Florida

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

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Officer With 7 Life-Saving Awards Dies a Hero

Witnesses say Tampa officer Jesse Madsen was protecting others from wrong-way driver

(Newser) - A Tampa Bay Police officer killed in the line of duty in a wrong-way crash early Tuesday was trying to protect other motorists, witnesses say. Master Patrol Officer Jesse Madsen, 45, was killed along with the other driver in the crash on I-275 around 1am, the Tampa Bay Times reports....

FEMA Site Flips After Opening Up Vaccinations

Florida center operates in confusion over the weekend

(Newser) - Business was slow at a vaccination site in Florida on Saturday, so the staff decided to change the rules. Instead of accepting only people who met state criteria, the FEMA-run site would give a shot to anyone 18 and older, as long as they brought a driver’s license or...

Woman Allegedly Tried on $15K Ring, Walked Out With It

Jannet Novelo-Aqela faces felony charge of grand theft

(Newser) - A Florida woman has been arrested almost a month after she allegedly snagged a $15,000 diamond ring from a jewelry store in Key West. The manager of Gold Silver Creations says that on Feb. 10 a female shopper in a floral jumpsuit tried on a three-diamond, 14-karat white gold...

Frontier: Maskless Fliers, Not Anti-Semitism, Canceled Flight

Flight out of Miami to NYC canceled after Sunday incident with Hasidic Jewish passengers

(Newser) - A chaotic scene on a Frontier Airlines flight before takeoff ended with a group of Hasidic Jews being asked to leave, the entire plane eventually being emptied, and now, accusations of anti-Semitism—all over what the airline says was the group's refusal to wear face masks. The incident took...

Alleged Copper Thieves Had a Bold Scheme

Florida police say they dressed as a work crew, stole it from manhole

(Newser) - What's the best way to rob $30,000 worth of copper wiring? Police say a group of thieves attempted to pull off the odd heist in plain sight by posing as a nighttime construction crew in Hempstead, Fla., reports WSVN . And it might have worked had police not been...

Missing Former NFL Player Found Dead

Louis Nix was 29

(Newser) - Louis Nix, a standout football player for Notre Dame before being briefly drafted to the NFL, was found dead Saturday in Florida. The 29-year-old had been reported missing Wednesday, the AP reports. Not much has been made public about his death, but the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office announced it after...

New Restrictions Take Aim at Exotic Reptiles

Pythons, iguanas, and others are included

(Newser) - Pythons, iguanas, monitor lizards, oh my! Florida is moving to restrict 16 invasive reptile species that have wreaked havoc in the Everglades and across the state, the AP reports. Burmese pythons, in particular, have been especially destructive to native wildlife. “Breeding invasive species in Florida is like playing with...

Trump at CPAC: 'Do You Miss Me Yet?'

Event strawpoll finds 68% of attendees want him to run in 2024

(Newser) - Taking the stage for the first time since leaving office, former President Trump on Sunday called for Republican Party unity in a speech at a conservative political conference, even as he exacerbated its divisions and made clear he intended to remain a dominant force in the party. Trump used his...

Florida Officials Balk at Lowering Flags for Limbaugh

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, others will not follow governor's directive

(Newser) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wants flags in the state flown half-staff when famous resident Rush Limbaugh is laid to rest, but some Florida officials aren't having it. "Lowering to half-staff the flag of the United States of America is a sacred honor that pays respect to fallen heroes...

Former MLB Player Faces DUI Charge
Johnny Damon
Faces DUI Charge
Feb 19, 2021 3:38 PM CST

Johnny Damon Faces DUI Charge

Police report says officers saw SUV swerving on road, hitting a guardrail

(Newser) - Former Major League outfielder Johnny Damon was charged with driving under the influence in Florida early Friday after police said they saw his SUV swerve on the road, then hit a curb and guardrail. His wife, Michelle Mangan-Damon, also was arrested, TMZ reports, on charges of committing battery on an...

Florida Women Dress Up as 'Grannies' to Get Vaccine

They turned out to be 35 and 44 years old

(Newser) - Impersonating a grandmother isn't just for big, bad wolves anymore. Officials in Orange County, Florida, say two women dressed up as "grannies"—with bonnets, glasses, and gloves—to try to get their second dose of coronavirus vaccine. Orange County Health Officer Dr. Raul Pino tells WFTV that...

The Greediest, Angriest, Most Jealous States in America

WalletHub takes note of our sins and ranks us

(Newser) - The first day of Lent is Wednesday, and for Christians who follow the observance, it's often a time to give up a bad habit for the six weeks that follow. That may be harder for people in some parts of the country, per WalletHub , which has ranked US states...

Woman Arrested for Alleged EpiPen Attack

'I'm allergic to drunks'

(Newser) - A Florida woman allegedly attacked her passed-out sister with an EpiPen and told police she did so because she is "allergic to drunks” and was hoping to sober her sister up, WBBH reports. According to a police report , 62-year-old Joanna Zielinksi told officers: "I injected her with the...

Palm Beach Debates Trump's Stay at Mar-a-Lago

Lawyer had told the town members of the private club wouldn't be allowed to live there

(Newser) - As the impeachment trial of former President Trump begins in Washington, a matter more important to his immediate future is being discussed some 990 miles to the south by the Palm Beach Town Council: whether he can continue living at Mar-a-Lago. Council members will hear their attorney's opinion on...

Hacker Tried to Flood Fla. City's Water Supply With Lye

Officials are investigating scary incident in Oldsmar

(Newser) - Thousands of people in a Florida city could have been poisoned had a hacker's plan come to pass. Authorities say the as-yet-unknown person hacked into Oldsmar's water treatment system Friday and tried to increase the levels of sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, to more than 100 times...

Tampa Fans Ignore Warnings to Ease Up on the Celebrations

They were out in force in streets and bars after Super Bowl win

(Newser) - Two things have health authorities keeping a worried eye on Florida. On Sunday, the state became the first to report 200 cases of variant COVID strains, reports USA Today . The second involves the Super Bowl, specifically the celebrations surrounding it. Before the game, authorities including Dr. Anthony Fauci had implored...

Stolen Car Had 30 Vials of COVID Vaccine

Police in Florida estimate worth at $10K

(Newser) - A car thief in Florida got away not just with a vehicle but with 30 vials of coronavirus vaccine, reports ABC News . Authorities don't think the thief knew about the vaccine, which police estimate to be worth $10,000, per the AP . The strange incident took place Wednesday afternoon...

Town Lawyer Makes Call on Trump Mar-a-Lago Residency

He says former president isn't banned from living at his Florida estate

(Newser) - Some neighbors in Palm Beach argue that former President Trump isn't allowed to live at his Mar-a-Lago estate—but after a legal review by the town's attorney, Trump probably won't have to find a new home for the second time in two months. In a memo to...

Lawmakers Push to Establish 'President Donald J. Trump Day'

Meanwhile, a move is underway to prevent Trump from being honored on the federal level

(Newser) - If two Ohio lawmakers have their way, residents of the Buckeye State will celebrate "President Donald J. Trump Day" every June. State Reps. Jon Cross and Reggie Stoltzfus, both Republicans, last week sent a memo to their fellow legislators asking them to co-sponsor a bill that would establish June...

Slain FBI Agents Had Spent Careers Fighting for Kids

Special Agents Laura Schwartzenberger, Daniel Alfin were killed in Sunrise, Fla.

(Newser) - It was "an awful day in FBI history" on Tuesday, per a former FBI official, after a shooter killed two FBI agents and injured three others while a search warrant on violent crimes against children was being served in a suburb of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Now, the two who...

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