Florida's Latest News

What to watch for in the first Republican primary debate of the 2024 election cycle

At least seven Republican presidential hopefuls are expected to take the stage in Milwaukee on Wednesday for the first GOP primary debate of the 2024 election cycle.

The debate is the biggest opportunity yet for the field of candidates to pitch themselves to millions of voters nationwide after spending weeks and months courting Republicans in early primary and caucus states like New Hampshire and Iowa. Here’s what to watch for:

DeSantis and his campaign have predicted for weeks that the Florida governor will take most of the heat on the debate stage. Andrew Romeo, the communications director for DeSantis’ campaign, told the Miami Herald last week that the governor’s GOP rivals “will have their knives out for Ron DeSantis.”

Exactly how DeSantis handles that incoming fire remains a key question. A debate strategy memo from the pro-DeSantis super PAC Never Back Down that was quietly posted online – and later removed – last week advised the governor to “hammer” entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, but focus otherwise on attacking President Joe Biden and defending former President Donald Trump against expected criticism.

Florida quietly added more secrecy to university president searches

Months after the Legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis approved a law that shields parts of searches for college and university presidents, state university system officials added an additional layer of secrecy that requires nondisclosure agreements.

The issue of nondisclosure agreements in presidential searches erupted last week, amid a dust-up between leaders of Florida Atlantic University’s board of trustees.

Searches for university and college presidents have been veiled following the passage of a 2022 law that created a public-records exemption for information that could identify applicants until near the end of the searches, when information about finalists can be released.

But the state university system’s Board of Governors quietly added an extra layer of confidentiality in November, approving a rule requiring members of presidential search committees to sign nondisclosure agreements. The requirement was included as part of a wide-ranging consent agenda during a Nov. 9 meeting of the board, which did not discuss the nondisclosure mandate prior to approving the agenda item.

Dorm Storms aimed at getting more college students registered to vote hit Florida

Volunteers will help register college students to vote across the state this weekend, including here in Central Florida at the annual Dorm Storms event.

A new Florida law means that event organizers have had to rethink how volunteers fill out the forms.

Volunteers and local political leaders will be on hand to help students register to vote as they move into dorms across the state and get set up for class.

The Dorm Storms are scheduled to take place at seven colleges, including UCF this weekend.

Rep. Anna Eskamani will be at the Dorm Storm at UCF on Saturday. She said they’ve had to make changes to how they register students with new law SB 7050 in mind.

“For example, we're really not allowing volunteers to hold voter registration forms because of the upwards of $50,000 penalties that come with it," said Eskamani.

Five people in the Tampa region have died from 'flesh-eating' Vibrio in 2023

Five people in the greater Tampa Bay region have died this year because of the so-called “flesh-eating” bacterium found in warm, brackish seawater and undercooked seafood.

The Florida Department of Health said this past week that 26 cases of Vibrio vulnificus were reported in the state so far in 2023, with two deaths in Hillsborough County, and one each in Pasco, Polk and Sarasota counties.

In 2022, there were 74 cases and 17 deaths, most related to Hurricane Ian floodwaters in Lee County. In 2021, there were 34 cases and 10 deaths in Florida, and in 2020 there were 36 cases and seven cases.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported two Vibrio deaths in Connecticut and one in New York this year.

The CDC says that Vibrio vulnificus lives in warm seawater and is a type of foodborne illness-causing bacteria called "halophilic" because it requires salt to survive.