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Florida is again seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases, deaths and hospitalizations. The Florida Division of Emergency Management reports, Sunday’s positivity rate increased to 10.09%, which is the highest its been since Feb. 3.Governor Ron DeSantis vows to sign an executive order banning governments and businesses from requiring “vaccine passports.”State lawmakers are planning to reserve more than $300 million in funding for public schools, in case some of the nearly 90,000 students who didn’t enroll amid the ongoing pandemic come back to school in the fall.Florida’s unemployment rate continued to decline in February to 4.7%.Governor DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody have threated to sue the federal government over the ongoing moratorium on cruise ship operations at U.S. ports, saying it’s hurting Florida’s economy.Former Cape Coral City Councilman John Carioscia died Sunday of complications from COVID-19. In his final months in office Carioscia supported an unsuccessful effort to adopt a mask mandate in the city.North Fort Myers business owner Casey David Crowther was convicted, Friday of COVID-19 relief funding fraud related to a $2 million PPP loan he was awarded last year.

Karen Watkins is vice chair of the school board of Gwinnett County, a suburban county north of Atlanta. She is surprised that she has become a target for a political culture war. "I just didn't realize that it would impact the local school board," Watkins says. "Our main focus is towards student achievement and ensuring that we are producing children that are thriving."

What it's like to be on the front lines of the school board culture war

Karen Watkins ran for her local school board because she wanted to be involved in her children's education. Since her election in 2020, she's been yelled at, threatened and followed to her car.

Members of ÌFÉ perform at NuevoFest in Philadelphia

Summer Latin Music Festivals Offer Music And Opportunity

For Latinx musicians who have found themselves excluded from the stages of mainstream festivals, a growing range of festivals and tours catering to Latinx artists and fans is changing the game.

Jill Mallen gets her groceries at a food pantry because of soaring inflation. She says she's a "confused" voter - a registered Democrat who feels Republicans did a better job of managing the economy.

How inflation is influencing politics in a bellwether Florida county

Voters in a key swing county in Florida are grappling with some of the highest inflation rates in the country. But it's not necessarily the deciding factor for some voters.

Shruti Rajkumar sitting in a wheelchair at a museum in Washington, D.C.

The ADA was a victory for the disabled community, but we need more. My life shows why

The Americans With Disabilities Act turns 32 this year, and while its anniversary is one to be celebrated, it also calls for a reflection on what more can be done for disability rights.

Sacramento Area Congregations Together (Sac ACT) is providing English workbooks so the migrants can learn the language. The group also gives out quarters so they can do laundry.

Communities of faith welcome migrants caught in polarized immigration debate

When migrants from Latin America were flown from Texas and dropped off in Sacramento with nowhere to go, a group of congregations came together to care for them.

Injectable weight-loss drugs are becoming a multi-billion dollar market, but they are not covered by Medicare. The drugmakers are trying to change that.

Ozempic and Wegovy maker courts prominent Black leaders to get Medicare's favor

Drugmaker Novo Nordisk focuses on Black lawmakers and opinion leaders to spread the message that obesity is a chronic disease — worth treating at a cost of $1,000 or more a month.

One year after Carmen's death, April Schentrup stands beside a photograph of her daughter that was used during her funeral but now rests in the family's new home. April, who worked as an elementary school principal near Parkland, Fla., now advocates for gun reform.

Parkland Family Reflects On A Year Of Anguish And Activism

"Everybody should consider what it would mean to lose their child, their spouse," says Philip Schentrup. His daughter Carmen was among the 17 students and staff killed in Parkland, Fla., last year.

With war in Gaza, Israel faces new pressure to draft the ultra-Orthodox into service

Religious scholars have broad exemption from military service. But critics say that's no longer sustainable, given their fast-growing population and the war in Gaza.

Like a Phish concert but with more grievance, this is what it's like at a Trump rally

Many Americans won't experience a rally for former President Donald Trump in person, instead witnessing these events through viral clips. But for the faithful, a Trump rally is so much more than that.

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