Florida's Latest News

State lawmakers launch effort to advance Florida’s aerospace industry

State legislators are becoming a loud lobbying force to advocate for Florida’s space industry.

The Florida Legislative Aerospace Group (FLAG) is urging President Donald Trump to choose Florida as the home for the United States Space Academy and pushing for other changes to grow Florida’s aerospace footprint.

The lawmakers in FLAG, all Republicans, are future House Speaker Mike Redondo and Reps. Jon Albert, Yvette Benarroch, Omar Blanco, Bill Conerly, Anne Gerwig, Sam Greco, Kim Kendall, Jennifer Kincart Jonsson, Monique Miller, Danny Nix, Vanessa Oliver, Michael Owen, Bill Partington, Judson Sapp and Meg Weinberger.

Last month, FLAG sent a letter to Trump and NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman urging the federal government to pick Florida as the home for the Space Academy. 

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles says she no longer shows evidence of cancer after treatment

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles said Wednesday that she no longer shows evidence of cancer after she underwent months of treatment for early stage breast cancer.

Wiles, who is President Donald Trump’ s closest adviser and counsel, said in a post on X that her pathology results came back clear after an appointment this week at the Mayo Clinic.

The 69-year-old had announced her diagnosis in March and said she would remain in her White House role while undergoing treatment.

“Thank you to my family, friends, doctors, and everyone who prayed for me, checked in, and supported me along the way,” Wiles wrote. “A special thank you to President Trump for his unwavering support. I am deeply grateful and will continue to work to advance his America First Agenda.”

‘Florida will not outsource childhood to a chatbot’: State adopts new rules for AI in the classroom

The Florida State Board of Education adopted new rules placing some of the nation’s strictest guardrails on artificial intelligence in K-12 schools and colleges — banning companion AI, protecting student data, and putting parents in control of what technology their children use in the classroom.

The rules apply to school districts, charter school boards, and Florida College System institutions. They do not ban AI outright but require it to support teachers and parents — not replace them.

“Florida will not outsource childhood to a chatbot,” said Gov. Ron DeSantis. “We welcome tools that help teachers teach and students learn. We will not accept tools that hide from parents, harvest student data, grade kids in secret, or pretend to be a friend. In this state, a teacher stands in front of the class, a parent has the last word, and a student still has to think.”

Parents must be notified when an AI tool is approved for classroom use — including the tool’s name, which courses use it, and how students will interact with it.

Dengue fever and other mosquito-borne illnesses surging in Florida

Mosquito bites can be more than a nuisance this summer — they can make you sick.

Florida has become a hotbed for mosquito-borne dieases, reporting hundreds of cases of dengue fever, chikungunya fever, and even West Nile virus.

The state leads the nation in dengue cases this year with 270 reported. Increasingly, residents aren’t just acquiring the virus while traveling abroad — they are getting bitten right at home. Mosquito control experts note that peak dengue season runs from July through September.

As many as 111 people as of early September have contracted locally acquired dengue in six Florida counties this year. While eight of these cases were in Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties, a striking 95 occurred in Hillsborough County, where mosquito control teams are working overtime and ramping up spraying. The death of an 80-year-old South Tampa woman may be linked to a dengue infection.