Florida's Latest News

Report: Average tax cut coming to Floridians nearly $5,000

Nearly $5,000 in tax cut savings is projected on average for Floridians, a report from The Tax Foundation says.

Long range, more than 68,000 jobs are forecast to be added in the state as well, says the international nonprofit research organization publishing studies on American tax policies. The report was done in response to the July 4 signing of House Resolution 1, known also as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

County by county, the figures vary.

For the state, the average decreases slightly from $4,998 in 2026 to $4,271 in 2027, $4,032 in 2028, and $3,405 in 2029.

Only Wyoming ($5,374), Washington ($5,373) and Massachusetts ($5,138) have larger amounts in 2026. The average nationally is $3,752, said The Tax Foundation report.

The new law is said to be the most significant changes to federal tax policy since the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. The law championed by second-term Republican President Donald Trump makes permanent individual tax changes from 2017. It also has deductions for tipped and overtime income, expanded child tax credit and standard deductions, and makes permanent 100% bonus depreciation and domestic research and development expensing.

USF researchers uncover a way to use AI to recognize PTSD signals in children

University of South Florida researchers are using artificial intelligence to identify signs of post-traumatic stress disorder in children.

It's challenging to recognize signs of PTSD in children because it can be hard for them to share their stories, said Alison Salloum, a professor in the USF School of Social Work, who is leading the study along with Shaun Canavan, an associate professor in the Bellini College for Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing.

One of the main symptoms of PTSD is avoidance, which is not wanting to talk about what happened, Salloum said.

She said parents will come in and say that their child has changed — they could be getting in fights with friends and siblings, having angry outbursts, not expressing positive feelings, and pushing people away.

When conducting online clinical trials to find psychosocial treatments for children, Salloum began to notice their expressions as they discussed their experiences.

Florida Preserves 540 Acres of Farmland in Flagler, Putnam Counties

More than 540 acres of farmland in Flagler and Putnam counties will be permanently preserved under a state program designed to protect agricultural operations from development pressures, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson announced Monday.

The property, known as Singleton Family Farms, is a multigenerational potato farm that also runs a small cattle operation. It will be protected through a rural lands protection easement under the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services’ Rural and Family Lands Protection Program, which buys development rights from landowners while keeping farms in production.

“Protecting working farms like Singleton Family Farms ensures that Florida’s agricultural heritage remains strong,” said Simpson. “This easement supports a family that has invested generations into feeding our state, while also safeguarding critical land within the Florida Wildlife Corridor. It’s a win for agriculture, a win for conservation, and a win for Florida’s future.”

Singleton Family Farms contracts with Frito-Lay to produce chip potatoes and participates in the department’s Best Management Practices program, which promotes environmentally responsible farming. Its location within the Florida Wildlife Corridor adds conservation value by helping maintain natural habitat linkages.

USF now offers a degree in the growing field of health care simulation operations

When the fall semester begins this month at the University of South Florida, the USF College of Public Health will offer a first-of-its-kind, university-based bachelor's degree in health care simulation operations.

The curriculum is offered in conjunction with the USF Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS), one of the world’s largest free-standing health care simulation facilities, according to the university.

Melissa Milner, who directs medical simulation at CAMLS, said the practice is used in a variety of professions. But health care industries use it for training students as well as professionals to "improve skills, to really look at systems, to look at teamwork and communication."

Milner says she has found face-to-face communication to be a particular challenge for health care students. That's why she makes it a practice to talk to the simulation mannequins and touch them like she would a real patient. Her background is in nursing.