Florida
Florida’s COVID-19 deaths this year reach 5,768
TALLAHASSEE – Deaths this year linked to COVID-19 rose to 5,768 with a 284 increase in November, according to the Florida Department of Health.
Meanwhile, cases are the lowest since the pandemic began in 2020.
The previous month the increase was 703.
For 11 months that averages to 524 monthly.
Since the pandemic hit the state in 2020, there have been 98,744 fatalities.
That year, Florida had reported 23,349 deaths, according to state data. The number jumped to 39,870 in 2021, declining to 21,307 in 2022 and then 8,442 in 2023.
The largest number of deaths this year was reported in Miami-Dade County with 512, followed by 437 in Palm Beach County and 351 in Pinellas County.
In the past week there were 1,787 cases compared with 1,453 the week before, the lowest since 358 on March 3, 2020 at the start of the pandemic when few tests were available. The high this year was 23,772 on July 19
In 2023, the weekly low was 4,441 on Nov. 17 and the high was 28,162 on Jan. 6.
The most ever was 428,380 on Jan. 7, 2022.
Cases reached 8,18.237 including 412,947 so far this year. These are only infections reported to the state and often doesn’t include at-home tests. Weekly cases are adjusted as more data come in.
The most weekly cases was 393,672 on Dec. 31, 2021.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention no longer tracks cases and deaths have transitioned to the National Center for Health Statistics. Those stats show Florida with 85,148, behind California with 115,210, Texas with 106,457 and New York with 85,523.
Florida
Florida tattoo shop refuses service to military and veterans for being ‘war criminals’
A Florida tattoo shop is facing backlash following a social media post from the shop that said active-duty military members and veterans are not welcome at the company, prompting online criticism.
A June 23 post from Revival Tattoo Collective in Largo, Florida, read, “People all in their feelings because I expressed my opinion of the military and law enforcement. My opinion is that the military is a bunch of war criminals and law enforcement kills babies and unarmed citizens in the street. If you don’t like my opinion cool, but you’re not going to change it. Call me short, post records from 20 years ago, threaten the health dept, use homophobic slurs. That only proves my point and shows the true character of our military. Thanks for showing your true colors.”
The post added, “Once again for the slow ones the military. Pretty simple if you are ex military or currently serving just don’t come to the shop. You will be turned away.”
The shop was founded by Brady Martinson, who is described on the website as “a tattooist and sign painter — script, blackletter, and custom typography on skin. He treats every word as architecture: measured, weighted, and built to live a lifetime.”
A few of the replies to the controversial post appeared to agree with the sentiment, with one woman saying, “The military preys on underprivileged youth by luring them in with promises to pay for college and makes it sound like it’s their only opportunity to get ahead in life. ACAB.”
ACAB is an abbreviation for “all cops are b—-ds.”
But many of the replies were negative.
One person wrote, “This kind of thinking is disappointing and immature. Judging an entire group by the actions of a few is the same type of prejudice I’m sure you claim to oppose. (IE: Against a race, the lgbtq community, etc…) There are good and bad people in every profession and every walk of life.”
They added, “I’ve served alongside people of every background imaginable and some of the most selfless, compassionate individuals I’ve met wear a uniform. Reducing millions of military members and law enforcement officers to the worst examples among them isn’t being “woke” or smart — it’s just bias. If you are going to reject stereotypes, you should reject them consistently. Heal yourself and break this never-ending cycle of conflict among humans.”
Another person replied, “Lmao it must be so peaceful being this ignorant.”
“I don’t agree with your opinion, but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight for your right to say it. Please keep in mind that the First Amendment merely proyects [sic] you from being punished by the government for your speech. It does not protect you from the consequences of what you say,” another commentator wrote.
One person replied to the post with a gif that said, “Stop breaking the law a–hole.”
Another posted a reply saying, “I’ll go and just wont tell you till after lmao,” and Revival Tattoo Collective responded to the post with, “No you won’t.”
In a statement to Fox News Digital, a spokesperson for the shop said, “Yeah I’m booked up I can’t take any clients military or civilian. Thanks for your interest on my opinion.”
Florida
Aerial photos show sprawling algal blooms. What causes them in Florida?
Archive photos show a sea of green in Florida. What usually causes harmful algal blooms along the Sunshine State’s coasts?
Harmful algal blooms — out-of-control colonies of microscopic algae — are a “growing problem” in every “U.S. coastal and Great Lakes state,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
They affect the “health of people and marine ecosystems,” and can also have a detrimental effect on the economy, according to NOAA, especially in coastal communities that are particularly dependent on fishing and tourism.
Climate change, along with increases in nutrient pollution, could cause harmful algal blooms (HABs) to occur more frequently, according to the agency.
Harmful algal blooms can “produce toxic or harmful effects on people, fish, shellfish, marine mammals and birds,” NOAA’s website states. Human illnesses caused by HABs are rare, but they can be “debilitating or even fatal.”
Sea of green? Aerial photos show toxic algae blooms, including in Florida waters
What are harmful algal blooms composed of?
Harmful algal blooms can be caused by a range of organisms, NOAA states, including “toxic and noxious phytoplankton, cyanobacteria, benthic algae, and macroalgae.”
Some HABs can make wildlife-killing toxins that negatively affect fish, mammals and birds, and can also cause human sickness or death in “extreme cases.” Other blooms, while nontoxic, can consume “all of the oxygen in the water as they decay, clog the gills of fish and invertebrates, or smother corals and submerged aquatic vegetation.” Additionally, some algae can discolor water, pile up on beaches or contaminate drinking water.
What usually causes harmful algal blooms along Florida’s coasts?
In the Gulf of Mexico, especially along the west coast of Florida, HABs are most often caused by Karenia brevis, which can turn the surface of the ocean a deep red.
Although there’s no way to predict exactly when a Karenia brevis overgrowth might occur, scientists can forecast the movement of a “red tide” when it does crop up by using wind and water data, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
They can last “as little as a few weeks or longer than a year,” and how long a bloom persists in “nearshore Florida waters” depends on a variety of factors, including nutrients, salinity and sunlight, reads the FWC’s website.
Sarah Perkel is a South Florida Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network’s Florida Connect team. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday day by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY.
Florida
Gators among top-20 rated teams in EA Sports College Football 27
EA Sports released its official team ratings for College Football 27, and the Florida Gators checked in at No. 19 with an 84 overall rating.
Jon Sumrall’s team was granted an 84 offensive rating and a 83 defensive rating, indicating balance on both sides of the ball. Florida is one of 10 SEC programs to crack the top 25. Oregon leads the field with an overall rating of 91. The Ducks are followed by Ohio State (90), Indiana (90), Notre Dame (89) and Texas (89). UF joins nine other SEC teams rated inside the top 25.
The rating continues a major thrust of positive sentiment around Sumrall and the Gators. During this offseason, Florida has been pegged as a CFB playoff dark horse, an SEC wild card and one of sport’s biggest sleepers. The valuation is likely fueled by the Orange and Blue’s transfer portal additions and the retention of key pieces, including junior running back Jadan Baugh, who notched Second-Team All-SEC honors last season.
Sumrall’s cultural reset in Gainesville has started a buzz around college football that has continued to grow louder by the month. Despite a massive roster overhaul and the departure of a five-star quarterback, the Gators have seen a jolt in their national perception.
To reestablish a championship standard, UF will have to navigate an arduous nine-game conference schedule. The Gators face No. 17-rated Missouri (85) in Week 5, No. 5-rated Texas (89) in Week 7, No. 9-rated Georgia (87) in Week 8 and No. 10-rated Oklahoma (87) in Week 9.
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
-
Montana46 seconds agoEXCLUSIVE: 2 ‘Exceptionally Rare’ Ski-In, Ski-Out Montana Mansions Head to Auction in Big Sky—and Could Sell for a Serious Steal
-
Nebraska4 minutes agoToday in History – June 26: University of Nebraska holds first commencement
-
Nevada9 minutes agoNevada’s EV market is booming. Here’s why apartment charging could be the next challenge.
-
New Hampshire16 minutes agoA mom is thankful for Dismas Home – which is expanding recovery services to Rochester
-
New Jersey19 minutes agoNew Jersey Supreme Court requires transparency for facial recognition evidence
-
New Mexico24 minutes agoNM PRC hears pushback on El Paso Electric rate hike that could add $40 a month
-
North Carolina31 minutes agoMay home sales increase over 6% from last year in western North Carolina
-
North Dakota34 minutes agoNorth Dakota Supreme Court reverses dismissal of contractors’ lawsuit against city of West Fargo