Florida

Read recent news stories and current events about Florida on Newser.com

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Cops: Florida Teens Were Plotting the Next Parkland

Middle school students were arrested after student's tip to teacher

(Newser) - Police in Florida say two teenage boys planning a massacre at their middle school were arrested after a student told a teacher one of them might have a gun in their backpack. "This could have been the next Parkland massacre but we stopped them in the planning stages,"...

On Day of His Shop's Grand Opening, a Big Surprise

Fla. man wins $1M jackpot on same day he launched his auto repair business

(Newser) - For Brian Woodle, the day he and his wife opened up their new auto repair shop was the culmination of a longtime goal. "I love working on vehicles and it has always been my dream," the 46-year-old from Callahan, Fla., says, per a Florida Lottery release , which adds...

These Parts of the US Face the Greatest Climate Risk
These Parts of the US Face
the Greatest Climate Risk
in case you missed it

These Parts of the US Face the Greatest Climate Risk

Multiple counties in Louisiana are looking at a dire situation, while Vermont offers possible refuge

(Newser) - If you've been looking for a reason to move to the Northeast, this might catch your attention. After the recent bleak climate report from the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which notes a worrisome decade ahead in terms of global warming and its effects on the Earth,...

Alleged Capitol Rioter: Ankle Monitor Is Too Noisy

Gabriel Garcia's lawyers claim it also poses a danger to him

(Newser) - A man accused of storming the Capitol on Jan. 6 is asking a judge to remove his ankle monitor because it's noisy, embarrassing, and interfering with his business. Gabriel Garcia, a former GOP candidate who oversees 14 employees at Supreme Aluminum Florida, a Miami-based business he founded in 2017,...

Gunman 'Tortured' 11-Year-Old, Who Outsmarted Him: Sheriff

Girl saw family murdered, then faced an interrogation, say authorities

(Newser) - A Florida couple and two children huddled together in the bathroom of their home, terrified. An intruder had just shot the woman's 62-year-old mother and the family dog, and now he was outside the door, per Fox News . Gaining entry, the intruder pulled away an 11-year-old girl before shooting...

DeSantis Files Emergency Appeal on Mask Ruling

Governor wants ban on school mandates to remain in place while case is in court

(Newser) - One day after a judge blocked Florida from enforcing its ban on mask mandates, the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis filed an emergency appeal. If successful, the Republican's filing would keep the ban in effect while the courts decide the issue, CNN reports. Some school districts in the state...

After Surfside Condo Collapse, an 'Abhorrent' Alleged Crime

3 are charged with stealing the identities of 7 victims following shopping sprees

(Newser) - Two women and a man allegedly stole the identities of seven victims of the condominium collapse in Surfside, Fla. , in the days after the tragedy and spent thousands of dollars on shoes and a Versace purse. Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle described the suspects—Betsy Alexandra Cacho-Medina, 30; her...

Cops: After Missing Flight, Woman Made Bomb Threat

Relatives say Marina Verbitsky was worried about her son missing school

(Newser) - Relatives say Chicago woman Marina Verbitsky was worried about her son missing school when she was told she'd missed her flight home from Florida. Her actions at the boarding gate could put her behind bars until after he graduates. Police say the 46-year-old swore at JetBlue employees at Fort...

Tropical Storm Mindy Makes Landfall in Florida

National Hurricane Center says it could cause flooding in Florida, Georgia, SC

(Newser) - Rain was pouring down on the Florida Panhandle as Tropical Storm Mindy made its way across the state early Thursday morning. The storm made landfall in St. Vincent Island on Wednesday night. Mindy was expected to cause as much as 6 inches of rainfall across the Florida Panhandle and portions...

Judge Orders Florida to Stop Enforcing Mask Mandate Ban

'We are not in normal times. We are in a pandemic'

(Newser) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has had another setback in his battle to prevent school districts from bringing in mask mandates. Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper ruled Wednesday that the state must immediately stop enforcing its ban on mask mandates, reports NBC . Cooper, who first ruled against the ban...

11-Year-Old Played Dead to Survive Florida Shooting

Sheriff Grady Judd calls it 'a horror of the utmost magnitude'

(Newser) - The 11-year-old girl shot seven times in Sunday's massacre at a home in Lakeland, Fla., made it out alive after playing dead. The sole survivor of the shooting that killed four of her family members is now hospitalized in stable condition and told relatives that "I played dead...

Alleged Killer of Family of 4 to Cops: 'You Know Why I Did This'

But authorities say suspect had no connection to Florida family

(Newser) - After allegedly slaying four members of a Florida family and their dog, Marine veteran Bryan Riley reportedly told the police who apprehended him, "You know why I did this." But authorities say that Riley, 33, had no known connection to the family, and that it may never be...

Gunman Kills 4, Including Mom Holding Newborn

Former Marine sharpshooter Bryan Riley charged in shooting spree

(Newser) - A man wearing full body armor fatally shot four people, including a mother and the 3-month-old baby she was cradling, and engaged in a massive gunfight with police before he surrendered, a Florida sheriff said Sunday. An 11-year-old girl who was shot seven times survived, notes the AP . Polk County...

Pelosi: We Need Federal Law to Protect Abortion

Florida working on legislation similar to heartbeat law in Texas

(Newser) - The Supreme Court has kept Texas' tough new abortion law on the books, and it looks like at least one other state may follow the lead of Texas. The president of the State Senate in Florida tells WFLA that a similar bill will be considered in the upcoming legislative session....

District Tightens Rule After Chiropractor Signs 500 Mask Exemptions

He signed more than 500 exemptions for students in Sarasota County

(Newser) - Florida's Sarasota County School District tightened the rules on medical exemptions to a mask mandate after finding that around a third of exemption forms turned in district-wide had been signed by one chiropractor. An updated form issued this week said the forms can only be signed by medical doctors,...

Man Tries to Show Off on First Date, Ends Up Arrested

Taylor Beverly allegedly drove his motorcycle at speeds over 100mph

(Newser) - A Florida man who "drove well over 100mph" on his motorcycle in a bid to escape police told officers he was trying to show off for his passenger, as it was their first date. That's according to Clearwater Police, who say 22-year-old Taylor Beverly ran a red light...

Miami Serial Killer Died in Plane Crash

Roberto Wagner Fernandes identified as murderer of 3 women

(Newser) - Three women were killed in 2000 and 2001 in South Florida, and now their murderer has been identified—as a man who died in a plane crash 16 years ago. Police say Roberto Wagner Fernandes, a Brazilian citizen living in Miami at the time of Jessica Good's 2001 slaying,...

Despite Court Ruling, DeSantis Punishes School Boards
Florida's Mask Fight
Takes a New Turn
the rundown

Florida's Mask Fight Takes a New Turn

State punishes districts over mandates despite court ruling

(Newser) - The mask fight in Florida just managed to escalate. On Monday, the state announced it would financially punish two school districts for imposing mask mandates even though a court ruled Gov. Ron DeSantis had no right to do that, reports Politico . State Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran said he would withhold...

Judge: DeSantis Overstepped Authority on Mask Mandates

Florida judge says school districts can impose them

(Newser) - School districts in Florida may impose mask mandates, a judge said Friday, ruling that Gov. Ron DeSantis overstepped his authority by issuing an executive order banning the mandates, per the AP . Leon County Circuit Judge John C. Cooper agreed with a group of parents who claimed in a lawsuit that...

Kitesurfer Slams Into Home, Fatally
Kitesurfer Slams
Into Home, Fatally

Kitesurfer Slams Into Home, Fatally

Friend said cancer survivor Fred Salter was 'a very intelligent waterman'

(Newser) - A kitesurfer hoping to enjoy the waves in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., died Wednesday when a gust of wind lifted him off the beach, carried him 400 feet, then slammed him into the side of a home, WESH reports. An orange kite was seen protruding from a second-floor balcony of the...

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