Florida

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

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Report: Miami's Police Chief Shot Himself While With Wife

Mayor says Alfredo Freddy' Ramirez is in critical but stable condition

(Newser) - The director of the Miami-Dade Police Department was in stable condition after surgery in a Tampa area hospital, the Miami-Dade mayor said Monday, amid reports from local media that he had shot himself. Alfredo "Freddy" Ramirez, 52, was in Tampa for a law enforcement conference, officials said. "Following...

Some Slaves Cited by Florida as Beneficiaries Weren't Slaves

Historic sources conflict with examples cited in defense of state's new school policy

(Newser) - The day after approving a new requirement that middle school students be taught that some enslaved people learned skills to their personal benefit, Florida's Board of Education issued a statement in its defense. The board listed the names of 16 historical figures it said were helped by the "...

In Florida, Harris Condemns Slavery Lesson

DeSantis says Democrats are lying

(Newser) - Vice President Kamala Harris went to Florida on Friday to denounce the state's new educational standards that mandate teaching middle school students that some Black people benefited from being enslaved . "It is not only misleading, it is false and pushing propaganda—pushing propaganda on our children," Harris...

Scientists Probe the Possibility of 'Cocaine Sharks'

Investigation to air as part of Discovery's Shark Week

(Newser) - Last month alone, the US Coast Guard seized more than 14,100 pounds of cocaine in the Caribbean Sea and Atlantic Ocean. That's a lot of cocaine and suggests the drug, dumped by smugglers and picked up by currents, could make its way to marine life, including sharks. You'...

Florida Students to Learn a 'Personal Benefit' of Slavery

New policy mandates teaching that enslaved people developed skills

(Newser) - Florida education officials have changed state standards, in keeping with Gov. Ron DeSantis' policies, to mandate teaching public school students that some Black people benefited from being enslaved because they learned useful skills. The state Board of Education immediately defended the policy, unanimously approved Wednesday, by saying lessons will still...

Family Awarded $800K in Chicken McNugget Burn Suit

McDonald's, franchisee had already been found liable

(Newser) - A Broward County jury on Wednesday awarded the family of a girl who was burned by a Chicken McNugget from her McDonald's Happy Meal $800,000, CNN reports. That covers pain and suffering, disfigurement, mental anguish, inconvenience, and loss of capacity for enjoyment of life, with half of the...

Boy, 7, Fatally Struck by Golf Cart Brother, 3, Was Driving

Tragedy struck in Fort Myers, Florida

(Newser) - On Monday afternoon in Florida, the unimaginable: A 7-year-old boy was struck and killed by a golf cart, which was being driven by his 3-year-old brother. The younger child was approaching a right curve near a home on a street when the cart hit the older child, who was standing...

Florida Sued Over New Immigration Law

SB 1718 makes it a felony to transport undocumented immigrants across state lines

(Newser) - Florida is being sued in federal court over a new immigration law that plaintiffs say could lead to "unlawful arrest, prosecution, and harassment." Senate Bill 1718, which was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May and took effect on July 1, makes it a felony to knowingly transport...

Florida&#39;s Latest Invasive Species Is Very Fuzzy
Now Florida Has
a Bunny Problem
Jul 17, 2023 7:58 AM CDT

Now Florida Has a Bunny Problem

Domestic lionhead rabbits have taken over community of Jenada Isles

(Newser) - When Alicia Griggs steps outside her suburban Fort Lauderdale home, Florida's latest invasive species comes a-hoppin' down the street: lionhead rabbits. The bunnies, which sport an impressive flowing mane around their heads, want the food Griggs carries. But she also represents their best chance of survival and moving where...

Marine Heat Wave Puts Florida in 'Uncharted Territory'

Temperatures are breaking records at sea as well as on land

(Newser) - Florida is dealing with record-breaking temperatures not just on land but in the surrounding waters, where a marine heat wave is posing a major threat to corals and other marine life. Water temperatures around Florida are in the mid-90s Fahrenheit, around 5 degrees higher than normal, and the heat wave...

Yet Another Insurer Ditches the Sunshine State

Farmers is dropping home, auto, and umbrella policies in Florida, citing 'risk exposure'

(Newser) - More homeowners in Florida received some bad news this week, with yet another insurance company pulling out of the state due to too much possible liability. The Miami Herald reports that Farmers Insurance will no longer be offering home, auto, or umbrella policies in the Sunshine State, the fourth carrier...

More Dangerous Weather Is Coming
More Dangerous
Weather Is Coming
Jul 11, 2023 7:54 AM CDT

More Dangerous Weather Is Coming

Flash floods could continue in northeast, while South, West brace for extreme heat

(Newser) - A storm that brought deadly flooding to parts of New York state on Sunday devastated Vermont on Monday, washing out roads and forcing people from their homes. More than 50 people were rescued from flood waters after some locations saw more than six inches of rain, or more than the...

Court Docs Detail What Likely Happened to Vanished Lawyer

They say an angry plastic surgeon killed him, dumped his body

(Newser) - Florida prosecutors seeking the death penalty for a plastic surgeon accused of killing a lawyer and dumping his body in the Everglades have laid out their case in new court filings, the AP reports. Authorities say Dr. Tomasz Kosowski killed attorney Steven Cozzi in the bathroom of Cozzi's law...

Next Up: Saharan Dust Clouds
Next Menace: Dust Clouds
Jul 8, 2023 5:15 PM CDT

Next Menace: Dust Clouds

Plumes from Sahara Desert reach Florida, with more to come

(Newser) - The southeastern US dodged the dangerously unhealthy smoke from wildfires in Canada, but a similar menace is moving in: dust clouds. Plumes moving from the Sahara Desert have been spotted by satellite over the eastern Caribbean Sea, southern Gulf of Mexico, and off the western coast of Africa, Accuweather reports....

18-Month-Old Dies After Being Left in Car Overnight

Florida parents are charged with aggravated manslaughter

(Newser) - A toddler died after her parents left her in a hot car overnight following a Fourth of July party in Florida, authorities said Thursday. The Polk County Sheriff's Office said Lakeland couple Joel and Jazmine Rondon have been charged with aggravated manslaughter of a child. Authorities said the Rondons...

7-Year-Old Fatally Shot Amid Jet Skis Argument

Boy in Tampa hit by stray bullet as his grandfather tried to shield him

(Newser) - A 7-year-old boy in Tampa lost his life because two groups of people arguing over jet skis started shooting at each other, say police. The boy was hit by a stray bullet after his grandfather pulled him into his pickup truck when the shooting began, reports CBS News . The bullet...

Federal Judge Blocks New Florida Election Rules

Obama appointee calls restrictions unconstitutional

(Newser) - A federal judge on Monday blocked Florida from enforcing part of a new elections law that bans noncitizens from handling or collecting voter registration forms, saying the state can't restrict individual rights and gave no proof it was necessary to do so. The ruling also blocks a ban on...

Watch Guy Not Tell His Wife There's a Shark Behind Her

Ricky Tribble didn't want Malea Tribble to panic as she paddleboarded to the safety boat he was on

(Newser) - A paddleboarder raising money for charity as part of a long-distance relay had quite the close call last weekend when a shark appeared to be stalking her in the water. WPBF reports that Malea Tribble of Fort Lauderdale was about halfway through the 80-mile-plus journey from Bimini in the Bahamas...

Sheriff: It Wasn't Rip Current That Led to Ex-NFLer's Death

'No indication' of that as cause of Ryan Mallett's apparent drowning on Florida beach, per officials

(Newser) - Officials are now saying that ex-NFL quarterback Ryan Mallett's death earlier this week in an apparent drowning off of Florida's shores wasn't caused by a rip current. Per CBS News , the Okaloosa County Sheriff's Office posted a video Wednesday on Facebook with an update on the...

Officers Allegedly Jail Son, 3, for Potty Problems

Florida dad reportedly claimed an investigation into the incident was 'insane'

(Newser) - Two Florida police officers reportedly thought the proper way to respond to their toddler's potty-training problems was to handcuff the boy and put him in jail. Daytona Beach Shores Department of Public Safety launched an internal investigation following the October incident involving Lt. Michael Schoenbrod and Det. Sgt. Jessica...

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