U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and other members of Florida’s congressional delegation on Thursday backed Gov. Ron DeSantis’ statement that election records in two unidentified counties were hacked by Russians during the 2016 campaign.

But questions continue to linger.

Scott, who was governor from 2011 to early this year, said in a statement that he --- like DeSantis --- is unable to reveal the counties. The inability to identify the counties has upset lawmakers from both parties.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla.. teamed up with U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo.,  on Thursday to offer a bill that would let federal employees work with  the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) efforts.

Scott showcased his support for Hawley’s “National Urban Search and Rescue Parity Act,” which also has the backing of U.S. Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., and U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-N.H. 

The Florida delegation met on Thursday to focus on agriculture in the Sunshine State. 

Most of the delegation, led by co-chairmen U.S. Rep. Vern Buchanan, R-Fla., and U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Fla., were attended the meeting, focusing on trade policy with Mexico, disaster relief and citrus greening.  

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, Florida Farm Bureau Federation President John Hoblick,  Florida Fruit and Vegetable Association President Mike Joyner and Alan Shelby, the executive vice president of the  Florida Forestry Association spoke at the meeting. 

More than a year after the Florida Legislature passed gun restrictions, a Leon County circuit judge has dismissed a lawsuit that alleged a ban on “bump stocks” was an unconstitutional taking of property.

Judge Ronald Flury last week issued a 12-page ruling that sided with the state in the dispute stemming from a law passed after the February 2018 mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland.

Florida is grappling with an outbreak of hepatitis A but does not have a top health officer at the agency charged with ensuring the public’s health.

More than four months after Gov. Ron DeSantis took office, the Florida Department of Health does not have a secretary. DeSantis’ nominee --- Scott Rivkees --- continues to serve as chairman of the University of Florida College of Medicine Department of Pediatrics and as physician in chief of UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital, according to UF Health spokeswoman Melanie Ross.

Talk about bitter ironies.  Today, at the same time beaten-down VISIT FLORIDA was approving a $3.65 million payroll cut and a cut of $17.8 million in strategic marketing -- Florida's tourism-marketing arm was making a different kind of headline. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced this morning that Florida broke an all-time record for visitation during the first quarter of 2019, with 35.7 million people visiting the Sunshine State from January to March. We're looking at a 5.8 percent increase from the first quarter of 2018.

U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio’, R-Fla.,  continues to champion a bill that extends the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Counterterrorism Advisory Board (CTAB)  and it gained steam on Capitol Hill this week. 

At the end of 2017, Rubio, U.S. Sen. Maggie Hassan, D-NH, and U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., brought out the “Counterterrorism Advisory Board Authorization Act." While the House passed its version of the bill, Rubio did not get his proposal across the finish line. The proposal codifies the CTAB, which was created in 2010, for another two years. 

The Seminole Tribe of Florida made good on threats Tuesday by telling Gov. Ron DeSantis it is quitting a long-standing revenue-sharing agreement with the state after negotiations on a new gambling deal went nowhere this spring.

U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., teamed up with U.S. Sen. Mike Braun, R-Ind., to propose major changes to the federal political system including a line item veto for the president, term limits in Congress and requiring a super-majority in Congress to raise taxes. 

Scott and Braun showcased their “Make Washington Work” plan on Tuesday. Besides the amendments, Scott and Braun unveiled a bill to end automatic congressional pay raises. 

Two Florida counties were hacked by Russians prior to the 2016 elections, but there was no “manipulation” of voting results, Gov. Ron DeSantis told reporters Tuesday morning.

DeSantis said the FBI recently briefed the governor and other members of his administration on what he called an “intrusion” into the two unidentified counties.