In the first six months of 2019, Florida has seen record tourism numbers according to new figures from Visit Florida and the governor’s office. 

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced on Thursday that almost 69 million tourists visited the Sunshine State during the first half of the year, beating the record high figure from last year by 5.6 percent. Most of those tourists--61.2 million--are Americans while 2.4 million came from Canada and 5.2 million from overseas. 

DeSanits noted how the state’s economy continues to rely on tourism.  

Biscayne Bay, known in Miami-Dade as "the crown jewel of our environment," is "at a tipping point" and gasping for life, according to a 33-page grand jury report released last week. “Without corrective action, the declining quality of this body of water may become irreversible.”

The grand jury, convened by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, began its work last November.

The Coalition for Jewish Values (CJV), representing more than 1,000 traditional rabbis in matters of public policy, on Friday condemned the planned “Never Again Action Noise Rally” intended to disrupt operations at private prison contractor GEO in Boca Raton Monday. GEO is a federal contractor that helps process undocumented immigrants entering the United States. 

On Monday, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the state government has awarded almost  $13 million on Florida Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan for agricultural producers in North Florida hit by Hurricane Michael back in October.  

DeSantis announced more than 70 applications have been approved from farmers in Bay, Calhoun, Franklin, Gadsden, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, Jefferson, Leon, Liberty, Okaloosa, Wakulla, Walton and Washington Counties.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday announced the appointments of 11 "expert researchers and leading scientists" to the recently re-organized Red Tide Task Force.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday his administration is ready to embrace Florida's transportation future and will add new electric vehicle (EV) charging stations to Florida's Turnpike service plazas statewide. 

Joined by Florida Department of Transportation Kevin J. Thibault at Florida’s Turnpike headquarters at Turkey Lake Plaza, DeSantis explained the state will add seven new EV charging stations from Miami to Daytona Beach along the busy north-to-south-running turnpike corridor. He spoke with reporters about how the new EV stations will benefit residents and visitors.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday $16.2 million in awards for 24 small and rural communities across the state through the Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program. The program, administered by the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity (DEO), helps communities fund infrastructure improvements and housing rehabilitation.

The Florida Small Cities Community Development Block Grant program is a partnership between the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and DEO.

Prominent Orlando attorney John Morgan announced Monday in Miami the formal launch of Florida for a Fair Wage, a campaign to raise the minimum wage in Florida via a 2020 citizens-initiated ballot initiative. 

The evidence is undeniable: Some 97 percent of the water coming into Lake Okeechobee from the north -- particularly from the Kissimmee area -- show the lake's contaminated water originates on the highly developed northwest side of the Everglades' headwaters. And this has been devastating to so much of  Florida life, particularly to our too-lightly regarded coral reefs.

The U.S. Department of Labor announced this week it will be send $7.5 million in Reentry Project grants to the Sunshine State. 

The grants will go to programs helping former criminals who have been imprisoned and are now reentering society and the workforce, including grants for former prisoners between the ages of 18-24 who have not graduated from high school.