State News

Gov. Ron DeSantis is applauding the beginning this week of in-person classes at some Florida school districts. DeSantis says one superintendent likened the start of the school year to a military takedown of a terrorist.

Leon County Circuit Judge Charles Dodson has scheduled a Thursday hearing in a lawsuit about Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran’s mandate that schools reopen campuses. The Florida Education Association is challenging Corcoran’s July 6 emergency order requiring schools to reopen in August, unless state and local health officials say otherwise.

Florida, which has endured a surge of coronavirus infections this summer, will participate in a COVID-19 vaccine pilot program with the federal government. State Surgeon General Scott Rivkees says Florida has been invited to be part of a federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention vaccine pilot group.

A three-judge panel has ruled against long-time NRA Lobbyist Marion Hammer in a claim that e-mails she received were threatening and caused emotional distress. The 2018 e-mails sent from a group of men including Los Angeles Attorney Lawrence Sorensen contained photographs of victims from the Marjory Stoneman Douglas shooting.

On the turf of Florida State University’s athletic training facility, Governor Ron DeSantis held a discussion Tuesday with University President John Thrasher about the future of the coming football season.

Getting ready for the possibility of a special legislative session to balance Florida’s budget, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration and top House and Senate appropriations staff have called on state agencies to draw up ways to slice 8.5 percent from their current budgets to address “the expected shortfall” as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

As Florida schools reopen this month, district superintendents are calling on state officials to address two major challenges: the need for rapid testing for COVID-19 and a statewide plan to handle students and staff members who test positive.

Weighing privacy issues, a federal appeals court has sided with a transgender student who argued his constitutional rights were violated when the St. Johns County school district prevented him from using boys’ restrooms at his high school.

Florida is seeing a decline in reported coronavirus deaths and new cases. The state reported Sunday that there were 77 fatalities and 6,229 new cases. That compares to 187 new deaths and 8,502 confirmed cases reported Saturday. Still, the average number of deaths reported over the last seven days is 158 per day.

A federal judge on Friday dismissed Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee from a long-running dispute about providing Spanish-language ballots and voting materials in 32 counties, but he allowed the case to move forward.