Plan Hillsborough released four draft maps that would reassign up to nine precincts and affect thousands of Tampa voters; public meetings are scheduled for Feb. 23 and March 9.

Tampa holds a Special Needs Championship Day event celebrating inclusivity, with over 60 participants expected, featuring sports and activities, champion rings, team prizes, and health presentations.

A House subcommittee advanced a budget provision on Monday that would transfer USF Sarasota‑Manatee’s campus — and about $53M in dorm debt — to New College of Florida.

Florida’s 2024 SNAP error rate topped 15%, and a troubled MyACCESS portal has advocates warning that tightened paperwork could cost the state nearly $1 billion. Lawmakers are racing to act.

Officials proposed two school closures, K‑8 consolidations and an employee childcare expansion as enrollment falls and building costs rise. Community meetings have been tense.

A Florida bill advanced Wednesday would require background checks for insurer officials, tighten model and rate rules, and create a statewide mitigation database for discounts. Sponsors say it builds on 2022 reforms to stabilize the market.

FAU faculty warn that a proposed statewide pause on new H‑1B hires would stall faculty searches and research; the Board of Governors will vote Feb. 23.

Polk County prepares for intense brush fire season and addresses burn ban compliance in a press conference amidst battling numerous fires exacerbated by dry conditions and resident negligence.

OFAC says Bradenton's IMG Academy agreed to pay $1.72M after accepting 89 tuition payments tied to two sanctioned individuals.

A bipartisan coalition including Paris Hilton and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio‑Cortez pressed the House to pass the DEFIANCE Act, which would let victims sue over nonconsensual AI deepfakes.

Tampa Bay honors residents for water-efficient landscapes amid drought and launches a new Florida-Friendly Landscaping program to encourage sustainable practices.

Mount Hank, a Buckskin Quarter Horse from Tampa Police Department's Mounted Unit, is retiring to live with Officer Rainy Perez, along with another horse and a donkey.

Rep. Greg Steube asked the DOJ to investigate states that don’t offer religious exemptions to vaccine mandates, naming New York, California, Maine and Connecticut.