Florida is preparing a new statewide ban on the practice by fishermen along the state’s iconic beaches of dumping bloody fish guts into the ocean to lure sharks closer to shore – and possibly closer to swimmers and waders. Land-based anglers say the ban threatens long traditions of shark fishing and penalizes fishermen who can’t afford their own boats or expensive charters.
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A pair of controversial bills introduced in the Florida Legislature aim to ban women from attaining an abortion when a fetus’ heartbeat is detected. The “heartbeat bill,” as it is commonly known, seeks to ban abortions at the time when a fetus' heartbeat can be detected with a vaginal ultrasound. That can be as early as 5 1/2 to 6 weeks after gestation.
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The political donors who contributed thousands of dollars to elect freshman Florida Rep. Anthony Sabatini are sticking by the Republican lawmaker, despite criticism over a photo of him wearing blackface more than a decade ago.
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Rep. Randy Fine, R-Brevard, suggested the University of Central Florida should be shut down over misused funds during a Higher Education Appropriation Subcommittee meeting today.
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Bold-lettered signs that read, “Stand up to the NRA”, “No NRA Money” and “Disarm Hate” floated above a crowd of Democratic legislators on the capitol’s fourth-floor rotunda on Tuesday. In a gun violence prevention press conference, freshman legislators unveiled proposed gun legislation for the upcoming session. It was organized in …
Read More »Updated: Feb. 12, 9:56 p.m.: Florida’s new secretary of state and two key election supervisors in some of the state’s most-populous counties have never run an election. The officials have taken over central roles for future elections, with no previous experience besides voting themselves. They include recently appointed Secretary of …
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Tired of the typical Florida orange stamped on the back of your car? The Legislature is considering five new specialty license plate options for motorists, including ones promoting honeybees and the gopher tortoise. Another would pay for mental health counseling for shooting survivors of the Pulse nightclub shooting in 2016 …
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Updated: Feb. 12, 7:51 a.m.: House Speaker Jose Oliva has launched a workplace harassment investigation after newly elected Florida State Rep. Anika Omphroy, D-Lauderdale Lakes, wrote in an open letter Monday to the House Democratic Caucus that she was “bullied, threatened and verbally assaulted” by Orlando Rep. Carlos Guillermo Smith at an event over the …
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Florida is considering prohibiting police from releasing audio, photographs or video of mass killings unless a court gives them permission. The measure would dramatically alter the way news organizations cover a modern scourge that has claimed scores of lives.
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A glimpse into the life of Ron Bergeron, the newest board member of South Florida Water Management District.
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WUFT News News and Public Media for North Central Florida from the University of Florida in Gainesville