Florida

Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava speaks during a press conference after a building partially collapsed in Surfside, Fla., on Thursday.

National

Number Of People Missing Rises To 159 In Surfside Condo Building Collapse

1:21pm June 25, 2021

by Laurel Wamsley

"We will continue search and rescue because we still have hope that we will find people alive," said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. The number of fatalities has risen to four.

Emergency personnel work at the scene of a collapse of a 12-story condo building in the Surfside area of Miami.

National

At Least 1 Dead And 99 Unaccounted For After A 12-Story Building Partially Collapses

3:42pm June 24, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

The building near Miami was occupied at the time. Authorities said rescuers have so far helped evacuate at least 35 people who were trapped inside the building.

Matanzas High School Principal Jeff Reaves shakes a student's hand on graduation day. Reaves handwrote 459 notes to the graduating class of 2021 to celebrate their accomplishments.

Education

A Florida Principal Handwrote 459 Notes For Students Before Their Graduation Ceremony

4:29pm June 23, 2021

by Josie Fischels

A Florida principal spent nearly three months crafting 459 personalized, handwritten notes for the Matanzas High School class of 2021.

Manatees are large marine mammals native to Florida that spend their time grazing on sea grass in shallow coastal areas. Since January, recorded manatee deaths have been nearly triple that of the same period for each of the past five years.

As Seagrass Habitats Decline, Florida Manatees Are Dying Of Starvation

4:40pm June 21, 2021

by Greg Allen

The mammals were removed from the endangered species list in 2017, but algae blooms and overdevelopment have killed 46,000 acres of seagrass, leaving manatees without enough to eat.

The Brooksville water tower was accidentally sold by the city to a businessman who was trying to buy a municipal building at the tower's base.

National

A Small Florida Town Accidentally Sold Its Water Tower For $55,000

3:14pm June 15, 2021

by Josie Fischels

A businessman trying to buy a municipal building at the base of the city's water tower got a lot more than he bargained for — several thousand gallons more.

Miami Beach had a vaccination event on the sand for people to walk up and get a Johnson & Johnson shot on May 2.

Miami Tries To Make Vaccinations Easy: 'Wherever People Are That's Where We Will Be'

5:23pm May 17, 2021

by Verónica Zaragovia

In Miami, as vaccinations slow, officials are coming up with new ways to make them easier to get, particularly for immigrants and busy working people.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis speaks to the media about the cruise industry during a press conference at PortMiami in April. DeSantis faces criticism for failing to do all he could on Florida's biggest environmental threat: climate change.

Ron DeSantis Pushes Coastal 'Resilience' While Doing Little To Tackle Climate Change

4:29pm May 05, 2021

The Florida governor has made the environment a priority, dedicating millions to water quality and coastal infrastructure. But critics say he ignores the biggest threat: carbon emissions.

The National Weather Service Tampa Bay said its Geostationary Lightning Mapper captured the bright meteor that shocked Floridians late Monday as it burned up off the coast.

'What Is That In The Sky?' Floridians Catch Meteor's Close Brush With Earth

8:18am April 13, 2021

by Jaclyn Diaz

Dashcam footage and home surveillance video captured the fireball that lit up the night sky on Monday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, seen here in January, said this week that he will issue emergency rules to prevent businesses from requiring proof of vaccination.

Florida Gov. DeSantis Rejects Vaccine Passports As 'Completely Unacceptable'

6:57pm March 30, 2021

by Laurel Wamsley

DeSantis said he will issue emergency rules this week to prevent businesses from requiring proof of vaccination, and will work with Florida's Legislature on a permanent ban.

Jason Felt teaches a cybersecurity class at Countryside High School in Clearwater, Fla. The group Cyber Florida has helped organize the program in many parts of the state, and is planning to expand its "digital literacy" campaign to include topics like di

Education

As Bad Information Spreads, Florida Schools Seek To Teach 'Digital Literacy'

4:21pm March 30, 2021

by Greg Myre

Many Florida high schools now teach a cybersecurity program. There's a larger plan to help students figure out what is and isn't true online. Organizers hope it will become a nationwide model.

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