Florida

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This Is the Happiest State in America

Utah takes the top spot in WalletHub ranking, West Virginia is last

(Newser) - In some states, happiness seems to come more easily. WalletHub analyzed various environmental factors to see which US states boast more contented surroundings, examining 30 metrics in three main categories: emotional and physical well-being, including such factors as the share of adults with depression or alcohol use disorder, life expectancy,...

DeSantis to Floridians: Don't Get New COVID Vaccine

Florida governor and surgeon general warn against the new shot

(Newser) - Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state's top health department official are directly contradicting federal health recommendations and warning residents against getting a new COVID-19 booster , saying there's not enough evidence it provides benefits that outweigh risks, the AP reports. DeSantis, who is running for president, and Florida...

Boy Saves Drowning Man With CPR Learned 'on TV'

12-year-old Austen MacMillan of Florida credited with saving the life of his behavioral therapist

(Newser) - Twelve-year-old Austen MacMillan was swimming with his behavioral therapist in a backyard pool when the therapist decided to see how long he could hold his breath underwater. He didn't come back up. "It was like [five to six] minutes he was under the water and I was like,...

At DeSantis' Behest, Colleges Add Untested Admissions Exam

Classic Learning Test has mostly been accepted by private schools

(Newser) - Florida's state university system has endorsed accepting the results of the little-known Classic Learning Test in its undergraduate admissions process, a step in Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis' efforts to change public education at all levels. The test becomes an alternative to the long-accepted SAT and ACT, the New York ...

Man Who Keeps Trying to 'Run' Across the Ocean Is Arrested

Is there nothing a Florida man won't do?

(Newser) - The US Coast Guard has arrested a Florida man who was attempting to "run" across the Atlantic Ocean in a large hamster wheel. Marathon runner Reza Baluchi was found about 70 nautical miles east of Georgia's Tybee Island on Aug. 26 in what officials described as a "...

Cruise Ship Returns Minus a Passenger

Kevin McGrath last seen around 2am Monday aboard Carnival Conquest, bound for Miami

(Newser) - A 26-year-old man has been reported missing after his Carnival cruise ship returned to Florida, apparently without him. Kevin McGrath left Miami aboard Carnival Conquest on Friday for a Labor Day weekend cruise to Bimini, in the Bahamas. However, McGrath wasn't accounted for when the ship returned to Miami...

Best, Worst Cities to Retire
Best, Worst Cities to Retire
Sep 5, 2023 4:08 PM CDT

Best, Worst Cities to Retire

The Sunshine State is well represented in the top 10, while the Golden State dominates the bottom

(Newser) - Those lucky enough to be looking to retire might also be looking for the best places in which to do so—and maybe save a coin or two by relocating to a new location. WalletHub notes that the average age of American retirement has stretched from 60 in 1995 to...

Alabama's Congressional Map Is Again Rejected, With Scolding

Latest redistricting doesn't comply with court order on racial makeup, panel says

(Newser) - Federal judges threw out Alabama's newest attempt to redraw its congressional districts on Tuesday, chastising the state for not complying with the Voting Rights Act as mandated by a court order. The plan approved by the legislature provides for a single district that has, barely, a Black majority, the...

Hate Groups Hold March as Florida Braces for More

Demonstration near Orlando draws small crowd and is denounced by lawmaker

(Newser) - Hate groups marched outside Orlando on Saturday, shouting, "We are everywhere!" in a video posted by a Florida state representative. Democratic Rep. Anna V. Eskamani denounced the demonstration and called it "another example of the far right extremism growing" in the state. The Anti-Defamation League's Center...

In Florida, Biden Pledges Aid
In Florida, Biden Pledges Aid
Sep 2, 2023 5:00 PM CDT

In Florida, Biden Pledges Aid

'Your nation has your back,' president assures state after hurricane

(Newser) - President Biden on Saturday saw from the sky Hurricane Idalia's impact across a swath of Florida before he set out on a walking tour of a city recovering from the storm. Notably absent was Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican presidential candidate who declined to join Biden after he suggested...

Hunters Land Gigantic Alligator
920-Pound Alligator Caught
Sep 2, 2023 12:39 PM CDT

920-Pound Alligator Caught

'I had fear like I never felt before,' Florida guide says

(Newser) - After a four-hour struggle, hunters have landed a 920-pound alligator in a Florida lake, possibly the second-largest one ever recorded in the state. The gator was more than 13 feet long, Fox News reports. "I've done probably close to a thousand alligator hunts, and I've never seen...

Biden: I'll Meet With DeSantis in Florida. DeSantis: Well...

President heads south to survey Hurricane Idalia damage, but governor won't meet up with him

(Newser) - Not even a year ago, President Biden and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis presented a united front when the former went to visit the latter's home state following the destruction caused by Hurricane Ian. Don't expect such a joint appearance on Saturday, when the president is set to tour...

Two 4-Year-Olds Die in Toy Box
Two 4-Year-Olds Die in Toy Box
Sep 1, 2023 10:01 AM CDT

Two 4-Year-Olds Die in Toy Box

No charges have been filed in Jacksonville deaths

(Newser) - Two 4-year-olds in Jacksonville died last weekend in what is believed to be a tragedy that federal regulators have long sought to prevent. The children "were pronounced deceased after they were found unresponsive in a footlocker/toybox while playing at home," the Florida Department of Children and Families said...

Cops Say Mom Went to Awful Lengths to Please Her Beau

Jazmin Paez allegedly thought she was hiring a hitman to kill her 3-year-old son, per authorities

(Newser) - Rent-a-Hitman is a parody website , but its fake customer-service awards and customer testimonials have convinced more than a few people to submit legitimate requests for an assassin, leading to at least 30 arrests, per People . The latest to fall for the ruse is apparently Jazmin Paez, an 18-year-old Florida woman...

Florida Braces for the &#39;Unprecedented&#39; as Idalia Nears
'Unprecedented' Idalia
Barrels Into Florida
UPDATED
Aug 30, 2023 7:20 AM CDT

'Unprecedented' Idalia Barrels Into Florida

Hurricane made landfall as Category 3 storm along western Big Bend region

(Newser) - Hurricane Idalia briefly strengthened to a dangerous Category 4 storm, then fell back to Category 3 status on Wednesday morning as it made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region, where it threatened to unleash massive rainfall and life-threatening storm surges as high as 15 feet. As it made landfall...

Mandatory Evacuations Ordered in 8 Florida Counties

Hurricane Idalia set to make 'unprecedented' landfall in Big Bend region

(Newser) - Florida residents living in vulnerable coastal areas were ordered to pack up and leave Tuesday as Hurricane Idalia gained steam in the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico and threatened to unleash life-threatening storm surges and rainfall. Idalia had strengthened to a Category 2 system on Tuesday afternoon, with...

Idalia May Be Category 3 Hurricane When It Hits

Tampa closes its airport in advance

(Newser) - Idalia became a hurricane on Tuesday as it intensified on a path toward Florida's Gulf coast, with the National Hurricane Center warning of an increasing risk of life-threatening storm surges and winds over the next two days. Idalia is projected to have sustained winds of up to 120mph as...

Tampa Braces as Idalia Bears Down on Florida

It could land as a major hurricane on Wednesday

(Newser) - Tropical Storm Idalia intensified and was expected to be a major hurricane when it reaches Florida's Gulf Coast later this week, the National Hurricane Center said Monday. Officials declared states of emergencies in dozens of counties and ordered some evacuations in preparation for life-threatening storm surges, per the AP...

After Odor Sickened His Family, He Set Up a Hidden Camera

Florida's Xuming Li arrested, accused of injecting chemical agents under neighbor's door

(Newser) - A Florida man suspicious about chemical smells in his home that appeared to be making his infant sick installed a camera to see if he could suss out what was going on—and now his neighbor is accused of being the cause. NBC News reports that 36-year-old Xuming Li, a...

Nearly 50% of Florida Under State of Emergency

State braces for hurricane as another wreaks havoc in Caribbean

(Newser) - Tropical Storm Idalia, brewing off the east coast of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, is expected to become a hurricane on Tuesday and threaten the US soon after. The storm had maximum sustained winds of 40mph on Sunday when it was 95 miles from Cozumel, Mexico, and moving northeast at 3mph,...

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