The Florida Senate is taking up a plan to raise criminal penalties for violence that occurs during protests. It would also create some new crimes in connection with such activities. The bill is a priority of Governor Ron DeSantis who announced it in the middle of social justice protests during the summer. But as Lynn Hatter reports, the measure has faced challenges in the legislative process.
Florida is suing the federal government over its continued pause on cruise ships sailing in U-S waters. The no-sail order took effect last March, early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Governor Ron DeSantis held a news conference in Miami on Thursday to explain the state’s reasoning for the lawsuit. As Valerie Crowder reports, the focus was mostly on jobs.
Thirty percent of people with diabetes who depend on insulin say they’ve had to choose between paying their utility bill and buying the medicine they need to stay alive. A survey by the American Diabetes Association found about 23 percent of insulin users say they miss doses weekly because they can’t afford it. Health experts say that can have life-threatening consequences. A bill before the legislature this session would cap the cost Floridians with insurance could be charged each month for insulin. But Regan McCarthy reports that measure is stalled in the House.
A bill heading to the Florida House floor would effectively ban transgender women and girls from competing in women and girls’ school sports teams. The measure’s sponsor says this ban is needed because biological males have a physical advantage over biological females when it comes to sports. Robbie Gaffney speaks with Janet Silverstein, a pediatric endocrinologist who works at the UF Health’s Youth Gender Program, which provides services to transgender and gender-nonconforming youth and their families. The conversation begins with a discussion of the changes transgender girls go through when undergoing hormone therapy.
More and more examples of what were called “everyday life” in the time before the pandemic are coming back on line. Professional wrestling’s biggest live event - Wrestlemania - is happening in Tampa this weekend. It’s been 12 months since the coronavirus pandemic prompted it to be moved to Orlando and taped without fans in attendance. The W-W-E is dividing what used to be a one-day extravaganza into shows on Saturday and Sunday. Just 25,000 fans each night will be admitted at Raymond James Stadium. That was the same spot where it had been set to take place last year. WUSF’s Mark Schreiner spoke to Dave Meltzer, editor of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter, about what fans can expect.