WTLV - Florida

Mom kills her 2 children in 'violent' murder-suicide at Florida home, deputies say

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 13:58:20 GMT

Manatee County deputies say a 44-year-old mother killed her 14-year-old son and 11-year-old daughter before taking her own life at a Lakewood Ranch home.

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Florida cracks down: 500 gambling machines seized, $200K found in major sting across 4 counties

Sat, 28 Feb 2026 05:11:46 GMT

Attorney General James Uthmeier announces seizure of over 500 gambling machines in a two-day sting operation targeting illegal gaming operations.

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Florida bill would require increased proof of citizenship for voting

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 17:48:32 GMT

Among other changes, the bill would require a person's citizenship status to be printed on their new or replacement Florida driver's license or ID card.

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Jeff Galloway, former U.S. Olympian who inspired the Donna Marathon, dies at 80

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 15:38:19 GMT

Jeff Galloway, a runner on the 1972 U.S. Olympic team, has died at age 80. Carissa Galloway said that her father-in-law had a hemorrhagic stroke.

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Florida Department of Health moves to cull thousands from AIDS drug program

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 04:04:16 GMT

HIV advocates say medication access for about 16,000 Floridians will be affected by the emergency rule on eligibility.

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New statue of Frederick Douglass has a backstory of power, process, and politics

Fri, 27 Feb 2026 02:10:11 GMT

St. Augustine leaders learned five days before the statue's arrival that the state was installing it. The lack of say on its placement and look has some concerned.

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Trump vs DeSantis: Whose endorsement matters more in Florida's governor race?

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 22:26:07 GMT

A new poll on the Florida governor's race gauged who has more influence on Republican voters, President Donald Trump or Gov. Ron DeSantis.

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4 killed, 6 hurt on Florida-registered boat after crew shoots at Cuban border guards, Cuba says

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 20:30:32 GMT

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said his office is launching an investigation, claiming, "the Cuban government cannot be trusted."

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New Florida proposal would require eight-year-olds to be fastened in booster seats

Wed, 25 Feb 2026 19:38:07 GMT

House Bill 233 would extend measures for kids in car seats and booster seats from ages three to eight.

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'Fall' of Maduro added to Florida students' coursework

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 19:05:52 GMT

Department of Education Senior Chancellor Paul Burns said the Maduro lessons will be geared towards students in grades nine through 12.

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Florida leads unprovoked shark attacks, as bites dropped overall in the US, study shows

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:52:56 GMT

Last year, there were 11 unprovoked shark bites reported in Florida, of which none were lethal.

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Mother pushes Florida senators to hear new evidence before ‘Free Kill Law’ repeal bill dies

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 22:48:18 GMT

“I will never see the inside of a courtroom,” St. Johns County mother Cindy Jenkins said. “Our justice is making sure nobody else has to live this nightmare.”

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Florida lawmakers pass bill to rename Palm Beach airport after President Trump

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 21:43:59 GMT

The legislation to rename the Florida airport after President Donald Trump now heads to Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk.

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'One of Florida's finest': FHP trooper passes away during training session

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 15:36:58 GMT

Trooper Michael Diego started his career with FHP in 2021 as part of the 149th Recruit Class, and worked for the Fort Pierce and Fort Myers offices.

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WATCH: Luxury car crashes into Florida school bus, gets wedged underneath

Thu, 19 Feb 2026 02:54:10 GMT

Video shows a Jaguar crashing into the back of a Florida school bus and getting wedged underneath. The driver only suffered minor injuries.

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Nearly 8 years after Parkland school shooting, Florida House backs effort to reverse gun purchasing age

Wed, 18 Feb 2026 13:15:01 GMT

The Florida House of Representatives once again supports lowering the age to buy long guns and rifles from 21 to 18.

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Florida man accidentally shoots neighbor's horse during target practice, deputies say

Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:09:21 GMT

Another bullet went through a door and wall of his neighbor's home before coming to rest on a kitchen windowsill, according to the sheriff's office.

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Florida AG Uthmeier, Polk Sheriff Judd announce 51 arrests in multi-agency drug trafficking busts

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:41:39 GMT

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said deputies seized 78 pounds of methamphetamine, 14.55 pounds of fentanyl, 13 firearms and $20,000 in cash.

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Sweeping HOA bill could allow Florida homeowners to dissolve their associations

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 00:45:57 GMT

The bill was a topic of discussion at the Tampa Bay Condo & HOA Expo on Thursday.

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Florida Senate signs off on Museum of Black History in St. Augustine

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:53:34 GMT

As lawmakers have reached the mid-point of this year's 60-day legislative session, an identical House bill (HB 525) has not been heard.

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FBI investigates after stolen military explosives found at The Villages

Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:38:22 GMT

On Wednesday morning, a bomb squad and investigators said they found stolen military explosives in Florida's popular retirement community.

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Florida congressman requests FCC investigation into Bad Bunny's halftime performance

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 23:22:58 GMT

U.S. Rep. Randy Fine claimed the performer's lyrics were "pornographic" and too vulgar for television.

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Man convicted of killing a traveling salesman becomes first person executed in Florida this year

Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:50:56 GMT

Ronald Palmer Heath, 64, was pronounced dead at 6:12 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 10, following a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke.

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Uthmeier: Rhode Island man being extradited to Florida for grooming child on online platforms

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 19:13:39 GMT

The Attorney General said the suspect and the child communicated on Snapchat and Fortnite.

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Florida's 'School Guardian' bill goes beyond authorizing school staff to be armed, committee analysis shows

Mon, 09 Feb 2026 03:41:33 GMT

The bill seeks to enhance safety by allowing post-secondary staff to serve as armed guards and increasing penalties for shooting guns around schools.

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Florida driver's license exams are now only offered in English

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 19:04:47 GMT

As of Friday, Feb. 6, Florida prohibits the use of a language interpreter during a driver's license exam, only offering the test in English.

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FWC adds Florida reef gecko to threatened and endangered species list

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 17:45:31 GMT

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has officially listed the Florida reef gecko as a state-designated Threatened species.

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Florida's education commissioner cracking down on student protests during school day

Fri, 06 Feb 2026 00:49:00 GMT

Commissioner Kamoutsas wrote a letter to school districts warning of potential discipline for educators and administrators who facilitate protests during school.

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Florida House passes bill that challenges church vs. state debate

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:00:58 GMT

The bill looks to protect religious expression in public schools in the state’s constitution.

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'Hang up immediately': FDLE warns of AMBER Alert scam

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 11:58:21 GMT

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said scammers are posing as AMBER Alert officials who call asking for children’s information.

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Florida GOP candidate for governor joins Tinder to connect with 'young female voters'

Thu, 05 Feb 2026 11:55:44 GMT

James Fishback said he's using Tinder to share his plan to make it easier for women "to get married, buy a home, and raise a family."

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Florida collects more than 5,000 frozen iguanas in two-day period

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 19:41:00 GMT

"We are NO LONGER accepting green iguanas at FWC offices," Florida wildlife officials wrote in a post on X.

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Florida sheriff: Teen linked to extremist group threatened mass shooting, held child pornography

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 19:39:02 GMT

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister explained the teen discussed his plan for the shooting in an online chatroom designated for "violent extremists."

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Man who represented himself is found guilty of trying to assassinate Trump at Florida golf course

Wed, 04 Feb 2026 18:22:07 GMT

Prosecutors said Ryan Routh spent weeks plotting to kill Trump before aiming a rifle at the president while he played golf at his West Palm Beach country club.

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DeSantis says Florida supports plan for new Rays stadium: 'Baseball belongs in Tampa Bay'

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 23:30:03 GMT

Gov. Ron DeSantis explained that Florida's support for the new Rays stadium in Tampa would come through land conveyance, not funding.

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NASA delays Artemis II launch timeline after fuel test challenges

Tue, 03 Feb 2026 13:00:40 GMT

The Artemis II mission to the Moon is the first human mission to the Moon since the last astronaut mission in the 1970s.

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Driver's license exam rules in Florida are changing | What to know

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 23:13:12 GMT

All written, oral and skills tests for all driver's license categories in Florida must be done in English beginning Feb. 6.

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Recreational marijuana and 21 other citizen initiatives fail to qualify for Florida's 2026 ballot

Mon, 02 Feb 2026 22:20:51 GMT

A proposed amendment to Florida’s constitution that would have allowed recreational marijuana use for adults has failed to qualify for the 2026 ballot.

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Detainees pepper-sprayed on 2 occasions at Florida 'Deportation Depot' immigration detention center

Sat, 31 Jan 2026 13:16:48 GMT

The northeast Florida facility is the second immigration detention center opened by Florida. The state is awaiting approval for a third one in the panhandle.

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Florida to start administering English-only driver's license exams in February

Fri, 30 Jan 2026 17:58:38 GMT

The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said using an interpreter during an exam will be prohibited.

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