Florida's Latest News

Nearly 1.8M ballots cast by mail so far in Florida

With Election Day still three weeks away, nearly 1.8 million Floridians had voted by mail as of Tuesday morning, according to the state Division of Elections.

Voters had cast 1,782,663 mail-in ballots, with 905,065 by Democrats and 520,712 by Republicans. Another 336,768 ballots had been cast by unaffiliated voters, while third-party voters had cast 20,118.

Meanwhile, 3,848,071 mail-in ballots were provided to voters but had not been returned.

Trump, Pence To Blanket Miami Thursday On Day Of Canceled Debate With Biden

Thursday was supposed to be the day that President Donald Trump and Democratic nominee Joe Biden met in Miami for the second presidential debate.

Instead, it will be the day the Trump campaign blanketed Miami.

With the Oct. 15 debate canceled over a logistical dispute, Trump’s campaign announced Tuesday that Vice President Mike Pence will hold two Miami events on that date. Pence is scheduled to hold a midmorning campaign rally at the Memorial Cubano in Tamiami Park near Florida International University’s West Miami-Dade campus. Pence will also hold a faith-based campaign event at the Lubavitch Educational Center in North Miami-Dade.

Approval ratings for Donald Trump, Ron DeSantis sink

Approval ratings for President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis are falling into the red, according to a new survey.

The Florida Atlantic University Business and Economics Polling Initiative (FAU BEPI) now shows DeSantis with a -5 approval rating. That’s a 5-point drop from last month and a nearly 25-point drop in the past five months. The May version of the same poll had DeSantis with a +19 approval rating.

The FAU BEPI’s newest poll showed 43% of Floridians approve of the Governor, while 48% disapprove.

In-person classes draw more Florida students back to school

Florida students have attended classes for nearly a quarter now. Some of them are having second thoughts about the schooling model they’ve picked. Many districts are giving them a chance to change. And the kids are taking them up on the offer, by the thousands. Some, meanwhile, are having shifts forced upon them. Read on for the latest.

Close to 14,000 Pinellas County students decided to return to classrooms for the next nine weeks. A team of local medical experts said it's safe. • Other Tampa area districts also are seeing increased numbers heading back, WFLA reports. • Leon County schools expect the same, and say they’ll still have room for social distancing, WTXL reports. • Escambia County families are still making their second quarter choices, WKRG reports.

Miami-Dade County schools reopened last week. Days later, the district’s MAST Academy magnet school returned to distance learning until further notice, the Miami Herald reports.