This department is responsible for knowing which diseases are circulating among us—and telling us about those diseases so we can protect ourselves. But last week, the disease trackers disappeared from the Florida Department of Health’s website.

Without the knowledge of which diseases are spreading, illnesses like measles and tuberculosis can tear through our communities. Such illnesses are highly contagious, and they can be deadly. Measles can also destroy your body’s ability to fight off other diseases, leaving you vulnerable to other infections later on.

Fortunately, at least in the case of measles, this vaccine is one of the most common that children get—pediatricians are happy to answer parents’ questions about this—and can prevent much suffering and regret. But will the Florida Department of Health do its part by returning Floridians’ property so we, our doctors, and our institutions can make the best decisions for us?

This isn’t just about some numbers quietly disappearing from a website. This is about our health and our freedom. Without knowing whether infectious diseases are spiking in Seminole County, parents won’t know whether to send their children to that midsummer birthday party or skip it.

People who are immunocompromised or immunosuppressed will have to take even more precautions to make up for the lack of information they used to have from the Florida Department of Health. Senior citizens wanting to avoid unnecessary risk as they age will find it harder to make informed decisions about spending time in crowded areas. And health-conscious individuals of all ages, abilities, and disabilities deserve the freedom to make well-founded decisions based on information that we, the public, have already paid for.

We also deserve the freedom to access this information. This is the twenty-first century! No matter where we go in our lives, no matter what work we do and for what amount of money, we get an education early in our lives. We learn the basics of secondary research—in other words, looking up information written by people who have spent their lives learning a subject deeply and published by people who know that same subject just as well. With the Internet at our fingertips, we often learn online, and we expect the information our government provides on the Internet to not just disappear one day.

We can’t set up a lab in our living rooms. We can’t hire a team of pathologists to tell us what’s spreading in our neighborhood. “Do your own research” has poured too many well-meaning folks down a rabbit hole of algorithms that feed the interests of people those folks will never know. To make good decisions, we need access to expert research—the kind of research the Florida Department of Health took down from its website.

And, of course, we deserve the freedom to live—free from measles, from tuberculosis, from the fear that these vaccine-preventable diseases could make a comeback and infect our loved ones who are too young or too ill to be vaccinated. We deserve that freedom, and we deserve answers.

Where did our disease-tracking data go?

If this doesn’t sit right with you, join us in holding the Florida Department of Health accountable for their theft of the public’s data. Call your state representative and state senator and let them know you expect that information to be restored to the Florida Department of Health’s website without delay.

Also, call Governor Ron DeSantis’s office and tell him the same thing. Your elected representatives need to know, whether or not you voted for them, that they work for the people of Florida, and the disease trackers your tax dollars have paid for belong to you.

Pope Francis made history by being the first member of the Catholic religious order known as the Society of Jesus, the Jesuits, to serve as pope, and as the only pope to address a joint session of the United States Congress, which took place in 2015. Despite being of Italian ancestry, he was also the first pope born in the Western Hemisphere and South America after his parents moved to Argentina.

In 1957, part of his lung was removed due to a severe respiratory infection, which may have complicated his ability to recover from his most recent illness. Prior to being elected by his fellow Catholic cardinals to lead the Roman Catholic Church in 2013, Pope Francis, whose given name was Jorge Mario Bergoglio, had served as the Bishop of Buenos Aires. During his years in his home country, his ministry spanned Argentina’s rule under a right-wing, military government to that countries’ later move to democracy.

During his twelve years as the leader of the Vatican and the world’s Roman Catholic Church, Pope Francis made history in many respects.

Pope Francis was known globally for his efforts to embrace marginalized people, including the poor and immigrants fleeing suffering and seeking mercy and love in foreign lands. He was also known for trying to change attitudes towards people from the LGBTQ+ community. While he himself shunned luxury and opulence often associated with high leadership positions, he also gained recognition from his emphasis on the need for humility, compassion, and mercy when dealing with others to promote a more just and peaceful world.

Thus, he worked to end the violent conflict afflicting Ukraine, which he referred to as a “martyred” country, and promoted nonviolence and justice in the Middle East, including in the relationship between Israel and the Palestinians suffering in the crossfire of the war in Gaza. He also promoted peace in Africa in the form of a ceasefire in Sudan and became the first pope to ever visit a country suffering through a civil war, when he visited the Central African Republic in 2015.

Similarly, he highlighted the need to protect our natural environment. He encouraged world leaders to promptly address the challenge of climate change, which often brings more suffering, instability, and conflict than already takes place throughout the world.

Within his Church, he was known for trying to heal the wounds created by the clergy sex abuse scandal that had victimized Catholics. He also worked to reform the Church’s financial system, and he also placed women in historically high leadership positions within the Vatican’s ranks.

Pope Francis’s life and leadership left a deep impression on people around the world—including many right here in Seminole County. His message of humility, compassion, and justice challenged us all to look inward and care for one another more fully. As we remember his legacy, we hope to carry forward the values he stood for.

But another danger from Cybertrucks threatens their occupants and those who haven’t chosen to get into one.

Recently, a headline on Wired announced, “Nearly All Cybertrucks Have Been Recalled Because Tesla Used the Wrong Glue.” The glue, used to attach trim panels to the rest of the vehicle, doesn’t always keep the panels fastened on securely. When the glue fails, the panel falls off. 

It’s unnerving to know that at any moment, a panel could detach from one of these vehicles, endangering anyone unfortunate enough to be nearby. There’s no telling whether it could happen at fifteen miles an hour, next to a group of neighborhood children, or at seventy miles an hour on the highway with dozens of other drivers and passengers around.

This recall isn’t the first for Tesla—or even its biggest controversy this year. Since its owner, Elon Musk, formed DOGE and began slashing through budgets and services approved by Congress, Tesla has seen protests springing up around the country. 

These protests are a direct result of Musk’s interference in the federal government, with protesters speaking out against not only the cuts themselves, but also the process. Well-known for disruption, Musk is now disrupting the federal government and the rule of law, threatening both courts and legislators who dare to stand up to him.

The billionaire who branded himself a tech genius sells cars that literally fall apart, all while destroying the results of taxpayer dollars.

It is worth mentioning the federal agency responsible for vehicle safety: the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. The NHTSA publicizes recalls and enforces safety standards, allowing us to use our roads much more safely than we could without it. The NHTSA should be supported for the services it provides everyday Americans. 

But in February, DOGE firings targeted NHTSA regulators in charge of vehicle safety—the folks who keep our roads and our people safe from cars whose panels fall off because their company used the wrong glue.

Lately, Tesla’s stocks have taken a hit. Some Tesla owners have sold their vehicles, and fewer buyers purchase from the company. Whether the company will heed calls for it to part ways with its owner remains to be seen. But it’s no longer enough for Musk to be accountable only to Tesla and its customers. His actions have put him at odds with the American people.

There are actions we can take now and plans we can make for later. For now, this recall is a good reminder to be alert on the roads. Stay aware of surrounding vehicles, and practice defensive driving. 

If you own a Cybertruck, PLEASE follow the terms of the recall so as not to endanger yourself, your passengers, and those sharing the road and surrounding areas with you. This is a physical issue. Tesla can’t push a software update; the vehicle needs to be taken to a service center. If you haven’t yet gotten your repairs completed, make this a priority. Notices are expected to be mailed to Cybertruck owners on May 19, and Tesla will repair the defect for free.

As for the future, stay aware of Musk’s involvement in our political systems. Oppose his illegal dismantling of the services that Americans and our money have paid for. Notice how what he does benefits his own wallet by taking from yours. And seek out opportunities to peacefully organize with others who want American government to work for the people, not take from the people and give to billionaires.

Holding Space in Difficult Times

SANFORD – Downtown Sanford will be one of more than 600 locations across the United States with demonstrations on April 5 to protest policies implemented by Donald Trump and Elon Musk.

The Seminole County Democratic Party (SemDems) is leading the Sanford event, which will feature a human chain of protesters along East First Street, between Fort Mellon Park and the Civic Center. More than 350 people have signed up to date.

“We’ve seen a powerful response from Seminole County residents who are ready to speak out,” said Andrew Lisa, SemDems chair. “While Congressman Cory Mills continues to align himself with Donald Trump instead of the people he was elected to serve, our community is standing up for responsible leadership and the freedoms we all cherish.”

The Sanford event is part of a massive nationwide mobilization on April 5, under the umbrella of Hands Off! 2025. This group focuses on protecting America’s infrastructure, institutions, and Constitutional rights. The event calls for the Trump administration to take its Hands Off! social security, Medicare, history, public education, human rights, and more.

“Donald Trump and Elon Musk have no right to dismantle our government to serve their own interests,” Lisa said. “It’s time to push back against this billionaire power grab and stand up for the values that make America strong.”

The HandsOff! Protest comes on the heels of the Empty Chair Town Hall held in Winter Springs, which was organized by concerned citizens after U.S. Rep. Cory Mills refused to meet with constituents to discuss their concerns. The event received media coverage from Fox 35 Orlando, the Orlando Sentinel, and MSNBC.

The Seminole County Democratic Party holds meetings for the public on the second Thursday of every month. Learn more at www.semdems.com.

Hands Off! events are organized through a partnership of more than 100 organizations, including 50501 and Indivisible. Additional demonstrations in Central Florida on April 5 will also be held in Orlando, Daytona Beach, Clermont, and Leesburg. See the latest information at www.handsoff2025.com.

The 5 Calls app has a special script you can use to call your representatives about Ukraine. Download the app to call Cory Mills, Rick Scott, Ashley Moody, and your state representatives to demand they make a statement decisively in solidarity with Ukraine and with democracy. https://5calls.org/issue/ukraine-russia-zelinsky/