Florida fined its largest Medicaid payment vendor nearly $9.1 million over software problems that delayed payments for nearly three months for tens of thousands of health-care claims for the state’s sickest and neediest children, the government’s health regulator said Wednesday. In a letter to the CEO of Sunshine State Health …
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The state senator who proposed a bill to catalog and restore abandoned African American cemeteries across Florida said she is disappointed the legislation died in the just-ended session at the Capitol but isn’t giving up the fight. Sen. Janet Cruz, D- Tampa, said she was very frustrated her bill was …
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When Laura Edwards wanted to furnish her classroom with cubbies featuring clear drawers so her students could see what’s inside, she didn’t have to worry about pulling money from her own pocket for the purchase. She also didn’t have to worry about having enough funds to ensure that each student …
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A leading advocate for abandoned Black cemeteries sharply criticized Florida lawmakers for killing a bill that would have helped identify, protect and restore burial grounds across the state. “I want to know, many of these legislators, where are they from?” asked Gloria Jefferson Anderson, who is leading the cemetery restoration …
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Florida wildlife officials have now killed a nearly 12-foot alligator that swam within inches of a frightened paddleboarder in a popular state park during an encounter in September recorded on video that went viral. The male alligator – 11 feet, 10 inches long – was shot in the head one …
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The Florida Senate on Tuesday gave final passage to a bill that would restrict classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity and the measure now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to sign it. The Parental Rights in Education bill – what critics have labeled the “Don’t …
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A bill with bipartisan support aimed at protecting college students by increasing penalties against those who sexually assault intoxicated victims is dying as Florida’s legislative session comes to a close. The measure would have raised the penalty for raping a woman who had become drunk at a bar while celebrating …
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TAMPA, Fla. – Environmental advocates are encouraged that a bill to open Florida’s seagrass beds to development – which could be devastating for the dwindling manatee population – has only a slim chance of passing the Legislature this session. “We would be destroying what little seagrass we have left in …
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For the first time, out-of-state applicants to universities across Florida are finding out whether they will be among 350 students who will save tens of thousands of dollars with in-state tuition under a new law rewarding them as grandchildren of residents here. The tuition discounts are the result of a …
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For over 25 years, Gloria Jefferson Anderson researched her father’s side of the family, trying to figure out what happened to her ancestors once slavery ended. “When I found out where my father’s people were on the plantation – the next question was, ‘Well, where are these people buried?” said …
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WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville