News
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Conservation groups say Florida's newly updated energy-saving goals are still too low and should be raised. The Florida Public Service Commission recently voted to maintain the state's current energy conservation goals through 2025 instead of following power companies' requests to lower or even eliminate those goals.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Youth advocates are planning to hold a press conference and rally in Florida's capitol today to speak out against a parental-consent abortion bill that's on fast-track through the Republican-controlled Legislature. Currently Florida law requires parental notification if a minor is planning an abortion, but under House Bill 265, revived by Republican Rep. Erin Grall of Vero Beach, a parent must provide consent. The bill is scheduled for just one stop in the House Health and Human Services Committee before it gets a full floor vote.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - For the fifth time in 24 years, Florida is changing its education standards - this time away from Common Core. But some educators say a complete overhaul is unnecessary. In January, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order to ditch Common Core, a set of academic standards in mathematics, arts and literacy that outline what students should know at the end of each grade. Some parents argue the guidelines are too rigid and require too much testing for students.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. -- Voting- and civil-rights groups held a rally outside a Tallahassee federal court Monday, calling for a temporary injunction to allow former felons to continue to register to vote. In 2018, Florida voters overwhelmingly approved a constitutional amendment allowing some 1.4 million felons to regain their voting privileges. But the state's Republican-controlled Legislature passed a bill signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis requiring all fines, restitution and other financial obligations to be settled in order for felons to complete their sentences.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - A new study from the journal Science shows a steady decline of nearly three billion wild birds in North America since 1970. Nearly a half century ago, about 10.1 billion birds used to soar the skies across the United States and Canada. That has dropped by 29%.Scientists say while the cause varies, from development, agricultural conversion to even sea-level rise, they all stem from human activity.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Despite a White House threat to veto legislation that would permanently ban drilling off Florida's Gulf Coast, Gov. Ron DeSantis says he's confident President Donald Trump will still protect the Sunshine State. DeSantis and the president are close allies – however, while Trump is keen on increasing U.S. fossil fuel production with offshore drilling, DeSantis says he's been urging Trump to make sure Florida isn't included.
MIAMI - Ice-cream maker Ben & Jerry's says everyone deserves the sweet taste of justice, and wants its new flavor to call attention to what the company founders see as "structural racism" in the criminal legal system.The Vermont-based company announced the "Justice ReMix'd" flavor on Tuesday, along with plans to give a portion of the sale proceeds to support the Advancement Project national office. It's a multi-racial civil rights group that works with local grassroots organizers on racial-justice issues.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The battle to raise Florida's and the federal minimum wage to $15 an hour continues. Orlando attorney, entrepreneur, and megadonor John Morgan is backing the group Florida for a Fair Wage, which is trying to put a $15 minimum-wage proposal on the ballot for the 2020 election.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - As of today, Florida property owners can grow fresh produce in their yards without fear of local government restrictions. Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Senate Bill 82 last week, which prohibits local governments from banning vegetable gardens on any part of a residential property.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - While most of the country celebrates Juneteenth to commemorate the end of chattel slavery, Florida celebrates its own Emancipation Day a month earlier on May 20. In fact, several states celebrate the end of slavery before the Emancipation Proclamation was read in Texas on June 19, 1865.
