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MIAMI — After establishing a six-month program to save certain commuters about $10 a month on tolls, Gov. Ron DeSantis wants to expand the program next year. As he campaigns for re-election, DeSantis on Wednesday said he will ask the Legislature in 2023 to give frequent SunPass and E-Pass users a 50% monthly credit for a full year. Advertisement “We’re very fortunate that when you lead the nation in tourism, you know those folks pay taxes and that’s part of the reason we can... Read More

The second hurricane of the season formed Tuesday night and is expected to strengthen into the season’s first major hurricane with maximum sustained winds of up to 130 mph, forecasters said Wednesday. Another system several hundred miles off the African coast has high odds of developing, and National Hurricane Center forecasters are predicting it will form into a tropical depression by Friday. Advertisement As of 2 p.m. Wednesday, Earl had maximum sustained winds of 85 mph and was... Read More

TALLAHASSEE — Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office said late Tuesday that it thinks the Florida Supreme Court should reverse a decades-old position that a privacy clause in the state Constitution protects abortion rights. Lawyers in Moody’s office addressed the issue in a 44-page document arguing that the Supreme Court should reject an effort by abortion clinics and a doctor to block a new law that prevents abortions after 15 weeks of pregnancy. Advertisement The privacy clause... Read More

A grand jury report that rocked Broward schools last month is also leading to scrutiny of neighboring school districts. Both Palm Beach County and Miami-Dade school districts, as well as those in Duval and Orange counties, received letters from Tim Hay, director of the state Department of Education’s Office of Safe Schools, saying he had “significant concerns” about the grand jury’s findings. Advertisement The letters, using similar wording as one sent to Broward, said Hay... Read More

A reformulated COVID vaccine booster will begin rolling out this week in South Florida targeting the fast-spreading omicron subvariants. Pharmacies like Walgreens, CVS and Publix are gearing up to give the shots and are already opening appointments online at specific locations. From Tuesday on, all boosters being given out are the new shots. Advertisement The rollout is happening with about 500 people a day still dying in America from COVID-19. Florida fatalities from COVID were the... Read More

The second hurricane of the season formed Tuesday night and is expected to strengthen into the season’s first major hurricane with maximum sustained winds of up to 125 mph, forecasters said Tuesday. Tropical Storm Earl strengthened into a hurricane earlier than initially expected. As of 8 p.m. Tuesday, Earl had maximum sustained winds of 80 mph and was located about 550 miles south of Bermuda, moving north at 6 mph. Advertisement Hurricane Earl is expected to become a major hurricane... Read More

All 14 people aboard a boat that crashed off the Florida Keys over Labor Day weekend were ejected from the vessel, according to the first official report on Tuesday. On Sunday night, the 29-foot Robalo center console boat hit a channel marker in Broad Creek, a waterway in the Upper Keys, killing a teen and injuring several others. Advertisement Nearby boaters and the crews on law enforcement and fire-rescue boats plucked the passengers from the water and brought them to land. Four... Read More

TALLAHASSEE — Florida’s political world erupted over the weekend on Twitter and other social media with rumors, confirmations and cancellations of debate appearances by Gov. Ron DeSantis against his Democratic opponent, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist. When the dust settled, it was confirmed that DeSantis had agreed to a debate on a West Palm Beach station Oct. 12 but not to the larger, more widely broadcast and long-running “Before You Vote” Oct. 20 debate. Advertisement Organizers... Read More

Tropical Storm Earl is expected to become a hurricane in the next day or so, then strengthen into the season’s first major hurricane with maximum sustained winds of up to 120 mph, forecasters said Tuesday. Tropical Storm Earl has maximum sustained winds of 65 mph and is expected to become a hurricane “in the next couple of days,” the National Hurricane Center said Tuesday in its 11 a.m. advisory. Advertisement Earl was located about 370 miles north of St. Thomas early Tuesday as... Read More

TALLAHASSEE — Florida residents and businesses likely will get hit with higher electric bills in 2023 as utilities continue to struggle with increased costs of natural gas. Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric Co. filed petitions Friday at the state Public Service Commission that detailed expected costs in 2023. If the commission approves the utilities’ proposals, each would result in higher monthly bills in 2023. Advertisement And that might not be all:... Read More