Jim Turner - News Service of Florida

The policy coordinator for Gov. Ron DeSantis' Office of Policy and Budget said he expects the White House to match the Canadian border-policy changes within the next three weeks.

DeSantis suggested President Biden intervene in restoring internet access after Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel reportedly shut it off.

The state’s unemployment rate now stands at 4.9% as some industries continue to report that people are slow to return to work.

While Elsa's impacts to the Tampa Bay region were minimal, the governor reminded Floridians that hurricane season is just beginning.

Gov. Ron DeSantis and U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., said they're waiting for information from forensic investigations before any bills are proposed.

They include a requirement for out-of-state online retailers to collect sales taxes on purchases made by Floridians, and surveys to assess the “intellectual freedom and viewpoint diversity” at state colleges and universities.

Other Republican governors also are backing the request from Abbott and Ducey for officers to go to the border, as the GOP tries to capitalize on public-safety issues ahead of the 2022 midterm elections.

Speaking in Tampa, DeSantis declined to speculate on potential deaths but said from videos and from calls with local officials, “this was a really, really catastrophic incident.”

DeSantis critized the Biden adminstration, saying “they have revoked policies designed to secure our border and keep Americans safe.” State Democrats call it a political stunt.

The impact fee measure (HB 337) drew opposition from the growth-management organization 1000 Friends of Florida, which on Thursday urged members to call on DeSantis to veto the bill.