Florida
DeSantis signs taking of bears, ethics changes and 12 other Florida bills into law
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A controversial bill that creates a kind of “stand your ground” defense for shooting Florida Black Bears on their property is now a law, along with a bill to make it tougher to file ethics complaints and 12 other bills signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis Friday night.
DeSantis signed HB 87, Taking of Bears, which allows people to claim self-defense in shooting a bear on their property.
Shooters will have to notify the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission of bears being killed within 24 hours of the shooting, and they cannot keep or sell bear carcasses.
North Florida lawmakers pushed the bill, saying they are overrun by bears in those counties. But critics said there were already efforts to manage the bear population and reduce human-bear encounters with the state’s BearWise program. The bill passed the Florida Legislature largely along party lines in both chambers.
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“Increasing the killing of Florida’s iconic black bears under the guise of self-defense –– without requiring proof of actual danger — poses serious public safety risks and undermines responsible wildlife management,” said Kate MacFall, Florida state director at the Humane Society of the United States, in a prepared statement.
The law will go into effect July 1.
DeSantis also signed SB 7014, a package of revisions to Florida ethics laws. Critics say the bill weakens ethics laws by limiting ethics investigations to those prompted by only people with “personal knowledge” of an issue.
That blocks local and state ethics officials from starting investigations based on media reports, for instance. They would only be able to act if there is a valid complaint. Several government watchdog groups urged DeSantis to veto the bill, saying it raised the bar on ethics investigations too high.
Supporters said the bill stopped ethics complaints from being weaponized.
The bill, which is now in effect, also bars a member of the Florida Commission on Ethics from serving more than two full terms and makes changes to attorney rules and fees in ethics cases.
Another bill signed into law Friday was HB 21, which creates a compensation program for victims of abuse at the Dozier School for Boys and the Okeechobee School. It goes into effect on July 1. DeSantis also signed HB 23, which provides a public record exemption for those who seek compensation through the program.
Check out the other bills DeSantis signed Friday below:
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HB 1577 – Midway Fire District, Santa Rosa County
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CS/HB 6007 – Relief/Julia Perez/St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office
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HB 849 – Veterinary Practices
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HB 1575 – Avalon Beach-Mulat Fire Protection District, Santa Rosa County
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HB 1573 – Pace Fire Rescue District, Santa Rosa County
Information from The News Service of Florida was used in this report.
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Florida
‘Experimental explosion’ reported off Central Florida coast, experts say
VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – If you felt shaking along Florida’s east coast on Thursday, you’re not alone. But it wasn’t an earthquake.
A strong “experimental explosion” was reported in the waters off Central Florida on Thursday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The USGS website indicates that the explosion happened around 3:04 p.m., roughly 91 miles east-northeast of Ponce Inlet.
Per the agency, the event registered a preliminary magnitude of 3.9. However, few other details about what may have caused the explosion have been provided at this time.
“The recorded ground motions from this event are more typical of an explosion than a naturally occurring earthquake,” the USGS website reads. “The Navy has conducted Full Ship Shock Trials in this region in the past.”
[A LOOK BACK: U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford performs shock trials on an aircraft carrier in 2021]
News 6 has reached out to Navy officials for more information and is awaiting additional details.
Anyone who felt the impact of the explosion is urged to report their experience here.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
Florida
Florida preacher buys VT campus to build Christian college | Fox News Video
Florida preacher Tommie Zito discusses his acquisition of the former Green Mountain College in Vermont to establish “Z University,” a Christian college.
Florida preacher Tommie Zito discusses his mission to transform the abandoned Green Mountain College in Vermont into “Z University,” a Christian college. Zito’s goal is to train future leaders in evangelism, business, government, and music. He plans for the college to be fully operational by August 2027, emphasizing the need for godly institutions to counter current educational trends.
Florida
Cyclosporiasis cases in Florida, US could be undercounted, health expert says
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A parasite that causes extreme diarrhea, seen in recent outbreaks across the country, has been documented in over 20 counties in Florida. But experts say there could be more cases than what has been reported.
According to the Florida Department of Health’s Reportable Diseases Frequency Report, 50 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in the state since May 1.
“This infectious disease may be hard to monitor due to the nature of the signs and symptoms,” said Dr. Norman Beatty, an associate professor of medicine and hospital epidemiologist at UF Health Shands. “It’s common to get a diarrheal illness at times, and other infectious diseases can resolve on their own, but cyclosporiasis is important to identify right now because there are multiple outbreaks across the country.”
Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal disease caused by the parasite cyclospora, which causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue and loss of appetite, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
[WATCH: Parasitic infection spreading across states, including Florida]
Once a case is confirmed through testing, a report is sent to the state department of health. But if someone doesn’t seek medical attention, the case could go unreported, Beatty said.
There could be a six-week reporting lag between illness onset and reporting, according to the CDC.
Since May 1, the federal agency has received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis but is aware of more than 5,100 cases that require further analysis, the CDC stated Tuesday.
In Florida since May 1, DOH data shows Lee County has seen the most cyclosporiasis cases with nine, followed by Miami-Dade with six and Broward with five.
Other counties with cases include: Alachua, Brevard, Collier, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Gadsden, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter and Volusia.
In Alachua County, Beatty said he has seen several cases at UF Health Shands, which doctors believe stemmed from eating produce.
Previous outbreaks in the U.S. have been linked to raw produce, like lettuce and raspberries.
According to DOH data, Alachua County has seen one case of cyclosporiasis in June. But the department’s data is 10 days out of date, according to DOH’s website. The last day cases were uploaded to the report was July 4. And the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s data on Florida undercounts DOH’s data, with only 11-30 reported sick people in the state.
In most scenarios, people who get cyclosporiasis will recover on their own. But in some cases, people can have persistent symptoms and relapsing infections over time, so any suspected cases should be tested, Beatty said.
Direct human-to-human transmission is rare, he said, but if infected, people could shed the parasite into the environment, where it could become infectious again within a week or two, contributing to another outbreak.
“It’s a very hardy parasite,” he said.
The outbreak was first reported in Michigan on July 1, with other outbreaks later reported in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, according to the CDC.
While 34 states, including Florida, have reported cases, the source of the outbreak is still unknown.
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