Private Beaches
Numerous landowners and associations sued Walton County, Fla., in federal court, claiming it does not have the right to order them off of their private beaches because of the coronavirus pandemic.
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Florida Economy Hit Hard by Outbreak in Tourist Season
Florida’s spring break ended almost as soon as it began. After national outcry over images of partiers on the state’s beaches, Governor Ron DeSantis and local officials began closing bars and beaches and restricting restaurant capacity. A few days later, state officials ordered all restaurants closed, except for take-out.
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Virus-Laden Cruise Ship Docks in Florida
A virus-stricken cruise ship with dozens of ill passengers and crew docked in Florida Thursday after being barred from several South American countries, concluding a harrowing time at sea for those stranded aboard.
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Prisoner Blinded by Cellmate Fights to Revive Civil Rights Case
A Florida prisoner asked an 11th Circuit panel Thursday to reinstate his lawsuit claiming that prison officials violated his civil rights when they put him in a cell with an inmate who later stabbed him in the eye with scissors while he was asleep.
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Lawsuit Linking Child Cancer to Aerospace Plant Hangs in the Balance
The family of a woman who developed a brain tumor as a teenager is fighting in the 11th Circuit to resurrect their claims that the fatal cancer was caused by exposure to radioactive compounds from a Pratt & Whitney plant near her childhood home.
Read morePulse Nightclub Shooting Survivors Can’t Sue Security Company
The security company that employed and trained the Pulse nightclub shooter cannot be held liable for his actions, a Florida appeals court ruled on Wednesday.
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Courthouses Answer Call From Hospitals Lacking Masks in Virus War
Distributed at the height of a national anthrax scare, a supply of 1,200 N95 respirator masks have been unearthed from courthouse supply closets across the state of Florida and sent to the front lines of the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Facing Pressure, Florida Governor Orders All Residents to Stay at Home
After weeks of resistance, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a stay-at-home order Wednesday for the nation’s third most populous state as coronavirus cases neared 7,000.
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Convicted Smuggler Tied to Two Killings Appeals 15-Year Sentence
A Colombian human smuggler linked to the rape and murder of a Cuban woman and the murder of a Cuban man during a migrant smuggling operation has asked the 11th Circuit to overturn his sentence for conspiracy charges.
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Florida Conditions on Felon Voting Die in 11th Circuit
A federal injunction blocking a Florida law that requires felons to pay restitution and fines before being able to vote will stand, the 11th Circuit ruled Tuesday, denying the state’s request for an en banc rehearing.
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Florida Sheriff Reopens Cold Case Tied to ‘Tiger King’ Series
The popular Netflix docuseries “Tiger King” prompted a Florida sheriff to reopen a cold case involving the missing former husband of the big cat sanctuary owner featured in the show.
Read morePolitical Enemies
Former Panama City Beach City Clerk Mary Jan Bossert sued the city in Bay County Court, claiming it fired her for fulfilling a legitimate public records request from a local talk show host who is a political enemy of the mayor and a City Council member.
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Virus-Laden Cruise Ship Begs Florida to Dock
As a cruise ship stranded at sea with dozens sick and four dead heads for Florida, passengers who have been confined to their rooms for more than a week hope Gov. Ron DeSantis will change his mind and allow them to disembark despite the coronavirus cases aboard.
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Dry Winter Plunges Much of California Into Drought
Much of California remains in abnormally dry conditions and several regions in the north state are experiencing drought, according to the latest report released by the U.S. Drought Monitor Thursday.
Read moreGovernor Asks Trump to Declare Florida a Disaster Area
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has asked President Donald Trump to declare his state a disaster area amid the coronavirus pandemic that has infected more than 1,400 Floridians and killed 18.
Read moreFlorida Governor Sued Over Refusal to Close All Beaches
A Florida attorney says Governor Ron DeSantis is endangering the entire country by not taking executive action ordering all of the state’s beaches to close amid the coronavirus pandemic.
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Beaches Close on Spring Break as Florida Feels Impact of Pandemic
In a sign of Covid-19’s widespread impact, Florida officials announced the closure of some of the state’s most popular beaches on Thursday at the height of spring break.
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Biden Pulls Out to Huge Early Lead in Florida Primary
In the face of a nationwide coronavirus outbreak, Florida voters on Tuesday trickled into their polling places to send Vice President Joe Biden to an overwhelming victory in a primary election almost predetermined by polls.
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Florida Primary Could Be Last Stand for Sanders
Despite Bernie Sanders having the only ground game in the state, Florida Democrats are overwhelmingly supporting Joe Biden ahead of next week’s primary.
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Four Judicial Nominees Advance With Bipartisan Support
The Senate Judiciary Committee approved four of President Donald Trump’s judicial nominees on Thursday, including picks for courts in Florida, Oklahoma and Alabama.
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