Florida's Latest News

Florida Legislature calls special session on Iran sanctions, Hurricane Idalia aid

The Florida Legislature on Friday decided to hold a special session early next month to address Gov. Ron DeSantis’ call for further sanctions against Iran and to stand with Israel and provide more aid for victims of Hurricane Idalia.

“Following the horrific atrocities committed by Iranian-backed terrorist group Hamas against Israel, I am calling on the Florida Legislature to act swiftly to ensure our state does not send a penny to the Iranian terror state,” DeSantis said in a news release.

DeSantis wants the Legislature to increase sanctions against Iran by expanding the number of industries on Florida’s existing scrutinized companies list and strengthen prohibitions against investing in companies that do business with states that sponsor terrorism.

“Given recent events including the horrific attacks against Israel in the Middle East and devastation to the Big Bend caused by Hurricane Idalia here at home … we have identified several issues that warrant our attention in advance of the 2024 Regular Session,” Senate President Kathleen Passidomo, R-Naples, said in a memo to all senators.

Ron DeSantis returns to New Hampshire. Can he stop his decline in polls?

Gov. Ron DeSantis is headed back to the Granite State Tuesday, in an attempt to kick-start his presidential campaign in the first-in-the-nation Primary state.

DeSantis, as is often the case, will be attending events hosted by the supportive Never Back Down super PAC.

The main event of Tuesday’s trip will be a co-appearance with New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu.

Sununu hasn’t endorsed, and he has appeared with DeSantis over the summer and with other candidates this cycle. On Tuesday, he will appear alongside DeSantis at a town hall event in the evocatively named town of Seacoast, which is directly north of Boston.

That town hall runs from 6 p.m. to 7:15 p.m.

U.S. Department of Commerce designates South Florida as climate resilience tech hub

President Joe Biden on Monday formally declared South Florida, alongside 31 other sites nationally, as a climate resilience tech hub as part of the federal Tech Hubs program.

The South Florida Climate Resilience Tech Hub, with the Miami Dade County Innovation and Economic Development Office serving as the lead agency, will work to advance sustainable and weather-hardened infrastructure in the region, which frequently faces large-scale hurricanes and coastal flooding. The designation additionally positions South Florida to become eligible for millions of dollars of federal funding.

“Building off the region’s unique combination of resources such as its coastal and marine infrastructure, cluster of clean cement and energy efficiency building industries, and academic and research institutions, this Tech Hub will jumpstart Sustainable and Resilient Infrastructure (SRI) innovation by developing, commercializing, and scaling SRI technologies focused on climate adaptation and mitigation,” the Hub’s U.S. Economic Development Administration reads.

Chosen among 400 Phase 1 applicants, the White House referred to South Florida as having “high potential” within the infrastructure manufacturing sector.

Florida scientists are mapping red tide fish kills to help regulate fishing afterward

Florida researchers are working to map fish kills after red tide events to help regulators determine harvesting limitations. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration awarded the five-year project with about $1.7 million.

Toxic red tide algae blooms can result in large fish kills.

David Chagaris, a research associate professor at the University of Florida's Nature Coast Biological Station, said the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Management Council often doesn't have enough information about the events to create safe catch levels in the following years for species like grouper and snapper.

“If there's a red tide that's occurring, they oftentimes don't have enough information to say, ‘Well, the effects are going to be severe or not so severe,' " Chagaris said. "And so, they don't have that information to then say what would be the safe catch levels in the following years.

“So, this project … it aims to create this modeling framework that can provide that information on a timely manner for managers when setting catch limits.”