HONOLULU — A mayor in Hawaii is calling a Florida man accused of trying to flout Hawaii’s traveler quarantine a “covidiot.” Kauai Mayor Derek Kawakami isn’t taking credit for coining the word borne from the COVID-19 pandemic, but said he "may be the first elected official to bust it out...
Coronavirus Claims an Unexpected Victim: Florida Vegetables
PALMETTO, Fla. — Mounds of harvested zucchini and yellow squash ripened and then rotted in the hot Florida sun. Juicy tomatoes were left to wither — unpicked — in farmers' fields. Thousands of acres of fruits and vegetables grown in Florida are being plowed over or left to rot because...
Florida in Cruise-Ship Standoff, New York Collects Its Dead
NEW YORK — New York authorities rushed to bring in an army of medical volunteers Tuesday as the death toll in the city from the coronavirus climbed past 1,000 and the wail of ambulances in the otherwise eerily quiet streets became the heartbreaking soundtrack of the crisis. As hot spots...
Pastor Arrested for Violating Rules Amid Virus Outbreak
TAMPA, Fla. — Florida officials have arrested the pastor of a megachurch after detectives say he held two Sunday services with hundreds of people and violated a safer-at-home order in place to limit the spread of the coronavirus. According to jail records, Pastor Rodney Howard-Browne turned himself in to authorities Monday...
Video of 6-Year-Old Girl's Arrest Shows the Perils of Putting Police in Primary Schools
When states like Florida pass laws to put more police officers in schools, the idea is to keep kids safe. The recent release of body camera footage from the arrest of a 6-year-old in a Florida school, however, shows that sometimes one threat to the students is the officers themselves....
Can Dog 'Sleuths' Sniff out California Citrus Disease?
WASHINGTON — Dog detectives might be able to help save ailing citrus groves, research published Monday suggests. Scientists trained dogs to sniff out a crop disease called citrus greening that has hit orange, lemon and grapefruit orchards in Florida, California and Texas. The dogs can detect it weeks to years...
Navy: Flight Training Suspended for Saudi Students
WASHINGTON — Flight training has been suspended for more than 300 Saudi Arabian students at three bases in Florida in the wake of the deadly shooting by a Saudi Air Force officer on Friday, the U.S. Navy said Tuesday. Navy Commander Clay Doss said classroom training is going to start...
Guns N’ Roses, Maroon 5, Khaled Part of Pre-Super Bowl Shows
NEW YORK — Guns N’ Roses, Maroon 5, DJ Khaled and DaBaby will bring the heat to Super Bowl week in Miami. On Location Experiences announced the lineup for its second Bud Light Super Bowl Music Fest, to take place Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 at AmericanAirlines Arena in Miami....
17 Years in Prison for Madera Woman in Child Porn Case
A 32-year-old Madera County woman was sentenced Monday to nearly 17 years in prison for aiding and abetting the production of child pornography, the Department of Justice said. U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd imposed the sentence on Ashley Nicole Maddox, who pleaded guilty earlier this year. Maddox's sentence also...
Florida Considers Allowing College Athletes to Earn Money
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Following California's lead, Florida lawmakers are tackling NCAA rules that prohibit college athletes from reaping financial benefits from their prowess in the arena of big-money sports. With a bounty of marquee college sports programs, Florida could help student athletes flex their muscles as they take on the...