Latest news with #Floridians
Miami Herald
35 minutes ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
‘Living on pins and needles.' Second rescue flight from Israel lands in Florida
A second rescue flight carrying Floridians and other Americans stranded in Israel amid the ongoing conflict with Iran landed in Tampa early Friday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said. 'There are going to be more folks that are going to be rescued,' said DeSantis, calling the evacuation missions the 'most logistically challenging rescues' the state has done during his time as governor. This is 'an ongoing effort.' The state is working with several groups, including Tampa-based and veteran-led Grey Bull Rescue, to coordinate evacuation and rescue efforts as commercial flights to and from Israel are halted. Florida Sen. Jay Collins from Tampa, a retired Green Beret, is in Israel assisting the rescue group with the evacuation efforts. So far, Florida has flown over 300 people and 'we have put on a passenger ferry over 1,000 more,' said Kevin Guthrie, executive director of Florida's Division of Emergency Management, which oversees the state's response to hurricanes and other disasters. The people rescued have included families, veterans and college students. Guthrie said state officials and the rescue groups would not discuss logistic details of the rescue operations, citing safety issues for the people being evacuated and the rescuers. What a Broward man says about the rescue Broward County resident Josh Hammer, a Newsweek senior editor-at-large and host of 'The Josh Hammer Show' podcast, was one of many who arrived early Friday to Tampa. Hammer, who lives in Hallandale Beach, went to Israel about a week and half ago with his family and 6-month old baby girl to attend a family wedding. Then the airstrikes began. We were 'living on pins and needles for the sirens to go off,' with just '90 seconds to two minutes' to run into a bomb shelter, he said. 'The whole week has just been a total blur,' Hammer said at a Friday news conference. 'I feel like I'm not even here right now, physically.' Hammer shared more of his family's harrowing experience on the social media site X, which included crossing the border into Jordan and flying to Cyprus, an island nation in the Mediterranean Sea, before finally boarding a flight to Florida. 'Suffice it to say this was not the trip we had in mind. The past week has been absolutely crazy — especially with a six-month-old baby girl,' he said his post. 'None of this has been easy, to put it mildly. We will have some crazy stories for our daughter one day. Her first official passport stamp, humorously, is Jordan, since Israel doesn't stamp passports anymore.' Earlier this week, the U.S. State Department raised its travel advisory for Israel to Level 4, its highest level, and is warning U.S. citizens to not travel to the country 'due to armed conflict, terrorism, and civil unrest.' The West Bank and Gaza are also under the 'Do Not Travel' Level 4 advisory. This is the second time the DeSantis administration has helped get stranded Floridians out of Israel during conflict in the Middle East. In 2023, during the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the state helped fly out nearly 700 Americans from Israel. Florida is directing Americans who need help to get out of Israel to fill out a form at
Miami Herald
3 hours ago
- Climate
- Miami Herald
Should you stay in a high-rise in a storm? Tape windows? 5 hurricane takeaways
South Florida Should you stay in a high-rise in a storm? Tape windows? 5 hurricane takeaways This collection of stories informs readers about hurricane preparedness, focusing on safety measures and essential supplies. Articles explore the safety of staying in Miami high-rises during a storm and debunk myths about taping windows for protection. Kevin Guthrie, a Florida emergency management director, stresses the importance of checking a building's structural integrity before deciding to stay through a hurricane. Another story highlights emergency contacts and evacuation zones in Miami, Broward and the Keys, emphasizing the role of local authorities. Practical steps like organizing essential documents and avoiding common mistakes during storms provide valuable insights. Finally, a guide explains the cost of preparing a hurricane kit, encouraging Floridians to plan ahead with non-perishable food and suitable supplies. Read the stories below. This file photo from Nov. 9, 2022, shows a Surfside beachgoer watching the breaking surf as Tropical Storm Nicole moved toward Florida. The weekend of Feb. 3-5, 2023, will not bring a tropical storm. But the scene could look as wet as storm chances are 70% in South Florida, with a forecast of gusty winds nearing 30 mph and thunderstorms. By Carl Juste NO. 1: IS IT SAFE TO STAY IN YOUR MIAMI HIGH-RISE DURING A TROPICAL STORM OR HURRICANE? WHAT TO KNOW Not every building is the same. | Published May 31, 2024 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante A satellite image of Hurricane Idalia, a Category 3, headed toward Florida in 2023. NO. 2: DON'T BE STUPID IN A STORM. HERE ARE STEPS TO AVOID DAMAGE AND INJURIES IN A HURRICANE Avoid these common mistakes. | Published May 29, 2024 | Read Full Story by Howard Cohen Key West resident Pedro Lara takes a selfie in front of the Southernmost Point marker as waves from Hurricane Irma crash over the wall, September 9, 2017. By CHARLES TRAINOR JR NO. 3: DO YOU NEED HELP IN A HURRICANE? WHAT TO DO AND WHO TO CONTACT IN MIAMI, BROWARD, KEYS Here are resources in a weather emergency. | Published June 1, 2024 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante A satellite image of Hurricane Milton ahead of a Florida landfall in October 2024 NO. 4: WHAT'S A TROPICAL STORM WATCH? A HURRICANE WARNING? THE CONE? SEE FOR YOURSELF How to make sense of all those weather terms. | Published May 22, 2025 | Read Full Story by Michelle Marchante A pile of emergency preparation, natural disaster supplies including: checklist, flashlight, first aid kit, lantern, water bottles, canned goods, can opener, radio, backpack, batteries. When it's hurricane season it's best to be prepared. By fstop123 NO. 5: HOW MUCH WILL A HURRICANE KIT COST? SEE PRICES AS YOU GET READY FOR STORM SEASON Prepare and avoid panic buying. You'll save money and your sanity. | Published May 29, 2025 | Read Full Story by Howard Cohen The summary above was drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories listed were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
Out-of-state students could face tuition hikes at Florida universities
Out-of-state students attending Florida universities could see a 10 percent increase in tuition this fall and an additional hike the following school year, under a rule unanimously adopted by the state university system's Board of Governors on Wednesday. Tuition hikes for out-of-state students would have to be approved by university boards of trustees, and schools would have to maintain their current ratio of in-state students to out-of-state students. If increases are approved for the 2025-2026 school year, they would be the first tuition hikes in more than a decade for out-of-state students, according to documents distributed before Wednesday's Board of Governors vote. None of the state's 12 universities has raised tuition since 2012, and Florida State University hasn't had an increase since 2004, the documents said. Florida has the nation's third-lowest tuition and fees for out-of-state students, at an average of $21,690 in 2023-2024. That was about 28 percent lower than the national average of $30,140. Nearly 33,000 undergraduate students from outside the state — about 12 percent of all students — attend Florida's public universities. Roughly 25,000 of the state's 76,000 graduate students, or 33 percent, are nonresidents. Board of Governors member Alan Levine, who proposed the increase, noted that 'our total cost of a degree is one of the lowest in the country for students.' Levine said in a text message to The News Service of Florida that the proposal would allow increases of up to 10 percent this fall and up to 15 percent in fall 2026, He said his 'strong suspicion is it will end up being less than 10% this year as trustees try to minimize impact on current students' A hike over two years would give out-of-state students more leeway to plan their finances, Levine suggested during the meeting. Florida law caps annual tuition increases for in-state and out-of-state students at 15 percent. 'We want to make sure we don't create sticker shock for students that are here currently,' Levine said. Maintaining ratios of in-state and out-of-state students would ensure that Floridians don't lose slots in schools to higher-paying applicants. 'We do not want to see universities raising their nonresident enrollment rates to increase revenues, particularly at the expense of in-state students,' Levine said. Tuition increases approved by university boards of trustees would have to be shared with university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues. An across-the-board 5 percent tuition increase for out-of-state undergraduate students at all of the state's universities would generate nearly $24.2 million annually, according to the document presented to the board. A 15 percent hike would bring an extra $72.5 million to the state. Tuition for out-of-state students varies throughout universities. For undergraduates, the University of South Florida offers the lowest per-credit hour rate for nonresidents, at $346.50. The University of Florida weighs in as the highest, at $707.21. The average statewide is $491.90. Board of Governors member Eric Silagy tried to link the proposed increases to part of Florida law that says tuition for out-of-state students should offset the cost of providing education to such students. Silagy said three schools in the system — New College of Florida, Florida A&M University and Florida Polytechnic University — don't meet the requirement. 'I don't think we should be allowing the board of trustees to go up to the maximum 15% because these three schools have an obligation, not a choice, an obligation, to be in compliance with state law,' Silagy said. Silagy, who has harshly criticized New College in the past, argued that schools where Florida taxpayers are 'subsidizing' out-of-state students shouldn't be allowed to increase the number of nonresident students. According to Silagy, the state is spending more than $82,000 per student for New College, which has 802 students, including 90 who aren't Florida residents. As a comparison, the state spends roughly $19,000 per student at the University of Florida. Silagy's remarks drew fire from New College President Richard Corcoran, a former state House speaker who was recruited by Gov. Ron DeSantis to remake the Sarasota liberal-arts school into a conservative higher-education institution. Corcoran called Silagy's comparisons of New College to other Florida universities 'odious.' 'When we, the new board, came onto the scene, here's the rhetoric that we were told: 'Be the Hillsdale of the South. Grow your prestige to what you were in the past,'' Corcoran said, referring to the conservative Hillsdale College in Michigan.. New College is 'just not like the rest' of Florida's public universities, Corcoran argued. 'I mean, we took over an absolute failed institution, had it been not publicly funded, would have closed a decade ago, without question,' he said. 'The question is, do you want to build, for the Legislature and the governor, a world-class liberal-arts institution? If the answer is yes … we can't be graded or evaluated in that same context.'
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Florida attorney general, now held in contempt, should stop politicizing the job
'Fidelity to the rule of law can have no other meaning.' That's what U.S. District Judge Kathleen Williams wrote Tuesday when she found Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier in contempt of court for continuing to enforce an immigration law she blocked. Uthmeier was appointed to the job in February by Gov. Ron DeSantis. He swore an oath to uphold the law. But Uthmeier has chosen to put politics above the law. In April, Uthmeier issued a memo directing police agencies to ignore Williams' injunction blocking enforcement of Florida's new immigration law making it a crime for undocumented immigrants to enter the state. 'It is my view that no lawful, legitimate order currently impedes your agencies from continuing to enforce Florida's new illegal entry and reentry laws,' he wrote. The law, passed by the Republican Legislature, was signed by DeSantis earlier this year. A Tampa Bay Times analysis found that 25 people were arrested under the law — after the judge blocked enforcement. At least nine ended up in detention. 'Litigants cannot change the plain meaning of words as it suits them, especially when conveying a court's clear and unambiguous order,' Williams said in her contempt order. Williams could have fined Uthmeier or imposed a jail sentence, the Miami Herald reported. Instead, she ordered Uthmeier to 'file bi-weekly reports detailing whether any arrests, detentions, or law enforcement actions' have been made under the law. The first report is due July 1. It's unclear if Uthmeier will follow the judge's orders. But one thing is clear: Uthmeier has politicized the role of attorney general like no other in recent history. He shows no sign of stopping. Shortly after Williams' order, Uthmeier commented on X: 'If being held in contempt is what it costs to defend the rule of law and stand firmly behind President Trump's agenda on illegal immigration, so be it.' That leads to a question for voters: How will the state attorney general defend the rule of law while ignoring the ruling of a federal judge? This is the same man who, hours before being found in contempt, retweeted a video of U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar, a Democrat from Minnesota, criticizing President Donald Trump's military parade last Saturday and encouraging people to protest. He offered this comment: 'Denaturalize and Deport.' Omar is a favorite target for many Republicans but is the Florida attorney general saying he favors deporting a naturalized U.S. citizen and a sitting member of Congress based on her dissenting words? Uthemier seems more interested in scoring ideological points than serving Floridians and upholding the law. While carrying out DeSantis' agenda, he also appears to be auditioning for Trump's endorsement. Uthmeier is up for election in 2026. Floridians should take note. Uthmeier was appointed to the role of attorney general, and he is now campaigning to serve a full term. His current, shoot-from-the-hip conduct is an indication of what they can expect if he wins. Floridians need an attorney general who will uphold the law. There's an appropriate place to fight against unfair rulings — and that's in the courts, not on social media. Uthmeier should start by complying with Williams' order and filing the bi-weekly reports. He should also ensure the focus of his office is serving all Floridians, not just those in the governor's mansion and the White House. Williams is right. Fidelity to the rule of law isn't optional for the 'people's lawyer.' If Uthmeier is unable or doesn't want to meet that standard, voters should consider whether he's suited to serve a full term. Click here to send the letter.
Miami Herald
2 days ago
- Business
- Miami Herald
They talked big about making Florida more affordable, but lawmakers disappointed
Florida lawmakers had one big job this year and, with some exceptions, they failed at it: They didn't address the lack of affordability that's forcing people to leave the state, especially in expensive areas like South Florida. The passage of a $115 billion state budget this week marked the end of an unusually long and tense legislative session in which Senate and House leaders disagreed over funding matters. We're glad they came to a consensus, but 2025 did not turn out to be the year of affordability as advertised when the session began in early March. The Herald Editorial Board met with dozens of candidates, Republican and Democratic, ahead of last year's legislative elections. Back then, virtually all of them told us that the biggest concern they were hearing from voters was the exorbitant price of homeowners' insurance and housing. As the Editorial Board wrote on March 4: 'Lawmakers will return to their districts at the end of the two-month session and explain whether they have done enough to address what's behind the increased cost of living in Florida.' They will have a lot of explaining to do. To be fair, the Legislature did make disaster-relief sales-tax cuts year round and extended the back-to-school sales tax holiday for a full month, the Herald reported. These cuts will go into effect every year without the need for legislative approval. Lawmakers also eliminated the business-rent tax, which is supposed to help small businesses, and doubled the funding to address food insecurity. These measures will provide some relief for Floridians, but, as the Herald reported, most tax breaks passed this year actually went toward businesses, many of which have an army of lobbyists in Tallahassee. For example, lawmakers eliminated the aviation fuel tax, helping airlines, and reduced a tax on cardrooms operated by parimutuels. House Speaker Danny Perez, R-Miami, told the Herald that the sales tax holidays are a 'win' for consumers — 'I believe we batted 1,000,' he said. (Perez originally wanted to reduce the state's sales tax from 6% to 5.25% but that didn't make into the budget.) Perez and his colleagues are naive if they think their constituents will be satisfied. Even longtime homeowners cannot keep up with the cost of everything, especially, property insurance. A few years ago, the Legislature passed a reform package that made it harder to sue insurance companies, which said they were forced to pass their high legal costs onto consumers in the form of higher premiums. President Donald Trump once blasted the changes as a 'bailout' to insurers and even Perez hinted the reforms were a giveaway to the industry, the Herald reported. After years of instability, Florida's insurance market has stabilized with premium increases slowing down, but the crisis for homeowners is far from over and many are paying more than they can afford. Last November, the Herald reported that Republican leaders were surprising their colleagues with 'tough talk' on insurance companies and the affordability crisis. '[Floridians] don't want our state's insurance laws to be written by insurance companies,' Perez told the House. The political appetite for more accountability grew when, in March, the Herald/Times uncovered a 2022 study that found that insurance executives distributed $680 million in dividends to shareholders and diverted billions more to affiliate companies while justifying big premium increases to cover their losses. Perez even ordered legislative hearings to look into the issue. In the end, no meaningful comprehensive reform on the insurance industry passed, even though Republicans put forward proposals to demand more transparency on the compensation of insurance executives. That legislation died and would have, according to sponsors, sped up the insurance claims process and cooled rates. Lawmakers always have next year to tackle broader reforms. Caution, in some cases, is needed. Lawmakers, for example, did not try to eliminate property taxes as Gov. Ron DeSantis wanted, which would have wreaked havoc in local governments and public schools, choosing instead to study the proposal. The real issue making Florida increasingly too expensive for those who aren't millionaires remains the cost of owning a home and insuring it. That hasn't changed. Floridians need meaningful reforms ASAP. Click here to send the letter.
