Florida's Latest News

Panhandle Republicans endorse each other, move to thwart heated primaries

Republican Reps. Alex Andrade and Michelle Salzman on Thursday publicly endorsed one another ahead of the 2022 election cycle, a move that may help stave off the trend of heated primaries within their districts.

The endorsements come after Greg Litton, a former major-league baseball player, opened an account Monday to run in the 2022 Republican primary for Andrade’s seat in House District 2.

In a press release, both lawmakers praised each others track records and supported their re-election efforts. Salzman, a freshman, represents House District 1, a neighboring district that also encompasses Escambia County.

DeSantis Backs School History Guidelines

Gov. Ron DeSantis said Friday he urged state education officials to put new guidelines on how U.S. history is taught in public schools.

The State Board of Education on June 10 will consider a proposed rule that says teachers “may not define American history as something other than the creation of a new nation based largely on universal principles stated in the Declaration of Independence."

The proposal also aims to ensure teachers do not “indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view” that is inconsistent with state standards.

One target is what is known as critical race theory, which is based on the premise that racism is embedded within American society and institutions.

Florida vaccination total tops 10 million people

About five months after shots began, more than 10 million people in Florida have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, according to a report released Sunday by the state Department of Health.

The report showed that 7,965,477 people who had received shots -- or nearly 80% of the 10,005,987 total -- were considered fully vaccinated, as they had received two doses of vaccines produced by the drug companies Pfizer or Moderna or the one-dose vaccine produced by Johnson & Johnson.

But while vaccinations have helped restore more of a sense of normalcy, the Department of Health numbers and other data also reflect that many of Florida’s nearly 22 million residents have not received shots.

Once Nearly Extinct, The Florida Panther Is Making A Comeback

Brian Kelly, a panther biologist for the state of Florida, opens a creaking gate near Fisheating Creek, a narrow ribbon of preserved land just west of Lake Okeechobee.

The path leads from trucks rumbling by on U.S. Highway 27 to a world of towering oaks, cypress heads and a tannic-stained creek that flows into Lake Okeechobee. It's just north of a river that for decades had been the northern limit for the panther.

"Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area — this is the current northern frontier of the panther breeding range," Kelly said. "We've gotten female panther activity here recently, which is big news for panthers north of the Caloosahatchee River."