Florida Senate ready to consider 15-week abortion limit
A plan to ban abortions in Florida after 15 weeks is one step away from the governor’s desk.
Florida House bill amendment would allow schools to 'out' students to their parents
Florida’s so-called "Don’t Say Gay" bill includes a new proposed amendment that would force schools to out students about their sexual orientation to their parents, causing more concern from those in the LGBTQ community.
Sarasota neighborhoods 'Unite Against Hate' after anti-Semitic incident
Neighbors are rallying together after anti-Semitic fliers were littered in several Sarasota neighborhoods. They refused to stay silent. Instead, they passed out yard signs reading "United Against Hate." An action intended to cause hurt is being met with solidarity.
Woman holds wake for great-great-grandmother buried in long-lost cemetery
The grounds on which Jeraldine Williams walks are as hallowed as the words she wrote for the woman buried beneath them.
As more erased cemeteries are discovered, lawmakers move to preserve and honor history
Hillsborough County commissioners learned of 45 new unmarked graves and burial sites on county property Wednesday, just as the state legislature considered a bill that would find and save those sites across Florida.
USF forensic researchers rediscover 45 lost cemeteries in Hillsborough County
USF forensic scientist Dr. Erin Kimmerle says she spent the last two years combing through historic records to track down the long-forgotten sites. The cemeteries became abandoned for a variety of reasons but once lost from official records and built over, they are extremely difficult to relocate.
Victims' advocates praise end to forced arbitration in workplace sexual harassment cases
Democrats and Republicans in Congress passed a bill Thursday that ends forced arbitration of sexual harassment and assault claims in the workplace, a major milestone for the Me Too movement.
Goodell: NFL won’t tolerate racism, vows changes amid Dolphins fallout
At his annual Super Bowl news conference, the NFL commissioner was grilled on two hot topics that have put the league under heavy scrutiny: racism and discrimination in hiring.
For descendants of those buried at erased Black cemeteries, work never stops to honor ancestry
Several erased African American cemeteries were uncovered in Tampa Bay in the last few years, and the work to do right by those buried hasn’t stopped.
Controversial 'don't say gay' bill gets approval from Florida's Senate Education Committee
A controversial bill in the Florida Legislature, dubbed the "don't say gay" bill by critics, has passed its first hurdle in the Senate after the Republican-dominated education committee voted to approve the measure along party lines.
Challenge to Florida's controversial transgender athlete ban put on hold
A challenge to a controversial state law that bans transgender females from participating on girls’ and women’s sports teams has been put on hold while another Florida case plays out in a federal appeals court.
Florida bill banning abortion after 15 weeks advances without exclusions for rape, incest
If passed, women and girls in Florida would have up to 15 weeks, instead of 25 weeks, to decided to terminate a pregnancy, even in cases of rape and incest.
Pasco County school board approves nearly $1M to help homeless students
The Pasco County School Board approved nearly $1 million to help homeless and housing insecure students in the district.
Formerly segregated housing, affordable senior living complex opens in Newtown
Decades ago, a site in one of Sarasota’s oldest African American communities was segregated housing. Now, it's a new affordable housing complex for seniors. Sarasota contributed more than $1.3 million in penny sales tax funds to make it happen.
Tampa teen wins right to abortion without parental consent
A Tampa teen has won her appeal in district court for the right to talk to a doctor about, and ultimately have a medical abortion without parental consent. Her original request was denied by a judge, based partially on "either a lack of intelligence or credibility."
Home carrying legacy of Sarasota's first Black community to be relocated, transformed for cultural center
A home in Sarasota's Rosemary District will soon carry the legacy of the city’s first Black community. Plans are in the works to transform it into an African American cultural arts center and history museum, but first the home has to be relocated.
On both sides of Tampa Bay, residents celebrate life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
Across the nation, events honoring the civil rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., are being held, including in the Tampa Bay region.
This MLK Day comes with calls for progress on voting rights
Dr. King's children fear new voting laws enacted since the 2020 election are stripping away the very rights their father fought to attain.
Tampa leaders seek to protect historical burial sites from being developed
The city of Tampa announced new protections that are likely coming for forgotten and vulnerable cemeteries, many of which of historic African American burial sites.
Annual celebration of Black heritage and music returns to downtown Tampa this weekend
The Tampa Bay Black Heritage Festival (TBBHF) Music Fest is returning to Curtis Hixon Park this weekend.