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DeSantis signs taking of bears, ethics changes and 12 other Florida bills into law

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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.

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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:

  • HB 1577 – Midway Fire District, Santa Rosa County
  • CS/HB 6007 – Relief/Julia Perez/St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office
  • HB 849 – Veterinary Practices
  • HB 1575 – Avalon Beach-Mulat Fire Protection District, Santa Rosa County
  • 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 couple in alleged embryo mix-up have identified biological parents of ‘non-caucasian’ baby

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Florida couple in alleged embryo mix-up have identified biological parents of ‘non-caucasian’ baby


A Florida couple who claimed a fertility clinic error led the woman giving birth to a “non-Caucasian child” who was not related to them said they have identified their child’s biological parents, according to reports.

“The results of testing delivered to us today confirm that our baby’s genetic parents have been identified,” Tiffany Score and Steven Mills said in a statement obtained by People on Wednesday.

A Florida couple who claimed a fertility clinic error led to the birth of a “non-Caucasian child” who was not related to them said they have identified their child’s biological parents. Mara Hatfield

Score and Mills filed a lawsuit in January against Fertility Center of Orlando and its head reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Milton McNichol, alleging that another patient’s embryo was implanted in Score’s uterus in April 2025.

The mix-up led to the birth of their now 4-month-old daughter, Shea, who is not biologically related to them, the filing alleged.

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“This ends one chapter in our heartbreaking journey, but it raises new issues that will have to be resolved,” the statement continued. “In addition, questions about the disposition of our own embryos are still unanswered and are even more unlikely to ever be answered.”

“Only one thing is as absolutely certain today as it was on the day our daughter was born —we will love and will be this child’s parents forever.”

The couple added that they will respect the privacy of Shea’s biological parents and will keep their identities “confidential.”

Score and Mills filed a lawsuit in January against Fertility Center of Orlando and its head reproductive endocrinologist, Dr. Milton McNichol, alleging that another patient’s embryo was implanted in Score’s uterus. WESH2

Score and Mills, who are both white, stored three viable embryos at the Longwood clinic in 2020 for in vitro fertilization, a process that creates embryos and stores them until pregnancy.

Five years later, after an embryo was implanted, the couple gave birth to a “beautiful, healthy female child” on Dec. 11, 2025, according to the lawsuit filed Jan. 22 in Orange County Circuit Court and obtained by Law & Crime.

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“Tragically, while both Jane Doe and John Doe are racially Caucasian, Baby Doe displayed the physical appearance of a racially non-Caucasian child,” the lawsuit said.

Further genetic testing confirmed that baby Shea had no biological relationship to either parent — raising questions about where their embryos had gone or whether another woman was impregnated with their biological child.

The new parents had an “intensely strong emotional bond” with their child during pregnancy and wished to keep the girl, but recognized she “should legally and morally be united with her genetic parents so long as they are fit, able and willing to take her,” the lawsuit stated.

The Fertility Clinic of Orlando announced earlier this month that it would close by May 20. WESH2

Scarola told People, following Wednesday’s development, that Shea’s biological parents have not made any requests to take her into custody.

“Remaining questions about the fate of Tiffany and Steven’s unaccounted for embryos…are still pending,” Scarola said.

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“The current legal proceeding will remain open to address those matters,” the attorney added. “However, we expect that we will now also begin to focus on the need for our clients to be compensated for the expenses they have incurred and the severe emotional trauma that they endured and will continue to experience.”

The Fertility Clinic of Orlando announced earlier this month that it would close by May 20 — a decision leadership said was made after “thoughtful consideration.”

Neither Scarola nor the clinic immediately responded to The Post’s request for comment.



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Evacuations underway as crews battle multiple wildfires in Georgia and Florida

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Evacuations underway as crews battle multiple wildfires in Georgia and Florida


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    Evacuations underway as crews battle multiple wildfires in Georgia and Florida

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    Northeast blasted with sudden snow and freezing temperatures

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  • Millions Clean up Destructive Aftermath of Severe Midwest Storms

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  • Tornado touches down in Minnesota while historic flooding threatens Wisconsin

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  • Deadly weather slams Midwest

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  • Early Spring Heat Wave Scorches Nearly Half of the United States

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  • Dangerous tornadoes rip across Midwest

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  • Massive tornadoes tear across Midwest

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  • Dangerous weather continues to slam parts of the country

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  • Dangerous storms rip across country’s center

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  • Historic floods batter Hawaii 

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  • Hawaii Faces Worst Flooding in 20 Years; Thousands Evacuate

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  • Major flood emergency prompts mass evacuations and rescues in Hawaii

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  • Thousands ordered to evacuate as dam nears failure on Oahu

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  • Potentially record-setting heat wave scorches western United States

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  • Midwest slammed by record-shattering blizzard

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  • Powerful storm system slams Midwest as East Coast braces for impact

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  • Millions Face Extreme Weather With Possible Blizzards, Tornadoes

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  • Violent March weather

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  • Two killed in tornado outbreak

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NBC News NOW

Crews in Florida and Georgia are battling multiple fast-moving wildfires, stoked by dry and windy conditions. Local officials in Georgia said people in the path of the flames should be ready to evacuate. 

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Florida investigating AI role in mass shooting at university

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Florida investigating AI role in mass shooting at university


Florida on Tuesday announced a criminal probe into whether artificial intelligence played a role in a deadly mass shooting at a university in the US state.

The decision to launch an investigation came after prosecutors reviewed exchanges between OpenAI chatbot ChatGPT and the suspected gunman, who opened fire at Florida State University last year, according to state Attorney General James Uthmeier.

“If ChatGPT were a person, it would be facing charges for murder,” Uthmeier said.

Florida law allows anyone who assists or counsels someone in the commission of a crime to be treated as an “aider and abettor” bearing the same responsibility as the perpetrator, according to Uthmeier.

In exchanges with ChatGPT, the accused shooter sought advice on what type of gun and ammunition to use, as well as where and when on campus a lot of people would likely be found, the state attorney general said during a press briefing.

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“Last year’s mass shooting at Florida State University was a tragedy, but ChatGPT is not responsible for this terrible crime,” an OpenAI spokesperson said.



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