Florida legislators leave Tallahassee without a budget.
The Florida Legislature will not vote on a budget for at least another 10 days, as leaders of each chamber say they’re still working on a deal. The legislative session is set to end Friday but, without agreement on the only bill lawmakers must pass, they will have to come back to Tallahassee before July 1 to fund the government for the next fiscal year. The two chambers are about $4.4 billion apart on total spending, reflecting different philosophies on tax cuts.
Protest in Melbourne draws hundreds.
Over a thousand people gathered in Melbourne yesterday for a rally against Trump administration policies. The May Day National Day of Protest event was one of the largest demonstrations to take place in Brevard to date as those dissatisfied with Trump and Elon Musk work to make their voices heard in a county that voted for Trump by large margins. Protestors at Front Street Park condemned the administration’s changes that impact federal workers, DEI initiatives, healthcare, veterans and immigrants. After speeches at Front Street Park, the crowd, carrying signs and flags, marched across the Melbourne Causeway bridge.
It’s been one year since Florida’s six-week abortion took effect.
Yesterday marked the first anniversary of Florida’s six-week abortion ban and, by the state’s count, Florida saw 19,000 fewer abortions in than in 2023. As of March 31, the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration reported 8,680 abortions. Reproductive health providers haven’t gone away — they’re still providing prenatal, fertility, and menopausal care. And there’s been an uptick in vasectomies as men take more responsibility. There’s also a network that arranges for out-of-state travel for patients who need abortions. And clinics are noticing that young people are learning the telltale signs of a pregnancy so they can qualify under the six-week cutoff.
Brevard city makes list of safest places to live.
US News and World Reports has released their list of the safest places to live in the country. Cities in the rankings are evaluated using each city’s murder and property crime rate per 100,000 people, based on data from the FBI crime report. One Brevard city made it into the top 10. Melbourne was ranked as the 9th safest place to live in the US. On the flip side, the study reports that the most dangerous city in the country is Memphis, TN.
Study reveals what causes an alligator to attack.
A new study by the University of Florida has revealed exactly what’s responsible for the vast majority of alligator attacks in the state. While gator attacks are relatively rare, there have still been nearly 500 attacks reported over time. Around 30 of those were fatal. But UF researchers say the leading cause of these attacks are “risky human behavior.” Most bites happened when people were swimming or wading in areas where alligators were known to live. The researchers also said the results of the study show that alligators aren’t looking for trouble. Rather, people swimming and splashing in the water triggered the reptiles’ natural response to defend itself or hunt.
