Florida's Latest News

Ashley Litwin Diego launches HD 106 campaign, promises ‘fresh perspective and real solutions’

Lawyer and cancer survivor Ashley Litwin Diego has entered the race to represent northeast Miami-Dade County in House District 106, vowing to bring practical leadership and bipartisan problem-solving to Tallahassee.

Litwin Diego, a Miami Beach Democrat and partner at Seitles & Litwin, announced her candidacy this week, framing her campaign as a fight for fairness, opportunity, and stability for South Florida families.

“I’m running to bring fresh perspective and real solutions,” she said.

“To lower property insurance rates, to protect our coastlines and waterways from climate change, to ensure safe boating, to advance common sense gun safety, to help families manage the cost of living in our community and to protect the fundamental rights that define who we are as Floridians. This is home. It has given my family everything, and I am ready to give back. To stand up and fight — because I can no longer sit by and watch.”

Ascension Florida awarded $7.8 million grant to expand maternal telehealth

Ascension Florida will expand its telehealth services for pregnant people after the award of a $7.8 million grant from the Florida Department of Health.

The program will be fully operational in early 2026, according to Ascension Florida chief clinical officer Dr. Syed Jafri.

The health care system expects to hire people this fall who will provide pregnant people with information about how to access lactation support and nutrition counseling, as well as car seat installation training and stress management.

Ascension Florida, which has four hospitals in Northeast Florida, has worked the past 16 years to lower Duval County’s infant mortality rate. Its Brighter Beginnings program has helped its region’s health care providers understand there is a lack of access to prenatal care as well as a lack of com

Florida offers a test site for flying cabs in Polk County

Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Transportation Secretary Jared Perdue hope to land the next generation of air transport companies at a testing facility in Central Florida.

Perdue for years has championed advanced air mobility, which would involve establishing “vertiports” in urban areas that could serve as hubs for short aerial commutes by battery-powered aircraft that have characteristics of airplanes and helicopters.

DeSantis recently said he was “mildly excited” about the effort to reduce congestion along the I-4 corridor. Florida will first try to attract the growing technology to Polk County.

While few details were released, DeSantis and Perdue on Thursday announced plans for an aerial test bed at the department’s SunTrax facility in Polk County.

The test facility will include two vertiports, which are take-off and landing sites for primarily electric vertical take-off and landing, “VTOL,” aircraft.

Florida lawmakers weigh sweeping property tax cuts that could slash bills for homeowners, reshape city budgets

Florida lawmakers are weighing sweeping proposals to slash property taxes for homeowners, a move that could reshape how cities fund essential services and offer relief to residents facing soaring bills.

When Scott Irons bought his home in Fort Lauderdale's Riverside Park neighborhood two years ago, he knew the property tax bill would be steep.

"I believe it's 35 or 36 thousand a year in property taxes," Irons said.

Raising two children, Irons began exploring ways to manage the cost. 

"Both of my brothers moved out of state to places where taxes are much more reasonable. I would consider that. I was considering that," he said.