Florida's Latest News

DeSantis gives update on Isaias, now a Category 3 major hurricane

On Thursday, DeSantis urged residents in the Panhandle to heed evacuation orders and prepare for power outages and flooding as Isaias is forecast to bring impacts across the Panhandle, including storm surge, heavy rain and possible tornadoes.

DeSantis urged residents to assume they could lose power and to stock up on water, gasoline and nonperishable food. He warned that already saturated ground could raise the risk of flooding inland as well as along the coast.

On Thursday, Bay, Escambia, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Walton, Franklin and Gulf counties had issued evacuation orders, generally for Zones A and B, barrier islands and other low-lying areas. DeSantis said evacuees did not need to travel hundreds of miles but should follow local officials’ instructions and move to a safe shelter.

The state was preparing more than 1,000 generators, 500,000 gallons of gasoline, 1 million gallons of diesel, more than 3 million meals-ready-to-eat and 1.1 million bottles of water, DeSantis said. More than 6,000 utility workers were on standby to help restore power.

AG Uthmeier Continues Fight to Protect Florida Children Online As Parents Call for Industry-Wide Protections

Attorney General James Uthmeier asked a Pasco County judge Wednesday for stricter child safety rules on Instagram and Facebook while the state’s lawsuit against Meta moves forward.

His motion for a temporary injunction asks the court to compel short-term changes – including removing users under 14, capping teens at two hours a day across its apps, and disabling autoplay, infinite scroll and late-night notifications.

Florida was one of the handful of states that did not join the landmark settlement against Meta, which includes daily time limits for teens, nighttime and school-hour blocks, and new parental controls. The state AGs who negotiated the settlement with Meta tied roughly 30% of the payout to YouTube and TikTok adopting similar protections for kids on their platforms.

Uthmeier ultimately turned down Florida joining the settlement, promising to continue his ongoing lawsuit against Meta, which has not yet gone to trial.

Bryan Avila Steps Off Campaign Trail For Hurricane Response

Bryan Avila, Republican gubernatorial candidate Byron Donalds' running mate, who is an Army National Guard Member, stepped off the campaign trail Tuesday to help with the response to Tropical Storm Isaias, which is expected to make landfall along the Florida-Alabama border.

Avila previously helped with hurricanes Ian, Milton, and Dorian.

Avila resigned from his Miami Springs senatorial seat in August to become Representative Donalds' running mate in the governor's race, ending a 12-year run in the Legislature.

In 2016, Avila joined the Florida National Guard and now holds the rank of Captain.

The Florida National Guard was activated Tuesday, when Governor Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency over several counties across Florida, including Baker, Bay, Calhoun, Columbia, Dixie, Escambia, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Liberty, Madison, Okaloosa, Santa Rosa, Suwannee, Taylor, Walton, Wakulla, and Washington.

Harry Cohen pushes Hillsborough to develop new e-bike regulations

Hillsborough County Commissioner Harry Cohen is calling for new local regulations governing e-bikes, scooters and other micromobility devices, citing safety concerns about how they are being used.

Commissioners voted 6-0 to begin developing the regulations. The County Attorney’s Office will work with county staff and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to determine what rules Hillsborough can adopt locally, including possible operating restrictions, enforcement measures and public education efforts.

Cohen pointed to Orange County, which recently adopted its own ordinance, as an example Hillsborough County could follow.

The Orange County measure regulates where micromobility devices can be operated and parked, sets requirements for commercially owned devices and establishes enforcement provisions that include civil citations and penalties.