Florida

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Rare Shooting in Federal Prison Leaves Illinois Inmate Dead

Family says there's been no explanation

(Newser) - An Illinois inmate was shot and killed earlier this month at a high-security federal prison in Florida, a rare event given that guards typically do not carry firearms inside prison walls. The shooting occurred on Oct. 10 at US Penitentiary Coleman I, northwest of Orlando, and resulted in the death...

Jack Nicklaus Wins $50M Over LIV Golf Claims

Former business partners found to have defamed him

(Newser) - Professional golf legend Jack Nicklaus has won a $50 million verdict in a defamation lawsuit filed in Florida against his former business partners . A six-person jury in Palm Beach County found Monday that the Nicklaus Companies had damaged the 18-time major champion's reputation and exposed him to ridicule, hatred,...

Limp Bizkit Bassist's Death Was an 'Attended' One

Which seems to indicate it was not unexpected

(Newser) - More details are emerging regarding the death of Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers over the weekend, TMZ reports. Emergency responders in St. Johns County, Florida, received a call about a "nonresponsive person in cardiac arrest" on Saturday, which led them to Rivers' home. Officials later confirmed Rivers died in...

Sheriff on Florida McDonald's Shooting: 'It Was a McMess'

Employee and customers face charges after drive-thru dispute ends with gunfire

(Newser) - A heated argument at a McDonald's in Davenport, Florida, escalated into gunfire early Sunday, leaving three young men facing charges—and one of them shot, Fox 13 reports. According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the incident began around 3am when drive-thru customers Peter Story, 19 or 20,...

Secret Service Finds Hunting Stand Aimed at Air Force One

FBI investigates perch facing Air Force One at Florida airport

(Newser) - The Secret Service on Thursday found a hunting stand with a direct line of sight to President Trump's Air Force One exit at Palm Beach International Airport. The discovery, made during a routine security sweep, was confirmed by the agency and is now the subject of an FBI-led investigation,...

Cops: Car Thief Returns Car After Spotting Baby Inside

Suspect arrested after brief joyride from Florida gas station

(Newser) - A car thief in Florida made an unexpected U-turn after discovering a baby in the back seat, returning the stolen vehicle just moments after driving off from a gas station, police say. The incident took place at a Sunoco gas station in Cocoa, Brevard County, where the car's...

Florida Teen Arrested for Faking Kidnapping

Sheriff's office says 17-year-old shot himself in the leg, staged crime scene

(Newser) - A Florida teenager who triggered a statewide Amber Alert by faking his own abduction has been arrested, according to the Marion County Sheriff's Office. Authorities say the 17-year-old staged an elaborate crime scene on Sept. 25 after texting his family that he had been shot, WFLA reports. When deputies...

Florida Finds a New 'Zombie Deer'
Florida Finds a
New 'Zombie Deer'
Oct 15, 2025 8:58 AM CDT

Florida Finds a New 'Zombie Deer'

State's 2nd case of chronic wasting disease might mean a headache for hunters

(Newser) - Florida wildlife officials have confirmed a second case of chronic wasting disease—often called " zombie deer disease "—just weeks before the start of hunting season. The discovery was made during routine screening of a road-killed young white-tailed doe in Holmes County, near the Alabama border, in the...

Judge Throws Wrench in Trump Presidential Library Plan

Judge temporarily blocks planned transfer of Miami land

(Newser) - A Florida judge on Tuesday temporarily blocked the planned transfer of prime downtown Miami land for President Trump's future presidential library, the AP reports. The move by Circuit Judge Mavel Ruiz came after a Miami activist alleged that officials at a local college violated Florida's open government law...

Missouri Executes Man for 2005 Killing of State Trooper

Lance Shockley long maintained his innocence

(Newser) - A Missouri man who long maintained his innocence was executed Tuesday for the fatal shooting of a state trooper more than 20 years ago. Lance Shockley, 48, was pronounced dead at 6:13pm following a lethal injection at the state prison in Bonne Terre, the AP reports. Shockley was convicted...

Florida Executes 14th Inmate of the Year
Florida Executes
72-Year-Old Inmate
Oct 14, 2025 5:56 PM CDT

Florida Executes 72-Year-Old Inmate

State's top court says elderly are not exempt from death penalty

(Newser) - A man convicted of killing two women whose bodies were found in a rural pond in 1996 was put to death Tuesday evening in a record 14th execution this year in Florida. Samuel Lee Smithers, 72, was pronounced dead at 6:15pm following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison...

Matriarch Sentenced in Wild Florida Murder-for-Hire Scheme

'They claim that I, this grandma, was the mastermind behind this murder'

(Newser) - Donna Adelson, the fifth person convicted in a wild 2014 murder-for-hire scheme, was sentenced Monday to life in prison for orchestrating the murder of her former son-in-law, Florida State law professor Dan Markel, who was gunned down in broad daylight as he pulled into his Florida garage. The mandatory...

Don't Be Surprised If You See Folks Packing Heat at Publix

Supermarket chain allows open carry in its Florida stores after recent appeals court ruling

(Newser) - Publix shoppers may soon spot more than just bargains in the aisles. The supermarket giant has announced it will allow customers to openly carry firearms inside its Florida stores, following a recent appeals court ruling that overturned the state's ban on open carry, reports CBS News . The policy shift...

Dog Leads Cop Right to Missing Elderly Woman

Sheriff's deputy ran into Eeyore not far from where 86-year-old had fallen in Destin, Florida

(Newser) - A dog named Eeyore turned into a rescuer, leading a Florida sheriff's deputy to where a missing 86-year-old woman had fallen while walking him, bodycam footage shows. The woman's husband reported her missing on the night of Sept. 25 after she didn't return from her walk in...

Hurricane-Hit Florida County Spends $125M to Fix Beaches

Pinellas County is pumping in 2.5M cubic yards of sand from offshore

(Newser) - The white sandy beaches along a swath of Florida's Gulf Coast were battered by hurricanes Helene, Milton, and Debby last year, leading to a multimillion-dollar effort to repair a coastline that's the region's economic engine. Crews are working with dredges, trucks, and pipelines along the 35-mile stretch...

Madison Cawthorn Is Running for Office Again

This time, scandal-plagued Republican is running in Florida

(Newser) - Former GOP Rep. Madison Cawthorn, who made headlines as one of Congress's youngest members before a bruising primary defeat in North Carolina in 2022, is plotting his return—this time from Florida. Cawthorn, now 30, tells Fox News he's running for the seat being vacated by Rep....

Sunken Treasure Fleet Gives Up $1M in Coins

Salvage crews found 1K silver coins, plus more gold artifacts, over the summer

(Newser) - Treasure hunters combing Florida's aptly named Treasure Coast have struck gold, uncovering over 1,000 gold and silver coins from the 1715 Spanish Treasure Fleet. Salvagers with Queens Jewels, LLC, announced the haul—over a thousand silver "Reales" and five gold "Escudos," plus rare gold...

Florida Carries Out 13th Execution of the Year

Victor Tony Jones killed married couple during robbery

(Newser) - A man convicted of killing a married couple during a robbery in South Florida in 1990 was put to death Tuesday in a record 13th execution this year in the state. Victor Tony Jones, 64, was pronounced dead at 6:13pm following a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near...

Cops: To Spite His Neighbor, He Ate 2 Pet Peacocks

Neighborly feud leads to animal cruelty charges in Florida

(Newser) - A Florida man is facing felony animal cruelty charges after allegedly killing and eating his own pet peacocks in a heated dispute with a neighbor, according to police. According to Pasco County court records, 61-year-old Craig Vogt of Hudson was arrested after admitting to deputies that he slit the...

Tropical Storm Imelda Forms on Its Way to Becoming Hurricane

Forecasters expect storm to move away from US

(Newser) - Tropical Storm Imelda formed Sunday and is expected to become a hurricane on a forecast track that could take it away from the East Coast early this week. The storm was causing disruption in the Bahamas and Cuba on Sunday, and a tropical storm watch was posted in parts of...

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