A group of people are named in a theft ring that authorities said involved stores in Northeast Florida, Southeast Georgia and South Carolina.

Historic flooding a week ago in South Florida has led to long lines at the region’s gas stations, as drivers fearful of a fuel shortage have been unnecessarily topping off their tanks.

A Republican-favorable congressional redistricting plan that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office released Wednesday landed quick support from the leader of the Senate’s reapportionment efforts.

With an additional 71 deaths reported Friday, Florida hit a total of 36,000 resident deaths from COVID-19. An additional 719 non-residents have also died in the state, according to the state Department of Health.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A little more than a year after the novel coronavirus showed up in the state, Florida has topped 2 million cases of COVID-19. With the addition of 5,105 reported cases Saturday, the total hit 2,004,362 confirmed cases since the pandemic started, according to the Florida Department of Health. Duval County added 133 cases on Saturday to reach 91,342 total COVID-19 cases with 1,263 deaths since the pandemic began. Florida’s first two reported cases were announced March 1, 2020, involving residents of Hillsborough and Manatee counties. AdNine months later -- Dec. 1 -- Florida surpassed 1 million cases and, with daily cases rising through Christmas, New Year and beyond, it looked like Florida was on pace to surpass 2 million cases a month ago.

“We need to identify our most vulnerable areas, where the need is,” Simpson said. “They’re acknowledging the need --- how can you not in Florida acknowledge the need to start making our communities more resilient?” Florida Conservation Voters Executive Director Aliki Moncrief said. Sprowls, meanwhile, suggested shifting environmental spending from land acquisition to addressing rising waters that flood streets, damage homes and ruin businesses. We need to bring the same long-range planning and strategic discipline to our environmental programs that we bring to our transportation work plan,” Sprowls said. In 2014, former Senate President Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando, suggested lawmakers set a multiple-year work plan for voter-approved water projects and land preservation.

Florida reported another 3,662 coronavirus cases in data released Tuesday by the state health department. Over the last several weeks, Florida’s daily average of cases has steadily crept higher and is now at 3,091 cases a day over the last seven days. Florida also reported another 86 deaths in Tuesday’s data -- three of those were in Northeast Florida. State officials say the positivity rate associated with the cases reported on Monday was 6.17%, slightly over the average daily rate for the last 10 days. Florida and Duval County daily cases since June 1The News Service of Florida and Associated Press contributed to this report.

With dozens of additional deaths reported each day, more than 16,000 Florida residents have now died of COVID-19, according to numbers released Monday by the state Department of Health. Florida reported 54 resident deaths Monday, bringing the total to 16,021. Eight of the deaths reported Monday happened in Northeast Florida counties — three in Duval, two in Flager and Alachua and one in Union County. The next-highest numbers are in Pinellas County, with 801 resident deaths, and Hillsborough County, with 751. As of Monday, the state reported 6,496 deaths involving long-term care residents and staff members.

Ron DeSantis to establish a statewide office focused on the impact of rising sea levels was approved Monday by a Senate committee. The Infrastructure and Security Committee backed a proposal (SPB 7016) that would create the Statewide Office of Resiliency within the executive branch. The proposal also would establish a Sea-Level Rise Task Force to make recommendations about Florida’s 1,350 miles of coastline and the relatively low elevations of the state that are vulnerable to coastal flooding from sea-level rise, storm surge and heavy rainfall. “We’re putting billions of dollars into the infrastructure of the state every year,” said Lee, R-Thonotosassa. “In the U.S., sea level rise and flooding threaten an estimated $1 trillion in coastal real estate value, and analyses estimate that there is a chance Florida could lose more than $300 billion in property value by 2100,” the staff analysis said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The latest forecast path for "extremely dangerous" shows Hurricane Dorian hugging Florida's East Coast early next week and bringing it right over Jacksonville next Wednesday. The 8 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center shows that a Hurricane Hunter aircraft found Dorian with increase maximum sustained winds of 125 mph -- on the verge of a Category 4 hurricane -- and moving west-northwest at 10 mph. It is forecast to reach Category 4 strength early Sunday afternoon and maintain 130-145 mph sustained winds until it makes landfall. What's new Friday:Hurricane Hunters reached Dorian Friday evening and found it had strengthened to near Category 4 strength. Still too early for specific north Florida surge or evacuation impacts due to uncertainty on location of north turn and its timing.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The sustained winds of Hurricane Dorian remained at 110 mph at 11 a.m. Friday, keeping it a Category 2 storm as it moves over open ocean, appearing to head for the East Coast of Florida. READ NEW STORY AS DORIAN BECOMES MAJOR HURRICANEThe storm is expected to become a major hurricane sometime Friday, and it will remain a dangerous hurricane through the weekend. What's new this morning:Landfall in Southeast Florida now projected for overnight Monday or early Tuesday morning. Track is slowing down, meaning its impacts in Jacksonville would not start until Monday night/Tuesday and last through mid-week. Potential impacts for greater Northeastern Florida and Southeastern Georgia:Coast Flood Advisory through the weekend for potential minor flooding during high tides.

Ron DeSantis said he has expressed concerns to the head of the Florida Department of Transportation about the cost and length of time to get projects completed. DeSantis added that he would like to see infrastructure projects done "as soon as possible and not take forever and a day." While the governor said he was not referring to any specific projects, DeSantis did say he would like a "speed up" on the I-4 Ultimate corridor expansion project, and he'd like the project to be more cost effective. And with Universal Orlando Resort building a new theme park, DeSantis said the state will be acting as a "partner" to help with road improvements. "Orlando is a place for marquee attractions and I think this Universal park is taking it to the next level," DeSantis said.