Florida's Latest News

Should Florida Attorney General get involved in FSU vs. ACC lawsuits?

The Attorney General wrote the state is “considering taking action” in FSU’s appeal in North Carolina.

The state of Florida is weighing more involvement in Florida State University’s ongoing lawsuits with the Atlantic Coast Conference.

In a letter from Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to her peers in six other states, she wrote that Florida is “considering taking action” in the ACC’s suit against FSU in North Carolina.

“In an attempt to pull a fast one and avoid Florida courts, the ACC rushed a suit against FSU in a North Carolina court without thinking through the legal consequences to its schools or their states,” Moody said in a statement Tuesday. “The North Carolina court, which has ruled it has the power to throw out the window 50 years of precedent guaranteeing sovereign immunity to states is extraordinarily concerning and should be to every state that has a school in the ACC.

Safety Net Hospital Alliance announces expansion of medical residency programs in Florida

The Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida announced on Tuesday the creation of 721 new graduate medical education (GME) slots to address the state’s growing demand for medical specialists.

The new training positions have been established as part of a sustained effort involving the state’s major hospitals and a legislative push spearheaded by Senate President Kathleen Passidomo. The “Slots for Docs” funding, approved in the last two legislative sessions, will support the initiative.

“Florida is one of the fastest growing states in the US and we have an urgent need for more doctors to care for our residents,” said Lindy Kennedy, President of Safety Net Hospital Alliance of Florida. “Expanding the GME doctor training pipeline is by far the best way to head off the looming doctor shortage crisis.”

Since 2016, the GME Startup Bonus Program has significantly expanded, adding a total of 2,505 new training slots across Florida hospitals, including this year’s addition. The positions are expected to be filled within the next three years, enhancing the state’s capacity to train and retain medical professionals in critical areas of need.

Seven reasons why the FAA blocked Sarasota airport’s land sale to New College

The airport is growing fast, tripling traffic in the last several years. And New College of Florida is also trying to expand. The deal aimed to satisfy both, but was nixed by federal aviation authorities.

A tentative deal for the Sarasota Bradenton International Airport to sell about 30 acres of land to neighboring New College of Florida was denied earlier this month by federal aviation authorities, who cited a slew of problems with the proposal.

In a five-page letter, the FAA, which has the power to approve or deny sales of airport land, questioned why an airport which describes itself as “the fastest growing in the country” would want to sell any of its land.

“The FAA does not believe the proposal demonstrates a benefit to civil aviation or the national airspace system, other than providing for some operational income that may fund undisclosed aeronautical development,” it said in a letter dated April 10.

Lights, camera… action? The decline of Florida's film industry and the effect on job market

For over 100 years, the film industry in Florida has thrived, bringing business to local towns and residents. The state, which once held the third-place spot in the nation for production work, now doesn’t even reach top 20 lists. For the last 20 years, such industry has faced setbacks such as high costs, changing weather patterns and political factors that have driven the industry elsewhere.

Florida first saw movie and television productions taking place in the state in 1908 with “A Florida Feud: Or Love in the Everglades.” Jacksonville was chosen for production because of its appealing weather, architecture, and railroad access. The making of this production and several others in the area at the time laid the groundwork for Jacksonville to become a prime location for film production, earning it the title of the “Winter Film Capital of the World.”

Over time, as film productions spread out throughout the country, Jacksonville and Florida’s appeal as a production site in the industry waned and gave way for more favorable sites around the country to flourish. More recently, Florida has felt this impact, not only in small towns but in its film hotspots like Jacksonville, Miami and Orlando.

Robert Massetti is the Founder and executive director of FearFilm Studios in Orlando. He says that finding a job in Florida’s film industry can be exhausting.