Welcome to

Before Thursday’s vote by the state Board of Education on school mask mandates, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture held an event to say mask mandates in schools do work and that she had compiled case numbers from 33 school districts to prove it.

The data complied by Nikki Fried comes from 33 local school district dashboards.

She said districts without mask mandates had 3.5 times as many cases as those that required masks from the start.

“This is indisputable evidence, as if we already didn’t know, that masks work,” said Fried.

Our analysis of the 30 districts with complete data sets, found 4.7 percent of students contracted COVID since the start of the school year in districts with no mask mandate or that allowed parents to opt-out.

That’s compared to 2.2 percent in districts with strict mask mandates.

The numbers suggest mask mandates cut case rates in half.

There are 2.7 million students in the state.

Taking our findings to their logical extreme, nearly 127,000 students would have gotten COVID if there were no school mask mandates at all, compared to only about 60,000 if there had been a universal mask mandate.

“Ron DeSantis is lying to you about masks in schools,” said Fried.

But the Governor’s Office called the reliability of Fried’s data into question, pointing out there’s no way of verifying whether reported infections actually happened within a school.

They noted that the data doesn’t adjust for vaccination rates, previous infection rates or community infection rates.

The Governor’s Office also highlighted that new cases among school aged children and cases reported by districts have fallen drastically since school started.

The decline has been virtually identical regardless of school district masking policies.

We requested a full comparison of COVID infection rates in all 67 school districts from the Governor’s Office, but we have so far not received the data.

A group calling itself “Sensible Florida” is back with a new constitutional amendment to legalize marijuana on the 2022 ballot.

It comes after the state Supreme Court threw two amendments off the ballot.

Because of the previous decisions the latest effort is the simple, it just allows people to grow their own.

Eighteen states, two territories, and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana.

Sensible Florida filed its new amendment in mid-September.

It also raised $121,000 during the month.

Organizer Michael Minardi said the money was used to mail petitions to voters.

“Well over 466,000 petitions were sent out, and we’ll be launching another mail campaign within the next couple weeks,” said Minardi.

Unlike past efforts that have run afoul of the state Supreme Court over terms like ‘limiting use’ or not telling voters marijuana is still illegal at the federal level, this effort simply allows adults to grow up to nine plants or a max of 18 per household.

“This is ultimately for the benefit of the people because it allows them to take their health and wellness back into their hands. It allows them to be able to not be afraid of getting arrested,” said Minardi.

In the past, marijuana amendments have been opposed in court by the Florida Chamber.

“If this latest paid petition proposal achieves the required signatures for judicial review, the Florida Chamber’s Litigation & Regulatory Reform Center will review its available options to keep Florida, Florida, and ensure efforts to utilize ballot initiatives to circumvent the appropriate legislative process are unsuccessful,” said Mark Wilson, CEO of the Florida Chamber of Commerce.

Minardi believes just one to three percent will actually grow their own marijuana, but this amendment doesn’t set up a retail market.

Creating that retail market would be up to the Legislature.

“You know, really, this helps a lot of patients that have trouble affording medication, even having trouble affording doctors as well, as exploring opening up the market to legal sales,” said Minardi.

The campaign is on a short timetable.

So far it has no verified signatures, and it needs more than 891,000 by the first of February.

Vaccinations saved the lives of an estimated 2,400 Floridians aged 65 an older between January and May of this year according to a new report published by the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Health care groups point to it as evidence the state’s ‘Seniors First’ vaccine rollout strategy paid off.

The HHS report ranked Florida fourth in the total number of estimated elderly lives saved, behind only California, Texas and New York.

“Florida absolutely stood out,” said Florida Hospital Association CEO Mary Mayhew.

Mayhew said Florida was a leader when it came to prioritizing the elderly for vaccinations.

“Governor DeSantis made clear that our number one priority to deploy the vaccine was for our elderly population,” said Mayhew.

When asked for a reaction to the HHS report, Christina Pushaw, the Governor’s Press Secretary sent us an emailed statement.

“Although COVID-19 can infect people of all ages, an 85-year-old (on average) is 570 times more likely to die from a COVID-19 infection than a 25-year-old (on average). This is why Governor DeSantis prioritized vaccines for Seniors First, from the very beginning of the vaccine rollout – and the CDC ultimately changed its guidelines to reflect the same approach Governor DeSantis chose based on the science and empirical evidence,” said Pushaw.

While the HHS estimates don’t include the latest Delta surge, Kristen Knapp with the Florida Health Care Association said the state’s efforts to prioritize longterm care facilities for vaccination kept nursing home cases and deaths low despite the dramatic rise in community spread.

“We know it’s the safest way not only to protect our residents, but protect ourselves against this virus,” said Knapp.

Mayhew also credited early treatment efforts for protecting seniors during the Delta surge.

“It played a significant role,” said Mayhew.

The Governor’s Office told us it estimates as many as 84,000 hospital admissions were avoided thanks to monoclonal antibody treatments.

“And that’s the kind of infrastructure that we’ve got to have at the ready, to the extent that we see a future surge,” said Mayhew.

The Florida Hospital Association emphasized encouraging younger Floridians get vaccinated at higher rates will help reduce the severity of a future case spike.

The Florida Health Care Association said its next focus will be administering booster shots to the state’s longterm care residents.

The number of school districts facing sanctions at Thursday’s State board of Education meeting over the districts’ mask policies is now down to nine.

Two districts, Sarasota and Hillsborough waited until the 11th hour before changing policies to allow parents to opt their children out of mask requirements.

https://youtu.be/IsSJ6wT55-k

Hillsborough County School Board members got an earful from parents Tuesday.

“We the people expect you to uphold the highest standards when it comes to parental rights,” said parent Elizabeth Thomas.

The board voted 6-1 to stop requiring a medical certificate and instead allow parents to opt out with an online form.

The move is expected to stop the state board from withholding thousands of dollars in school board salaries.

“So we have seen like a 93 percent decrease in the positive cases,” said Hillsborough Superintendent Addison Davis.

Davis told us it’s money the district could not lose.

“There are financial penalties that come with making decisions and where we are as an organization, we just don’t have the ability to lose any dollar and and cent,” said Davis.

A total of four districts have now backed down on their mask mandates.

Lee and Volusia backed down before the first fines were levied.

But there are still nine counties facing the loss of board salaries.

Alaucha and Broward also stand to lose over a half million dollars the Biden Administration sent to offset money lost in previous sanctions.

Alaucha Superintendent Dr. Carlee Simon argued the state’s energy could be better spent.

“We have significant needs in our school system that have been in the present situation with COVID as well as decades prior to. I would appreciate a focus on educating our children and less on punishing school districts,” said Simon.

The State Board meets Thursday at one pm by phone.

It’s a public meeting, so you can listen in by dialing 1-800-368-1029, passcode 380771.

The meeting is also being streamed on TheFloridaChannel.org.

Some top Florida Republican lawmakers have now said they’d support constitutional carry legislation in the upcoming session.

The policy would allow all legal gun owners to carry firearms without a concealed weapons license.

The constitutional carry legislation was filed by the Legislature’s most outspoken conservative member, Representative Anthony Sabatini.

“Our very liberal Republican Speaker Chris Sprowls has gotten tens of thousands of emails from gun groups,” said Sabatini.

The policy is split into two bills.

The first would allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons without a license.

“You don’t have to go ask the government for permission,” said Sabatini.

The second would allow for open carry.

“You shouldn’t have the duty to hide your firearm if you’ve done nothing wrong,” said Sabatini.

Democratic Representative Anna Eskamani argued constitutional carry would make Florida more dangerous place to live, because you’d no longer have to take safety courses to carry a firearm in public.

“That’s really scary,” said Eskamani.

Eskamani said she’s doubtful Sabatini’s bills will get a hearing, due to his strained relationship with the House Speaker.

“Sabatini does not have a lot of leverage within the chamber,” said Eskamani.

But recently top brass in the Senate indicated they would support constitutional carry legislation, including Senate Majority Leader Debbie Mayfield.

“I support constitutional carry. That is one of the things that we will probably be looking at this session because it is important,” said Mayfield in a Legislative Delegation meeting last week.

Florida GOP Chair and State Senator Joe Gruters said he might support constitutional carry, but doesn’t want to see assault weapons openly carried on beaches.

“Because I think that would adversely impact Florida’s tourism economy,” said Gruters.

While there seems to be some support for constitutional carry legislation in the Senate, a bill hasn’t yet been filed in the chamber.

Republicans may be weary of pursing such a controversial policy in an election year.

Twenty one states currently have some form of a constitutional carry law on the books.

The Florida Supreme Court is being asked to interpret state law for a Federal Court, which is hearing a challenge to a five percent convenience fee Florida’s largest provider of red light cameras has been adding to red light violations.

If the court sides with red light runners, millions could be on the table for refunds.

There are just over 500 active red light cameras in Florida.

Notices of violation sent to motorists cost a flat $158, but American Traffic Solutions, which provides cameras to 31 jurisdictions, has also been adding a five percent fee to anyone using a credit card to pay.

South Florida resident Steven Pincus has chosen to fight the $7.90 add on.

His attorney Bret Lusskin argued to the Florida Supreme Court it’s not allowed by state law.

“State law says you can not add any additional fees, fines, surcharges, or costs,” said Lusskin.

But Justices seemed skeptical.

“The choice to make an electronic payment is entirely voluntary,” said Chief Justice Charles Canady.

American Traffic Solutions suggested paying the fee offered value.

“I don’t need to get my stamp, I don’t need to get my money order if that’s what it’s going to take. It’s done, and so there is real benefit here,” said ATS attorney Joseph Lang.

ATS did admit it does make a profit on the fee, even after paying credit card processing costs.

After Tuesday’s hearing, their attorney declined to explain.

So why did the case get to federal court and now Florida’s high court over a $7.90 fee?

“The amount of the fine is a $158. That’s all they should be getting charged. And I think it’s unfair for a company to be overcharging people in this way,” said Lusskin.

If the Florida Supreme Court rules the fee was illegal it could lead to a class action suit, in which $30 million could eventually be available to some of the 8 million people cited so far by red light cameras.

Plaintiffs argue the profit from the fee is wrongful enrichment.

The court took the case under advisement.

It could take weeks or months to send the case back to Federal court, which could allow the case to go forward, or decide there is no case at all.

During her more than two and a half years as Florida’s First Lady, Casey DeSantis has fought for single mothers, better mental health for school students.

Now during breast cancer awareness month, she herself is fighting the disease.

The announcement came in an email from the Governor’s Office Monday.

The Governor called Casey the centerpiece of their family, adding she is facing the most difficult test of her life.

CDC Data shows 131,409 Florida women were diagnosed with breast cancer in 2018.

The rate of 438 per 100,000 is nearly four times higher than the national rate of 127 cases.

“Certainly breast cancer increases with age, so that is part of it,” said Dr. Shelby Blank, a surgeon with Tallahassee Memorial Hospital.

Dr. Blank told us there is always room for optimism.

“Aside from skin cancers, it’s the most commonly diagnosed cancer in women,” said Blank.

Terri Cariota is a retired police officer who got her diagnosis last week.

“I literally broke down in tears,” said Cariota.

She had this advice for the First Lady.

“Whatever her degree of breast cancer requires do it. Because health is certainly more important than physical appearance,” said Cariota.

We’ve been told the First Lady is being treated by doctors at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa.

Dr. Karen Russel, an oncologist at Tallahassee Memorial, said regular self examinations and early treatment are keys to survival.

“Still seeing a ton of women with, I’ve only had my breast cancer a month. Well, we know its been there for longer because of the lack of screening in the year of COVID 2020,” said Russel.

Regular screening is important to detection.

Cariota only got screened because she got a call from her insurer saying she was overdue.

Also in the Monday release, the Governor called his wife a true fighter and said she will never, never, never give up.

A new poll shows that if a presidential primary were held now, Governor Ron DeSantis and Former President Donald Trump would be virtually tied.

However, the Governor and Former President have downplayed the prospect of a DeSantis Presidential run in 2024 in recent days.

The latest comments put a damper on a common line of attack DeSantis has faced from his likely 2022 opponents.

Both Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried and Congressman Charlie Crist have repeatedly suggested if Governor Ron DeSantis were to win re-election, he’d resign and run for President in 2024.

“He’s running for President in 2024 and he’s forgetting Florida in 2022,” said Crist at a Democratic event in September.

“And then if he was to be successful, he’d be leaving halfway through his four-year term,” said Fried in a June interview.

Appearing on FOX News last Thursday, DeSantis said his focus is on Florida.

“I’m not considering doing anything beyond doing my job,” said DeSantis.

In a Yahoo Finance interview Sunday, the Former President had this to say about a potential DeSantis-Trump face off in 2024.

“I don’t think I will face him, because I don’t see that if I did it. I don’t see that. I think most people would drop out. I think he would drop out,” said Trump.

Chairman of Chairs for the Florida Republican Party Evan Power told us it’s no surprise DeSantis has attracted rumors of a Presidential run.

“What he’s done in Florida is made Florida model for the nation. And I think he’s invested as much as anything into selling how Florida has won. That of course makes him a national leader,” said Power.

As for the rumors of a potential Presidential-run working against the Governor in 2022; Republicans say they aren’t worried.

“I think it’s kind of a comical strategy for Democrats, cause they’re basically saying our Governor is doing such a great job that he’ll probably become President,” said Power.

Another idea that has been floated is the prospect of a Trump DeSantis ticket in 2024.

It’s a possibility former President Trump has said he’d be open to.

When asked about the possibility of a potential Presidential run, the Governor’s Office referred us to a response DeSantis gave in early September.

“All the speculation about me is purely manufactured. I just do my job… I hear all this stuff and honestly, it’s nonsense. So, you know, I don’t really know what to say to rumors,” said DeSantis.

The space industry is booming in Florida and NASA’s Chief administrator says it’s only going to grow in the coming years.

Former US Senator Bill Nelson talked moon landings, Mars and commercial space development at a meeting of the Florida Economics Club Friday afternoon.

Floridians in the North Eastern part of the state were startled Thursday night by a sonic boom produced as a Space X capsule returned to Earth.

Nelson told us it’s probably going to become a more common occurrence.

“All of those old abandoned launch pads from way back in the early space days, they’re all coming to life,” said Nelson.

Nelson said Florida’s space industry is booming as a whole, and it’s not slowing anytime soon.

“If you add it all up it’s about $4 billion a year of dollar impact in the State of Florida just from the space business,” said Nelson.

As recently as this week, plans were announced to build a new $300 million satellite manufacturing plant in Florida.

Nelson said to expect more where that came from.

“Because it’s economical for them to do the manufacturing of satellites, that they are then going to put up in space, right from the launch center,” said Nelson.

Nelson said in the not-so-distant future humans will be landing on the moon once a year and we’ll see a manned mission to Mars within the next 20-years.

“We are in a whole new era of space activity. We are going back to the moon. We’re going to learn on the moon what we need to know and within your lifetime we’re going to the planet Mars,” said Nelson.

Nelson said NASA plans to launch an unmanned mission to the moon early next year.

The agency has set a goal of sending the first woman and astronaut-of-color to the lunar surface by 2024.

One thing is certain, no matter what the future of space exploration holds, expect Florida to be at the center of it all.