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Florida Senate passes new social media bill with parent permission provision

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Florida Senate passes new social media bill with parent permission provision


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A new version of the measure to force children off social media passed the Florida Senate Monday, setting up a final vote in the Florida House before the end of the legislative session this week.

The Senate passed HB 3 on a 30-5 vote. The bill, which requires third-party age verification on websites with material deemed harmful for minors, now contains provisions that ban children under 16 from social media. Children would not be able to make new accounts and existing accounts would have to be shut down.

The measure also contains a provision that allows parents to give consent for 14 and 15-year-olds to have accounts if they wish. This change is part of a compromise to get Gov. Ron DeSantis to sign the bill.

The Florida Legislature last month passed HB 1, which forced children off social media with provisions for parental consent. DeSantis vetoed that bill, after expressing his concern about First Amendment violations and the lack of parental consent.

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Supporters of the bill say social media companies are knowingly designing their platforms to be addictive and are harming children’s mental health. The bill does not mention specific platforms but does list characteristics like user tracking, auto-play, infinite scrolling, and live-streaming as features of those sites.

“We have to do something, and we can’t stand by any longer and allow these companies to own our children with this terrible content,” said State Sen. Erin Grall, R-Vero Beach, the bill’s sponsor.

However, critics say the bill is still problematic and will likely be blocked by the courts.

“For the government to come in and say ‘no, we have decided the age is 14′ I still think runs into all of the constitutional problems that we have discussed and the general issue of parents making the decision,” said State Sen. Tina Polsky, D-Boca Raton.

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The bill is expected to pass the Florida House before Friday.

Information from The News Service of Florida was used in this report.

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SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday

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SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday


New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.

What we know:

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These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.

Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.

Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.

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“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”

Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.

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“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”

The other side:

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This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”

What they’re saying:

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Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.

“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.

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This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.

“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”

The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.

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Big picture view:

The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.

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The Source:  Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.

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GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds

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GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds


The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.

Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.

“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.

What to expect

  • 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
  • 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
  • 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
  • 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
  • Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.

For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.

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Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.

Other Friday highlights included:

  • 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
  • 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
  • 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
  • 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.



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Bodycam captures life-saving rescue of choking baby by Florida deputies

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Bodycam captures life-saving rescue of choking baby by Florida deputies


A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.

According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.

See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say

Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.

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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”



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