Florida's Latest News

A bill to designate 'rural emergency hospitals' is sent to DeSantis

The Legislature on Tuesday formally sent at least 27 bills to Gov. Ron DeSantis, including a measure that would create a new category of “rural emergency hospitals” that backers say would help ensure health-care access in rural areas.

The measure (SB 644) stems from a federal law that allowed the designation of rural emergency hospitals and made them eligible for Medicare payments. The hospitals are required to be licensed by states, creating a need for the bill.

Facilities designated as rural emergency hospitals could provide emergency services, observation care and outpatient services that do not exceed an average length of stay of 24 hours. They would be exempted from requirements about providing inpatient care and such things as surgical care.

Bill facilitating safe exchange of minor children ready for Gov. DeSantis’ signature

State law soon could address how divorced parents hand their children off to each other during split custody scenarios.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has received HB 385, bipartisan legislation introduced by Republican Rep. Joel Rudman and Democratic Rep. Hillary Cassel. The Senate companion bill was introduced by Republican Sen. Clay Yarborough.

The bill honors someone who perished due to a custody exchange gone horribly wrong.

The bill is referred to as the Cassie Carli Law to honor Cassie Carli, a 37-year-old Navarre woman who vanished in March 2022 following the scheduled exchange of her preschool-aged daughter, only to be found in a grave in Alabama weeks later.

13 Florida cities made U.S. News & World Report's 'Best Places to Live' list

Florida is again well represented on U.S. News & World Report's latest list about Best Places to Live in the U.S.

And Naples ranked No. 1 on the list, the only Florida city to make the top 10 out of 150 total cities.

Sarasota ― the highest-rated Florida city last year at No. 5 ― fell to No. 11 this year. Other Florida cities in the new top 150: Pensacola (No. 31); Fort Myers (37); Melbourne (No. 49); Jacksonville (56); Orlando (68); Tallahassee (75); Ocala (78); Lakeland (80); Port St. Lucie (83); Daytona Beach (96); and Miami (123).

"Naples, Florida, takes the top spot due to its strong desirability and job market scores, and moderately high quality-of-life score," U.S. News said in its report.

Water Worries: Exploring Florida's freshwater challenges and solutions

Florida, famously known as the Sunshine State, might better be called the Water State: In addition to being surrounded by water on three sides and crossed by nearly 26,000 miles of rivers, the peninsula is home to an intricate network of freshwater springs that bubble up from the Floridan Aquifer. From these 1,000 springs that support recreation and give refuge to wildlife like manatees, to the aquifer that provides most Floridians’ drinking water and irrigation for farms, freshwater defines North Central Florida.

But Florida’s aquifer and springs are at risk. Their blue waters are in decline, including loss of flow, excessive algae and so called “brown-outs.” Over-pumping and even over-loving the springs are partly to blame.

According to the GeoPlan Center’s Florida 2070 report, Florida’s population is expected to grow by 12.2 million by 2070, reaching 33.7 million residents. More people pumping more water could also increase the negative impacts humans have on the fragile springs and aquifer.