Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.
FLORIDA TO RELEASE NEW UNEMPLOYMENT NUMBERS
Florida is releasing the last round of unemployment numbers before Election Day. Florida’s jobless numbers for September will be released on Friday. The rate for much of this year has been flat. The rate for August was 6.3 percent, or higher than it was in the previous month. The state’s rate currently is higher than the U.S. rate of 5.9 percent.
TRIAL OFF INDEFINITELY IN FLORIDA TERROR CASE
Trial has been postponed indefinitely in the South Florida case of two Pakistani-born brothers accused of plotting to set off bombs in New York City. A Miami federal judge on Thursday granted the delay requested by prosecutors and defense lawyers. Trial for Raees Alam Qazi and Sheheryar Alam Qazi had been scheduled to begin in early November but is now off until sometime next year. One reason is that defense lawyers need more time to go through FBI recordings, video and other evidence.
SCOTT ASKS CDC FOR MORE HELP ON EBOLA PREPARATION
Gov. Rick Scott is asking the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to train all Florida hospitals in Ebola preparedness. Scott has been critical of the CDC’s response to the crisis. He asked them to conduct health care worker training with all Florida hospitals by conference call. Earlier this week, state health officials asked for permission to redirect $6 million from federal grants to buy full body suits for health care workers who may have contact with any potential victims of the virus.
ADVOCATES TO RALLY FOR FLORIDA MEDICAID EXPANSION
Local city officials and health advocates will rally in St. Petersburg to convince state lawmakers to expand Medicaid coverage to roughly 1 million Floridians under the federal health law. Medicaid expansion has been one of the biggest issues in the tight race between Gov. Rick Scott and former Gov. Charlie Crist. Crist says he’ll call a special session or pass it through executive order. Scott says he’ll let the Legislature duke it out and only supports it as long as the federal government pays 100 percent of the bill.
US COMMISSION WEIGHS IN ON STAND YOUR GROUND
Just miles from where the fatal shooting of Trayvon Martin launched a national debate over stand your ground laws, a federal commission is holding a hearing on whether there are racial disparities in the application of the law. The U.S. Civil Rights Commission on Friday will hold the hearing in Orlando’s tourist district, about 30 miles from the Sanford gated community where the 17-year-old Martin was fatally shot by George Zimmerman.
