FLORIDA NEWS

Volusia County dad warns parents after seeing video of son attempting ‘Blackout Challenge’
Read full article: Volusia County dad warns parents after seeing video of son attempting ‘Blackout Challenge’A Volusia County father says he was “absolutely horrified” after seeing video he believes shows his middle-school-aged son attempting the viral “Blackout Challenge,” a dangerous trend that involves cutting off airflow to induce briefly passing out, according to a report from our sister station in Orlando, WKMG.

Gov. DeSantis urges Floridians to ‘never forget’ 9/11 at Green Cove Springs remembrance
Read full article: Gov. DeSantis urges Floridians to ‘never forget’ 9/11 at Green Cove Springs remembranceGov. Ron DeSantis urged Floridians on Friday to remember the victims, first responders and civilians who acted during the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, while warning that the health effects of the tragedy continue a quarter-century later.

Florida’s minimum wage increases to $15 this month. What workers, employers need to know
Read full article: Florida’s minimum wage increases to $15 this month. What workers, employers need to knowFlorida workers are seeing a pay increase this month as the state’s minimum wage hits $15 per hour — the final step in a multi-year plan approved by voters.

Netflix lawsuit: Florida AG alleges streaming giant tracked kids, broke data privacy promises
Read full article: Netflix lawsuit: Florida AG alleges streaming giant tracked kids, broke data privacy promisesFlorida Attorney General James Uthmeier has filed a lawsuit against Netflix, alleging the streaming giant spent years promising families an ad-free service that would not collect or sell their data — then secretly tracked children on kids profiles and built the very advertising business it swore it would never create.

At least 5 dead after Amazon cargo plane barreled off runway at Miami airport
Read full article: At least 5 dead after Amazon cargo plane barreled off runway at Miami airportAuthorities say at least five people are dead after an Amazon cargo plane barreled off a Miami airport runway and smashed into cars.

More foreign beef is coming to lower grocery prices — Florida farmers say it could hurt domestic production
Read full article: More foreign beef is coming to lower grocery prices — Florida farmers say it could hurt domestic productionPresident Trump is taking action to bring down the price of beef at the grocery store, but Florida farmers say the plan could hurt them at a very critical time

Where do candidates to be next Florida governor stand on Flock cameras?
Read full article: Where do candidates to be next Florida governor stand on Flock cameras?After the Florida Department of Transportation issued an order Monday revoking permits and licenses for the use of license plate readers on state roads, both candidates to be the next Florida governor responded.

What’s next as Northeast Florida law enforcement agencies shut down use of license plate readers?
Read full article: What’s next as Northeast Florida law enforcement agencies shut down use of license plate readers?Jacksonville City Councilman Jimmy Peluso is revising proposed legislation that would give residents more input on the installation and removal of license plate-reading cameras, even after the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office said it would suspend use of the technology across Duval County.

Government accountability expert breaks down what we’ve learned from the leaked grand jury report on Hope Florida
Read full article: Government accountability expert breaks down what we’ve learned from the leaked grand jury report on Hope FloridaMichael Barfield, who is the Executive Director of the Florida Center for Government Accountability, joined us on The Morning Show to discuss the taxpayers’ right to know what the government is doing with its money and how it’s spending taxpayer dollars.

Man put to death for girl's killing as Florida carries out its 14th execution of the year
Read full article: Man put to death for girl's killing as Florida carries out its 14th execution of the yearA man convicted of killing a 16-year-old girl who rejected his romantic advances and wounding two of her friends has been executed in Florida.

440,000 Floridians drop ACA plans after federal subsidies expire
Read full article: 440,000 Floridians drop ACA plans after federal subsidies expireHundreds of thousands of Floridians are going without health insurance after federal subsidies that helped lower the cost of Affordable Care Act plans expired, according to a new Associated Press analysis.

Northeast Florida law enforcement agencies cut ties with license plate reader use after FDOT’s directive
Read full article: Northeast Florida law enforcement agencies cut ties with license plate reader use after FDOT’s directiveNortheast Florida sheriff’s offices have vowed to discontinue the use of license plate reader (LPR) technology after the Florida Department of Transportation revoked permits and licenses it had issued to law enforcement agencies for its use on state roads.
40+ dengue cases confirmed in Florida: How to protect yourself from mosquito-borne illness
Read full article: 40+ dengue cases confirmed in Florida: How to protect yourself from mosquito-borne illnessMore than 40 confirmed cases of locally acquired dengue fever have been reported across Florida, with the majority concentrated in the Tampa Bay area. The Florida Mosquito Control Association (FMCA) is urging residents and visitors to take protective steps and support mosquito control efforts statewide.

Florida HVAC worker caught on dog-treat dispenser video kicking homeowner’s dog, Sanford police say
Read full article: Florida HVAC worker caught on dog-treat dispenser video kicking homeowner’s dog, Sanford police sayAn HVAC technician has been arrested after he was caught on camera by a dog-treat dispenser kicking a homeowner’s dog, according to the Sanford Police Department.

Mario Fernandez facing child sex crime charges after conviction in Jared Bridegan murder
Read full article: Mario Fernandez facing child sex crime charges after conviction in Jared Bridegan murderMario Fernandez is now facing two charges of lewd & lascivious molestation that were filed this week after his conviction in the murder of Jared Bridegan. One was for a victim younger than 12.

Jacksonville Landing shooting: 8 years later, remembering victims of Madden tournament attack
Read full article: Jacksonville Landing shooting: 8 years later, remembering victims of Madden tournament attackA shooting attack Saturday inside a Dollar General on Kings Road that the sheriff said was “racially motivated” came five years to the day of a deadly mass shooting at The Jacksonville Landing.

Lake City man charged with child sexual abuse material crimes
Read full article: Lake City man charged with child sexual abuse material crimesA Lake City man is facing felony charges after sheriff’s detectives uncovered more than 10 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on his devices, following a months-long investigation that began with a tip to a national cybercrime hotline.

Florida cattle ranchers push back as Trump seeks to increase beef imports
Read full article: Florida cattle ranchers push back as Trump seeks to increase beef importsFlorida’s cattle ranchers are criticizing President Donald Trump’s move to import 300,000 tons of tariff-free beef to lower prices for consumers.

Florida AG subpoenas Jacksonville-based property inspection firm over alleged deceptive practices
Read full article: Florida AG subpoenas Jacksonville-based property inspection firm over alleged deceptive practicesFlorida Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued an investigative subpoena to KIS Consulting, LLC, targeting the company’s property inspection services, consumer referral practices and door-to-door sales tactics.

Vote 2026: Angie Nixon discusses November strategy after securing nomination for US Senate
Read full article: Vote 2026: Angie Nixon discusses November strategy after securing nomination for US SenateShe joined News4JAX anchor Bruce Hamilton on The Morning Show to discuss her strategy heading toward the November midterms.

Analyzing the outcome of the primary races for Florida governor, US Senate
Read full article: Analyzing the outcome of the primary races for Florida governor, US SenateMatt Corrigan, a political analyst from Jacksonville University, joined News4JAX anchor Bruce Hamilton on The Morning Show to put that Senate race and the high-stakes gubernatorial race to succeed Ron DeSantis in perspective.

Amazon set to expand drone delivery of lightweight packages to 500 US cities
Read full article: Amazon set to expand drone delivery of lightweight packages to 500 US citiesMillions more people may be able to get smaller, lightweight Amazon packages delivered by drones by the end of the year under a plan the company announced Wednesday to expand the airborne shipping to suburban areas in nearly 500 U.S. cities.

Round 2: Florida AG rewrites property tax cut ballot summary after judge’s order
Read full article: Round 2: Florida AG rewrites property tax cut ballot summary after judge’s orderFlorida Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday released a redraft of the ballot summary of Amendment 3, the large property tax cut measure pushed by Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Florida school districts have been slow to respond to law that would help boost coaches’ pay
Read full article: Florida school districts have been slow to respond to law that would help boost coaches’ payFlorida Gov. Ron DeSantis put pen to paper last May and signed into law what high school extracurricular leaders hoped would lead to better pay. That wait continues but the hope for change does, too.

Expert weighs in as SNAP cuts hit Florida families hard
Read full article: Expert weighs in as SNAP cuts hit Florida families hardSadaf Knight, CEO of Florida Policy Institute, joined us on The Morning Show to discuss the implications of a significant drop in Florida's SNAP enrollment. He says it impacts nutrition and health care at a time when affordability is a major problem for many Floridians.

Kids keep getting hurt and killed on e-bikes. Should parents be held responsible?
Read full article: Kids keep getting hurt and killed on e-bikes. Should parents be held responsible?As traumatic injuries and deaths continue to surge among the youngest e-bike riders, officials across the country are taking different paths to tackle a growing epidemic.

Florida-based company recalls nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef imported without federal inspection
Read full article: Florida-based company recalls nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef imported without federal inspectionAn Aventura, Fla.-based company is recalling nearly 30,000 pounds of raw beef products after they were imported from Argentina without undergoing required federal reinspection, according to a U.S. Department of Agriculture announcement issued Aug. 7.

Florida man accused of cutting off fellow diver’s air supply in fight over lobster diving spot during mini season
Read full article: Florida man accused of cutting off fellow diver’s air supply in fight over lobster diving spot during mini seasonA Miami Beach man is facing an attempted murder charge after deputies said he cut off the air supply to an 18-year-old diver who was in the water searching for lobsters, according to a report from News4JAX partner station WPLG in Miami.

What to know about the ‘Publix Promise’ & why you should pay attention at the register
Read full article: What to know about the ‘Publix Promise’ & why you should pay attention at the registerAfter a customer took Publix to court last year, saying she’d been overcharged during a trip to the Florida-native grocery giant, News4JAX sister station WKMG in Orlando decided to look into an important policy the grocer offers: the Publix Promise.

Florida averaging over 50 cases a week linked to diarrhea-causing parasite since start of summer
Read full article: Florida averaging over 50 cases a week linked to diarrhea-causing parasite since start of summerThe latest data on reported cyclosporiasis cases released by the Florida Department of Health on Thursday show the state is now averaging about 53 cases a week since the start of summer in late June.

Stepson arrested after 71-year-old missing man found dismembered in Central Florida
Read full article: Stepson arrested after 71-year-old missing man found dismembered in Central FloridaThe dismembered remains of a 71-year-old man who was reported missing on Wednesday were found in suitcases that the Orange County Sheriff’s Office said were left along a road by his stepson, who is now charged with his murder.

What needs to change after judge orders Florida property tax amendment must be reworded for ballot?
Read full article: What needs to change after judge orders Florida property tax amendment must be reworded for ballot?Jeffrey Brandes, founder of the Florida Policy Project, joined us on The Morning Show to talk about ways Amendment 3 needs to be reworded so people know exactly what they are voting for.

Florida property tax amendment is misleading, must be rewritten, judge rules
Read full article: Florida property tax amendment is misleading, must be rewritten, judge rulesThe proposed property tax amendment that is supposed to go before voters in November is misleading, a Florida judge ruled Tuesday.

Reported Florida cases linked to diarrhea-causing parasite spike by nearly 100 in 1 week, with 22 local cases
Read full article: Reported Florida cases linked to diarrhea-causing parasite spike by nearly 100 in 1 week, with 22 local casesCases of cyclosporiasis have now spread to 37 counties in Florida, with reported illnesses spiking by nearly 100 in just one week this month.

Have you ever seen a Southern Fox Squirrel? Where one of these rare critters was caught on camera
Read full article: Have you ever seen a Southern Fox Squirrel? Where one of these rare critters was caught on cameraA Southern fox squirrel — larger, rarer and harder to spot than the common gray squirrel — has been caught on camera at a wildlife crossing beneath Wekiva Parkway (S.R. 429) in Central Florida.

What will property tax cut amendment on ballot actually say? Florida court asked to weigh in
Read full article: What will property tax cut amendment on ballot actually say? Florida court asked to weigh inA Leon Circuit Court judge heard arguments Wednesday over whether the property tax cut proposal to be placed on the November ballot is misleading to voters.

2026 Florida spiny lobster season: What anglers need to know
Read full article: 2026 Florida spiny lobster season: What anglers need to knowFlorida’s 2026 spiny lobster mini season is here. The two-day sport season runs July 29-30, with the regular season beginning Aug. 6 and running through March 31, 2027.

Scientists look to shark DNA for the genetic signature of time
Read full article: Scientists look to shark DNA for the genetic signature of timeAging leaves telltale marks on DNA, and for the first time, scientists have used those molecular signatures to create a model that predicts the age of sharks.

TELL US: What do you think of Florida’s new guidelines advising against giving kids medication for depression, anxiety?
Read full article: TELL US: What do you think of Florida’s new guidelines advising against giving kids medication for depression, anxiety?Florida’s newest guidelines warn against prescribing psychotropic medications for children, echoing the Make America Healthy Again movement’s push to impose changes on childhood health care.

Florida man pleads guilty to SNAP fraud, faces up to 12 years in prison
Read full article: Florida man pleads guilty to SNAP fraud, faces up to 12 years in prisonA Tavares man has pleaded guilty to stealing more than $73,000 in government food assistance benefits and aggravated identity theft, federal prosecutors announced.










