Florida

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Fake Flight Attendant Boarded Dozens of Planes
Fake Flight Attendant
Boarded Dozens of Planes
in case you missed it
Jun 15, 2025 2:40 PM CDT

Fake Flight Attendant Boarded Dozens of Planes

DOJ says 6-year scheme allowed Tiron Alexander, 35, to fly for free

(Newser) - A Florida man managed to fly free on dozens of flights by pretending to be a flight attendant—a scheme that has now landed him a federal conviction and the prospect of decades in prison. Tiron Alexander, 35, was found guilty on Thursday of wire fraud and unlawfully entering...

9-Year-Old Survives Shark Attack in Florida

Leah Lendel's hand had to be reconstructed following bite off Florida

(Newser) - A 9-year-old girl has survived a terrifying shark encounter off Florida and remarkably retains the use of her right hand despite that it was "mostly torn off," per Gulf Coast News . Leah Lendel was snorkeling off Boca Grande, about 4 feet from her mother, on Wednesday when she...

Victims' Relatives Finally Allowed Into Pulse Nightclub

Building will be torn down later this year to make space for a permanent memorial

(Newser) - Survivors and family members of the 49 victims killed in the Pulse nightclub massacre nine years ago got their first chance Wednesday to walk through the long-shuttered, LGBTQ+-friendly Florida venue before it is razed and replaced with a permanent memorial to what was once the worst US mass shooting in...

Florida-Based Airline Abruptly Shuts Down, Strands Passengers

Silver Airways had tried a Chapter 11 restructuring

(Newser) - Regional carrier Silver Airways announced Wednesday it is shutting down operations after a failed attempt at restructuring through bankruptcy, leaving some passengers stranded at airports in Florida, the Bahamas, and the Caribbean. "Please do not go to the airport," the Hollywood, Florida-based company posted to customers on its...

Florida Executes Man for 1994 Rape, Murder

Anthony Wainwright is 6th inmate state has executed so far this year

(Newser) - A man convicted of raping and killing a woman three decades ago after kidnapping her from a supermarket parking lot was executed Tuesday in Florida. Anthony Wainwright, 54, received a lethal injection at Florida State Prison near Starke. He was convicted in the April 1994 killing of 23-year-old Carmen Gayheart,...

US Execution Pace Is Fastest in a Decade

There may be 4 more taking place this week

(Newser) - It's another busy week in an unusually busy year for US executions: Four more are scheduled—in Alabama, Florida, South Carolina, and Oklahoma, reports the Guardian . The latter has been blocked by a judge temporarily, though a challenge by the state attorney general could put it back on...

A Year After Boating Death of 15-Year-Old, 2 Face Charges

Ella Adler was killed in a wakeboarding outing near Miami

(Newser) - Two Florida men are facing misdemeanor charges a year after a boating hit-and-run led to the death of 15-year-old Ella Adler during a wakeboarding outing in Key Biscayne. Carlos "Bill" Alonso, 79, is accused of violating two Coast Guard navigational rules, while Edmund Hartley, 31, is charged with...

Cops: Mother Killed Son During Exorcism

Florida woman charged with murder in 6-year-old's death

(Newser) - A grim case out of southeastern Florida: A mother has been charged with killing her 6-year-old son as part of an exorcism, reports USA Today . Rhonda Paulynice, 31, is facing second-degree murder charges in the death of Ra'myl Pierre in their St. Lucie County home. Authorities discovered the...

Crumpled Note in Bathroom Leads to Alleged Kidnap Victim

Pro wrestler arrested in Florida after girlfriend leaves handwritten plea at Jersey Mike's

(Newser) - A crumpled note pleading for help, found in a Florida sandwich shop bathroom, set off a chain of events that led to the rescue of an alleged kidnapping victim and the arrest of her pro-wrestler boyfriend. It almost didn't happen. When Jersey Mike's employee Eleanor Coffee noticed...

US-Bound Dust Cloud Is as Big as the Country

Haze expected and air quality warnings issued for Gulf Coast

(Newser) - A vast plume of Saharan dust, stretching the size of the continental US, is making its way across the Atlantic, set to transform the skies and air quality along the Gulf Coast this week. As it arrives after a 5,000-mile journey, the dust cloud may lead to hazy...

This Dog Inspired a New Law in Florida

Trooper was found abandoned and chained to a fence during Hurricane Milton

(Newser) - Legislation signed into law Wednesday by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will impose tougher penalties on people who abandon pets during natural disasters, a measure inspired by the rescue of a dog left in floodwaters during Hurricane Milton. With the 2025 hurricane season starting next week, the governor also signed a...

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...

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