TOP STORIES FROM LAST WEEK

Our panel of 100 influential leaders discusses the most important issues affecting you.

Lauren Book, member, Florida Senate. First, congratulations to those students who graduated. Whether you are graduating high school or college, educational achievement should always be celebrated as a personal milestone. To each of you, I offer sincere admiration for a job well done. Sadly, 14 students who would have graduated from Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School were only present in our hearts this week because their lives were needlessly cut short by a failed system and a deranged young man. To the parents of the 14, I know this week was especially hard. Please know that 1,215 days after the shooting, we still remember you.

Paul Castronovo, host, Paul Castronovo Show on Big 105.9. I can’t blame the cruise industry for caving, but as a potential passenger, I’m annoyed. Once DeSantis signed the bill saying cruise lines could be fined $5,000 per passenger just for asking if they’ve been vaccinated, they caved. Even before COVID, if somebody sneezed in the buffet line, I was ready to jump overboard. All we need is one major outbreak on a ship, and we’re back to square one. At press time, only Norwegian has said, “we are doing fully vaccinated cruises.” Governor, your move. What if you charged nonvaccinated passengers double? I bet they’d get the vaccine immediately.

Bernie Fernandez Jr., M.D., CEO, Baptist Health Medical Group. Moderna has filed for full FDA approval of its COVID-19 vaccine, following the lead of Pfizer and BioNTech. Both vaccines, along with Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine, are in use nationwide with the FDA’s emergency use authorization (EUA). The EUA allows the vaccines to be given, since their safety and efficacy data and two months of follow-up data were reviewed by the FDA. Full approval requires six months of follow-up data and further review of the clinical trial data. With more than 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines safely administered worldwide, full FDA approval is likely and will ease vaccine hesitancy.

Chip LaMarca, member, Florida House of Representatives. Residents who require financial assistance due to the COVID-19 pandemic may be eligible to apply for the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program. This program is offered by the Federal Communications Commission, and the commission will provide a temporary discount on monthly broadband bills for low-income families. If eligible, you can receive up to $50 monthly discount on services or equipment, or a $100 discount on tablets or computers. The program is on a first-come, firstserve basis and will be offered until the FCC funding is exhausted. For more information and how to apply please go to getemergencybroadband.org.

Charlotte Mather-Taylor, executive director, Area Agency on Aging of Broward County. This past week, the FDA approved a new drug, Aduhelm, to treat Alzheimer’s disease. Although controversial, according to the FDA, this treatment is the first therapy to target and affect the underlying disease process of Alzheimer’s. Approximately 560,000 individuals currently live with Alzheimer’s disease in Florida, with projections that more than 720,000 individuals will be living with the disease by 2025. These figures do not include other forms of dementia. If you need assistance helping a loved one with Alzheimer’s or dementia, please visit the Area Agency on Aging website at www.adrcbroward.org or call our Helpline at 954-745-9567.

Shelly Petrolia, mayor, Delray Beach. Delray Beach took a step toward greater unity this week. The process of hiring a new city manager included feedback from a ten-person citizen and city partner panel. After two days of presentations, interviews and discussion, the city commission unanimously chose Terrence Moore from a pool of highly qualified candidates. The overall experience was a positive affirmation of our commission’s commitment to listening to stakeholders and residents. A community is better served when its leaders reflect the goals and aspirations of the population.

Nan Rich, member, Broward County Commission. This session, a disrespectful, regrettable bill was passed by the Legislature and signed by the governor. The bill terminated the Lawton Chiles Endowment Fund, named for the former governor, and created by the Legislature in 1999 with $1.7 Billion from the state’s tobacco settlement. Designated for health programs and research, the endowment fund was always vulnerable to sweeps, just like the Sadowski Affordable Housing Trust Fund. Far from protecting the fund, by liquidating and redirecting the $958 million balance into reserves, all the protections for the health programs are gone. Legislators can now use the funds for whatever they desire!

Gregory Tony, sheriff, Broward County .I learned at a young age that people in uniform are not just officers; they are friends, mentors and leaders. As a society, we have a responsibility to mentor our youth and help pave their path toward success. This week, the Broward Sheriff ’s Office launched our newest initiative — the BSO Youth L.E.A.D Camp, centered on Learning, Educating And Developing. The eight-week summer program will teach valuable life skills and instill the importance of leadership to Broward’s youngest generation. With the development of the BSOYLC, we are preparing today’s youth to be tomorrow’s leaders.