Florida's Latest News

North Carolina pols endorse Ron DeSantis for President

Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential campaign is touting new Tar Heel State endorsements.

A total of 19 North Carolina Republicans — including a state Supreme Court Justice, three state Senators and a group of House members — are backing the Florida Governor in the 2024 race.

“Gov. DeSantis is a principled leader, a protector of individual liberties and the Left’s biggest nightmare,” North Carolina House Majority Leader John Bell said. “He will beat Joe Biden and usher in a Great American Comeback in which parents are empowered, our streets are safe, and our economy is booming once again.”

Bell is the only endorser to offer a quote, but the list of backers is impressive.

State Supreme Court Justice Phil Berger Jr. is on board, as are state Sens. Danny Britt, Jim Burgin and Bobby Hanig. State Reps. Jennifer Balkcom, Allen Chesser, Kevin Crutchfield, Kenneth Fontenot, Keith Kidwell, Jarrod Lowery, Jeff McNeely, Dennis  Riddell, Steve Ross, Jason Saine, Wayne Sasser, Sam Watford, David Willis and Matthew Winslow are also endorsing.

Florida legalizes fentanyl test strips in continuation of overdose prevention efforts

Fulfilling a long-requested priority of public health officers, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation on Monday night that removes fentanyl test strips from Florida’s list of prohibited drug paraphernalia.

The bill, HB 164, was unanimously cleared by both the House and Senate earlier this year. In passing the measure, Florida becomes the 24th state to legalize the low-cost overdose-prevention tool.

According to Center for Disease Control guidance, test strips can help individuals identify the presence of fentanyl in illicit drugs, including cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, enabling them to take appropriate precautions and potentially prevent fatal overdoses.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) further underscores the potential of fentanyl test strips to reduce opioid overdose deaths. Published research indicates that individuals who use test strips are more likely to modify or eliminate their drug use behavior after detecting fentanyl.

“Once signed into law, this important step will save many lives from the opioid epidemic,” said the State Attorney’s Office of Palm Beach County upon the legislature’s passage of the bill.

These are the Florida education bills that will become law on July 1

Several laws restricting what can be taught in Florida classrooms and how students can conduct themselves will take effect on Saturday.

K-12 students will be required to use bathrooms and pronouns that align with the gender they were assigned at birth starting July 1.

Also, teachers won’t be able to discuss gender and sexuality in class, parents will be able to opt kids out of sex-ed and more easily challenge books, and every family will qualify for a voucher to attend a private or charter school.

Rollins College’s Jenni Sanguiliano Lonski said many of these laws are broad, which means schools will be grappling with just how to enforce them in the fall.

“If I had a crystal ball, I would say that the next session would look more in depth into the verbiage of developmentally and age-appropriate material, as well as what does it mean to teach to high-standard professionalism and historical accuracy?”

What to know about the locally contracted malaria cases in Sarasota County

The Florida Department of Health is urging residents to be mindful of exposure to mosquitoes and issued a statewide health advisory after four confirmed cases of malaria in Sarasota County.

The agency says all of the individuals who contracted the disease were bitten by a mosquito or mosquitoes in the Sarasota area.

This is unusual because a vast majority of malaria cases in the U.S are detected after someone has traveled to another country. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the local cases are the first in the United States since 2003.

This week, a health alert issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention also noted that another case has been detected in Texas.

Christopher Uejio is an assistant professor at Florida State University. He studies mosquito-borne illnesses and says the outbreak is concerning but that the disease is treatable.