Blaise Gainey
Blaise Gainey is a Multimedia Reporter for WFSU News. Blaise hails from Windermere, Florida. He graduated from The School of Journalism at the Florida A&M University. He formerly worked for The Florida Channel, WTXL-TV, and before graduating interned with WFSU News. He is excited to return to the newsroom. In his spare time he enjoys watching sports, Netflix, outdoor activities and anything involving his daughter.
Follow Blaise Gainey on Twitter: @BlaiseGainey
Email Blaise Gainey at blgainey@fsu.edu
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Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch wants to implement 8-and-a-half-hour shifts at all state correctional institutions. Right now, 12-hour shifts are in place at most facilities. Governor Ron DeSantis has included $31 million in his proposed budget to support the change.
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Government agencies won’t have to purchase ad space in newspapers to publish public notices thanks to language in a bill advancing in the House. Opponents argue it’ll make public notices harder to find while also weakening the newspaper industry.
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Legislation that would survey university students on whether competing ideas and perspectives are presented and welcomed on campus passed its first committee stop today. Sen. Ray Rodrigues (R-Fort Myers) says the bill is needed to ensure students are hearing competing viewpoints.
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Legislation shielding Florida businesses from COVID-19 related claims is moving in the state Senate. Sen. Jeff Brandes (R-St. Petersburg) is carrying the proposal in the chamber.
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While medical marijuana is legal in Florida, it can still cause a public employee to lose their job. South Florida Democrats Senator Tina Polsky and Representative Nicholas Duran, are trying to change that.
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Florida expects to receive another 250-thousand vaccines in a week. That’s according to Attorney General Scott Rivkees. The state is prioritizing vaccinations for people 65 and older, and the federal government recently revised its guidelines to do the same.
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A House bill created to protect businesses from frivolous COVID-19 lawsuits started moving Wednesday, clearing its first committee stop on a party-line vote. It’s a priority for business groups and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
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Floridians have been left confused and frustrated by the rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. Florida Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz says he thinks those kinks will soon get worked out.
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Thousands of Americans are still out of work and a federal eviction moratorium expires at the end of the year. Florida Apartment Association says some landlords are trying to keep people in their homes.
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A controversial proposal to allow guns to be carried on public college and university campuses in Florida is back. The measure has failed several times in the past but the sponsor believes it’ll have a shot this year since Republicans gained seats in the Florida legislature. The usual opponents are standing their ground on the issue.
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Tallahassee Democratic Senator Loranne Ausley wants to increase broadband service in Florida’s rural counties. She says the need has always existed but has been highlighted by COVID-19 and distance learning. Ausley says currently not every student has the same access to education because some live in areas where broadband service is weak. She hopes to address that in the upcoming state legislative session.
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In the Fall of 1999, Florida A&M University was victim to an act of domestic terrorism. While no one was hurt, a man espousing racist beliefs detonated two bombs in school bathrooms. He said his intention was to harm Black people. Recently, a judge resentenced him to 54 years in prison—what amounts to a life sentence given his age. U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Florida says the decision sends a message that the country won’t tolerate domestic terrorism.