Florida's Latest News

Florida’s high stakes redistricting process about to start

Florida politicians, start your engines.

The once-a-decade process of redrawing political boundaries to adjust for population growth officially begins Thursday as the U.S. Census Bureau releases detailed results from the 2020 Census, providing the shotgun start to what has traditionally been one of the most politically charged battles in Florida’s capital city.

The numbers in the redistricting data file will become the foundation for the Florida Legislature, and local cities and counties, to redraw their political districts. It’s an important task because it can influence who gets elected, how well various communities that are often left out of the political process are represented, and how federal funds are allocated.

‘COVID attacked us, teachers fought back’: Gov. DeSantis presents teacher bonuses in St. Pete

Gov. Ron DeSantis appeared at Lakewood Elementary School Wednesday morning to promote $1,000 bonus checks that will start hitting the bank accounts of all full-time teachers and principals statewide.

The bonus checks, part of an initiative to improve teacher compensation, cost $216 million in federal COVID-19 relief dollars allocated in the 2021-22 state budget. It’s part of an initiative to improve teacher pay, which in 2020 included $500 million to increase salaries for new and veteran teachers, with an additional $50 million added in 2021.

The bonuses are intended to show appreciation to educators for working throughout the pandemic.

“We understand it’s not something you’re going to necessarily get rich off of, just like law enforcement, but it does help to be able to provide some better incentives,” DeSantis said. “We think that that’s something that is really important. We’re going to continue supporting that.”

FSU offers incentives for COVID vaccine as more than 90% of cases linked to Delta variant

Florida State University, which is increasingly stepping up its appeal for students to get vaccinated, is now offering incentives to move the needle.

Students who get fully vaccinated can be in line to get $3,500 of tuition and fee assistance as well as gift cards and an iPad. One student will get the use of a luxury suite, valued at $1,750, during a future ceremony at the Tucker Civic Center.

Such incentives are being offered across the country by universities.

Florida A&M University announced last month it was using $1 million in federal COVID funding to provide cash incentives, laptops, iPads and other gifts students can receive if they are fully vaccinated.

It's official: Amazon fulfillment center is coming to Tallahassee

The world's largest e-commerce company is building a fulfillment center in Florida's capital. 

The Tallahassee-Leon County Office of Economic Vitality confirmed Amazon is the company behind Project Mango, which has been confidential until now but has been one of the worst kept secrets in the capital city.

Last week, the Tallahassee Democrat reported that it had obtained a confidential letter from a Leon County official to an Amazon economic development policy manager pledging to work with the company.

"We are proud to officially announce Amazon is coming to Tallahassee," said Christina Paredes, who heads OEV. "They'll be using advanced robotic technology within the fulfillment center. It's a really neat process where the robots are helping with the sorting and picking of your items that you order."