As coronavirus infections rise again in Florida, medical professionals are urging anyone who can to get vaccinated. At a recent news conference, Governor Ron DeSantis said the vaccines were “saving lives.” But later he added that officials should be clear that people who are vaccinated can still get sick.
Regan McCarthy spoke with two Tallahassee doctors about what they’re seeing at their hospitals, what it means if someone who is fully vaccinated gets infected with the coronavirus and what someone should do if they’re not sure about getting the vaccine.
Hospitals across South Florida are likewise seeing a significant rise in Coronavirus patients over the month of July. Hospital leaders there are strongly urging their staff and the public to get their COVID-19 shots as vaccination rates are lagging. Leah Carpenter is the Chief Operating Officer at Broward Memorial Health System. She spoke with WLRN’s Luis Hernandez about the current COVID surge.
Florida’s controversial Hb1 will get its first major legal test next month. WMNF’s Daniel Figueroa the Fourth reports a coalition of organizations including the NAACP, Dream Defenders, ACLU and more filed to immediately strike Section 15 from the bill
Florida lawmakers are gearing up to redraw the state’s legislative and congressional district maps for the next 10 years. They’ll lay out the ground rules for the redistricting process in mid-September with plans to work on the maps throughout the next legislative session. They must complete the drafts by mid-March. The maps are expected to take effect ahead of the November 2022 election cycle IF they aren’t stalled in court proceedings. Valerie Crowder spoke with Republican Senator Ray Rodrigues, chair of the Senate Reapportionment Committee. Rodrigues attended the National Conference of State Legislatures’ redistricting seminar in Salt Lake City, Utah last week to prepare for the upcoming map drawing process.
It’s been seven years since Florida State University Law Professor Dan Markel (mar-KELL) was murdered. His parents, Ruth and Phil Markel, are continuing to push the state’s lawmakers to help them reunite with their grandchildren, who they haven’t been allowed to see. We get the story from Robbie Gaffney.