Florida

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

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7 Little-Known National Parks
 7 Little-Known 
 National Parks 
Nov 20, 2011 10:51 AM CST

7 Little-Known National Parks

Want to stay off the beaten path? Start here

(Newser) - If you’ve seen enough of Old Faithful and the Grand Canyon, CNN has an idea for you: Why not visit another of the country’s 397 national parks and monuments, like one of these seven you’ve probably never heard of?
  • Dry Tortugas: You have to seriously want to
...

Woman Gets in Line 9 Days Before Black Friday

Christine Orta excited for Best Buy deals that 'you can't beat'

(Newser) - Sure, Black Friday isn't for another week, but it's tough to resist the siren call of cheap TVs... A Florida woman and three other families pitched tents in front of a Best Buy in St. Petersburg on Wednesday—yep, 9 days before the big day—and the eager...

Prisoner Lawsuit: Soy Diet 'Cruel and Unusual'

Sex offender says cheap meat substitutes endanger his health

(Newser) - The low-cost, soy-based diet served in Florida's prisons amounts to cruel and unusual punishment, says a 34-year-old lifer who is suing the state, reports the Orlando Sentinel . Eric Harris, who was convicted for sexual battery on a child, says the cheap meat substitute is causing painful cramps and gas,...

Giant Lego Man Washes Up in Fla.

 Giant Lego Man 
 Washes Up 
 in Florida 
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Oct 30, 2011 7:00 PM CDT

Giant Lego Man Washes Up in Florida

And no, Lego is not behind it

(Newser) - Jeff Hindman was walking along Siesta Key Beach in Florida this month when he noticed a huge shape floating in the water. When he waded in, he found something decidedly odd—an 8-foot-tall, 100-pound fiberglass Lego man. “It doesn’t make sense,” Hindman tells the Herald Tribune . After...

Domino's Managers Torch Papa John's: Cops

The pair allegedly built an ignition device but didn't use it

(Newser) - Talk about taking your job a little too seriously. A pair of Domino's Pizza managers in Lake City, Florida, have been charged with burning down a rival Papa John's Pizza franchise, the Ocala Star-Banner reports. Police arrested one manager, Sean Everett Davidson, 23, on Thursday, and say he...

Florida Election Law: Teacher Faces Fines for Helping Kids Register to Vote
Teacher Breaks Law by Registering Kids to Vote
in case you missed it
Oct 29, 2011 11:35 AM CDT

Teacher Breaks Law by Registering Kids to Vote

Tougher Florida election rules spark anger

(Newser) - A Florida civics teacher didn’t know about a new state law when she helped students register to vote—and now may have to pay thousands of dollars in fines, the Daytona Beach News-Journal reports. The law required her to first register with the state as a third party who...

Polls in Early States: Good News for Romney

He's at the top in the first four, with Cain second

(Newser) - A CNN/Time survey of the first four states to vote bodes well for Mitt Romney. He leads them all, though Herman Cain is within a whisker in Iowa and South Carolina. A quick look at the top two in the state polls:
  • Iowa (Jan. 3): Romney, 24%; Cain, 21%
  • New
...

Judge Orders Florida to Stop Welfare Drug Tests

Says it will likely be ruled unconstitutional

(Newser) - A federal judge has ordered Florida to suspend its “suspicionless drug testing” of would-be welfare recipients, writing that “there is a substantial likelihood” that the law requiring such tests will be deemed unconstitutional. The ruling comes thanks to an ACLU lawsuit on behalf of one welfare recipient—an...

Lifting Dwarf-Toss Ban Would Help 'Drunk Bullies'

Politician claims 'abusive, degrading' activity would be good for jobs

(Newser) - A Florida legislator is pushing the state to repeal its 22-year-old ban on "dwarf tossing"—throwing a person with dwarfism, often against a Velcro wall and usually done by drunks at a bar. Rep. Ritch Workman says he is doing it for the "freedom" of little people,...

Nevada Resolves Primary Mess, Moves to Feb. 4

'We don't need to be New Hampshire's pinata': Nevada GOP chair

(Newser) - Talk about political inside baseball: Nevada restored order to the GOP's chaotic primary scheme today by agreeing to run its caucus in early February. Prodded by Mitt Romney's campaign, Nevada had slated its caucus for Jan. 14, but with half the Republican field promising a boycott, and RNC...

Rubio Lashes Back at 'Embellishment' Charges

Florida senator says 'Post' story misses bigger picture

(Newser) - Marco Rubio got a taste of what it's like to live in the klieg light of national politics this week. Ever since the Washington Post published a story accusing him of fudging the truth about his Cuban family history, Rubio has been on a media blitz to rebut the...

Marco Rubio 'Embellished Family History'

Cuabn-American senator's parents didn't come to US as exiles

(Newser) - Marco Rubio has told many cheering crowds of Cuban Americans that he is the son of exiles forced off the island by Fidel Castro—but the Florida Republican is embellishing the facts, according to the Washington Post . The newspaper examined naturalization records and other documents, and found that Rubio's...

Herman Cain, Mitt Romney Lead in South Carolina, Florida Polls
 Cain, Romney Lead 
 Pack in SC, Florida 
polls say
Oct 19, 2011 1:33 PM CDT

Cain, Romney Lead Pack in SC, Florida

Rick Perry in single digits in both places

(Newser) - The GOP primary is a two-horse race at the moment in pivotal South Carolina and Florida—just not between the two horses you thought it would be last month. Herman Cain has taken the lead in both states, topping Romney 30% to 26% in South Carolina and by a slim...

Quickest Flight to Cuba Now From Key West

Feds approve flights, but restrictions remain

(Newser) - Americans can now legally hop a plane in Key West and skip over to Cuba: The US government has given the green light to Key West International Airport to run charter flights to the communist state 90 miles away, reports the Huffington Post . Restrictions do remain: Havana-bound flights are limited...

Fla. Politician: It's Time to Bring Back Firing Squads

Lethal injection is too painless, argues state Rep. Brad Drake

(Newser) - Lethal injection is just such a pleasant way to die. At least according to Florida state Rep. Brad Drake, who wants to put an end to the execution method in the state. He argues that Death Row killers shouldn't be allowed to "get off that easy"; the electric...

Florida Ranchers Give Returning Panthers a Break

Their cows are disappearing, but they're working with conservationists

(Newser) - Florida’s endangered panther population has come a long way; thirty years ago there were just 20 of the big cats left, whereas now there are more than 160 of them. That’s the good news. The bad news? Panthers will be panthers, and Florida ranchers are reporting increasing deaths...

School Takes Roll With Fingerprint Scans

Scanners to be installed on buses, too

(Newser) - Roll-calls are so 20th century. A cutting-edge Florida district is scanning students' fingerprints as a way of taking attendance, Popular Science reports. And the schools are getting even more careful: While the scanning systems are currently in school buildings, some will soon be moved to buses, allowing the district to...

Florida GOPer Pushing to Legalize Dwarf Tossing

All in the name of job creation, of course!

(Newser) - Just when you thought politics couldn't get any zanier, Florida state Rep. Ritch Workman enters stage right. The Republican legislator, who is on a self-pronounced "quest to seek and destroy unnecessary burdens on the freedom and liberties of people" is looking to legalize "dwarf tossing" in the...

Probation Report: Casey Anthony Jobless, Drinking

No violations during Floridian's first full month on probation

(Newser) - The job market in Florida is tough these days—and presumably a lot tougher if your name is Casey Anthony. The 25-year-old has told her probation officer that she is unemployed, has no income, and is drinking alcohol, although not to excess, the Palm Beach New Times reports. Anthony, who...

Romney Tells Seniors to Beware 'Perry Scheme'

Social Security is safe, he promises

(Newser) - Mitt Romney, speaking at one of Florida's biggest senior citizen communities yesterday, assured his elderly audience that Social Security is safe—despite Rick Perry. The Texas governor, in a book published last year, called Social Security a "Ponzi scheme" because of its funding problems. "I think Social...

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