Florida's Latest News

DeSantis to meet campaign donors in Miami after announcing $15 million summer cash haul

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is set to attend a high-dollar fundraiser in Miami on Thursday night during a campaign swing through his home state.

The Miami fundraiser starts at $3,300 per person, with tickets to a VIP roundtable going for $11,600 a head, according to a copy of the invitation obtained by the Miami Herald. The gathering will be hosted by several Florida Republican luminaries, including Lt. Gov. Jeanette Nuñez, former state House Speaker José Oliva, Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz, Jr. and DeSantis’ campaign manager James Uthmeier.

The roundtable is slated to start at 7 p.m. on Thursday, with the general reception scheduled to begin an hour later. The invitation doesn’t make clear the exact location of the fundraiser.

A spokesperson for DeSantis’ campaign declined to comment.

Earlier in the day, DeSantis is set to hold a campaign event in Tampa, veering from his usual schedule which has focused heavily on early primary and caucus states like Iowa and South Carolina.

Family caregivers struggle to fill the gap in affordable long-term support and services

Florida ranks well behind other states in supporting family caregivers, according to a new report by AARP.

The report, which acts as a state-by-state scorecard, evaluates the quality of long-term support and services for older adults, people with physical disabilities and caretakers.

In 2023, Florida was ranked 43rd in the nation for overall quality of care.

During a press conference in September, AARP policy director Susan Reinhard said the demand is growing for long-term support and services as the U.S. population skews older.

By 2035, adults over age 65 will outnumber children under 18, according to U.S. Census Bureau data included in the report.

Transparency on drinking water contamination isn’t unanimous, Orlando Sentinel survey finds

PFAS: Have you heard of them?

They are a group of widespread and troubling contaminants, and they could be in your drinking water. Your utility knows if they are, or it will soon. But it may not go out of its way to let you know.

An Orlando Sentinel survey found reluctance among some local utility, government and industry leaders to be fully transparent – to go beyond transparency specifically mandated by the federal government – about what’s in your drinking water.

That finding dovetails with the Sentinel’s revelations earlier this year that Lake Mary, Sanford and Seminole County did not publicly disclose that regular testing during much of the past decade found a chemical contaminant, 1,4-dioxane, in their supply of tap water.

Florida’s August revenue surpasses expectations with $285.7 million gain

Florida’s General Revenue collections for August exceeded initial projections, according to documents made public by the state Office of Economic and Demographic Research (EDR) on Tuesday.

State economists recorded a gain of $285.7 million in revenue, an approximately 8.8 percent increase compared to the forecasts made by the General Revenue Estimating Conference earlier this year. The boost in revenue was fueled by several contributing factors, with Sales Tax and Earnings on Investments emerging as the primary contributors to the rise.

Sales Tax collections for the month also exceeded estimations, clocking in at $136.9 million, or 5.1 percent above the estimated figures. The surge can be attributed to the ongoing inflationary trend, which has led to higher consumer prices that have consequently driven up sales tax receipts.