News from around the state of Florida
Featured image for “Latest hurricane forecast predicts below-normal year”
2026 hurricane season outlook.
13 hours ago

Latest hurricane forecast predicts below-normal year

Colorado State University expects below-normal hurricane activity due to a likely transition into an El Niño.…

Featured image for “Drought leaves Jacksonville 10 inches short on rainfall”
Drought monitor released Thursday, April 2, 2026.
April 6, 2026

Drought leaves Jacksonville 10 inches short on rainfall

Temperatures remain high as the drought worsens across the Southeast, including North Florida.…

Featured image for “Florida can fund religious schools, attorney general says”
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier speaks during an event for the National Day of Prayer in Tallahassee on May 1, 2025.
April 3, 2026

Florida can fund religious schools, attorney general says

The move raises the possibility of religious charter schools and state-funded scholarships for religious universities.…

Featured image for “Duval included in challenge to new Florida voting law”
An early voting site in Duval County. l Steven Ponson, Jacksonville Today.
April 1, 2026

Duval included in challenge to new Florida voting law

The ACLU is suing the state over a law requiring proof of citizenship to cast a ballot.…

Featured image for “Palm Beach airport will be renamed for Donald Trump”
Air Force One with President Donald Trump on board departs from Palm Beach International Airport on April 6, 2025. | Alex Brandon, AP file
March 31, 2026

Palm Beach airport will be renamed for Donald Trump

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill that also prevents local governments from renaming several airports, including Jacksonville’s.…

Featured image for “Florida attorney general warns NFL to scrap ‘Rooney Rule’”
Miami Dolphins head coach Brian Flores, center, applauds linebackers Kyle Van Noy (53) Jerome Baker (55) and Kamu Grugier-Hill (51) for their work in forcing a fumble against the Jacksonville Jaguars during a contest Sept. 24, 2020, at TIAA Bank Field. The Dolphins won 31-13. (Photo by Will Brown)
March 26, 2026

Florida attorney general warns NFL to scrap ‘Rooney Rule’

The Rooney Rule encourages teams to hire nonwhite coaches. Attorney General James Uthmeier says it’s discriminatory.…

Featured image for “Florida’s AIDS drug program gets stopgap funding”
A bill signed by the governor restores ADAP eligibility to more than 11,000 people until the Florida Legislature passes a budget.
March 25, 2026

Florida’s AIDS drug program gets stopgap funding

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation to mitigate cuts to the AIDS Drug Assistance Program.…

Featured image for “Florida grapples with worst drought in more than 20 years”
Smoke from a wildfire seen in Bradford County. | Bradford County Fire Rescue
March 23, 2026

Florida grapples with worst drought in more than 20 years

Northeast Florida is experiencing an “extreme drought” — one of the driest areas of the state.…

Featured image for “Astronomical spring arrives across Northern Hemisphere”
Spring in full bloom in Tallahassee. | Florida State University
March 20, 2026

Astronomical spring arrives across Northern Hemisphere

The 2026 vernal equinox was set to occur at 10:46 a.m. Friday as the amount of daylight grows.…

Featured image for “Florida bill eases Cuba restrictions — if leaders change”
A man rides a tricycle with his leashed dog running alongside him during a blackout in Havana, Cuba, Monday, March 16, 2026.
March 19, 2026

Florida bill eases Cuba restrictions — if leaders change

Lawmakers passed a bill that could increase business with Cuba if the island gets a new government.…

Featured image for “Pulse building demolished, nearly 10 years after massacre”
Excavators demolish the Pulse nightclub building on Wednesday, March 18, 2026. | City of Orlando, orlando.gov
March 19, 2026

Pulse building demolished, nearly 10 years after massacre

A memorial will replace the Pulse nightclub, where 49 people were killed in a mass shooting in 2016.…

Featured image for “How did Duval Schools’ 7 legislative priorities fare?”
The regular 2026 Florida legislative session ended March 13.
March 18, 2026

How did Duval Schools’ 7 legislative priorities fare?

Most of the district’s legislative priorities went unanswered this session.…

Featured image for “Florida sheriffs criticize mass federal deportations”
A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. | Alex Brandon, AP
March 17, 2026

Florida sheriffs criticize mass federal deportations

Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said he did not endorse the position taken by the State Immigration Enforcement Council.…

Featured image for “Florida’s legislative session: What passed, what failed, what’s next”
The Florida legislative session ended on Friday, but lawmakers are expected back in Tallahassee for special sessions on the budget, redistricting and property taxes.
March 16, 2026

Florida’s legislative session: What passed, what failed, what’s next

The 2026 session has ended — but without a budget. Lawmakers must tackle that in a special session.…

Featured image for “Cold front brings storm risk and cooldown to start the week”
Scattered severe storms will cross North Florida on Monday morning and afternoon.
March 16, 2026

Cold front brings storm risk and cooldown to start the week

North Florida is at a slight risk for severe storms, followed by temperatures in the 30s and 40s.…

Featured image for “Florida Legislature approves restoring funds to AIDS drug program”
The old Florida Capitol is seen with the tower of the current Capitol rising behind, during a legislative session in Tallahassee on March 6, 2025. | AP Photo, Rebecca Blackwell, File
March 12, 2026

Florida Legislature approves restoring funds to AIDS drug program

A plan to prevent thousands of HIV positive Floridians from losing coverage for their prescriptions for AIDS medication is headed…

Featured image for “Here’s how much state lawmakers make each session”
Florida's legislature meets for 60 days every year. The dates change year-to-year, but lawmakers' pay hasn't changed in about a decade.
March 10, 2026

Here’s how much state lawmakers make each session

Florida lawmakers don’t make the highest pay in the country, but they don’t make the lowest either.…

Featured image for “Florida Legislature approves tighter e-bike regulations”
The rear wheel of Ultra Motor's A2B electric bike. | Mark Lennihan, AP
March 10, 2026

Florida Legislature approves tighter e-bike regulations

The House and Senate unanimously approved rules that require e-bike riders to slow down around pedestrians.…

Featured image for “Toasty days ahead; heat could set a record”
March 6, 2026

Toasty days ahead; heat could set a record

Highs will flirt with 90 degrees this weekend as heat spreads across North Florida, Central Florida and the Gulf coast.…

Featured image for “Marsy’s Law may expand to shield crime victims and police”
An illustration of a police officer and victim under Marsy's Law.
March 5, 2026

Marsy’s Law may expand to shield crime victims and police

Bills in the Florida Legislative would extend Marsy’s Law to protect the identities of victims and police for 60 days.…

Featured image for “Florida’s anti-DEI legislation irks local governments”
Debra Joshua was among the scores of people who participated in the 45th Martin Luther King Jr. Grand Parade through Downtown Jacksonville on Jan. 19, 2026. Joshua says equity is an ideal that is needed more in 2026. | Will Brown, Jacksonville Today
March 4, 2026

Florida’s anti-DEI legislation irks local governments

Bills filed by Rep. Dean Black and Sen. Clay Yarborough would prohibit funding for DEI efforts.…

Featured image for “Most Floridians would abolish property tax, UNF poll shows”
The Florida Legislature is considering the elimination of property taxes, and a majority of voters support it, a UNF poll found.
March 4, 2026

Most Floridians would abolish property tax, UNF poll shows

Fifty-six percent of people support a proposal to eliminate property taxes, the poll found.…

Featured image for “Thousands of Floridians could lose HIV medication”
Fernando Hermida holds a bottle of Biktarvy, his HIV medication, in Charlotte, North Carolina on on May 27, 2024. | Laura Bargfeld, AP
February 26, 2026

Thousands of Floridians could lose HIV medication

The state issued an emergency rule Tuesday that reduces funding for HIV/AIDS medication for an estimated 16,000 people.…

Featured image for “House passes sweeping changes on voter eligibility”
Republican Rep. Jenna Persons-Mulicka of Fort Myers sponsored the bill on voter eligibility. | Colin Hackley, News Service of Florida file
February 26, 2026

House passes sweeping changes on voter eligibility

The bill includes new requirements for proving citizenship when registering to vote.…