Associated Press, Author at Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Associated PressSeptember 27, 2017

Relatives helped Maribel Valentin Espino find shelter when Hurricane Maria roared through her community in northern Puerto Rico. Neighbors formed volunteer brigades to cut fallen trees and clear twisty mountain roads after the storm had passed. Now, friends and a local cattle ranch provide the water they need to survive in the tropical heat. Valentin […]

Associated PressSeptember 26, 2017

Premiums for health care plans sold on the Affordable Care Act’s federal exchange and outside the exchange will rise an average of 45 percent in Florida this year, according to state officials. However that doesn’t mean consumers will end up spending more money. In fact, they could end up seeing slight decreases. Florida’s Office of […]

Associated PressSeptember 26, 2017

Royal Caribbean International’s Empress of the Seas, with 878 passengers and about 600 crew members, docked in Key West Sunday marking the first cruise ship visit since before Hurricane Irma struck the Florida Keys Sept. 10. Officials said resuming cruise ship port calls is significant for the region’s economy, and vital for residents whose livelihood […]

Associated PressSeptember 26, 2017

Florida Keys fishermen are getting help from the air to locate lobster traps lost during Hurricane Irma. Florida Sea Grant is sending two aircraft with GPS-capable cameras over the island chain to document the locations of lobster trap clusters in the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico. In a statement, Florida Sea Grant agent […]

Associated PressSeptember 25, 2017

In past skirmishes with local regulators, Uber’s playbook under co-founder and now-ousted CEO Travis Kalanick was simple: fight. Now, as brand-new CEO Dara Khosrowshahi deals with a stunning rebuke from London, the playbook gets another page: fight, but offer some diplomatic humility. On Friday, just hours after Greater London’s transport authorities decided not to renew […]

Associated PressSeptember 25, 2017

Margarita Aponte and her relatives cleared the road in front of her house with two oxen, then drove an hour from her devastated hometown in central Puerto Rico to the old telegraph building in the capital of San Juan. There, thousands of Puerto Ricans gathered for a chance at a resource nearly as precious as […]

Associated PressSeptember 25, 2017

Hurricane Irma mangled Florida’s national and state parks, turning places meant to be enjoyed into disaster zones that could take weeks or longer to reopen. South Florida National Parks Trust Director Don Finefrock says the National Park Service has sent some 380 workers from 95 national parks to 15 parks in Irma’s path in Georgia, […]

Associated PressSeptember 25, 2017

Nearly 17,000 flood insurance claims connected with Hurricane Irma have been filed, and more are expected in the coming weeks. The Sun-Sentinel reports that of 16,786 flood claims filed through Thursday, 3,969 were filed in Monroe County. FEMA data shows that Miami-Dade residents have filed 1,870 claims, 829 have been filed in Broward County and 199 […]

Associated PressSeptember 25, 2017

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Puerto Rico’s nonvoting representative in the U.S. Congress said Sunday that Hurricane Maria’s destruction has set the island back decades, even as authorities worked to assess the extent of the damage. “The devastation in Puerto Rico has set us back nearly 20 to 30 years,” said Puerto Rico Resident Commissioner Jenniffer Gonzalez. “I can’t deny […]

Associated PressSeptember 24, 2017

The NFL’s players and owners are frequently at odds over the issues, finances and rules of the game, a long-running feud that looms large toward another potential work stoppage after the 2020 season. The two sides in the nation’s most popular professional sports league united this weekend in a manner unseen in years, sounding a […]

Associated Press

‘Nothing, nothing.’ Aid lags in hurricane-torn Puerto Rico

Insurers request steep premium hikes for Florida, but Obamacare subsidies may offset the impact

1st cruise ship since Irma docks in Key West

Aircraft help Florida Keys fishermen find lost lobster traps

Uber wields new weapon in fight with London: diplomacy

Puerto Ricans hunt for precious Wi-Fi and cell signals

Hurricane Irma mangled Florida’s state, national parks

Floridians file nearly 17,000 flood insurance claims

Official: Hurricane Maria set Puerto Rico back decades

NFL owners speak out in support of players, against Trump