Florida

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11-Year-Old Busted in Multistate Swatting Calls

Virginia boy called in bomb, shooting threats to Florida school, other venues, say authorities

(Newser) - An 11-year-Virginia boy is charged in Florida with calling in more than 20 bomb or shooting threats to schools and other places, authorities said Thursday. Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly said during a news conference that authorities worked hard to find the swatting caller before the school year resumes. "...

Amid Sultry Florida Temps, Zoo Animals Get Icy Relief

There's frozen treats, cold showers, and lots of ice

(Newser) - Malayan tigers and Aldabra tortoises are native to hot and humid lands, but that doesn't mean they don't enjoy a frozen treat on a hot Florida summer day. Temperatures in South Florida this month have reached the upper 90s Fahrenheit with humidity reaching 70%, combining for "feels...

Missing Teen Found Thanks to 'the Power of the Internet'
Missing Teen Found Thanks
to 'the Power of the Internet'
in case you missed it
Jul 21, 2024 11:50 AM CDT

Missing Teen Found Thanks to 'the Power of the Internet'

Troy Coleman had been missing nearly 2 months when he turned up on livestream

(Newser) - Michigan teenager Troy Coleman told his grandfather he was going to the store. That was on May 17. Six weeks later, the 17-year-old still hadn't returned to his home in Flint. Troy was finally found July 4 across the country in Miami, Florida, thanks to a random encounter on...

Don't Pose With 'Stressed, Depressed' Bear, Sheriff Warns

Travelers on Florida highway have stopped for selfies

(Newser) - A black bear hanging around a Florida roadside has attracted selfie-taking crowds, which has elicited a plea from the local sheriff: Leave the bear alone. "He's clearly not in the mood for pictures," a post on the Walton County Sheriff's Office Facebook page says. "The...

Could This Ancient Tree Be a Renewable Energy Source?

Pongamia trees grow where citrus once flourished in Florida

(Newser) - An ancient tree from India is now thriving in groves where citrus trees once flourished in Florida, and could help provide the nation with renewable energy, the AP reports. As large parts of the Sunshine State's once-famous citrus industry have all but dried up over the past two decades...

The Youngest Trump Enters the Political Spotlight

Barron, 18, attends his first rally for his father, gets a big ovation

(Newser) - When Donald Trump spoke at a rally in Miami on Tuesday night, he acknowledged a first—the presence of his youngest child, Barron. "That's the first time he's done it," Trump said of the 18-year-old, per the Palm Beach Post . As cheers grew, the former president...

Teen in Lifeguard Training Has Run-In With a Shark

Boy, 14, bitten by shark while doing water entries in Florida's Volusia County

(Newser) - A shark bit a Florida teen on the leg during a lifeguard training camp on Monday morning, officials said. The attack occurred near the Ponce Inlet lifeguard tower shortly before noon, Volusia County Beach Safety officials said, per the AP . The 14-year-old boy had been practicing water entries when he...

Stripper, 19, Sues Florida Over New Law on Adult Venues
Why a Teen Stripper
Is Suing Florida
in case you missed it
Jul 7, 2024 11:00 AM CDT

Why a Teen Stripper Is Suing Florida

19-year-old says she and others unfairly lost their jobs due to new law on adult venues

(Newser) - As of Monday, adult entertainment businesses in Florida are not allowed to employ anyone under the age of 21, thanks to a law intended to fight human trafficking signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in May. As a result, nude dancers like Serenity Michelle Bushey, who is 19, lost their jobs....

Shark Bites 4 People Off Texas Beach

The Fourth was not a good day to be at the beach in South Padre Island

(Newser) - A single shark is believed to have left four people injured off the coast of Texas in a rare Fourth of July event. Police in South Padre Island, a beach town on the barrier island of the same name just north of the US-Mexico border, were called about "a...

On Eve of Ban, a Lab-Grown Meat Tasting Party

Florida ban on sale of 'cultivated meat' takes effect this week

(Newser) - As Florida's ban on "lab-grown" meat is set to go into effect, one manufacturer hosted a last hurrah—at least for now—with a cultivated-meat tasting party in Miami, the AP reports. California-based Upside Foods hosted dozens of guests Thursday evening at a rooftop reception in the city'...

Supreme Court Punts on Social Media Speech Rights

SCOTUS returns cases in Texas and Florida claiming that users were being censored

(Newser) - The Supreme Court on Monday kept a hold on efforts in Texas and Florida to limit how Facebook, TikTok, X, YouTube, and other social media platforms regulate content posted by their users. The justices returned the cases to lower courts in challenges from trade associations for the companies, reports the...

Man Critically Hurt in Florida Shark Attack

Nassau County incident is the latest in a series of shark attacks in Sunshine State

(Newser) - Earlier this month, three people were injured in shark attacks along Florida's Panhandle. On Friday, another person in Florida, this time in the state's northeast, was bitten by a shark, leaving him seriously injured. Nassau County Sheriff Bill Leeper said Friday that shortly after 11am local time that...

Cops: Homeowner, 72, Shot Walmart Drone

Dennis Winn, 72, is arrested in Lake County

(Newser) - A 72-year-old Florida homeowner is in hot water after police say he opened fire on a Walmart delivery drone, reports ClickOrlando . He allegedly scored a direct hit, to boot. The Lake County Sheriff's Office says in a release that David Winn admitted to pulling out a 9mm pistol and...

5 Drown in Town's Rip Currents in 4 Days

It's all taking a toll on first responders in Panama City Beach, Florida

(Newser) - On the same day a Pennsylvania couple drowned in a rip current off Florida's Hutchinson Island, a 19-year-old from Oklahoma drowned in a rip current off Panama City Beach. It was the first of what would become five deaths at the beach town in four days, Fox News reports....

Cops: He Flew 1K Miles to Attack Gamer He Met Online

Edward Kang, 20, charged with attempted murder following hammer attack

(Newser) - A video gamer allegedly flew from New Jersey to Florida to smash an online opponent's head with a hammer. Authorities say the pair had never met in person before 20-year-old Edward Kang turned up at the victim's home in Fernandina Beach late Saturday or early Sunday wearing black...

Unusual Space Junk Mishap Results in Unusual Lawsuit

Florida family sues NASA over damaged home

(Newser) - When a small piece of space debris fell to Earth and damaged a home in Florida, it raised the interesting question of who should pay up. A new lawsuit filed by the family that owns the home thinks the answer is pretty simple: NASA. The unusual legal case stems from...

These Are the Best, Worst States for Summer Road Trips

Texas ranks No. 1, per WalletHub

(Newser) - Summertime, and the drivin' is easy—or at least it is in Texas, the No. 1 city on WalletHub's list of the best states for a summer road trip. The site looked at all 50 nifty to see which ones have the potential to draw out your inner Kerouac,...

Their Vacation Had Barely Begun When They Drowned

3 friends get caught in rip current shortly after arriving in Florida

(Newser) - Three Alabama men who went for an evening swim shortly after arriving at a Florida Panhandle beach were caught in a rip current and died, authorities say. It was the latest in a rash of recent deaths in Florida waters after a Pennsylvania couple drowned off the state's southeast...

Florida Rapper 'Ambushed,' Killed at Hotel

Julio Foolio was fatally shot during a weekend spent celebrating his birthday

(Newser) - A Florida rapper was fatally shot early Sunday while visiting Tampa to celebrate his 26th birthday. Julio Foolio, whom TMZ describes as an "up-and-coming" artist from Jacksonville that first made waves with his 2018 debut album 6toven and who Local 10 says was most well known for his 2019...

Plastic Surgeon Charged After Wife Dies During Procedure
Doctor Charged After Wife
Dies Amid Plastic Surgery
IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Jun 22, 2024 1:10 PM CDT

Doctor Charged After Wife Dies Amid Plastic Surgery

Ben Brown of Florida accused of 'manslaughter by culpable negligence'

(Newser) - A plastic surgeon in Florida faces homicide charges after his wife died while he was performing cosmetic procedures on her. Benjamin Brown, 41, is charged with second-degree felony homicide: manslaughter by culpable negligence, according to a release from the Santa Rosa Sheriff's Office. Brown was operating on his wife,...

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