Florida's Latest News

Florida Expands Push Into Emerging Transportation Technology

Florida is preparing to begin testing electric aircraft at a state transportation research facility in Polk County, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Monday.

At an appearance in Auburndale, Gov. DeSantis touted new capabilities at SunTrax, a 775-acre testing complex that has traditionally been used for autonomous and connected vehicle research. The site has now been expanded to accommodate electric vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, or eVTOLs, with flight testing expected to begin before the end of 2026.

The aircraft can take off and land vertically and are being developed for potential uses ranging from passenger transportation and cargo delivery to medical services and emergency response. SunTrax includes a dedicated aerial testing area where companies can evaluate aircraft and communications systems in a controlled setting before the technology is introduced more broadly.

DeSantis said Florida is seeking to establish itself as a center for the development of both autonomous ground transportation and advanced aviation systems.

Voting by mail has declined sharply in Florida, latest data show

The number of vote-by-mail requests for Florida's August primary elections is sharply lower than in previous election cycles, likely reflecting increased partisan attitudes about mail ballots and the effects of tighter restrictions state lawmakers enacted in 2021.

The number of vote-by-mail requests has been cut in half since 2022's primaries, from over 4 million to 1.9 million this cycle, according to an analysis of the latest available data. The decline in mail ballots is notable given the historically significant role mail ballots have played in Florida elections, a trend that often benefitted Republican candidates.

Sean Freeder, director of the University of North Florida's public opinion research lab, says there's a number of reasons for the decline, including the effect of the political rhetoric surrounding them in recent years from Republican leaders, and especially President Donald Trump, who has called mail ballots "inherently corrupt."

Freeder says this kind of language could be influencing Florida's GOP voters to avoid the practice.

"Republican voters hearing someone at the top of their party say over and over again that this is a problem, they might take that at face value and they may voluntarily decide to move away from mail-in voting." Freeder said.

New grants could bring aid to Florida students — but only in certain fields

Do you want to become a firefighter in Florida? Or a police officer? Or a nursing assistant?

Low-income students can soon receive federal money for short-term job training under a program called Workforce Pell.

Workforce Pell, which went into effect in July, is an expansion of the Pell Grant program, which provides need-based financial aid for students. Congress passed funding for it in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act last year. By 2034, the program is expected to give around 100,000 students training for high-demand jobs about $2,200 apiece, according to a congressional estimate.

Every state is scrambling to roll out the program in its own way. Some have deemed hundreds of jobs eligible. Others haven’t even started their lists.

Blaise Ingoglia distributes $1M in state funding to South Florida Fire Departments

Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia distributed $1 million in state funding to four Fire Departments in South Florida.

Ingoglia held a check presentation ceremony at a West Palm Beach fire station. The Departments receiving the checks included Green Acres, West Palm Beach, Highland Beach and Southwest Ranches.

Ingoglia has distributed about $30 million to various Fire Departments across the state since he was appointed CFO last year. The money comes from the Firefighter Cancer Decontamination Fund, the Firefighter Assistance Grant Program and other state funding.

“Florida is fortunate to have the very best firefighters and first responders in the nation,” Ingoglia said, noting that they face some of the most serious risks entering scenes with hazardous materials that cause cancer.

“If we’re going to ask our brothers and sisters to move towards that, we need to make sure we take care of them after that.”