News from around the state of Florida
Featured image for “10 big legal cases to watch in Florida in 2025”
This redistricting plan pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis eliminated the old Congressional District 5, a Black-majority district that stretched from Jacksonville to west of Tallahassee.
December 31, 2024

10 big legal cases to watch in Florida in 2025

The legal issues include a contested redistricting plan in North Florida.…

Featured image for “Year-end travel forecast and frigid air in Florida”
December 31, 2024

Year-end travel forecast and frigid air in Florida

People who are traveling to end the year somewhere else should keep a close eye on the weather forecast.…

Featured image for “Freeze possible as North Florida cools down in new year”
High temperatures will remain in the 70s in Jacksonville on Tuesday, but colder weather is coming. | National Weather Service Jacksonville
December 30, 2024

Freeze possible as North Florida cools down in new year

A freeze is possible over the weekend as a cooldown hits North Florida.…

Featured image for “New year will bring 10 new laws in Florida”
A general view of the Old Capitol and current Florida Capitol buildings on Feb. 8, 2023, in Tallahassee. | Phil Sears, AP
December 30, 2024

New year will bring 10 new laws in Florida

Ten laws approved in 2024 will take effect Wednesday, but restrictions on social media for children will not be immediately…

Featured image for “FPL proposes to raise base electric rates”
Florida Power & Light Co. crews work on lines.
December 30, 2024

FPL proposes to raise base electric rates

Bills for FPL customers would rise an average of 2.5% annually from 2025 through 2029.…

Featured image for “It may be a little cheaper to buy a home — not because of prices”
A for-sale sign is posted outside a single-family home in Miami-Dade County in December 2024, advertising that the seller is willing to pay a commission to real estate agents representing buyers. | Tom Hudson. WLRN
December 27, 2024

It may be a little cheaper to buy a home — not because of prices

The commissions paid to homebuyers’ agents are slowly declining under new rules for how Realtors are paid.…

Featured image for “Iconic water ski show is ending in Winter Haven”
A pyramid of water-skiers performs at the Cypress Gardens theme park in Winter Haven in 1968. | Florida Memory, State Archives of Florida
December 27, 2024

Iconic water ski show is ending in Winter Haven

Legoland will end the water ski shows and competitions in 2025 to focus on new projects.…

Featured image for “Hurricanes may have spread invasive species across Florida”
December 27, 2024

Hurricanes may have spread invasive species across Florida

The U.S. Geological Survey says 222 possible nonnative species spread in Florida and Georgia after Hurricane Helene.…

Featured image for “Trash incinerators do most harm to communities of color”
A February 2023 fire at a municipal trash incinerator in Miami-Dade County burned for nearly three weeks, releasing smoke and pollution into the surrounding community. | Miami-Dade Fire Rescue
December 26, 2024

Trash incinerators do most harm to communities of color

Six of nine incinerators in Florida are in places with higher percentages of Black and Hispanic people.…

Featured image for “Sea turtles, a conservation success story, face new threat”
Volunteers with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation perform a nest inventory after baby turtles hatched in August 2022. | Courtesy of Jack Brzoza
December 24, 2024

Sea turtles, a conservation success story, face new threat

Warming temperatures and stronger hurricanes raise questions about the future of sea turtles.…

Featured image for “When will I be good enough to stay in America?”
Venezuelan immigrant Grecia Pacheco, a senior at Florida International University, spent four months in Washington, D.C., reporting on the presidential election for the school's news venue Caplin News. Having arrived in the U.S. as an asylum seeker, she now faces an incoming president determined to deport people like her. | Courtesy of Grecia Pacheco
December 24, 2024

When will I be good enough to stay in America?

Grecia Pacheco, a journalism student at Florida International University, describes the anxiety gripping thousands of immigrants like her.…

Featured image for “Drought worsens in Florida; outlook doesn’t look good”
December 23, 2024

Drought worsens in Florida; outlook doesn’t look good

Most of Northeast Florida is experiencing a moderate drought, and precipitation deficits are ramping up across the state.…

Featured image for “Florida among fastest-growing states with 23M population”
December 20, 2024

Florida among fastest-growing states with 23M population

Florida’s population increase of 467,347 this year was second only to Texas.…

Featured image for “More cold weather arrives for the weekend”
December 20, 2024

More cold weather arrives for the weekend

The cold will move in quickly Friday evening from Jacksonville to the Panhandle.…

Featured image for “Lawmaker tries again to restrict flags on public buildings”
Sen. Randy Fine says his bill would prevent the display of "pro-violence ‘Black Lives Matter’ flags" on government buildings. | Jeff Chiu, AP
December 17, 2024

Lawmaker tries again to restrict flags on public buildings

Sen. Randy Fine wants to prevent flags representing a “political viewpoint,” including Pride flags, Palestine and Black Lives Matter.…

Featured image for “Sophisticated hackers steal $107,625 from UCF”
A classroom building at the University of Central Florida in Orlando is shown in this undated handout photograph provided by the State University System. | Fresh Take Florida, State University System
December 16, 2024

Sophisticated hackers steal $107,625 from UCF

Hackers breached a vendor’s computers and tricked the university into sending money to a different bank account.…

Featured image for “Are you ready for Florida’s winter hazards?”
Photo via Red Huber
December 16, 2024

Are you ready for Florida’s winter hazards?

Even Florida’s milder winters can be dangerous, partly because many homes lack adequate heating and insulation.…

Featured image for “Runway hazards: More planes report hitting wildlife in Florida”
American Airlines Hydrogen
December 13, 2024

Runway hazards: More planes report hitting wildlife in Florida

The number planes striking ground animals like deer and iguanas has increased since the government began tracking them.…

Featured image for “Solar power continues to shine brightly in Florida”
December 13, 2024

Solar power continues to shine brightly in Florida

Nearly 30,000 Floridians installed solar panels this year, bringing the total number of installations to more than a quarter million.…

Featured image for “Senate bill would lower age to buy long guns in Florida”
A bill filed by Sen. Randy Fine of Brevard County would reduce the age to buy long guns in Florida. | Silvia Izquierdo, AP
December 12, 2024

Senate bill would lower age to buy long guns in Florida

The bill from Sen. Randy Fine of Brevard County would repeal a law that raised the gun-buying age to 21.…

Featured image for “Florida may allow bear hunting for first time in nearly a decade”
December 11, 2024

Florida may allow bear hunting for first time in nearly a decade

The state will consider proposals for the first sanctioned bear hunt since a controversial hunt in October 2015.…

Featured image for “The roller coaster of temperatures continues”
December 11, 2024

The roller coaster of temperatures continues

Jacksonville will wake up Thursday to temperatures in the mid- to upper 30s.…

Featured image for “Florida senators start filing bills for legislative session”
The Florida Capitol. | News Service of Florida
December 10, 2024

Florida senators start filing bills for legislative session

Senators are gearing up for the 2025 legislative session, which will begin March 4.…

Featured image for “Is there a Christmas tree crisis after 2024 hurricane season?”
December 9, 2024

Is there a Christmas tree crisis after 2024 hurricane season?

Many of Florida’s Christmas trees come from the Carolinas, which were devastated by Hurricane Helene.…