DeSantis signs bill combatting ‘squatters’ rights in Florida
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a press conference in Orlando Wednesday afternoon where he signed a bill aimed at addressing the escalating issue of squatters’ rights within the state, a problem increasingly affecting communities nationwide.
Settlement reached in lawsuit between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' allies
Allies of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Disney have reached a settlement agreement in a state court fight over how Walt Disney World is developed in the future following the takeover of the theme park resort’s government by the Florida governor.
Sexual orientation, gender ID can be talked about in Florida classrooms under lawsuit settlement
Students and teachers will be able to speak freely about sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida classrooms, provided it's not part of instruction. That's according to a settlement reached between Florida education officials and civil rights attorneys who had challenged a state law which critics dubbed “Don’t Say Gay.”
Fight between Disney and DeSantis appointees over district control gets a July court hearing
The court fight between Disney and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ appointees over control of Walt Disney World’s government won’t be decided until at least this summer, provided the two sides don’t reach a settlement beforehand.
South Florida HOA bookkeeper spent dues on hotels, bras, gynecologist visits, cops say
A former homeowners association bookkeeper spent nearly $34,000 of residents’ money on various personal expenses — ranging from bath bombs, bras and toilet paper to hotels and gynecologist visits — over a two-year span, deputies say. Now, she’s facing dozens of felony charges in the Florida Keys.
DeSantis ‘concerned’ about Florida bill to ban kids from having social media accounts
During a public appearance on Friday in Kissimmee, Gov. Ron DeSantis said that he was “concerned about the “breadth” of a state bill that aims to make it illegal in Florida for children and teenagers who are younger than 16 years old to own a social media account.
Florida welcomes students fleeing campus antisemitism, with little evidence that there's demand
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has directed the state’s university system to make it easier for out-of-state students facing antisemitism and other religious harassment in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war to transfer to Florida campuses.
A man is killed and a woman injured in a 'targeted' afternoon shooting at a Florida shopping mall
Authorities in central Florida have issued an arrest warrant for a 39-year-old man accused of fatally shooting another man at a shopping mall two days before Christmas in which police say the victim was “targeted” for the attack.
Woman accused of raping man with autism in Florida Keys, giving birth to victim’s child
Deputies arrested an Orlando woman over the weekend after accusing her of sexually assaulting a man with autism in the Florida Keys at least three times in 2022, according to an arrest warrant obtained by Local 10 News on Tuesday.
Nacho average bear: Florida mammal swipes $45 Taco Bell order from porch after Uber Eats delivery
A fast-food loving black bear stole a $45 Taco Bell order from the front porch of a home in the Orlando suburb of Longwood moments after the Uber Eats driver delivered it, an Orlando television station reported.
Disney warns that if DeSantis wins lawsuit, others will be punished for ‘disfavored’ views
If Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis wins a federal lawsuit in which Disney claims its free speech rights were violated by the Republican leader, the company won't be the last entity to be punished over supporting a “disfavored viewpoint,” Disney said in court papers on Monday.
11-year-old accused of shooting, injuring 2 teens at football practice is denied home detention
An 11-year-old who is accused of taking a gun from his mother’s vehicle and shooting two teens following an argument at football practice will remain in custody for three more weeks, a judge in Florida ruled Wednesday.
Miya Marcano’s family sues Orange County Sheriff’s Office, accuses agency of negligence
The family of Miya Marcano, the Orange County woman who disappeared from her UCF-area apartment in September 2021 and was later found dead, is suing the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, as well as the two deputies initially handling her missing person case.
Brightline begins service between Miami, Orlando after series of delays
The first big test of whether privately owned high-speed passenger train service can prosper in the United States launched Friday morning when Brightline began running trains between Miami and Orlando, reaching speeds of 125 mph.
2 accused of hanging antisemitic banner on Florida overpass surrender to face charges
Two people accused of hanging banners with swastikas and antisemitic messages on a Florida highway overpass have surrendered to face charges of violating a new state law that makes it a crime to display images on a structure without permission.
Florida man arrested in neo-Nazi banner display
A man arrested this week in Brevard County is accused of hanging swastikas and other antisemitic banners above Interstate 4 near Orlando, what the Florida Department of Law Enforcement described was in violation of a state law signed this year by Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Disney countersues in Florida court after oversight board pushes for judgment
The Walt Disney Company on Thursday filed a countersuit against the DeSantis-appointed board overseeing Disney property in Florida court, alleging breach of contract, and asked the court to declare the company the winner in this part of the ongoing feud between Disney and Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Slain Florida man’s ex-wife arrested over murder-for-hire plot
Detectives arrested Shanna Gardner-Fernandez on Thursday in Washington after a grand jury indicted her for the murder last year in Florida of her ex-husband, who she had been fighting with over the custody of their twins since their divorce in 2015.
Florida art museum sues former director over forged Basquiat paintings scheme
A central Florida art museum that was raided last year by the FBI over an exhibit of what turned out to be forged Jean-Michel Basquiat paintings has sued its former executive director and others, claiming they were part of a scheme to profit from the sale of the fake artwork.
Florida school board reverses decision nixing access to children’s book about a male penguin couple
Months after access to a popular children’s book about a male penguin couple hatching a chick was restricted at school libraries because of Florida’s so-called Don’t Say Gay law, a central Florida school district says it has reversed that decision.
DeSantis’ retaliation against Disney hurts Florida, former governors and lawmakers say
Saying Gov. Ron DeSantis has followed the autocratic examples of governments in Russia and China, a group of mostly Republican former high-level government officials has called the Florida governor’s takeover of Disney World’s governing district “severely damaging to the political, social, and economic fabric of the State.”
SWAT team kills suspect after 2 Orlando police officers shot during traffic stop, authorities say
Two Orlando police officers were shot and critically injured Friday night during a traffic stop connected to a Miami homicide investigation, prompting a massive search for two culprits, authorities said.
Historically Black fraternity drops Florida for convention because of DeSantis policies
The oldest historically Black collegiate fraternity in the U.S. says it is relocating a planned convention in two years from Florida because of what it described as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration’s “harmful, racist and insensitive” policies towards African Americans.