Category: Florida

DeSantis Passes out $3,000 Bonuses to Florida Teachers for Attending Civics ‘Boot Camp’

Florida’s new civics “boot camp” for teachers has graduated 4,500 from the program and has a long waiting list of others hoping to take the course, Gov. Ron DeSantis said at a press conference on March 23. He’s prepared, he said, to ask state lawmakers to come up with more money to award $3,000 bonuses…


A 5,000-Mile Seaweed Belt Is Headed Toward Florida

WASHINGTON—A 5,000-mile seaweed belt lurking in the Atlantic Ocean is expected in the next few months to wash onto beaches in the Caribbean Sea, South Florida, and the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt—as the biomass stretching from West Africa to the Gulf of Mexico is called—contains scattered patches of seaweed on…


Rapper Tekashi 6Ix9ine Injured in Assault at Florida Gym

LAKE WORTH, Fla.—Rapper Tekashi 6ix9ine, whose testimony against his own gang helped convict two high-ranking members, was assaulted by several people at a gym in Florida, officials said Wednesday. An “altercation between several individuals” brought Palm Beach County sheriff’s deputies to an LA Fitness outlet in Lake Worth on Tuesday night, the sheriff’s office said…


Launch Debut of 3D-Printed Rocket Ends in Failure, No Orbit

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla.—A rocket made almost entirely of 3D-printed parts made its launch debut Wednesday night, lifting off amid fanfare but failing three minutes into flight—far short of orbit. There was nothing aboard Relativity Space’s test flight except for the company’s first metal 3D print made six years ago. The startup wanted to put the…


Florida First Lady Backs Teaching Children ‘Resilience’

Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis says that the state’s schoolchildren must learn essential life skills to become successful adults: grit and perseverance to help them face adversity, problem-solving, and self-management. It boils down to resilience, she said in a roundtable discussion at Florida State University on March 22. Following the roundtable, the state’s Board of…


‘The Country Wants a Change’: DeSantis Details How He Can Beat Biden in 2024

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has touted his ability to defeat President Joe Biden in the 2024 elections if he enters the presidential race. In an interview for Fox News scheduled to air on March 23, DeSantis stopped short of announcing a possible run but made it clear that if he were to enter the race, he could…


DeSantis Says He Could Win in 2024, but Stops Short of Announcing a Run

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has touted his ability to defeat President Joe Biden in the 2024 elections if he enters the presidential race. In an interview for Fox News scheduled to air on March 23, DeSantis stopped short of announcing a possible run but made it clear that if he were to enter the race, he could…


DeSantis Fights Move Toward Converting Dollar to Central Digital Currency

PANAMA CITY, Fla.—Gov. Ron DeSantis denounced federal consideration of a Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC) on March 20 and called for the state legislature to ban it in Florida and for other states to do the same. DeSantis, who is expected to declare his candidacy for president, has used daily press conferences to showcase his…


Miami Beach Issues State Of Emergency over ‘Unruly’ Spring Break Crowds

The city of Miami Beach, Florida, declared a state of emergency on Sunday after two deadly shootings and reports of unruly spring break crowds. The city declared a 11:59 p.m. curfew to take effect on Sunday until 6 a.m. on Monday, according to an order (pdf) published online. Additional curfew restrictions will be likely imposed…


Miami Beach Declares State of Emergency Over ‘Unruly’ Spring Break Crowds

The city of Miami Beach declared a state of emergency on March 19 following two deadly shootings and reports of unruly spring break crowds. The city has implementing an 11:59 p.m. curfew, according to an order (pdf) published online. Shootings on March 17 and early on March 19, and “excessively large and unruly crowds,” were…