Gov. DeSantis says Biden vaccine mandate for big companies โis absolutely going downโ
Gov. Ron DeSantis, an outspoken critic of the Biden administration and its COVID-19 policies who is eyeing a presidential run in 2024, was in Jacksonville Thursday and said he doesnโt believe the new rules will stick, adding โFlorida will be responding.โ
Florida House committee weighs new rules for voting by mail
FILE - In this Oct. 26, 2020, file photo, an election worker sorts vote-by-mail ballots at the Miami-Dade County Board of Elections, in Doral, Florida. AdThe Senate is considering its own changes to how vote-by-mail ballots are handled, including the banning of drop boxes. In the coming week, the House floor will take up a measure already passed by the Senate โ but itโs unclear how the House will handle that proposal. It could decide to abandon its own two-pronged approach, which carves out a separate bill for health care providers, and instead adopt the single Senate bill to address what proponents fear could be a proliferation of frivolous COVID-related lawsuits. AdAnother controversial measure the House is taking up is the so-called anti-riot bill, which comes up this week for final debate in the chamber.
Macy's closes out a tough year with hope for 2021
The department store chain said Tuesday, Feb. 23 it anticipates 2021 as a recovery and rebuilding year as the company sets a foundation for growth. Still, the department store defended its physical store business, noting that online sales are two to three times higher in markets with Macy's stores. Macy's and other department stores are being threatening on multiple levels. โIt could have been a terrible year for Macyโs," Jeff Gennette, Macy's CEO, told analysts on the earnings call Tuesday. It said 25% of Macy's online sales were fulfilled in its stores.
Bill changing vote-by-mail ballot rules sparks debate in Florida Senate
โThis bill gives vote-by-mail security and choice,โ Baxley said before his committee voted 5-4 to approve the measure. โThis is a good bill. Under current law, Floridiansโ vote-by-mail ballot requests are good for the years including the next two general elections. For instance, if a person requests a vote-by-mail ballot this year, the request would be good for all elections through 2022. The effect would be that people would have to request vote-by-mail ballots more often.
President Trump meets with rap star Lil Wayne in Florida
DORAL, Fla. โ President Donald Trump met Thursday with rap star Lil Wayne at his resort in Doral, Florida. The artist posted a tweet praising the president for his efforts at โcriminal justice reformโ and other efforts to bolster the African American community. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany says White House officials have been speaking to Lil Wayneโs team for some time, and it culminated with Thursdayโs meeting when the president campaigned in Florida. She said, โI think youโre seeing a lot of supporters come off the sidelines and want to joint president in a second term.โWhile Joe Biden is expected to win the vast majority of Black voters in next weekโs election, Trump has courted them and hopes to shave into Democrats' historic advantage in the community. The meeting with Lil Wayne comes after the White House publicized Trump holding sit-downs with other prominent black artists 50 Cent and Ice Cube.
Judge denies motion to extend Florida's voter registration
Ramiro Saez, left, helps his son Lucas Saez, 22, fill out a voter registration form, Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020, at the Miami-Dade County Elections Department in Doral, Fla. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis extended the state's voter registration deadline after heavy traffic crashed the state's online system and potentially prevented thousands of enrolling to cast ballots in next month's presidential election. (AP Photo/Wilfredo Lee)TALLAHASSEE, Fla. โ A federal judge has denied a motion to extend voter registration in Florida even though a computer meltdown on the final day of registration might have prevented thousands of potential voters from taking part in Novemberโs presidential election. โWeโre disappointed that so many Floridians were disenfranchised because of the stateโs failure to upkeep the online voter registration system,โ Cabrera said. Floridaโs online voter registration system serves the stateโs 67 counties and became operational in October 2017.
Server configuration caused Florida voter registration crash
Secretary of State Laurel Lee issued a statement late Tuesday saying it does not appear that bad actors caused Monday's collapse of registration system. Monday's trouble with the voter registration website stoked concern, but there was relief that the cause was far less sinister. Its site would send Floridians to the stateโs registration website. The statewide voter registration system, which serves Floridaโs 67 counties, went online in October 2017. โThe online voter registration site failed because it was designed to fail,โ Holder said.
Florida governor extends voter registration after site crash
FILE - In this May 14, 2020, file photo, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks at a news conference in Doral, Fla. DeSantis is extending the states voter registration deadline that expired Monday, Oct. 5 until 7 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Oct. 6 after heavy traffic crashed the states online system and potentially prevented thousands of enrolling to cast ballots in next months presidential election. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky, File)
As campaign heats up, Trump woos Latino, Black voters
He courted Hispanic voters near Miami and Black voters in Atlanta. โThis is an unusual name for an organization whose ideology and tactics are right now destroying many Black lives,โ Trump charged. On Friday morning, at his golf club in Doral, Florida, Trump tried to blunt Bidenโs support among Hispanic voters at a โLatinos for Trumpโ roundtable. But a Monmouth University poll also conducted this month found Biden well ahead of Trump among Latino voters in the state, 58% to 32%. Hispanic voters in Florida tend to be somewhat more Republican-leaning than Hispanic voters nationwide because of the stateโs Cuban American population, which Trump acknowledged several times in his remarks.
Furloughs becoming layoffs at Trump resort in South Florida
DORAL, Fla. Some furloughs at a Trump golf resort in South Florida are becoming permanent layoffs. A notice that the Trump National Doral Miami filed with the State of Florida last week says it is permanently laying off 250 workers out of 560 employees who were furloughed in March. Back in March, the Miami-area resort along with other nonessential businesses in Florida closed to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. While some parts of the resort have reopened, other parts of the resort will be closed or have limited operations for some time, said David Feder, managing director of the resort, in a letter to state and local officials. Last month, President Donald Trumps private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida said it was temporarily laying off 153 workers because of the new coronavirus.
Furloughs becoming layoffs at Trump resort in South Florida
DORAL, Fla. Some furloughs at a Trump golf resort in South Florida are becoming permanent layoffs. A notice that the Trump National Doral Miami filed with the State of Florida last week says it is permanently laying off 250 workers out of 560 employees who were furloughed in March. Back in March, the Miami-area resort along with other nonessential businesses in Florida closed to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. While some parts of the resort have reopened, other parts of the resort will be closed or have limited operations for some time, said David Feder, managing director of the resort, in a letter to state and local officials. Last month, President Donald Trumps private Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida said it was temporarily laying off 153 workers because of the new coronavirus.