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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — Top officials at a Florida school district ordered the removal of all books and material containing LBGTQ+ characters and themes from classrooms and campus libraries, saying that was needed to conform to a state law backed by Gov. The district later backed off a bit, allowing some exceptions for high school libraries. Political Cartoons View All 1185 ImagesThe school district did not respond to calls Wednesday from the AP seeking comment. But the group says Florida Department of Education officials are to blame for any district confusion or overreach. The school district issued a statement to Popular Information this week clarifying some of the superintendent and attorney's remarks, saying some material with LGBTQ+ themes or characters would still be available in high school libraries.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, “, Mark Vianello, Michael McKinley, ”, Read, McKinley Organizations: —, Gov, Charlotte, Florida Parental, Florida, Read, Associated Press, DeSantis, Republican, Walt Disney Co, Florida Department of Education, Vianello Locations: FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla, Florida, Fort Myers, Sarasota

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) — A 10-year-old Florida boy and his 11-year-old sister who were running away to California drove 200 miles (320 kilometers) in their mother's car before they were stopped by sheriff's deputies on an interstate highway, authorities said. The Alachua County Sheriff's Office says deputies spotted the sedan on Interstate 75 near Gainesville in north Florida just before 4 a.m. Thursday. The children's mother had reported it stolen and her children missing four hours earlier in North Port, a city in southwest Florida. The deputies, thinking that they were dealing with car thieves, drew their guns and ordered those inside the car to step out. Political Cartoons View All 1176 ImagesThe mother declined to press charges and the children were released to her.

Persons: sheriff's Organizations: Alachua County Sheriff's Locations: GAINESVILLE, Fla, Florida, California, Alachua County, Gainesville, North Port

☆ Car insurance rates just had their biggest annual jump in 47 years. This is why
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Elisabeth Buchwald | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

While that insurance is for a 2022 Porsche Taycan, even friends of his who drive lower-end models are paying more for car insurance, he told CNN. Yet he's seen his car insurance rates increase from $140 a month in 2020 to his current rate of $278 a month. Car insurance rates are increasing for a variety of reasonsTwo months ago, Nationwide notified Darnell Coates-Clark, 55, an EMT based in Baltimore, that he would be hit with a 33% increase in his car insurance. He acknowledged he doesn’t have “stellar credit,” which is known to impact car insurance rates. Darnell Coates-Clark saw his monthly car insurance rates double over the past two years.

Persons: Kyle Barone, Barone, didn’t, USAA, He’s, “, ”, hasn't, he's, haven’t, Darnell Coates, Clark, Coates, ’ ” Coates, hasn’t, Ryan Ankrom, Clark USAA, Andrew Femath, Stephen Crewdson, Hurricane Ian, Robert Passmore, Crewdson, ” Crewdson, Betsy Stella, Insurify, what’s, “ I’ve, “ I’m, I’ve Organizations: New, New York CNN, Volvo, CNN, Porsche Taycan, Norwegian Cruise Line, Kyle Barone Drivers, Sunshine State, Nationwide, P Global Market Intelligence, Casualty Insurance Association, National, Traffic Safety Administration Locations: New York, United States, Florida, Jacksonville , Florida, Tampa, Norwegian, Sunshine, Southwest Florida, Baltimore, Maryland, Hurricane

☆ Burmese pythons are being spotted farther and farther north in Florida and could reach other states, experts warn. 'It really does feel like an alien invasion,' one scientist said.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

How Burmese pythons got from Asia to FloridaThe first definitive recording of a Burmese python in the Florida Everglades was in 1979. "Then I just developed this mantra over the years of don't underestimate the Burmese python," he said. Pythons have invaded the Florida Everglades and proven a formidable invasive species that may never be fully eradicated. While state-regulated programs have removed over 13,700 snakes from the Florida Everglades, they're usually the ones found near roads and canal levees. The biggest question researchers need to answer is how many Burmese pythons are actually in Florida at the moment.

Persons: Donnie Darko, Donnie, Ian Bartoszek, Bartoszek, Melissa Miller, Miller, doesn't, would've, he's, Joe Raedle, They've Organizations: Service, Conservancy, States Geological Survey, University of Florida, The Conservancy Locations: Florida, Wall, Silicon, Southwest Florida, States, Asia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, The, Okeechobee, Pacific, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Canada, sawgrass

☆ Travelers say these are the best — and worst — airports in North America based on wait times for check-in, customs and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-12 | by ( Celia Fernandez | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Every one of the best airports in North America for wait times according to passengers is located in the U.S. The best airport in North America based on wait times: Southwest Florida International AirportThe Southwest Florida International Airport ranked No. The Portland International Airport ranked as the second best airport in North America, according to a Casago report. Nathan Howard | Getty Images News | Getty ImagesThe worst airport in North America based on wait times: Sangster International Airport in JamaicaThe Sangster International Airport is three miles east of Montego Bay, Jamaica. Daniel Slim | Afp | Getty ImagesThe 10 worst airports in North America based on wait times

Persons: Casago, Ronald Reagan Washington, Orlando Sanford, Nathan Howard, Shane Munroe, Daniel Slim Organizations: Southwest Florida International, Florida International Airport, Travel Lens, Google, Fort, Lens, Southwest Florida International Airport, Florida, Portland International, Detroit Metro, Tampa International, Northern Kentucky International, Durham International, Ronald Reagan Washington National, Nashville International, BNA, Orlando, Orlando Sanford International, Chicago Midway International, Centre for Aviation, Power, Associates, Portland International Airport, Getty, Sangster, Jamaica The Sangster, Sangster International, Jamaica Civil Aviation Authority, Jamaica Sun, Cana International, Afp Locations: U.S, North America, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, Fort Myers, Florida, America, Cincinnati, Raleigh, Oregon, Portland, Jamaica, Montego Bay, Cana

☆ Ron DeSantis signed a bill that banned direct-to-consumer car sales in Florida — but left an exception for Tesla
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-15 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ron DeSantis signed a bill banning direct-to-consumer car sales. But the bill leaves a notable exception for electric car companies like Tesla. DeSantis has a cozy relationship with Tesla CEO Elon Musk who hosted DeSantis' presidential campaign launch on Twitter. Ron DeSantis signed a bill this week that keeps automakers using dealerships — with one notable exception for Elon Musk's Tesla. But there's a carve-out in the legislation for electric car companies like Musk's Tesla to continue selling directly to their customers without having to use a dealership.

Persons: Ron DeSantis, DeSantis, Elon Musk, —, Elon Musk's Tesla, Tesla, Disney, Hurricane Ian, Musk, Donald Trump —, Joe Biden Organizations: Florida Gov, Tesla, Twitter, Service, Gov, Elon, Musk's SpaceX, Hurricane Locations: Florida

☆ Looking for a Climate Career? They Might Have the Answer.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( Somini Sengupta | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

She became intrigued by land use changes, and then, gradually, by the links between climate change and sustainable food systems. Kolman, who grew up in Savannah, Ga., majored in physics and political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. “I spent my time in undergrad searching for a career where I could use my analytical skills to improve society,” he told me. A trip to South Africa, which has dealt with successive droughts exacerbated by climate change, brought home “the impacts of water insecurity.”He considered working in public policy but those plans changed after the 2016 election. Kossoff, who calls herself the “most recent climate convert,” grew up mostly in southwest Florida and studied business and chemistry at Emory University.

☆ DeSantis gets support from some on Wall Street, but Trump looms large in their concerns
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Brian Schwartz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Ron DeSantis, according to people familiar with the conversations. "I think most people favor DeSantis over Trump but it's unclear that [DeSantis] can win," a Wall Street donor strategist told CNBC. Peterffy has even donated more than $360,000 to a pro-DeSantis political action committee called Friends of Ron DeSantis. DiLella has donated at least $80,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC, according to state records. Gerson donated $3,000 to DeSantis' 2018 campaign for governor and just over $100,000 to the Friends of Ron DeSantis PAC between 2018 and 2022, according to state records.

☆ Car dealers fight the threat of extinction as the Teslafication of their industry intensifies
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-24 | by ( Alexa St. John | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The modern car shopping experience, from initial research to final purchase, can now be done online — and the pandemic accelerated that shift. Others are emulating firms like Carvana and moving some parts of the buying process online. We don't exactly know how the car business is going to look going forward with this EV shift, and how much the EV shift is actually going to take place." Ford has set stringent requirements for its dealers to sell EVs — though some dealers have called its EV certification program unfair and dropped out. Some dealers are having a hard time committing to changes when the return on investment — especially with EVs — isn't yet clear.

☆ Hurricane winds will get stronger in states like Illinois and Tennessee, threatening more properties
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Emma Newburger | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Researchers also estimated the U.S. could experience an annual loss of $18.5 billion from hurricane-force winds that would eventually rise to $20 billion in 2053. The mid-Atlantic region will experience the largest rise in maximum wind speeds, the report found. Inland states including Illinois, Kentucky and Tennessee could see wind speeds rise from 87 mph to 97 mph during strong hurricanes. Residents in these states will likely be less prepared for future hikes in wind speeds, the report added. The projections also show that areas of Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Virginia are at greater risk of destructive storm winds.

☆ Months After Hurricane Ian Hit Florida, Many in Fort Myers Are Living in Tents
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-24 | by ( Deborah Acosta | Photographs Marco Bello For The Wall Street Journal | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

People in Fort Myers, Fla., are scrambling to find a place to live after Hurricane Ian ravaged the area in September, compelling some residents to camp in places where their homes once stood. The storm made impact in southwest Florida, destroying 5,000 homes and severely damaging another 30,000, according to data firm CoStar Group Inc. The destruction forced many families that want to stay in the area to seek temporary accommodations. They are often competing with the construction workers who swarmed the area to help with restoration efforts.

The group of hard-line Republicans standing firm in opposing Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s bid for speaker has coalesced around an alternative: Rep. Byron Donalds, a conservative two-term lawmaker from Florida who is considered a rising star in the GOP but is still relatively unknown nationally. Donalds said the incident inspired him to change his life and eventually emerge from businessman to politician. In 2021, Donalds was denied membership in the Congressional Black Caucus and insisted it was because of his conservative views. Donalds’ wife, Erika Donalds, with whom he has three children, is also a conservative Republican and involved in state politics. Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla., center right, speaks with a colleague in the House chamber at the U.S. Capitol, on Wednesday.

☆ 2 Black people have been nominated for House Speaker for the first time in American history
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

For the first time, two Black people were nominated to be Speaker of the House of Representatives. Conservatives opposed to Kevin McCarthy nominated Rep. Byron Donalds on the 4th ballot on Wednesday. Conservatives oppposed to Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy nominated Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida — a Black Republican who was first elected to a southwest Florida district in 2020 — as their candidate. "Now, here we are, and for the first time in history, there have been two Black Americans placed into the nomination for Speaker of the House. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stepped down from leadership at the end of the last Congress, though she will remain in the House as a rank-and-file lawmaker.

☆ 2 Black people have been nominated for House speaker for the first time in American history
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-04 | by ( Bryan Metzger | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

For the first time, two Black people were nominated to be speaker of the House of Representatives. Conservatives opposed to Kevin McCarthy nominated Rep. Byron Donalds on the 4th ballot on Wednesday. Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi stepped down from leadership at the end of the last Congress, though she will remain in the House as a rank-and-file lawmaker. "Now, here we are, and for the first time in history, there have been two Black Americans placed into the nomination for speaker of the House." Donalds' nomination came on the fourth ballot for House speaker.

☆ Southwest's cancelation nightmare sends ripples across travel industry with rental car shortages, inflated flight prices, and ongoing delays
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-29 | by ( Erin Snodgrass | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Southwest canceled thousands more flights on Wednesday amid an ongoing wave of travel chaos. The airline's struggles have started spilling over into the travel industry as a whole. Stranded passengers are facing rental car shortages and ongoing delays. "The first thing JetBlue tells me is to cancel my travel," Rivera said. The JetBlue representative told her that displaced Southwest passengers have been snatching up available tickets, inadvertently displacing JetBlue passengers who need to rebook after their own delays or cancellations.

☆ After a slow start, the 2022 hurricane season roared in with memorable and destructive storms
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-30 | by ( Jennifer Gray | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +8 min

CNN —As the hurricane season closes, a handful of blockbuster storms made history after an eerily quiet first half of the season gave false hope. In fact, we didn’t have any named storms from July 3 to August 31, the first time that’s occurred since 1941. One of those storms was Hurricane Ian, which hit land in late September and will go down as the most memorable storm of the 2022 season. “Tropical storms have formed in every month outside of hurricane season, and there have been a few hurricanes, too,” NOAA said. Historically, we’ve seen at least 15 named storms form in the month of December, even all the way up to December 30.

Lee County suffered none of the state’s 123 Irma deaths. That experience influenced many people’s decisions not to flee Hurricane Ian. “Hurricane Ian is going to be the strongest outreach messaging for southwest Florida ever,” said Gleason, the Charlotte County spokesman. “When you live through it, then that message sinks in deep and forever.”A view of the Matanzas Pass side of Estero Island, home to Fort Myers Beach, Fla. Fort Myers Beach is expected to take years to rebuild. Thomas Simonetti for NBC NewsMichael Yost's two closest friends in Fort Myers Beach drowned in Hurricane Ian.

☆ Florida’s East Coast Braces for Possible Hurricane by Midweek
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-07 | by ( Jon Kamp | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Ron DeSantis told Floridians to be prepared for the possibility of a tropical storm or hurricane later this week. A weather system brewing in the Atlantic Ocean north of Puerto Rico may hit Florida’s east coast as a tropical storm or hurricane later this week, the National Hurricane Center said Sunday. The low-pressure area could become a tropical or subtropical storm by Sunday night or early Monday, the hurricane center said. The system is forecast to approach parts of the Bahamas and coastal Florida at or near hurricane strength on Wednesday and Thursday, about six weeks after Hurricane Ian made landfall and devastated parts of southwest Florida.

☆ Two Florida medical boards advance ban on gender-affirming care for minors
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Zachary Schermele | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

Florida’s state medical boards voted Friday afternoon to approve the language of a first-of-its-kind rule banning gender-affirming care for transgender minors who don’t already receive it. The rule updates the medical standards of practice in the state to mostly prohibit health care professionals from starting treatment for gender dysphoria in those younger than 18. Gender dysphoria refers the stress and discomfort some experience when their gender identity doesn’t match their sex assigned at birth. The measure bans the prescription of puberty blockers or hormone therapy to new patients who are minors, and it forbids gender-affirming surgeries. In a statement Friday, Equality Florida said once the rule goes into effect, it will be the only ban in the country of gender-affirming care for minors instituted by a state medical board.

☆ Florida teen wins competition by capturing 28 Burmese pythons
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-26 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

MIAMI — A 19-year-old South Florida man captured 28 Burmese pythons during a 10-day competition that was created to increase awareness about the threats the invasive snakes pose to the state’s ecology. Earlier this year, a team of biologists hauled in the heaviest Burmese python ever captured in Florida. A Burmese python is held during a safe capture demonstration on June 16, 2022, in Miami. Concepcion told the South Florida SunSentinel that he’s been hunting pythons for about five years, and typically looks for them at night because that’s when they’re on the move, seeking the warmth of roads. We are removing record numbers of pythons and we’re going to keep at it,” South Florida Water Management District Governing Board Member “Alligator Ron” Bergeron said in a news release.

☆ Florida's Hispanic voters back DeSantis over Crist, support Martha's Vineyard migrant flights
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-24 | by ( Marc Caputo | Noah Pransky | Marc Caputo Is A Senior National Political Reporter For Nbc News. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +9 min

Florida’s Hispanic voters back Gov. “There are lots of Hispanic voters in this state who really like the governor’s style, this strongman who won’t back down. And Crist has no mojo,” said Coker, who conducted the bilingual survey of 625 likely Hispanic voters from Oct. 17-22. And other Hispanic voters from throughout Latin America also side with Crist over DeSantis by a narrower percentage, 53% to 43%. Both DeSantis and Crist receive strong support from voters registered with their respective parties, but DeSantis has slightly more intense intraparty support than Crist, and the governor is leading among independent Hispanic voters by a 22-point margin.

☆ Real-estate investors rush to score deep discounts on Florida properties hammered by Hurricane Ian: 'If they were asking $1 million before the storm, I'll offer $750,000'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Jordan Pandy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Real-estate investors are trying to take advantage of the down market by buying properties for less. They seem undeterred by high insurance costs, possibly falling home values, and ever-worse storms. The real-estate market in Florida just doesn't stop. "If they were asking $1 million before the storm, I'll offer $750,000," Lema told The Wall Street Journal. Photo by Ricardo Arduengo/AFP via Getty ImagesStill, it seems many buyers are undeterred by or unaware of insurance costs, future home-value depreciation, and the risk of ever-stronger hurricanes and rising sea levels.

☆ Dangerous flesh-eating bacterial infections increased in Florida after Hurricane Ian
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( Carma Hassan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —An increase in infections with a rare flesh-eating bacteria was reported in Florida in the days after Hurricane Ian due to catastrophic flooding from the storm. Ian made landfall as a Category 4 storm on September 28 in Lee County, which includes Fort Myers and Sanibel Island in Southwest Florida. The Florida Department of Health in Lee County warned residents of the risks of Vibrio vulnificus on October 3. “DOH-Lee is observing an abnormal increase in cases of Vibrio vulnificus infections as a result of exposure to the flood waters and standing waters following Hurricane Ian. Since September 29, 2022, 26 cases of Vibrio vulnificus associated with Hurricane Ian have been reported to DOH-Lee.

☆ Elon Musk says SpaceX will let people donate money to fund Starlink for places in need of internet
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-17 | by ( Kate Duffy | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said SpaceX will add a donate option to Starlink for areas in need of internet. Musk said SpaceX was burning through $20 million per month to maintain Starlink in Ukraine. He also tweeted that SpaceX was burning through around $20 million per month to maintain Starlink in Ukraine. "The hell with it," he said, adding that SpaceX will go on funding the Ukraine government for free, despite the amount of money Starlink continues to lose. SpaceX, designed to provide internet to rural locations, also delivered 120 Starlink internet kits to southwest Florida in the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, according to Gov.

☆ Electric vehicles will become power plants on wheels by providing backup power for homes and the grid
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

Electric vehicles in the coming years will be capable of powering homes and the grid. Backup power from EVs can help during storms and support electric grids strained by extreme weather. A new business unit, GM Energy, has a line of electric-vehicle chargers that can also feed power back to homes and the electric grid. "There's a value stack in EV batteries: supporting the grid, serving as backup power for your home, and also reducing greenhouse-gas emissions." The Ford F-150 Lightning also has bidirectional charging, which proved useful after Hurricane Ian pummeled southwest Florida's power grid.

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