Florida

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Mass Casualty Incident Declared After Boat Hits Ferry

1 killed, others injured in hit-and-run incident in Florida

(Newser) - A ferry packed with more than 40 people was struck by a boat near a bridge in Clearwater, Florida, Sunday night, leaving one dead, multiple others injured, and authorities searching for answers. The boat fled the scene after crashing into the ferry near the Memorial Causeway Bridge, the AP...

'One of the Best Divers in the Nation' Killed in Crash

18-year-old Maisey O'Donnell dies following Monday night crash in Florida

(Newser) - Massachusetts high school student Maisey O'Donnell, described by her coach as one of the best divers in the country, was one of three 18-year-olds killed in a car crash in the Florida Panhandle on Monday night. The Florida Highway Patrol says an SUV with four Concord-Carlisle High School students...

Cops: Woman Posing as ICE Agent Kidnaps Ex's Wife

Latrance Battle, 52, accused in brazen crime out of Florida

(Newser) - With detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the headlines, a woman in Florida decided to don an "ICE" shirt and kidnap her ex-boyfriend's wife, authorities say. Latrance Battle, 52, showed off the shirt and a hand-held radio when she showed up at the hotel chain where...

Florida State Shooting Suspect Did Not Know His Victims

The 2 men killed were food service workers

(Newser) - Police say the Florida State student accused of killing two people and injuring six others during a shooting spree on campus didn't know his victims. The BBC reports Tallahassee Police Chief Lawrence Revell said in a video statement: "At this point, there does not appear to be any...

5 Missing After Boat Capsizes Off Florida

1 person found dead, 4 rescued alive on Sunday

(Newser) - One person has died and five others are missing after a boat capsized off the Florida coast over the weekend. Ten people are believed to have been on the boat, which was found flipped about 30 miles off St. Lucie Inlet on Sunday, per WPEC . One of four people rescued...

Woman Whispers 'Help Me' to Amazon Driver
Woman Whispers
'Help Me' to Amazon Driver
in case you missed it
Apr 12, 2025 11:30 AM CDT

Woman Whispers 'Help Me' to Amazon Driver

Florida man was charged with domestic violence after driver called police

(Newser) - A Florida man was arrested on a domestic violence charge after a woman whispered, "Help me" to an Amazon driver making a delivery, authorities say. An Indian River County Sheriff's Office arrest affidavit states that the driver contacted emergency dispatchers, who went to the home and found the...

Killer Mistakenly Released Is Caught After Two Weeks

Kathan Guzman left Georgia and was picked up in Florida

(Newser) - The US Marshals Service said Friday that a convicted killer who was mistakenly released from a Georgia jail has been caught after two weeks in Florida—ending days of anxiety for the victim's family, per the AP . Kathan Guzman, 22, was supposed to spend the rest of his life...

Florida Teacher Canned for Using Student's Preferred Name

High school educator Melissa Calhoun's contract won't be renewed for next year, per Brevard district

(Newser) - A Florida teacher at an arts magnet school is out of a job after addressing a student by a name they wished to be called. Per ClickOrlando.com , Brevard Public Schools says it won't be renewing a contract next year for Melissa Calhoun, an educator at Satellite High School...

After Cops Are Called, It's Splitsville for Tyreek Hill

Columnist suggests an 'intervention' after Miami Dolphins star's wife described anger issues

(Newser) - Miami Dolphins star Tyreek Hill was served with divorce papers on Tuesday after police responded to a reported assault at his home, per the Miami Herald . Hill's mother-in-law called police on Monday after a dispute involving Hill, his wife Lakeeta Vaccaro Hill, and their 5-month-old daughter. Alesia Vaccaro told...

Bodies in JetBlue Landing Gear Were Dominican Teens

The males died from asphyxiation in January, per sheriff's office

(Newser) - Two people whose bodies were found in the landing gear of a JetBlue plane that flew from New York to Florida in January have been identified as teenagers from the Dominican Republic. Discovered in Fort Lauderdale on Jan. 6, Jeik Aniluz Lusi, 18, and Elvis Borques Castillo, 16, were identified...

Florida Executes Man Who Killed Miami Herald Employee

Michael Tanzi apologized to Janet Acosta's family in his final statement

(Newser) - Florida has executed a man who kidnapped, raped, and murdered a Miami Herald employee 25 years ago. Michael Tanzi, whose lawyers had argued that he was too obese for lethal injection to work, was pronounced dead at 6:12pm Tuesday following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison, the AP...

Fear an Alien Invasion? These States May Be Safe Havens

Virginia is most likely to survive an alien attack, per GIGAcalculator.com ranking

(Newser) - If you've ever watched a sci-fi film about an alien invasion and wondered how you and your family would fare if something that fantastical ever happened—well, maybe it depends on where you live. Citing stats analyzed by the folks who run the online calculator site GIGAcalculator.com , Mental...

Transgender Student Arrested in Challenge to Bathroom Law

College student informed state lawmakers of her intentions in advance

(Newser) - With the words "I am here to break the law," a transgender woman walked into a women's restroom at the Florida State Capitol, igniting a legal battle in what's believed to be the first arrest under controversial new bathroom restrictions passed by several states, the...

Republican Wins Closely Watched Special Election
Republicans Win
2 Florida Special Elections
UPDATED
Apr 1, 2025 8:03 PM CDT

Republicans Win 2 Florida Special Elections

Randy Fine defeated Democratic challenger Josh Weil in unexpectedly tight race

(Newser) - Republican state Sen. Randy Fine won a special election Tuesday to represent Florida's 6th Congressional District, defeating Democratic challenger Josh Weil and squashing efforts by national Democrats who spent millions of dollars on the race. Fine had faced growing pressure during the race's final days as some Republicans...

Driver Kills 2 Passengers After 'Disturbance' on Bus

It's not clear whether Miami-Dade driver will be charged

(Newser) - A Miami-Dade Transit bus driver killed two of his passengers early Sunday, police say. Miami Gardens Police spokesperson Diana Delgado tells NBC6 that the driver fatally shot two men after "a disturbance with passengers on the bus" in Miami Gardens, a Miami suburb, around 3am. The men were airlifted...

Unexpectedly Tight Race in Florida Is in the Spotlight
GOP Sweating a Surprisingly
Tight Race in Florida
the rundown
Mar 31, 2025 8:31 AM CDT

GOP Sweating a Surprisingly Tight Race in Florida

Republican candidate is underperforming in House special election to replace Mike Waltz

(Newser) - Tuesday's election to fill a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court is generating a lot of headlines, but another contest the same day in Florida has unexpectedly surfaced high on the national political radar. The details:
  • The contest: Voters in a heavily Republican district in the central part of
...

Cops: Man Killed Woman, 3 Kids in Domestic Shooting

Florida man is in critical condition after trying to kill himself

(Newser) - A 34-year-old man fatally shot a woman and three young children and injured another child before attempting to kill himself inside their apartment, authorities in South Florida said Friday. The woman and three of her children were pronounced dead on Wednesday night inside their apartment in Pembroke Park, Broward Sheriff'...

Florida's Idea to Replace Migrant Labor: Child Labor

GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis, state Legislature pushing bill to loosen child labor laws, allow overnight shifts

(Newser) - Long before President Trump returned to the White House, Florida began cracking down on companies hiring undocumented immigrants. Now, a new dilemma: Who will take on the lower-paying jobs in the state that those immigrants held? The state Legislature has an idea: loosening labor laws so kids can slip into...

Andrew Tate Returns to Romania, Blasts 'Garbage' Accusations

Says Florida criminal investigation has been 'settled'

(Newser) - Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate checked in at a police station near Romania's capital on Monday, complying with judicial control requirements in the case in which they are charged with human trafficking and forming a criminal gang to sexually exploit women, per the AP . Outside the police station...

Florida Toys With Idea of Killing Property Tax
Florida Toys With Idea
of Killing Property Tax
in case you missed it
Mar 23, 2025 11:00 AM CDT

Florida Toys With Idea of Killing Property Tax

Gov. Ron DeSantis is on board

(Newser) - Florida pulled in more than $55 billion in property taxes for the 2024-25 fiscal year—and some in the state are considering the idea of dropping that figure to zero. The Wall Street Journal reports that the state's property-tax system is among the hottest topics among legislators who are...

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