Florida's Latest News

After latest round of confiscations, Wilton Simpson says state has now seized 18K packets of 7-OH

Florida officials have now seized about 18,000 packets of 7-OH across 30 counties following executive action banning the substance.

Florida officials held a joint news conference at the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office updating their work eradicating 7-OH from Florida retailers.

The latest update is an increase from the official estimate earlier this week that accounted for about 17,000 confiscations in 23 counties since Attorney General James Uthmeier took action to ban 7-OH last month.

Officials said some 67 schools were within a half-mile of retailers selling the substance. In Jacksonville, two schools were across the street from retailers selling it.

“We won’t let 7-OH sneak into our communities disguised as a supplement,” Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson said. “This is about keeping Florida families safe and protecting consumers who think they are buying something natural, but are really buying … narcotics.”

Conservationists sue to stop Florida’s first black bear hunt in a decade

Conservationists have filed a lawsuit to halt Florida’s first black bear hunt in a decade, arguing that the hunt scheduled for December is unconstitutional and contradicts the state’s own policy protecting native species.

State officials approved the hunt in August despite strong opposition. Bear Warriors United filed the complaint against the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in circuit court in Tallahassee on Wednesday.

“The FWC’s illegal action undermines its constitutional duty to manage the black bear population based on scientifically supported recommendations, not the whims of the Commission,” the complaint reads.

A spokesperson for the agency declined to comment on the pending litigation.

The conservation group previously filed a similar complaint in an administrative court, but voluntarily withdrew it after attorneys for the fish and wildlife agency argued that it isn’t subject to an administrative ruling on the issue.

Florida bill would allow armed volunteers to protect churches, synagogues, mosques

It's rare when Sen. Don Gaetz says he filed a bill that he "hoped would never have been necessary."

"But pastors in my area came to me with the request that I help them," said Gaetz, R-Niceville, of Senate Bill 52.

The bill he spoke of, entitled "Security Services at Places of Worship," would provide an exemption from licensure requirements for certain volunteers who provide armed security for places of worship.

"I hope the bill will help in assisting churches who feel like they have to protect themselves and their parishioners," Gaetz said.

Here's why: A string of recent shootings across the country and a major Florida court ruling on gun rights have reignited the national debate over firearms.

Two years of Brightline bring more riders, challenges

The first Brightline high-speed train rolled out of Orlando’s airport at dawn on Sept. 22, 2023, and headed for Miami, tugging four coach cars filled with hundreds of exuberant passengers peering out spacious windows.

Orlando Mayor Buddy Dyer called it “historic” and “one of the days we live for” during a celebration filled with confetti and yellow-and-peach banners hanging over the station’s platform near the airport’s Terminal C.

Since then, nearly 3.1 million riders have taken the 235-mile, three-and-a-half-hour trip between Orlando and Miami.

Brightline officials touted those ridership numbers to show the growing popularity of its “long-haul” service between the two large metropolitan areas. In the coming year, Brightline looks to add more coach cars with more seats, as some trips have sold out.