Florida's Latest News

Fundraising committee for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis posts $5.5 million haul for August

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has raised a lot of money for someone who hasn't officially filed for office yet.

"A lot of that is coming from folks around the country, Puerto Rico and military bases overseas who support the governor's stance on COVID, illegal border crossings, and Afghanistan," said Nick Iarossi, a state-registered lobbyist and DeSantis supporter.

"Ron DeSantis has filled the void of those who feel their voice is not being heard. He is resonating across the country. He is the one speaking up as the contrarian."

"You need national outreach for that," Iarossi said. "The Democrats and 24-hour national media have put a big target on his back."​

Coronavirus-sniffing dogs unleashed at Miami airport to detect virus in employees

Employees at Miami International Airport who go through the standard security check for weapons and other prohibited items now have another layer of screening before they start work: a sniff test from Cobra and One Betta.

Cobra, a female Belgian Malinois, and One Betta, a Dutch shepherd, are 7-year-old dogs trained to detect the presence of the coronavirus. The keen-nosed canines are part of a pilot program at Miami International, one of the nation’s busiest airports — and the first to employ dogs in the battle against the coronavirus.

Cobra and One Betta will spend their shifts sniffing the face coverings of employees passing through a checkpoint to detect the presence of the virus in sweat, breath and scents due to metabolic changes that the virus causes in the human body. If a dog signals the odor of the virus on a person, that individual will be asked to take a rapid coronavirus test, the airport said.

Shane Abbott expands HD 5 money lead in three-way race to succeed Brad Drake

Shane Abbott padded his fundraising lead in the Republican-only race to succeed Rep. Brad Drake in House District 5, August finance reports show.

The DeFuniak Springs pharmacy owner raised $11,250 last month, according to finance reports released Friday. It was his weakest month for fundraising yet since launching his campaign in February, but he still raked in more than GOP Primary competitors Vance Coley and Clinton Pate throughout the month.

Abbott received 21 donations in August, including a $1,000 distribution from the political committee of law and lobbying firm GrayRobinson. However, the majority of those donations naturally came from pharmacists, pharmacies and pharmacy groups, like the $1,000 he received from the Florida Society of Health-System Pharmacists’ Pharmacists for Improved Health Care Outcomes committee.

Bus driver shortage leaves some Florida students waiting for hours

A shortage of school bus drivers has created chaos this school year, as some students have waited hours for buses that were so packed, the only place to sit was on the floor,

Many drivers are now working extra hours and picking up twice as many kids as their normal load to pick up the slack. Mechanics, transportation managers and anyone with a commercial driver’s license are being asked to fill in.

School districts say they are desperately trying to fill hundreds of vacancies, attributed to COVID-19 and a labor market short on job seekers. They’re doing heavy marketing online and on TV and considering higher pay, with Broward already raising driver pay by more than $1 an hour.