Florida

Police Tasered and arrested a University of Florida student after his belligerent questioning of John Kerry during a campus event last night. Andrew Meyer, who has a history of recording his own pranks, spent the night in jail after pressing Kerry beyond his allotted time, the AP reports. Officers removed him as he struggled and screamed, "What did I do?" More »

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama joined three of their presidential rivals yesterday in pledging not to campaign in states that have defied Democratic primary rules by pushing their primaries to early 2008. In recent weeks, Michigan and Florida have announced votes before February 5, challenging the first dibs the party has reserved for Iowa, New Hampshire, South Carolina, and Nevada. More »

Two Florida college students who had an explosive device in the trunk of their car when they were stopped for speeding have been indicted on federal explosives charges, and one faces a charge of supporting terrorism, the Tampa Tribune reports. A legal expert called the indictment, unsealed today, "very bizarre because they almost sneak in terrorism." More »

Former astronaut Lisa Nowak will plead temporary insanity if she goes to trial on kidnapping and assault charges next month. A notice her lawyer filed today says she was experiencing a major depressive disorder when she attacked her ex-lover's girlfriend at the Orlando airport in February, the Sentinel reports. More »

Reality TV star Nick Bollea has been discharged from a Florida hospital, after seriously injuring himself and a passenger in a "spectacular wreck" on a Florida highway last night.  The 17-year-old son of Hulk Hogan was featured on the pro wrestler's series Hogan Knows Best . The hospital confirmed Bollea was no longer a patient, but said his passenger was critically injured, according to People. More »

Hoping to make an example of Florida in the escalating competition for ever-earlier primary dates, the DNC voted yesterday to strip the state of its delegates to next year's nominating convention, the Washington Post reports. Florida can regain its delegates if it reschedules its primary, currently set for January 29, within 30 days. More »

A pugnacious Democratic National Committee is taking direct aim at Florida today, scheduling a vote on whether the state should be punished for pushing its primary up to Jan. 29,  the Washington Post reports. Party rules prohibit any primary before Feb. 5; the penalty would be barring Florida delegates to the party's '08 convention in Denver. More »

The Air Force captain who was allegedly stalked and attacked by Lisa Nowak testified today she is still afraid of the ex-astronaut. At a pretrial hearing in Orlando, Colleen Shipman told the court she would feel more comfortable if Nowak continues wearing an ankle monitor that tracks her location, the Sentinel reports, in case Nowak tries to come near her. More »

Foreclosure numbers were up big again in July, rising 9% from June’s figures and a whopping 93% from a year ago, an unwelcome sign for already reeling credit markets. Foreclosures rose in 43 states, but California, Florida, Michigan, Ohio and Georgia accounted for over half of the the activity, Forbes reports. More »

Students are knocking back celebratory shots and administrators are tearing their hair over the Princeton Review's annual list of the top 20 party schools. The full list appears in the 2008 edition of The Best 366 Colleges, on sale today. West Virginia University University of Mississippi University of Texas, Austin More »

It's not all about GPAs and SATs—each of these schools excel in their own way. MSNBC picks the best colleges in 25 quirky categories: Ivy Leaguer: Cornell University Sports: University of Florida Men's college: Morehouse College More »

Countdown is continuing in Florida toward blastoff for the space shuttle Endeavour, the Orlando Sentinel reports, with an 80% chance of favorable conditions at tonight's scheduled launch time of 6:36pm Eastern. Teacher-turned-astronaut Barbara Morgan, a backup to the educator killed in the 1986 Challenger disaster, has brought national attention to the mission. More »

Pharmacies in Publix supermarkets across five Southern states will distribute seven antibiotics free to patients with prescriptions, the chain said today. The CEO allows that one goal is to drive customer traffic, but it's also an example of the private sector assisting access to affordable health care, the AP reports. Wal-Mart and Kmart recently started selling uber-cheap meds. More »

Convicted of fraud and obstruction of justice, media mogul Conrad Black now stands to lose his vast fortune, the Guardian reports. Although Black was cleared of the most serious charge against him--racketeering--the fraud conviction allows a raid on his assets. The prosecution is specifically targeting his Palm Beach, Fla. mansion, now on the market, and proceeds from the sale of his Manhattan apartment. More »

Florida governor Charlie Crist is taking the green revolution farther down the road traveled in California, with an executive order setting the nation's toughest emission standards. Highly vulnerable to climate change, the fourth largest state will catalyze legal, business and attitude shifts throughout the country, says the Economist . More »

Boaters on Florida’s Suwannee River have been knocked unconscious by "sturgeon strikes" as the muscular fish rocket through the air, the New York Times reports. The  collisions  have caused a broken pelvis, shattered leg and a slashed throat. The fish, which can weigh up to 200 pounds, have no teeth, only a mysterious compulsion to jump. More »

Cost of living isn't the only important factor when deciding on a place to retire. Weather, proximity to cities, airports, entertainment and hospitals are also play a part. U.S. News considered all the angles and came out with these top picks: Boone, North Carolina Dahlonega, Georgia Fredericksburg, Texas Kennebunk, Maine Melbourne Beach, Florida More »

The space shuttle Atlantis set off to return to Florida from its emergency landing site in California today—strapped to a jumbo jet. The Boeing 747 carrying Atlantis departed from the Mojave Desert Air Base and will stop to refuel along its trip at undisclosed locations. It's expected to arrive at the Kennedy Space Center on Monday, said a NASA spokesman. More »

The most attention-getting detail to emerge from the astronaut love triangle story is also the "biggest lie," Lisa Nowak's lawyer said today. The ex-astronaut did not drive from Houston to Orlando wearing a diaper, and that information, which originally appeared in the police report about the incident that ended Nowak's road trip, was "an absolute fabrication," Donald Lykkebak said. More »

Ocracoke Lifeguarded Beach, Outer Banks, North Carolina Caladesi Island State Park, Dunedin/Clearwater, Florida Coopers Beach, Southampton, New York Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii Coast Guard Beach, Cape Cod, Massachusetts More »