Florida

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Bachmann Won't Rule Out Dropping the Minimum Wage

She also advocates reducing corporate taxes

(Newser) - Michele Bachmann says everything would be on the table in her administration when it came to trying to boost employment—including dropping the federal minimum wage. Asked yesterday if she would consider changing the minimum wage to make US labor costs more competitive with overseas costs, she replied, "I'...

Only 2% Failed Florida Welfare Drug Tests

But that might still be enough for the program to break even

(Newser) - Florida’s controversial new program to drug test welfare recipients isn’t exactly catching droves of addicts. So far only 2% of those tests have come up positive, the Tampa Tribune reports, with 96% testing clean and 2% declining to complete the application process. That rate of failure may still...

Couple Gets 12 Years After Pet Python Crushes Toddler

Lawyer blames sentence on Casey Anthony

(Newser) - A Florida couple whose pet Burmese python crushed the woman's 2-year-old daughter to death have been sentenced to 12 years in prison each on manslaughter and child neglect charges. Experts testified that the 8-foot-long snake was severely underweight and had tried to eat the child whole, reports the New ...

Mom Jessica Marie Beers Arrested After Trying to Sell 5-Year-Old Son for $2,000
 Mom Tries to Sell Son for $2K 
Aug 22, 2011 12:27 PM CDT

Mom Tries to Sell Son for $2K

Needless to say, Jessica Marie Beers has been arrested

(Newser) - A 29-year-old Florida woman is in custody after offering to sell her 5-year-old son to another couple for $2,000. James Gardner and his wife befriended Jessica Marie Beers in church, and since she was struggling with money, they started covering some expenses and food for Beers and her son....

It's Official: Irene First Hurricane of Season

Expected to affect Florida, could hit Georgia, Carolinas

(Newser) - The first hurricane of the Atlantic season has officially developed. Irene is currently moving over Puerto Rico; it could eventually rattle Florida and skim Georgia and the Carolinas later this week. First, though, it’s headed toward Hispaniola, the island shared by Haiti and the Dominican Republic. The storm has...

Feds: 'Psychic' Family Scammed $40M

Claimed they spoke to God, made a fortune

(Newser) - If only they were real psychics, maybe they would have seen this coming. A Florida family has been indicted for running a psychic advice business that scammed clients out of $40 million over two decades, reports the Miami Herald . In "Operation Crystal Ball," federal prosecutors charged 10 people...

Tampa Police: We Stopped School Massacre

Teen Jared Cano accused of plotting to bomb school next week

(Newser) - Authorities in Tampa say they busted up a teen's Columbine-level plot to attack his former high school, reports the St. Petersburg Times . Police arrested a 17-year-old expelled student who had a cache of bomb-making materials at his home and a journal detailing his plans to bomb Freedom High School...

8 Report Injuries After Lightning Strikes SeaWorld

All have since been released, are fine

(Newser) - Three guests and two employees were sent to the hospital yesterday after lightning struck at SeaWorld’s Discovery Cove water park in Orlando. Firefighters were called to the park just after 5pm, as a storm that meteorologists had warned would produce “excessive” lightning passed through, the Orlando Sentinel reports....

Dead Megachurch Pastor Found With Suspected Drugs

Police awaiting test results on white powder

(Newser) - The Florida megachurch pastor discovered dead in a Times Square hotel room was found with a white powdery substance believed to be narcotics, police sources have told several newspapers. Zachery Tims, founder of Orlando's 8,000-member New Destiny Christian Center, was discovered by hotel workmen lying on his back...

Casey Anthony Must Return to Florida for Probation

Also: She's the most hated person in America in new poll

(Newser) - Casey Anthony is still a free woman, just not quite as free as she used to be. A Florida judge ruled today that she must return to Orange County before the end of the month to serve one year of probation, reports the Orlando Sentinel . Because she is the most...

State: Anthony Responsible for Caylee's Death

Mother failed to protect child, DCF reports finds

(Newser) - Casey Anthony is responsible for the death of her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee, according to Florida's Department of Children and Families. The report—the first to blame Anthony for her daughter's death—states that the young mother "failed to protect her child from harm either through her actions...

Casey Anthony, Probation Order is Dangerous: Jose Baez, Defense Attorney
Casey Anthony's Life Would Be in Danger in Florida
says lawyer
Aug 3, 2011 11:13 AM CDT

Casey Anthony's Life Would Be in Danger in Florida

Baez: Anthony needs county-appointed security to return to Florida

(Newser) - Casey Anthony would be in danger and require county-funded security if she has to come back to Florida from an undisclosed location to serve probation, as ordered by a judge in a check fraud case, Anthony's lawyer said today. Jose Baez told NBC's Today he hopes that Anthony...

Florida Wildlife Officers Nab Poachers Via Facebook

People just can't resist the urge to brag about their illegal kills

(Newser) - Florida wildlife officials have a great new weapon in the search for those who kill wildlife illegally—vanity. It seems people just can't resist bragging on Facebook about that fish they snagged out of season or the gator they shot, reports the Orlando Sentinel . In fact, the state wildlife...

Couple Kills Selves Outside Church They Married In

Patricia and Bruce Wright died in an apparent suicide pact

(Newser) - Las Vegas couple Patricia and Bruce Wright apparently made a pact to end their lives Sunday at the same Florida church where they married 40 years ago, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reports. A pastor discovered the couple early Sunday morning under a tree behind the church, with a rifle and...

Anthony Lawyers Bill Florida $147K, for Now

That's just to cover expert witnesses, investigators

(Newser) - Florida residents still seething over the Casey Anthony verdict may want to avert their eyes: They're still paying the tab for her defense. Anthony's legal team has billed the state $147,018 in expenses so far, reports the Orlando Sentinel . This particular sum doesn't include lawyer salaries,...

Bride Goes to Jail on Wedding Day

Tammy Hinton busted on two-year-old arrest warrant

(Newser) - Most brides pose for pictures between their wedding ceremony and reception ... but not like this. A Michigan woman’s day of wedded bliss was interrupted by a brief stint in the county jail, after police got a tip that the bride would be traveling back to the state for her...

Teen Kills Parents, Throws Wild Party: Cops

Florida son advertised bash on Facebook before killings

(Newser) - A Florida teen killed his parents with a hammer and stashed their bodies in a bedroom before hosting a wild house party for dozens of friends, police say. Tyler Hadley, 17, was arrested and charged with first-degree murder after police acting on an anonymous tip-off arrived at the house and...

Florida Sheriff: No More Free Underwear for Prisoners

Says initiative will save county $45K per year

(Newser) - A Florida sheriff thinks jail inmates have had things too cushy—so he's taking away their free underwear. The Polk County Jail will now sell white briefs for $2.54 and white boxers for $4.48 to male inmates. Those who choose not to pay will have to go...

Man Hits Woman in Fight Over Casey Anthony Verdict

Robert Hakimoglu then reportedly jumped in lagoon to flee police

(Newser) - Everyone seems to have their own opinion on last week's not-guilty verdict in the Casey Anthony trial, but in one case it actually came to blows. An argument broke out on Saturday between Robert Hakimoglu and a group of Florida fisherman—and allegedly ended with Hakimoglu striking a woman...

Florida Leads Way in Education Equality

State has narrowed gap between rich and poor students: ProPublica

(Newser) - Jeb Bush has made a name for himself for education reform in Florida , and a first-of-its kind analysis by ProPublica suggests he's not just blowing smoke by at least one important measure. Florida now has the highest percentage of high school students in advanced classes and, crucially, "that...

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