Florida

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How a Florida Mom Became the Author of a Hit-Man Manual

Gayle McCool's how-to book on murder, penned as 'Rex Feral,' changed lives, according to Vanity Fair

(Newser) - Gayle McCool spent decades haunted by a recurring dream, and even longer by the fallout from Hit Man: A Technical Manual for Independent Contractors, a book she wrote as "Rex Feral." It was a how-to guide on contract killing, written in the early 1980s after her boyfriend,...

Florida's Bear Hunt Lottery Flooded by Conservationists

Many permits likely to land with those hoping to save bears

(Newser) - Florida's first black bear hunt in 10 years has attracted a staggering 163,459 applications, but a sizable share may be from conservationists who want to save bears, not hunt them, the Orlando Sentinel reports. The state's wildlife agency, the Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), is...

CBP Looked for Plants and Cigars, Found a Skull Instead

Human remains found during routine luggage check at Tampa airport, passenger claims ritual use

(Newser) - Customs officials at Tampa International Airport made a gruesome find in a traveler's bag this week. During what started as a standard baggage inspection, agents uncovered a foil-wrapped bundle containing human bones, including part of a skull. The passenger, whose identity and nationality weren't disclosed, reportedly told...

Florida Executes Man Who Killed Wife's Sister, Parents

David Pittman's execution was state's record 12th of the year, with 2 more scheduled

(Newser) - A Florida man convicted of killing his estranged wife's sister and parents and setting their house on fire was put to death Wednesday in what was a record 12th execution in the state this year. David Pittman, 63, was pronounced dead at 6:12pm ET following an injection at...

'I Freaking Fought an Alligator—and Won'

Florida's Danie Wright wrestles 5-foot gator to save puppy from its jaws

(Newser) - A routine walk turned wild for one Florida woman when she found herself wrestling an alligator to save her puppy from its jaws. Danie Wright, a resident of Land O'Lakes north of Tampa, stepped out Wednesday with her 4-month-old Shih Tzu, Dax, and was near a creek behind...

Moms Turn In Sons After $50K Vandalism at School

Florida suspects are 2 boys, ages 12 and 13

(Newser) - Two boys were turned in by their mothers Monday to face charges after vandalism caused $50,000 worth of damage to a central Florida elementary school's media center, investigators said.The 12- and 13-year-old boys broke into Friendship Elementary School in Deltona on Saturday during the daytime and then...

Report Finds the Culprit in the 2021 Florida Condo Collapse

Deadly Florida condo collapse probe zeroes in on pool deck flaws as preliminary cause

(Newser) - Federal investigators have zeroed in on flaws in the pool deck as the preliminary cause of the 2021 collapse of a 12-story Florida beachfront condominium that killed 98 people, reports the AP . The National Institute of Standards and Technology said in a report that the Champlain Towers South pool deck...

FHFA Chief Is Having a 'Pot, Meet Kettle' Moment

Records show Pulte's family claimed same tax breaks that he's slamming Fed governor for

(Newser) - Bill Pulte, a federal housing official, has publicly accused Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook of improperly claiming homestead exemptions—tax breaks for owners on their primary residence—on more than one property. However, a Reuters investigation found that Pulte's own father and stepmother, Mark and Julie Pulte, have...

Florida Moves to Scrap All State Vaccine Mandates

State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced the planned change

(Newser) - Florida is poised to wipe its vaccine mandates off the books, with state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announcing Wednesday that all requirements—including those for schoolchildren against diseases like measles and polio—are set to end, reports the Tampa Bay Times . Ladapo didn't offer details on the process...

Shark Bites 8-Year-Old Off Florida Keys

Boy was reportedly spearfishing when he was bitten above the knee

(Newser) - An 8-year-old boy was bitten by a shark off Key Largo, Florida, on Monday, losing a "significant amount of blood." The boy was spearfishing with his father and a sibling a few miles from Horseshoe Reef around 3:30pm when he was bitten on the leg above the...

Man in Batman Pajamas Catches Burglary Suspect

'It was good to see Batman, you know, keeping Cape Coral safe'

(Newser) - "Thanks to a quick-thinking neighbor in his Batman pajamas, another burglary suspect was put behind bars," police in Florida said after an arrest last week. The pajamaed crusader was contractor Kyle Myvett, who had gone to bed in his favorite onesie when his wife told him security cameras...

Key to Tesla's Huge Court Loss: A Hacker in Starbucks

Washington Post recounts how the hacker uncovered data from fatal crash

(Newser) - Earlier this month, a Florida jury ordered Tesla to pay $243 million in a landmark verdict over a fatal Autopilot crash. Now the Washington Post has an extensive look at a crucial part of the plaintiffs' victory: a hacker uncovered the vehicle's electronic data from the crash, while...

Florida Carries Out Record 11th Execution of the Year

Curtis Windom killed 3 people in 1992

(Newser) - A man convicted of killing his girlfriend, her mother, and a man he claimed owed him $2,000 was put to death Thursday in a record 11th execution this year by the state of Florida, the AP reports. Curtis Windom, 59, was pronounced dead at 6:17pm following a lethal...

This $500K Robot Army Only Needs to Look, Smell Good

Florida officials optimistic about ongoing effort to attract the invasive Burmese python

(Newser) - They look, move and even smell like the kind of furry Everglades marsh rabbit a Burmese python would love to eat. But these bunnies are robots meant to lure the giant invasive snakes out of their hiding spots. It's the latest effort by the South Florida Water Management District...

In Florida, a &#39;Hostile Act&#39; at Memorial for Pulse Victims
Orlando Once Again Loses
Its Rainbow Crosswalk
UPDATED
Aug 26, 2025 1:00 AM CDT

Orlando Once Again Loses Its Rainbow Crosswalk

State DOT once again paints crosswalk black and white

(Newser) - Orlando's once-rainbow crosswalk is now black and white again. The Florida Department of Transportation on Sunday painted over the rainbow colors again, NBC News reports. The rainbow crosswalk was originally created in 2017 as part of a tribute to the 49 people killed in the 2016 shooting at LGBTQ...

States That Are the Most Fun
States That Are the Most Fun
Aug 24, 2025 1:10 PM CDT

States That Are the Most Fun

California tops WalletHub's rankings, while West Virginia needs to lighten up

(Newser) - Every day of your existence "should be sprinkled with at least a little bit of fun," not just your vacations. That's Travel + Leisure's take , and why the magazine is promoting WalletHub's latest rankings to find the state that has the most of it. The...

Hurricanes Strike a New Fear Into America's Migrants

Those without permanent legal status fear they'll need to avoid shelters due to ICE detentions

(Newser) - If a major hurricane approaches Central Florida this season, Maria knows it's dangerous to stay inside her wooden, trailerlike home. In past storms, she evacuated to her sister's sturdier house. If she couldn't get there, a shelter set up at the local high school served as a...

Florida Executes Woman&#39;s Killer
Florida Executes Woman's Killer
Aug 19, 2025 6:20 PM CDT

Florida Executes Woman's Killer

Janet White's husband witnesses death of Kayle Bates

(Newser) - A man convicted of abducting a woman from a Florida Panhandle insurance office and killing her received a lethal injection Tuesday evening in the state's 10th execution this year. Kayle Bates, 67, was pronounced dead at 6:17pm following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke under...

'Deport Depot' Merch Doesn't Sit Well With Home Depot

Pulled merchandise mimicked retailer's stenciled letter logo

(Newser) - The Florida GOP's attempt to cash in with "Deport Depot" merchandise quickly fizzled after the Home Depot objected to its branding being used without permission—underscoring the tensions brewing over Florida's new migrant detention plans. The Republican Party of Florida on Friday began promoting a new...

Last Text From NC Teen Who Vanished in Florida: 'Help Me'

Body of Giovanni Pelletier, 18, found in Florida after he vacationed there with family

(Newser) - An 18-year-old from North Carolina whose family says he vanished under "deeply troubling and suspicious circumstances" has been found dead in Florida after vacationing there. The Manatee County Sheriff's Office confirmed on Thursday that a body found Aug. 8 in a retention pond in Bradenton is indeed that...

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