Florida's Latest News

Gov. DeSantis names new member of Supreme Court Judicial Nomination Commission

Gov. Ron DeSantis appointed Timothy Cerio to the Supreme Court Judicial Nomination Commission, the Governor’s Office announced Wednesday.

Cerio is general counsel to Citizens Property Insurance Corporation. Cerio was general counsel to former Gov. Rick Scott in 2015 and 2016 and chief of staff and general counsel at the Florida Department of Health from 2005 through 2007.

In the gaps, he worked at the GrayRobinson law firm. He first started at the top law and lobbying practice in 2001 and rejoined the firm as a shareholder after leaving the Scott administration.

At the firm, his practice centered on regulatory law, health care law and administrative law.

DeSantis’ calls with legislators fuel speculation about special session on mask mandates

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday morning had separate phone calls with Senate President Wilton Simpson and House Speaker Chris Sprowls, fueling speculation that the Legislature may convene a special session to consider outlawing mask mandates in school districts.

The phone calls come as DeSantis increases talks about calling a special session on the issue if the federal government or Florida school districts move to implement mask mandates for students. Some districts, including Broward County Public Schools, voted this week to reinstate or keep mask mandates in schools as kids prepare to return to in-person learning in August.

The decisions come two days after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended everyone, whether vaccinated or not, wear a mask indoors at K-12 schools in response to the surge in coronavirus cases tied to the highly infectious delta variant of COVID-19.

Florida students prepare for in-person learning during surge in COVID-19 cases

School starts in less than a month for Bay Area students of all ages. Vaccines are not available for children under 12 and many mandates have been rolled back, so COVID-19 is still a concern for some.

The delta variant is highly contagious and continues to infect especially unvaccinated people. Over half of those eligible in Florida are vaccinated, but many kids between the ages of 12 and 17 have not received their first shot.

Between July 16th, 2021 and July 22, 2021, there were over 70,000 new COVID-19 cases in Florida. Across the country, the majority of COVID-related deaths are among the unvaccinated.

Test Scores Drop For Florida Students, With Sharpest Decline In Math Scores

Florida students’ scores on standardized tests dipped in 2021, with the sharpest decline in math scores, according to data published Thursday by the state Department of Education. The results also showed lower scores in language arts, science and social studies across all grade levels that were given the assessments.

The data on exams given in 2021 were released with a side-by-side comparison of scores from 2019, when the assessments were last administered. Statewide exams were not given to students in 2020 because of school closures amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The department reported 51% of students in grades 3 through 8 received scores of satisfactory or higher on state math exams in 2021, down 10 percentage points from 2019. In English-language arts, 52% of students in grades 3 through 10 received satisfactory scores, down 3 percentage points from two years ago. A similar downward trend was recorded in the statewide science assessment for fifth-grade students, with satisfactory scores falling 6 percentage points.