Florida's Latest News

Gov. DeSantis raises concerns about impossible COVID-19 positives

Gov. Ron DeSantis said he has heard people are receiving positive COVID-19 test results in the mail despite never having submitted a sample, raising questions about the reliability of some labs’ reporting.

At drive-thru testing sites, people have reportedly signed up for diagnostic tests but left before receiving a test because of long lines. In some cases, people have reportedly received positive test results despite never submitting a sample.

“If somebody’s just getting a test result without being swabbed, then what is that saying about some of the other stuff that’s going on?” DeSantis asked.

Senate Democrat leader flusters progressive candidates by dismissing ‘unwinnable’ races

Sen. Gary Farmer, incoming Senate Democratic Leader, has irritated Democrats running in red districts by suggesting their candidacies are lost causes.

The Broward County Democrat entered an online fray on the wisdom of running Democrats in nearly every district this cycle.

“I’m guided by science & reality,” Farmer tweeted. “Contesting every race is great if you have $ to do so. We simply don’t & won’t until we achieve majority. When you spend on races that are long shots you take $ from races than can be won. Keyser Enneking lost by 0.8% b/c of funding fragmentation.”

‘Don’t suffer in silence’: Ex-gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum says depression and addiction caused his downfall

Former Democratic gubernatorial candidate Andrew Gillum resurfaced on social media Monday for the first time since being found inebriated in a hotel room where someone else was suspected of overdosing on drugs.

In the 11-minute video posted on his verified Instagram profile, Gillum, who narrowly lost his race for Governor in 2018, spoke of his struggles with alcoholism and depression.

“I had totally underestimated the impact that losing the race for Governor had had on my life and on the way those impacts started to show up on every aspect of my life,” Gillum said. “I didn’t want to talk emotionally or really deeply about what had happened in the race for Governor because it was a constant reminder of failure and my own personal failures. It was a reminder that I had let so many people down.”

Florida teachers sue as DeSantis distances himself from school openings

Florida’s largest teacher union sued Gov. Ron DeSantis and Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran to overturn a sweeping emergency order that requires schools to physically open five days a week, saying the policy bypasses local leaders and defies national public health guidelines.

The complaint, filed in circuit court in Miami-Dade County, comes as the Republican governor sought to distance himself from the order, which has been targeted by teachers, parents and school leaders since it was issued July 6.

The order has made Florida a political battleground over schools and the coronavirus outbreak as DeSantis and Corcoran followed the lead of President Donald Trump and Education Secretary Betsy Devos, who are pressuring states to fill classrooms with students in the fall. DeSantis in recent days has backpedaled, making it clear on Monday that the mandate wasn't his idea and putting his own education secretary on the defensive.