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Alligator ‘courtship’ season kicks off in Florida. It could prove deadly

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Alligator ‘courtship’ season kicks off in Florida. It could prove deadly


SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Alligator mating season has kicked off in Florida, posing a threat to residents in the state.

The city of Oviedo posted a warning on social media about the mating season, cautioning residents to stay safe during this time.

According to city officials, “courtship” between alligators begins in April, and mating happens in May or June.

During this time, female alligators build nests and can lay dozens of eggs by late June or early July.

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“Alligators will start being more aggressive as the mating season starts, so we urge our residents to be aware of their surroundings, especially by the water,” city officials wrote. “Kids and pets should not play at the water’s edge.”

While alligator attacks aren’t common, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has recorded over 450 of them stemming back to 1948, with 30 being fatal.

Of the deadly attacks, over half of them occurred during breeding or nesting season.

“We have many bodies of water in the city, including ponds, lakes and rivers, making ideal habitats for the reptiles,” Oviedo officials said.

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Several children — including a 3-year-old at Lake Ashby and a 10-year-old at the Loxahatchee River — have been killed by alligators after getting too close to the water.

Just last year, an 85-year-old woman was killed by an alligator after it attacked her dog while she was out for a walk.

To reduce the risk of alligator attacks, Oviedo city officials provided the following tips:

  • Never feed alligators — it’s dangerous and illegal

  • Keep pets on a leash and never walk them at the edge of a body of water

  • Never swim outside of posted swimming areas and swim only during daylight hours

  • Closely supervise children when they are playing in and around water

  • Pay attention to your surroundings and be aware of possible presence

  • If you see a baby alligator, know the mother is close by watching. Never handle the babies — they are not pets

If you have concerns about an alligator in your neighborhood, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Nuisance Alligator Hotline at (866) 392-4286.

Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily:

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Florida

Marco Rubio refuses to say whether he’d leave Florida if Trump picks him as VP

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Marco Rubio refuses to say whether he’d leave Florida if Trump picks him as VP


Florida Senator Marco Rubio, the man Donald Trump once dubbed “Little Marco,” is now vying to be his 2024 vice presidential pick.

And due to a ”technical glitch” in the Constitution, it may be difficult for both the VP and president to be from the same state, which means Mr Rubio may have to leave Florida.

On Fox News Sunday, host Shannon Bream asked whether the Florida Senator would leave the state of Florida or change his residency if he were asked to join Mr Trump’s 2024 ticket.

In short, the Republican lawmaker didn’t answer her question.

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He did, however, say, that Mr Trump is “going to have an extremely talented group of people that can serve this country in multiple roles, and that’s a decision he’s going to have to make.”

He added, “Leaving me aside for a moment, I think that before anyone decides to move from their state, you better make sure you don’t move to a state where there’s not some DA [district attorney] that makes a career after going after Republicans.”

Senator Rubio seemed to be referring to the ongoing hush money trial in New York that was brought by the Manhattan DA’s office. Mr Trump is now standing criminal trial, with 34 counts of falsifying business records related to payments given to adult film star Stormy Daniels before the 2016 election in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair with Mr Trump.

Bream then joked, “So, if you do move, not to New York. That won’t be your choice.”

The Fox News host then said there could be a “technical glitch with having two people from the same state when it comes down to an Electoral College vote,” should Mr Rubio be named as Mr Trump’s running mate.

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She was referring to the 12th Amendment, which states that after a presidential election, “the Electors shall meet in their respective states and vote by ballot for President and Vice-President, one of whom, at least, shall not be an inhabitant of the same state with themselves.”

This could become a problem when Florida electors cast their votes, should a Trump-Rubio ticket emerge, since both men are from the same state as those electors.

But the former president has yet to unveil his 2024 running mate.

Mr Rubio has been considered to be on the former president’s shortlist of potential running mates, and was one of a handful of possible veep contenders at Mar-a-Lago this weekend for a RNC donor retreat.

The evolution of Mr Trump and Mr Rubio’s relationship from infamous feuds to potential running mates is astounding.

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Both men ran for the 2016 GOP nominee, and their online spats quickly devolved into name-calling and jokes about the other’s physical appearance. Most notably, Mr Trump labeled the Florida Senator “Little Marco” while Mr Rubio suggested that Mr Trump had “small hands.”



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University of Florida president on response to protests: ‘You don’t get to take over the whole university’

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University of Florida president on response to protests: ‘You don’t get to take over the whole university’


University of Florida President Ben Sasse responded to the ongoing pro-Palestinian protests breaking out on his college campus and others across the country, saying that while students have a right to peacefully protest, they cannot “take over the whole university.”

“And what we tell all of our students, protesters and non, is there are two things we’re going to affirm over and over again, we will always defend your right to free speech and free assembly,” Sasse said on CNN’s “State of the Union.”

“And also, we have time, place, and manner restrictions, and you don’t get to take over the whole university. People don’t get to spit at cops. You don’t get to barricade yourselves in buildings. You don’t get to disrupt somebody else’s commencement,” he said. 

Sasse, a former senator representing Nebraska, reiterated that neither protesters nor other students have the right to set up encampments on campus.

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“I ran by our group of protesters waving their Palestinian flag; we protect their right to do that. But we have rules. And one of those rules is we don’t allow camping on campus. And so, you can’t start to build an encampment, but our goal is not to arrest people,” he said. 

“It’s to help them get into compliance with the rules. They can protest. They can try to persuade people, but they don’t get a build a camp. Nobody, nobody else does either,” he added.

The pro-Palestinian protests have been breaking out across the country for weeks, resulting in arrests, the cancellation of commencement ceremonies and moving in-person classes to online. The demonstrations have garnered national attention as protesters have set up encampments on campuses throughout the nation.

Sasse noted that officials are not going to “negotiate with people who scream the loudest” amid protests that have occurred on the University of Florida’s campus. He also added that the commencement ceremonies on his campus have not been disrupted.

“We believe in the right to free speech. We believe in the right to free assembly, and you can try to persuade people,” he said. “But what you see happening on so many campuses across the country is instead of drawing the line in speech and action, a lot of universities bizarrely give the most attention and most voice to the smallest, angriest group, and it’s just not what we’re going to do here.”

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Florida sees surge in college-educated Americans

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Florida sees surge in college-educated Americans


Florida has become increasingly popular with college graduates, with metros in the state seeing some of the highest net gains of college-educated Americans, according to research from HireAHelper.

Metropolitan areas such as North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, Jacksonville and Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, were among the most popular destinations for college graduates looking to relocate in 2023.

North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton topped the list of attractive Florida metros, seeing a net gain of college-educated Americans of 135 percent.

Jacksonville also ranked highly, with an 81 percent net gain.

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Miranda Marquit, consumer advocate for HireAHelper, suggested that a higher cost of living in other states and a growing job market in Florida could be why so many are flocking to the Sunshine State.

“Florida cities that saw an influx are also cities that have seen big gains in their job markets in recent years. Tampa, especially, is known for its increase in available jobs.” she told Newsweek.

“Florida has a lower cost of living and the cities where college-educated millennials and Gen Z-ers are moving have good job prospects.

“Add to the fact that these areas have a lower cost of living than places like California and New York, and they seem more attractive. You can get paid reasonably well and your dollar goes further.”

When it came to those places with the highest net losses of college-educated Americans, California dominated the list with three metros in the top five.

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“Recently, big-tech layoffs have been in the news, so California might not be as attractive to job-seekers,” Marquit said.

The report also highlighted states that were popular among degree holders.

Washington State, South Carolina and Nevada where the first, second and third most popular states.

HireAHelper’s study suggested graduates may have been enticed by the absence of state income taxes in some of those states, such as in Washington and Nevada.

The study drew on 2023 data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s Current Population Survey and Annual Social and Economic Supplements.

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The typical prices of homes and rent in Florida are much more affordable than in many of America’s most popular cities.

Redfin puts average rent prices in Florida at $1,917 for apartments and $2,400 for housing rentals. Average house prices in the state are $392,306 according to Zillow.

Meanwhile, the average New York rent currently stands at over $4000 a month, whilst average home values in the city to be in excess of $746,000.

Rent in San Francisco was more than $3,400 a month and the average home value was $1.2 million.

Do you have a story we should be covering? Do you have any questions about the housing market? Contact LiveNews@newsweek.com

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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.



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