Ron DeSantis

In a deep dive into why Florida was hit so hard by the resurgent Covid-19 virus that claimed more than 7,000 lives since July Fourth, one specialist in infectious diseases suggested that, if other states want to learn how to deal with the crisis if it hits their state, they need look no further than Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) -- and do the opposite of what he has done.

According to the report from the Washington Post, Florida appears to be "turning the corner" on Covid infections and related deaths --with the caveat that the long Labor Day weekend could unleash another round of Floridians becoming infected.

Like Gov. Ron DeSantis in Florida, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has aggressively fought against mask mandates in public schools — and many fellow Republicans in the Texas State Legislature have applauded him for that policy. This comes at a time when Texas is being pounded by COVID-19 and its highly infectious Delta variant, inspiring health experts and school officials to slam Abbott's policies as reckless, dangerous and irresponsible.

Texas Public Radio reporter Paul Flahive, in an article published on September 3, explains, "Texas schools have amassed more than 50,000 confirmed coronavirus cases in students in just a couple of weeks. More than a dozen school districts have closed temporarily as a result of the disease, and Texas is a leader in child deaths from COVID-19, with 59 as of September 3. But state leaders have spent weeks of the surge pushing through controversial bills around abortion, voting restrictions and bail reform while Gov. Abbott has been fighting local governments over their efforts to stem the spread of the disease."

On Friday, NBC 6 Miami reported that 15 staffers and educators in the Miami-Dade County school system have died of COVID 19 — just in the past ten days.

"Sonia Diaz, a spokesperson for several unions in the school district, confirmed the number of deaths to NBC 6," reported Johnny Archer. "Miami-Dade County Public Schools resumed classes on Aug. 23, and it's unknown when the employees contracted COVID-19."

Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis continued to push his dangerous anti-vaxx policies and his promotion of expensive treatment versus prevention, announcing that "it really doesn't impact me or anyone else" if someone gets vaccinated, which is false.

"I don't want a biomedical security state," said the GOP governor, whose state now ranks 26th in full-vaccination rate of those 18 or older.

According to a report from Florida Today, a Brevard County School Board member and her daughter were harassed in front of her home on Wednesday night by anti-mask protesters that ended with one protester coughing in her face at close range.

The report notes that Jennifer Jenkins has been under fire from local anti-vaxxers with calls for her to resign and some protesters calling her a "tyrant" for advocating pro-mask policies in schools.

The state of Florida has broken its record for the highest daily average in COVID-19 deaths yet again.

The Miami Herald reports that Florida on Thursday reported 1,338 new COVID-19 deaths, and the state has also averaged 325 deaths a day for the last week, which the paper calls "a record high."

Support for Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and Texas Republican Greg Abbott is continuing to nosedive as the COVID-19 crises in the Sunshine State and Lone Star State grow.

With hospitalizations remaining at dangerously high levels, schools districts are already preparing to fight the DeSantis mask bans in court and vaccines are growing increasingly politicized. Florida also set a record for COVID cases on Thursday.

The Leon County School Board is gearing up for a fight against Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). Thursday morning's school board meeting ruled 5-0 to approve a $50,000 expenditure for an outside counsel to be hired to handle the ban on mask mandates, said Tallahassee Reports.

Leon County, which includes the capital city of Tallahassee, is one of nearly a dozen counties that has bucked the DeSantis executive order mandating schools from requiring masks in classes. Florida is the worst state in the U.S. for COVID-19 and the contrast to 2020 numbers is dramatic.

With the Afghan crisis, a resurgent pandemic and a defeat on abortion rights roiling Democratic politics, Republicans are already setting their sights on Joe Biden in 2024 -- knowing their chances of being the next president depend on winning kingmaker Donald Trump's approval first.

The deposed president is said to be considering a third White House bid himself. But even if he declines to run, he remains an outsized influence among hopefuls betting on their ability to remake themselves in his image to inherit his hyper-loyal base.

Potential 2024 GOP presidential candidates are "racing to the bottom" as they look to win over the MAGA base in the event that former president Donald Trump opts not to run, according to a new report from Vanity Fair.

However, some Republicans fear that if Trump doesn't run, he may try to sabotage the race, because he "looks at every decision through the prism of self-interest."

On Wednesday's edition of MSNBC's "The Beat," former Obama strategist Cornell Belcher tore into Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) amid new reporting that his administration is improperly concealing public data revealing damning COVID-19 infection rates.

"The evidence that the governor's policies are making it worse, and his administration is not clear in the link of whether he was in on it, but his administration covering up the actual way that the death rate is bad and getting worse — what are your views?" asked anchor Ari Melber.

Gov. Ron DeSantis's administration is taking his war on vaccine mandates to a new level.

The Tampa Bay Times reports that a new Florida Department of Health rule will impose $5,000 fines on businesses, schools, and local governments that require proof of vaccination as a precondition for service.