A sophisticated voice-identity technology used to monitor prisoners and inmates across Florida and elsewhere is so secretive and controversial that its manufacturer urged government agencies to coordinate with its public relations office before responding to inquiries from news organizations, a Fresh Take Florida investigation found.
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Florida considered paying $250,000 to a former used car salesman in Kansas – with tax liens and a history of bankruptcy, failed business ventures, legal problems and millions of dollars in past-due debts over the last decade – to develop new digital license plate technology for cars and trucks in the Sunshine State.
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Dermatologists disagree with a Senate bill prohibiting the sale of sunscreen containing chemicals that could pose a threat to coral reefs. Similar bills have already been passed by Hawaii's state legislature and The Key West City Commission.
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Republicans will hold a primary on April 9. The general election won’t take place until June 18, meaning the legislative session from March 5 to May 3 won’t have House representation for parts of the Panhandle that suffered the most from Hurricane Michael.
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Florida is preparing a new statewide ban on the practice by fishermen along the state’s iconic beaches of dumping bloody fish guts into the ocean to lure sharks closer to shore – and possibly closer to swimmers and waders. Land-based anglers say the ban threatens long traditions of shark fishing and penalizes fishermen who can’t afford their own boats or expensive charters.
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A pair of controversial bills introduced in the Florida Legislature aim to ban women from attaining an abortion when a fetus’ heartbeat is detected. The “heartbeat bill,” as it is commonly known, seeks to ban abortions at the time when a fetus' heartbeat can be detected with a vaginal ultrasound. That can be as early as 5 1/2 to 6 weeks after gestation.
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The political donors who contributed thousands of dollars to elect freshman Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini are sticking by the Republican lawmaker, despite criticism over a photo of him wearing blackface more than a decade ago.
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WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville
