSantis

An endowment fund for health programs and education in Florida started being dismantled after HB 5011 was signed by DeSantis in June, and taken into effect on July 1st. 

HB 5011 issued the termination of the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund (LCEF) and directed the State Board of Administration to liquidate and transfer the funds into the Budget Stabilization Fund by June 30th, 2022. 

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Marco Rubio Criticizes Black Lives Matter Statement on Cuba Crisis

Casey Owens
Marco Rubio

Cuban-American Senator Marco Rubio criticized the Black Lives Matter (BLM) organization after it posted a statement on Instagram Wednesday night, blaming the U.S. government for the current and historical crisis in Cuba.

In addition to pointing fingers at the U.S., the statement also highlights its praise and support of the Communist regime in Cuba because of the country’s so-called history of protecting “Black revolutionaries.”

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Governor Ron DeSantis Joins Texas Governor Greg Abbott for Border Crisis Briefing

Casey Owens
Governor Abbott Hosts Florida Governor DeSantis

Governor Ron DeSantis joined Governor Greg Abbott in Texas for briefing to address the current crisis that is currently happening at the border since the Biden administration lifted multiple border policies issued by former President Trump. 

Florida was the first state to provide help at the border after Governor DeSantis deployed law enforcement in June. 

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Florida Department of Education Adopts New Education Standards

Casey Owens

The Florida Department of Education (DOE) adopted new education standards regarding how topics like Holocaust Education, Civics and Government, Character Education, and Substance Abuse Prevention, will be taught in schools.

In the press release on Wednesday, the DOE stated that the new standards are set to strengthen Florida’s education standards which are already “nationally recognized.”

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State of Florida Appeals Social Media Law Injunction

Casey Owens

The law banning social media and big tech companies from “deplatforming” or “cancelling” political candidates on the internet was blocked by a federal judge a day before the law was to take effect.

U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle issued a 31-page order on June 30th outlining his decision to approve an injunction filed by tech companies, NetChoice and the Computer and Communications Industry Association.

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Florida Citrus Industry Yields Down in 2020-2021 Season

Casey Owens
Close up of oranges

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced that citrus growers in Florida produced under the expected yield for the 2020-2021 growing season that ended on Monday.

According to a release by the USDA on Monday, the total yield of all oranges in 2020-2021 was 52.8 million 90-pound boxes, 4.2 million fewer boxes than what the pre-season forecast in October 2020 predicted at 57 million.

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