Nikki Fried

Before the arrest, Sen. Lauren Book (D-Plantation) and party chair Nikki Fried addressed the group. Fried said protests and voting are ways to fight restrictive policies.

The Florida Supreme Court will hear arguments tomorrow in a dispute about a 2011 state law that threatens stiff penalties if city and county officials pass gun-related regulations. The so-called ‘preemption law’ is being challenged by more than 30 local governments and dozens of local officials, as well as Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Nikki Fried. We talk with Fried about the lawsuit and issues around gun violence. Fried is also a Democratic candidate for Governor.

Florida added 20,133 cases Thursday, an increase over the last three days, continuing an upward surge from COVID-19.Statewide, another 400 patients were hospitalized in the last day, continuing a record-breaking surge of patients. Currently, more than 12,888 people are hospitalized statewide – and nearly 2,600 are in the intensive care unit.The State Board of Education is set to review a proposed policy, Aug. 6, that would allow for Hope Scholarship vouchers to be made available to students in public school districts with mask mandates, whose parents don't want their kids wearing masks in the classroom.Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is now asking the federal government for additional school funding that could offset lost state dollars to districts that defy Gov. DeSantis’ executive order barring them from mandating masks.Lee Health and Sarasota Memorial Hospital officials say elective surgeries are being postponed in order to redirect staff and other resources amid the ongoing surge in hospitalized COVID-19 patients.Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings heads to court Aug. 6. The Miami-based company is requesting that a federal judge overturn Florida’s ban on vaccine passports.President Joe Biden said he’s buying struggling renters time with a new eviction moratorium that might not pass Constitutional muster. The new, more focused order only extends to areas of high COVID transmission. That includes all of Florida.

State health officials reported 3,312 COVID-19 cases, Monday and 81 deaths. Gov. Ron DeSantis says Florida’s vaccine eligibility will be expanded to any one 60 and older on March 15. Florida Ag Commissioner Nikki Fried is criticizing DeSantis’ vaccine rollout, saying it should be easier for medically vulnerable people to prove they’re eligible. DeSantis is criticizing the $1.9 trillion federal stimulus package, saying it penalizes states like Florida where officials reopened the economy relatively quickly. DeSantis is calling on the federal government to revise its distribution model, arguing that money should be allocated on a per-capita basis. Elected officials and advocates in Palm Beach County say the state should prioritize vaccines for farmworkers.

State Health officials reported 6,118 new COVID-19 cases and 120 deaths, Thursday. As of Wednesday, more than 3.1 million people in Florida have been vaccinated, including more than 1.4 million who have received a first dose and more than 1.7 million people who have completed the series.Retail pharmacy sites offering the vaccine like CVS and Publix are now offering doses to K-12 school employees, daycare workers and those extremely vulnerable to the virus due to a medical condition, regardless of age.Florida Democratic leaders like Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried remain critical of the governor’s vaccine rollout, citing another example of an affluent community in the Florida Keys including nearly two dozen financial supports of DeSantis, that was given vaccine priority.A draft Inspector General’s report, this week, details problems with Florida’s unemployment benefit system.A U.S. Census Bureau survey this week reveals that most U.S. businesses are not requiring COVID-19 testing for workers or vaccines when employees become eligible to receive them.Democrats in the Florida House, Thursday, introduced a broad COVID-19 relief bill.

On March 1, Sierra Club Florida released its 2020 report cards, grading the work of Governor Ron DeSantis and Florida Commissioner of Agriculture & Consumer Services Niki Fried.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is facing bipartisan criticism of playing politics with the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in Southwest Florida. The criticism stems from DeSantis’ recent selection of COVID-19 vaccine pop-up clinic sites in Charlotte and Manatee Counties.

State health officials reported 1,685 new COVID-19 cases, Monday, bringing Florida's total to 685,439 cases. The Florida Department of Health also reported 21 new coronavirus-related deaths, Sept. 21, increasing the statewide death toll to 13,480 fatalities.Monday’s state data comes as the death toll from the virus nationally has now topped 200,000 fatalities.

State health officials reported 4,752 new cases of COVID-19, Monday bringing the statewide total to 491,884 cases.Monday's reported new cases of the virus mark the lowest single-day increase since June 26, when the Florida Department of Health reported 3,366 new cases. June 26 was also the same day Gov. Ron DeSantis ordered bars to close for a second time since the beginning of the pandemic.Monday also marked the ninth consecutive day the state has reported fewer than 10,000 new cases of the virus in a single day.

The number of new COVID-19 cases documented in Florida, Thursday, topped 5,000 for the second consecutive day. The Florida Department of Health reported 5,004 new coronavirus cases, June 25, increasing the statewide total to 114,018 cases.State health officials also reported 46 new coronavirus-related deaths, Thursday, bringing the statewide death toll to 3,327 fatalities.