City & State Florida

Policy

Biden administration soliciting volunteers throughout government to deploy for disaster response

FEMA has said the assignments from other agencies could help ensure an adequate recovery effort, including in Florida.

By Eric Katz
September 5, 2023

Policy

A long recovery starts for rural Florida county hit by Idalia

'As bad as it is, it still ain’t as bad as it could have been,' Taylor County Sheriff Wayne Padgett said.

By Ryan Dailey
September 1, 2023

Policy

Recovery begins in wake of Hurricane Idalia

Crews have started 'search, secure and stabilize' recovery efforts.

By Jim Turner
August 31, 2023

Policy

Broward school board delays vote on controversial arrest diversion program for students

The vote was moved to Oct. 17 for stakeholders to come up with a plan to improve or replace the PROMISE program.

By Gerard Albert III
August 31, 2023

Policy

The proof is in the poo: New data tool offers early detection of COVID surges

Using wastewater monitoring data, an algorithm detects spikes in COVID-19 before outbreaks happen, giving public health officials a jumpstart in keeping the coronavirus under control.

By Kaitlyn Levinson
August 31, 2023

Policy

To solve the affordable housing crisis, some communities are turning to hotels

The pandemic presented communities with a unique opportunity to convert hotels into residential spaces, creating everything from temporary transitional housing to long-term supportive homes. Is the model still sustainable?

By Molly Bolan
August 30, 2023

Policy

Feds say Idalia relief money will be available

FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said $3.4 billion remains in the federal Disaster Relief Fund.

By Jim Turner
August 30, 2023

Policy

The calm before the storm: Florida fishing village prepares for historic hurricane surge

Disaster planners who have studied Cedar Key’s housing and community vulnerabilities have predicted that a Category 3 storm could overwhelm over 80% of homes on the island and cripple nearly all its critical infrastructure.

By Sandra McDonald
August 30, 2023

Policy

Florida regained control of Miami-Dade County toll roads. Now what?

The Miami-Dade Expressway Authority, or MDX, was created in the '90s to establish local control of toll revenue. Then the state came in.

By Helen Acevedo and Katie Lepri Cohen
August 29, 2023

Policy

Edward Waters University gets security money after shooting

'We are not going to allow our HBCUs (historically black colleges and universities) to be targeted by these people,' Gov. DeSantis said.

By News Service of Florida
August 29, 2023

Policy

The 6 places where federal employees actually work in swamps

A tour of government-owned wetlands.

By Tom Shoop
August 28, 2023

Policy

'Bigger does not mean better': Judges, lawyers bash court consolidation idea

Republican House Speaker Paul Renner is behind the push to reduce the number of state trial court circuits.

By Dara Kam
August 28, 2023

Policy

Florida Senate President Passidomo targets 'red tape' in education

In a memo to senators, she highlighted steps that would lead to deregulation.

By News Service of Florida
August 25, 2023

Policy

Feds look to ramp up involvement in extreme heat response

Amid record heat waves and calls for more federal action, FEMA will host an extreme heat summit next week.

By Eric Katz
August 25, 2023

Policy

'Widespread chaos': Lawyers, courts now grappling with Florida death penalty change

The Legislature approved the new regimen after an ideological shift on the Florida Supreme Court.

By Dara Kam
August 24, 2023

Policy

Sound familiar? A GOP bill in Congress would ban California’s pig measure and others like it

The proposal, which is part of the farm bill, would block states from passing laws that could change how agriculture is practiced in other states. Critics say it could upend hundreds of state and local laws.

By Kery Murakami
August 24, 2023

Policy

Broward commission rejects proposal to study need for financial assistance for condo owners

The measure comes after the deadly Champlain Towers South collapse in Surfside in 2021.

By Gerard Albert III
August 24, 2023

Policy

Florida school board seeks to end book lawsuit

'Restrictions and removals have disproportionately targeted books by or about people of color and/or LGBTQ people,' the lawsuit said.

By Jim Saunders
August 23, 2023

Policy

Non-disclosure agreements now required in Florida university president searches

Already exempted from public records law, the state university system’s Board of Governors quietly added an extra layer of confidentiality to searches.

By Ryan Dailey
August 22, 2023

Policy

Waste crisis: Can Miami-Dade learn from Palm Beach County's recycling example?

Miami-Dade is staring at a $40 million budget deficit for waste collection, and its residents recycle less than a fifth of their garbage.

By Alyssa Ramos and Ammy Sanchez
August 22, 2023