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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hit back Saturday at New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo over a possible coronavirus quarantine for visitors, asking that he “not quarantine any Floridians in nursing homes.” In a rare Saturday news conference, DeSantis, a Republican, made reference to a now-adjusted policy that Cuomo, a Democrat, had pushed, which allowed nursing homes to admit COVID-19 patients despite how vulnerable the elderly population has been to the virus. DeSantis was an outspoken critic of the decision: in his state, nursing homes refused to admit residents who had tested positive.

Other states "wish" that they had followed Florida's lead in their responses to the coronavirus pandemic, Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis suggested Thursday, saying he believes the state can host the Republican National Convention this summer. In an interview on "Fox & Friends," DeSantis detailed his tactics heading into Phase II of his state's COVID-19 reopening plan and assured the state was following White House guidelines including limiting group-size to up to 50 people and implementing temperature checks. "I was at Universal Studios yesterday making this announcement. They're now open at least for the pass holders. They are going to be...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that most of the state can enter Phase 2 of its coronavirus reopening, which further eases restrictions on gyms, bars and movie theaters, among other businesses. “I'm pleased to announce that the Original Phase 1 Florida counties (all except Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach) may enter Phase 2 effective Friday, June 5, 2020,” DeSantis tweeted early Wednesday afternoon. Reopening businesses must still adhere to state health guidelines on social distancing and sanitization, which vary somewhat for each sector.

Florida Gov. Ron De Santis (R) said Wednesday that he’s sending 500 of his state’s National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to aid in responding to protests. The governor made the announcement at a Universal Orlando Resort, which is set to open Friday. The extra 500 troops come after a relatively peaceful night of protests in Washington. In previous nights, law enforcement deployed pepper balls and rubber bullets while seeking to quell demonstrations in the city. Members of the D.C. National Guard have been spotted in several parts of the city amid the protests and incidents of looting in recent...

A couple of months ago, the media, almost as one, decided that Gov. Ron DeSantis was a public menace who was going to get Floridians killed with his lax response to the coronavirus crisis. In an interview with National Review, DeSantis says he was surprised at “how knee-jerk” the hostile coverage was, but he “also knew that none of these people knew anything about Florida at all, so I didn’t care what they were saying.” The conventional wisdom has begun to change about Florida, as the disaster so widely predicted hasn’t materialized. It’s worth delving into the state’s response because...

On his top-rated talk radio program Thursday, Rush Limbaugh kicked off a segment by announcing a rare honor bestowed by the “EIB Limbaugh Institute”: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is now officially “the closest that we’ve ever had to a graduate” of his prestigious institute, Limbaugh said. The reason the Republican governor has been awarded the honor, the host explained, is his thorough throttling of the media for their partisan coverage of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. “I want to start with a graduate or the closest that we’ve ever had to a graduate, of the EIB Limbaugh Institute, and...

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis spoke too soon when he criticized the media's dire predictions about his reopening strategy, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., argued on Thursday. "What he’s saying is premature," Schumer told "The View." "Most of the experts say if this is going to come back because we moved too soon, it will take several months before that happens — July, August, September, October. And to compare New York and Florida is sort of like apples and oranges." "We were the hot spot. We had more coronavirus cases than anybody else, and so I think you’ve got...

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis pulled no punches against the media on Wednesday for its hostile coverage of his handling of the coronavirus in his state. Speaking to reporters alongside Vice President Mike Pence, DeSantis touted Florida's improving data, citing Dr. Deborah Birx of the White House coronavirus task force, who called it the "absolutely best data" among every state in the country. "So any insinuation otherwise is just typical, partisan narrative trying to be spun and part of the reason is that you've got a lot of people in your profession who waxed poetically for weeks and weeks about...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had a message on Thursday for other governors who have implemented “really draconian, arbitrary restrictions” during the coronavirus outbreak, saying, “You don't have unlimited authority and people do have rights.” DeSantis made the comments on “Fox & Friends” in response to a question from host Ainsley Earhardt, who asked if he thinks that “some of these governors that are just doing a one-size-fits-all for the entire state” are “being too strict and going too far.” “I don't think any governor has the authority to restrict anyone unless there’s a direct relationship to combating this virus,” DeSantis...

As Florida prepares to ease a month-long shutdown, Gov. Ron DeSantis delivered a scathing rebuttal of apocalyptic predictions for his state that were breathlessly hyped by the news media and proven wrong during the coronavirus crisis. The governor showed slides of media stories warning that Florida would quickly run out of hospital beds while predicting the state would be the “next New York” or even a disastrous “uber Italy.” Instead, the state with one of the most vulnerable populations due to age is faring well among the big states that were hit and is nowhere close to New York’s unfortunate...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis sparked outrage by referring to the Sunshine State as “God’s waiting room” during a briefing about the coronavirus pandemic. “Florida is ground zero for the nursing home — we’re God’s waiting room,” DeSantis said Sunday, using an old joke about the number of retirees who flock to his state, WPLG Local 10 reported. “We have a huge number of facilities, a huge number of residents,” he said, adding that Florida had acted swiftly to protect the elderly. DeSantis said he realized from the beginning, by paying attention to statistics from South Korea, “that not all age groups...

There now seems to be a magic word that triggers many liberals including those who work at Politico. And that magic word is "hydroxychloroquine." Why? After all the early reports from doctors around the world reveal that it can be an effective treatment for coronavirus. So what's not to like? Well, President Donald Trump, that's who. Since the Orange Man has stated that hydroxychloroquine could be a great aid in treating coronavirus, liberals reflexively reacted that it must be bad. All evidence pointing to the effectiveness of hydroxychloroquine must now be written off by them as some sort of Trump...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Tuesday that his state has beat back the COVID-19 epidemic without using “draconian orders.” “I got to give credit to the people of Florida,” DeSantis said on “Fox & Friends,” adding that there were predictions that Florida would be “worse than New York” state, which is the U.S. epicenter. DeSantis came under fire from critics who said that he was too slow to implement a statewide stay-at-home order like other states. Some said that because of the state’s significant amount of elderly and retired residents, Florida would suffer greatly during the pandemic. “If you look...

<p>ACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) — Florida’s governor on Friday gave the green light for some beaches and parks to reopen if it can be done safely after being closed because of the coronavirus.</p> <p>Gov. Ron DeSantis’ announcement came as north Florida beaches became among the first to allow allow beach-goers to return since the virus-induced closures.</p>

Following President Trump’s lead, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Wednesday created a task force to plan for the “resurgence and reopening of Florida" from the coronavirus shutdown. DeSantis also made a major shuffle in leadership by sidelining the state’s Department of Economic Opportunity head Ken Lawson and putting Management Services chief Jonathan Satter in charge of the state’s beleaguered unemployment compensation system. The governor also notably distanced himself from Florida Surgeon General Scott Rivkees’ comments Monday that social distancing could last as long as a year or more until there was a vaccine. Trump, who is eager to “reopen” the country...

I look at the increasing popularity of governors who trample on the Bill of Rights, and what it says about the post-Corona political future.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said in a news conference Tuesday that he believes COVID-19, the novel coronavirus responsible for the current global pandemic, was circulating in the state during this year’s Super Bowl game, which was held in South Florida, the area of the Sunshine State with the most positive cases of the virus. Super Bowl LIV was held Feb. 2 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, but it wasn’t until about one month later, on March 1, that the governor announced Florida’s first positive cases of COVID-19. According to the Sun Sentinel, attendance at Hard...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) on Thursday signaled that there was still a possibility that Florida schools could reopen in May after being closed since March due to the coronavirus outbreak. “We’re going to look at the evidence and make a decision," DeSantis said of the possibility of children returning to schools in the state, the Tampa Bay Times reported. "If it’s safe, we want kids to be in school. ... Even if it’s for a couple of weeks, we think there would be value in that," he continued. CNN reported that DeSantis added that he didn't think anyone under...

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) defended deeming churches as “essential” in his stay-at-home order, telling reporters during Thursday’s press conference that the government does not have the authority to close a church and adding that they play an important role, particularly “in times like this.” DeSantis formally issued a stay-at-home order on Wednesday after days of mounting pressure. The order is designed to “limit their [Floridians’] movements and personal interactions outside of their home to only those necessary to obtain or provide essential services or conduct essential activities.” Essential activities include picking up groceries, going to doctor appointments, and, notably,...

A deal has been reached to allow two Holland America Line ships to dock in Florida and most of the 2,500 passengers on board to disembark, including foreign nationals, NBC News reported on Thursday, citing unnamed sources. The agreement would allow the cruise line’s Rotterdam and Zaandam ships to dock at the Port of Everglades in Fort Lauderdale after 27 days at sea, according to NBC.