Florida

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Florida Man Survives Alligator, Is Killed by Deputies

'This is just crazy stuff, OK?' says sheriff of Polk County after confrontation

(Newser) - A Florida man is dead after an encounter first with an alligator and then with sheriff's deputies. "This is just crazy stuff, OK?" says Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd, reports CBS News . Timothy Schulz, 42, was fatally shot by deputies in Monday's chaotic scene. How it unfolded:...

Florida Man Gets 30 Days for Killing Dolphins

Charter captain shot, poisoned bottlenose dolphins

(Newser) - "He knew the regulations protecting dolphins, yet he killed them anyway—once in front of children," federal prosecutor Adam Gustafson says of Florida fisherman Zackery Barfield. The 31-year-old charter and fishing captain has been sentenced to 30 days in prison and a year of supervised release for shooting...

'Dr. Beach' Ranks His Top 10
The Best Beaches in America
May 23, 2025 9:57 AM CDT

The Best Beaches in America

Coopers Beach in Long Island's Southampton is No. 1 in Dr. Beach's annual rankings

(Newser) - Memorial Day weekend is here, which means the unofficial start of summer—which also means many of you will start hitting the shore. Stephen Leatherman, better known to most as "Dr. Beach," is back for the occasion with his annual roundup of what he considers to be America'...

Mobsters Stole $83M in Amazon Cargo: DOJ

Armenian Organized Crime group allegedly had associates sign up as Amazon truck drivers

(Newser) - Amazon might want to be a bit more careful about screening its drivers. US authorities have arrested 13 individuals believed to be members or affiliates of Armenian organized-crime syndicates, accused of attempted murder, kidnapping, fraud, and stealing more than $83 million in goods from the retail giant. The individuals were...

GOP Candidate Who Threatened Opponent Gets 3 Years

William Braddock said he would send 'Russian and Ukrainian hit squad' after Anna Paulina Luna

(Newser) - In 2021, William Braddock said his rival in a Republican primary in Florida was "off her rocker" when she filed for a restraining order. On Wednesday, he was sentenced to three years in prison for threatening to have her killed, the Tampa Bay Times reports. Braddock was secretly recorded...

Fisherman Uses Drone to Save Girl From Drowning

He dropped flotation device to girl struggling in rip current at Florida beach

(Newser) - A teenage girl in Florida might not be alive today if Andrew Smith hadn't made the last-minute decision to go shark fishing at Pensacola Beach. Smith, who can't swim or kayak because of a seizure disorder, uses a drone to drop baits. Last Thursday, he used it to...

Cops: Florida Man Rains Bullets on Neighbor's Pregnant Cow

2-year-old cow was shot 5 times, left to suffer, then finally euthanized, authorities say

(Newser) - A Florida man faces felony charges after allegedly shooting his neighbor's pregnant cow five times for wandering onto his property, following through on a threat to kill any trespassing livestock. The incident has sparked outrage in a rural community where farm animals mean more than just business, per...

Professor Bequeaths Millions —to Her Students
Professor Bequeaths Millions
—to Her Students
in case you missed it
May 17, 2025 4:30 PM CDT

Professor Bequeaths Millions —to Her Students

New College of Florida professor Cris Hassold's students were very dear to her, per NYT

(Newser) - A retired art history professor died in Florida in 2020 with a $2.8 million fortune and not much family of her own—at least not blood-related. But as Hank Sanders writes at the New York Times , Cris Hassold, who taught at New College of Florida for 50 years, considered...

Florida Executes Man Who Was Eyed in OJ Simpson Case

Glen Rogers was convicted of 1995 murder; LAPD says he didn't kill OJ's ex, her friend

(Newser) - A suspected serial killer once scrutinized for a possible link to the OJ Simpson double-murder case was executed Thursday in Florida for the murder of a woman in a Tampa motel room. Glen Rogers, 62, was pronounced dead at 6:16pm after receiving an injection at Florida State Prison near...

Florida Is 2nd State to Ban Fluoride From Water

Statewide ban takes effect July 1

(Newser) - Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure Thursday prohibiting local governments from adding fluoride to their water systems, making it the second state in the country after Utah to implement a statewide ban on the mineral. DeSantis signed the bill at a public event in Dade City, Florida, over...

Bison Gores Man in Yellowstone
Bison Gores Man
in Yellowstone
May 8, 2025 11:33 AM CDT

Bison Gores Man in Yellowstone

Florida resident's injuries were minor: NPS

(Newser) - A Florida man visiting Yellowstone National Park got too close to its famed bison, becoming the first person to be injured by the continent's largest land animal at the park this year. The 47-year-old Cape Coral resident was gored by the bison, resulting in minor injuries, the National Park...

Alligator Kills Boater in Florida Park

Fatal attack happened Tuesday where a creek meets Lake Kissimmee

(Newser) - A nightmare came to life Tuesday in Florida, where authorities say an alligator attacked and killed a woman in a small boat on a popular lake. The woman was said to be in either a kayak or canoe in Lake Kissimmee State Park, per NBC News . Authorities said the alligator...

One State Is Best in America for 3rd Year Straight

US News & World Report puts Utah at the top of its list

(Newser) - For the third year in a row, the Beehive State has topped the list of America's best US states to live in, per US News & World Report's annual rankings. To suss out the most (and least) competitive contenders, the outlet looked at all 50 Nifty using 70-plus...

Florida Confronts First Ever Fatal Bear Attack

88-year-old man and his dog were killed Monday near Jerome: FWC

(Newser) - Authorities in Florida are investigating what appears to be the first documented fatal bear attack in state history. An 88-year-old man and his dog were killed in close proximity Monday in what officials say were separate bear attacks, possibly by the same animal. The Collier County Sheriff's Office received...

Salmonella Outbreak Sickens 7 in Multiple States

CDC investigating source after cases found in a half-dozen states from Missouri to Utah

(Newser) - A new salmonella outbreak linked to backyard poultry has sickened at least seven people in six states, the CDC reported Monday. According to the agency, cases have appeared in Missouri (two), and one each in Florida, Illinois, South Dakota, Utah, and Wisconsin, per the AP . All infections, which occurred...

States Where EV Drivers Save the Most, Least Money

Washington leads the pack, with Connecticut in last

(Newser) - Not having to pay high gas prices is a big reason many drivers switch to electric vehicles, and a new study by Texas electric company Payless Power finds that the savings is more pronounced in some states. The study crunches data on fuel and charging costs across the US and...

Days After Claiming Prize, $167M Winner Is Behind Bars

James Farthing plans to split the money with his mother

(Newser) - No sooner had a Powerball winner cashed in his $167.3 million ticket this week than he was behind bars. James Farthing learned Sunday in a call from his mother that he had won Kentucky's biggest prize ever, which he claimed the next day. On Tuesday, records in Florida...

Gulf War Vet Executed for Killing Girlfriend, Her 3 Kids

Jeffrey Hutchinson, 62, denied carrying out 1998 shotgun murders in Florida

(Newser) - An Army combat veteran whose Gulf War experience triggered severe mental problems was executed Thursday evening in Florida for the 1998 shotgun slayings of his girlfriend and her three young children , the AP reports. Jeffrey Hutchinson, 62, was pronounced dead at 8:15pm following a lethal injection at Florida State...

'I Just Shot My Family': Gulf War Vet Faces Execution

Jeffrey Hutchinson scheduled to receive lethal injection in Florida on Thursday

(Newser) - A Gulf War veteran who maintains his innocence faces execution Thursday in Florida for the 1998 killings of his girlfriend and her three children. Details:
  • The state is scheduled to execute Jeffrey Hutchinson, 62, convicted of fatally shooting girlfriend Renee Flaherty, 32, and her three children, ages 4 through
...

Florida on Brink of Banning Fluoride in Public Water

Governor just needs to sign recently passed bill into law

(Newser) - Florida is poised to become the second state to ban fluoride from public water systems, following Utah doing so last month . The Florida Farm Bill—which doesn't specifically name fluoride, but bans "the use of certain additives in a water system"—has passed the state legislature and...

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