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Clock is running down on federal decision about multibillion Seminole Tribe compact

While Gov. Ron DeSantis and Seminole Tribe Chairman Marcellus Osceola signed an expansive gambling agreement last spring with great fanfare, the final word on the multibillion-dollar deal could be delivered in silence.

Thursday marks the end of the 45-day review period during which the U.S. Department of Interior, and specifically its Bureau of Indian Affairs, must decide whether to approve, disapprove or take no position on the compact.

If it takes no position, the compact will be “deemed” approved, granting it the same authority as if the Bureau of Indian Affairs, or BIA, affirmatively approves it — but without commentary.

The BIA also could disapprove it, which would send the 30-year compact and Florida’s high-stakes, statewide gambling ambitions back to the drawing board.

Gov. DeSantis spox warns school districts must allow mask opt-outs

Ahead of decisions to require masks in Alachua County schools and to force the maskless to “opt out” in Duval, a spokesperson for Gov. Ron DeSantis advised caution.

On Wednesday, though, her position was modified somewhat, allowing wiggle room from what was once presented as an ironclad mask mandate ban in schools. Masks can be required; students, however, should be able to be opted out.

DeSantis’ press secretary Christina Pushaw told WJXT that the state was “finalizing health and education emergency rules that do not prohibit masks in schools but will require parents to have the right to opt their children out.”

The seeming rhetorical relaxation came after a more sweeping statement Tuesday evening, as districts deliberated how to get around what was presented as a categorical ban on mask mandates in schools.

Florida Virtual School applications up as COVID-19 cases rise

Because many school systems are not offering the option to attend classes remotely, like Orange County's LaunchEd, in the fall, Florida Virtual School is increasingly becoming an option for families.

Tanya Rezak says her family has taken numerous steps throughout the pandemic to stay safe. Her daughter —  who she did not want to be named for this story — attended class online all of last school year.

“It was successful. We were able to keep our household COVID-free up through our vaccinations,” Rezak said. Her daughter also got the COVID-19 vaccine. But after a recent beach trip with a couple of unvaccinated friends, she says her 16-year-old contracted the delta variant.

Florida lawmakers to face push in 2022 for virtual renewal of medical marijuana certificates

Despite making permanent such pandemic-era innovations as “beer to go,” Florida lawmakers haven't acted to codify a recently expired policy allowing medical marijuana patients to renew their certifications virtually.

With the state's nearly 600,000 patients now required to visit a doctor in-person for recertification, pressure is mounting for the legislature to act during its 2022 regular session.

The policy allowing telemedicine to be used for medical marijuana patient recertification was promulgated by an executive order signed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at the start of the pandemic. The order expired June 26, nearly two months after the end of this year's regular legislative session.

Measures to expand telemedicine were considered, but making the medical marijuana telemedicine policy permanent wasn't in the offing.