Bayshore
Sunday, February 5, 2023
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State frantic for nurses
Fewer than two-thirds of Florida nursing students passed the national licensing exam in 2022, according to a new report from the Florida Center for Nursing.
The National Council Licensure Examination is the final step for graduates to become licensed health care providers in a state that is desperate for nurses.
Nursing staffs at Florida hospitals have been plagued by high turnover and a large number of vacancies, with projections that the state will be short nearly 60,000 nurses by 2035. Yet Florida has had the lowest exam pass rate in the nation since 2017, according to Tampa Bay Times analysis.
Pass rates for registered nurses fell by 1 percentage point from 2021, dropping to 63.9%, the new report said. That’s far below the national average pass rate of 79.9% for first-time U.S.-educated test-takers.
More HERE
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Saturday, February 4, 2023
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Proposed recreational marijuana amendment in Florida clears first big hurdle
Backers of a proposed constitutional amendment that would allow the recreational use of marijuana have passed a preliminary hurdle to get on the 2024 ballot, submitting more than enough petition signatures to trigger a Florida Supreme Court review of the measure.
The "Smart & Safe Florida" political committee, which has been bankrolled by the multi-state cannabis operator Trulieve, had submitted 294,037 valid petition signatures as of Thursday afternoon, according to the state Division of Elections website. At least 222,898 signatures are required for the court to review the proposed wording of the measure, a key legal step in the process.
More HERE
Florida legislators to consider expanding DeSantis' migrant flight program in special session
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is expected to use a special legislative session next week to build out a high-profile program that was used last year to fly dozens of migrants from Texas to Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts.
State legislators plan to consider a bill that would build on DeSantis’ executive order by creating an “Unauthorized Alien Transport Program" as part of an effort “to respond to the influx of migrants landing in the Florida Keys,” according to a pair of memos issued by legislative leaders to members of the state House and Senate.
More HERE
10 Children's Books About Racism And Activism To Help Parents Educate Their Kids
Seek out tools that can help you and your kiddo(s) grapple with systemic racism. Over the years, many children’s authors have written books that can help spark conversations about racial justice, empathy and what it means to be actively anti-racist — and keep those necessary conversations happening again and again.
HERE are 10 to consider
Balloon Update: US downs Chinese balloon over ocean
The United States on Saturday downed a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the Carolina coast after it traversed sensitive military sites across North America and became the latest flashpoint in tensions between Washington and Beijing.
An operation was underway in U.S. territorial waters in the Atlantic Ocean to recover debris from the balloon, which had been flying at about 60,000 feet and was estimated to be about the size of three school buses.
More HERE Tampa mail-in ballots being distributed, Hillsborough Supervisor of Elections says
City of Tampa voters who have requested vote-by-mail ballots should start monitoring their mailboxes, according to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections office.
Officials say the Supervisor of Elections office sent out 14,875 vote-by-mail ballots Thursday afternoon for the upcoming city of Tampa municipal election.
More HERE
According to the Hillsborough County Supervisor of Elections' website:
"Vote By Mail requests made prior to November 8, 2022 have expired. Vote By Mail requests for elections occurring in 2023 and 2024 are currently being accepted."
You can check your vote-by-mail status and request vote-by-mail HERE
Tampa ban on gay conversion therapy violates First Amendment, Florida appeals court says
A federal appeals court upheld on Thursday a district judge's ruling that struck down a Tampa, Florida, city ordinance prohibiting so-called "talk" gay conversion therapy.
In a unanimous ruling, a three-judge panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court decision that struck down a Tampa ordinance that banned counselors in the city from offering "talk therapy" to minors aimed at eliminating a same-sex attraction.
More HERE
Friday, February 3, 2023
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