Photo: AFP
Florida News That Impacts You – July 8th, 2021
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- Two weeks into the search and rescue effort in Surfside, the mission has officially been converted to a recovery effort. The announcement was made Wednesday by Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava after consultation with first responders and families. The death toll stands at 54 with 86 potentially unaccounted for.
- Governor DeSantis announced two appointments to Florida’s Judicial Nominating Commissions. Ashley Hodson has been appointed to the 12th Circuit Commission and Andrew Pickett has been reappointed to the 18th Circuit Commission. The nominating commissions are responsible for interviewing and recommending judicial appointments to the governor.
- Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner and Democrat candidate for Governor Nikki Fried, is petitioning the Florida Supreme Court to take up a legal challenge which aims at eliminating Florida’s preemption law regarding gun control. Under Florida law, local governments aren’t able to impose gun control measures which are stricter than the state standards. This is notable in part due to Florida’s Agriculture Commissioner having oversight on related matters including obtaining concealed carry permits.
- Florida has defeated the CDC over its imposed no-sail and conditional sail rules for a second time. After the CDC was found to have unconstitutionally imposed restrictions on the cruise industry, the Biden Department of Justice on behalf of the CDC appealed to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. On Wednesday, the court refused to hear the case calling the CDC’s argument “unpersuasive”. All CDC imposed policy regarding the cruise industry is lifted as of July 18th.