A Florida man sentenced to death for the 1988 attack on a woman who was sexually assaulted and killed with a hammer, then set on fire in her own bed, is set for execution Thursday after dropping all his appeals and saying he was ready to die. James Phillip Barnes, …
Read More »Florida enters year 2 under Billy Napier amid lowest expectations in nearly a decade
GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida coach Billy Napier opened fall practice talking to his team about expectations — internal ones, anyway. The once-mighty Gators are mostly an afterthought in the Southeastern Conference these days. Coming off consecutive 6-7 seasons — one in former coach Dan Mullen’s final season and the other …
Read More »Tim Scott criticizes Ron DeSantis over Florida’s new slavery curriculum
ANKENY, Iowa — U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina has criticized fellow Republican presidential candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for supporting new standards that require teachers to instruct middle school students that slaves developed skills that “could be applied for their personal benefit.” “What slavery was really about was separating families, about mutilating …
Read More »DeSantis is unhurt in a car accident in Tennessee while traveling to presidential campaign events
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis was involved in a multi-car accident on Tuesday in Tennessee but was uninjured as he traveled in a motorcade to a campaign stop for his 2024 presidential bid. The chain reaction crash happened before 8:15 a.m. when traffic slowed on Interstate 75 in Chattanooga, …
Read More »Ocala couple pleads guilty to participating in the US Capitol attack
WASHINGTON (AP) — A Florida couple pleaded guilty Monday to participating in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Jamie Buteau, 50, and Jennifer Buteau, 46, both of Ocala, entered guilty pleas in District of Columbia federal court, according to court records. Jamie Buteau pleaded guilty to …
Read More »Harris targets Florida rules on Black history pushed by DeSantis
WASHINGTON (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris is making a last-minute trip to Florida on Friday to tackle changes to the state’s education standards that critics say play down the horror of slavery. It’s the latest example of how Harris has been the White House point person for addressing cultural …
Read More »Jaguars associate strength coach Kevin Maxen comes out as gay in a first for US-based pro leagues
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Kevin Maxen, an associate strength coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, has become the first male coach in a major U.S.-based professional league to come out as gay. Maxen spoke about his sexual orientation in an interview published Thursday by Outsports. “I don’t want to feel like I have …
Read More »Florida school shooting reenactment set for Aug. 4 using live ammunition, judge told
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The reenactment of a 2018 mass shooting at a Florida high school will take place early next month as part of a civil lawsuit and will use live ammunition with a bullet safety device, a judge was told Thursday. Circuit Judge Carol-Lisa Phillips endorsed an agreement reached …
Read More »4th overall pick Langford’s $8 million signing bonus largest ever for Texas Rangers draftee
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Fourth overall draft pick Wyatt Langford, the catcher-turned-college outfielder who hit 47 homers at Florida the past two seasons, signed a contract Tuesday with an $8 million bonus that is the largest ever for a player drafted by the Texas Rangers. “We think he’s the perfect …
Read More »Disney is asking a judge to toss a lawsuit from DeSantis appointees
ORLANDO, Fla. — Disney is asking a Florida judge on Friday to toss out a lawsuit against the company’s efforts to neutralize a takeover of Disney World’s governing district by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his appointees. The hearing scheduled for an hour in state court in Orlando involves one of …
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