Repealing Later School Start Times OK'd
While acknowledging that teens need more sleep, Florida senators continued moving forward with a bill that would repeal requirements aimed at later daily start times in many high schools.
A Senate committee voted to approve a measure that would eliminate start-time requirements scheduled to take effect in 2026.
Lawmakers in 2023 approved the requirements, citing a need for older students to get more sleep.
But as the deadline has neared, many school districts have said they are struggling to comply because of issues such as needing to buy buses and find bus drivers.
Senator Jennifer Bradley is the bill sponsor.
“The feedback is overwhelming. A state mandate on school start times would present incredible challenges, financially and otherwise.”
Under the 2023 law, high schools could not start earlier than 8:30 a.m. and middle schools could not start earlier than 8 a.m., though the issue centers on high schools.
Senators cited research Tuesday about the benefits of teens getting more sleep with later start times, but they also described the issue as deciding between research and resources.
RFK statement about measles is incorrect
A recent Secretary of Health and Human Services statement is turning heads.
In an interview with FOX News earlier this month… Robert F Kennedy Jr. said that THE natural immunity to measles that comes AFTER an infection can protect against cancer and heart disease.
University of Florida epidemiologist Matt Hitchings says the statement left him speechless.
“The kind of big piece of research that has come out about measles immunity in the last few years, is that it dysregulates your immune system and actually makes you more susceptible to other infectious pathogens. Of all the things that he’s saying, this seems like the biggest, kind of, pro-infection statement. And that seems to me like a very dangerous thing to be saying in the middle of an outbreak.”
Texas health officials say there are 223 confirmed measles cases. One child has died in Texas.
National wildlife refuge workers in Florida hit by President Trump, DOGE firings
In recent weeks, more than half a dozen workers at national wildlife refuges across Florida were fired due to President Donald Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency’s sweeping federal workforce cuts.
The layoffs included two employees from St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, three from Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge—home to 226 square miles of Everglades ecosystems—and two from Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, which protects the threatened Florida manatee.
These cuts come after 15 years of budget and staffing reductions that have strained the National Wildlife Refuge system. Established in 1903 by President Teddy Roosevelt the system spans over 570 refuges across all 50 states and five U.S. territories, conserving 96 million land and 760 million marine acres.
Series of Fentynal Bills moving forward in legislature
A host of bills this legislative session would increase protections and raise awareness about fentanyl use among teens.
One proposal from Kissimmee Democratic Representative Jose Alvarez would allow Florida schools to purchase any FDA-Approved emergency opioid antagonist, which can counteract a fentanyl overdose.
“This bill is to protect our children, and give the schools enough tools in their tool box when it comes to protect our children when it comes to an opioid overdose.”
Another bill would designate August 21 in Florida as "Fentanyl Awareness and Education Day", and would encourage education programs about preventing fentanyl abuse and addiction.
More: www.floridatoday.com
