Florida
Florida hospital sues to evict a patient who won’t leave room 5 months after discharge
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — The patient in Room 373 refuses to leave.
Tallahassee Memorial Healthcare earlier this month sued the patient, saying she has refused to depart her hospital room since being discharged last October. The hospital also has asked a state judge in Tallahassee for an injunction ordering the patient to vacate the hospital room and authorizing the county sheriff’s office to assist if necessary.
The hospital said that resources have been diverted from helping other patients because of her occupation of the room.
“Defendant’s continued occupancy prevents use of the bed for patients needing acute care,” the hospital said in the lawsuit.
According to the lawsuit, the woman was admitted to the hospital for medical treatment and a formal discharge order was issued Oct. 6 after it was determined that she no longer needed acute care services. The hospital has repeatedly made efforts to coordinate her departure with family members and offered transportation to obtain necessary identification, the lawsuit said.
Rachel Givens, an attorney for the hospital, said Wednesday that the hospital had no comment. Hospital spokeswoman Macy Layton said Wednesday that the hospital couldn’t discuss active legal matters, in response to emailed questions, including about what type of identification the patient needed. The lawsuit doesn’t say what the patient was treated for, what her hospital bill was or how she was able to stay at the hospital for more than five months despite being discharged.
No attorney was listed for the patient, who is representing herself. Phones numbers listed in an online database for the patient were disconnected. No one answered the phone when a call was put through to her room at the hospital.
An online court hearing on the lawsuit is scheduled for the end of the month.
Under the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act, hospitals that receive Medicare funds must provide treatment that stabilizes anyone coming to an emergency department with an emergency medical condition, even if the patient doesn’t have insurance or the ability to pay. Hospitals can be investigated by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for violations.
The patient can be discharged when the clinicians have determined that any further care can be provided as an outpatient, “provided the individual is given a plan for appropriate follow-up care as part of the discharge instructions,” the federal agency said in an operations manual.
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Follow Mike Schneider on the social platform Bluesky: @mikeysid.bsky.social.
A SpaceX rocket soared into the Monday morning sky, starting off Memorial Day on Florida’s Space Coast with a rumble.
Liftoff occurred on time at 7:48 a.m. May 25 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The mission, known as Starlink 10-47, featured a Falcon 9 rocket carrying the latest batch of Starlink internet satellites to orbit.
The rocket rumbled on a northeast trajectory, across the clearing morning sky. Showers had moved through the area overnight, but cleared in time for the liftoff, which marked the 35th of the year for Florida.
No Brevard County sonic booms were heard, as the Falcon 9’s first stage booster landed on the A Shortfall of Gravitas drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
When is the next Florida rocket launch?
Early risers are in for a treat, as the next liftoff is also set to occur in the morning hours.
The next launch from Florida is set for no earlier than 7:52 a.m. Friday, May 29 from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Expect to see a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lift off on another Starlink mission.
If needed, the May 29 launch window extends until 11:52 a.m.
Be sure to follow the FLORIDA TODAY Space Team at FloridaToday.com/Space for the latest updates from Cape Canaveral.
Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.
The NEXT Weather Team is tracking another hot and humid day across South Florida on this Sunday Funday. The high humidity and extensive sunshine will make it feel like it is in the mid- to upper-90s across the metroplex and the lower Keys.
As South Floridians head to the beach and out on the water for this Memorial Day weekend, we have several alerts. On the beach, the rip current risk is high, which means beachgoers should stay on the sand and out of the water. On the water, we have small craft cautions in both the Atlantic and Keys waters.
The heat and humidity stretches through Memorial Day on Monday and into Tuesday. The rainy and stormy season returns to South Florida on Wednesday. We will see increased storm chances starting then and running through next weekend.
Feeling lucky? Florida Lotto jackpot was up to $27.50 million for Saturday, May 23, 2026, just before the Memorial Day holiday.
Will a $2 Florida Lotto ticket make someone a millionaire ahead of a federal holiday? As they say in the lottery business, “it could happen to you.”
After one lucky ticket from a BJ’s Wholesale Club Liquors in Clermont, Florida, matched all six numbers in the Wednesday, Feb. 4, Florida Lotto drawing for $21.5 million, the jackpot reset.
The 30th rollover occurred after no one matched all six numbers in the Wednesday, May 20, Florida Lotto drawing. That led to the grand prize increasing by more than $1 million for a whopping $27.50 million for Saturday, May 23.
Check back after 11:15 p.m. ET for Saturday’s winning numbers. We’ll see if there’s a Florida Lotto winner or another rollover just before the federal holiday, Memorial Day, which is Monday, May 25.
In case you’re wondering, Wednesday’s winning Florida Lotto numbers were 6-15-18-28-33-38. Double Play numbers were 4-5-13-15-24-39.
Below is what to know about lottery odds, how long to claim the cash option if you bought a ticket in Florida, and what happens to unclaimed prize money, according to the Florida Lottery.
Winning Florida Lotto numbers for Saturday, May 23, 2026?
Florida Lotto drawings are at 11:15 p.m. ET every Wednesday and Saturday, including holidays. Check back for Saturday, May 23, Florida Lotto numbers and the Double Play. We’ll see if there’s a winner or another rollover just before the 2026 Memorial Day holiday.
How do you play the Florida Lotto?
According to Florida Lottery game rules, Florida Lotto players pick 6 numbers between 1 and 53 or select a Quick Pick ticket. There are prizes for matching three to six numbers. Players who match two of 6 winning Florida Lotto numbers get a free ticket.
The Florida Lottery site states game add-ons include Double Play for $1, a bonus drawing where players could win up to $250,000 using the same numbers (Double Play drawings are held immediately after Florida Lotto drawings). Another Florida Lotto game add-on is EZmatch for $1 per play. If players match any EZmatch number to their Florida Lotto numbers, they instantly win that prize.
Tickets start at $2. Good luck!
When was the last Florida Lotto won? How long has the jackpot rolled over?
The Florida Lotto jackpot was last won on Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026. BJ’s Wholesale Club Liquors on South Highway 27 in Clermont, Florida, sold the winning Quick Pick ticket worth $21.5 million.
The new lottery jackpot reset at $1 million for the drawing on Saturday, Feb. 7, 2026. Below is a recap of lottery drawings for the latest streak.
- Saturday, May 23: $27.50 million
- Wednesday, May 20: $26.25 million
- Saturday, May 16: $24.5 million
- Wednesday, May 13: $23.5 million
- Saturday, May 9: $22.25 million
- Wednesday, May 6: $21.25 million
- Saturday, May 2: $20.25 million
- Wednesday, April 29: $19 million
- Saturday, April 25: $18 million
- Wednesday, April 22: $17 million
- Saturday, April 18: $16 million
- Wednesday, April 15, Tax Day: $15.25 million
- Saturday, April 11: $14.50 million
- Wednesday, April 8: $13.75 million
- Saturday, April 4: $12.75 million
- Wednesday, April 1, or April Fool’s Day: $12 million
- Saturday, March 28: $11.25 million
- Wednesday, March 25: $10.25 million
- Saturday, March 21: $9.25 million
- Wednesday, March 18: $8.25 million
- Saturday, March 14, Pi Day: $7.50 million
- Wednesday, March 11: $7 million
- Saturday, March 7: $6.75 million
- Wednesday, March 4: $6 million
- Saturday, Feb. 28: $5 million
- Wednesday, Feb. 25: $4 million
- Saturday, Feb. 21: $3.25 million
- Wednesday, Feb. 18: $2.50 million
- Saturday, Feb. 14, or Valentine’s Day: $1.75 million
- Wednesday, Feb. 11: $1.25 million
- Saturday, Feb. 7: $1 million
When is the next Florida Lotto drawing? What are the odds, chances of winning Florida Lotto lottery?
Florida Lotto drawings are held at 11:15 p.m. ET on Wednesdays and Saturdays, including holidays. According to floridalottery.com, players have a 1 in 22,957,480 chance to match all six numbers whether the jackpot is $1 million or $36 million. Prizes range from $2 to the grand prize jackpot, which varies.
The next Florida Lotto drawing will be on Wednesday, May 27.
How long do you have to cash in a Florida Lottery ticket?
Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it.
Does the Florida Lottery reveal lottery winners? Can you stay anonymous if you win lottery in Florida?
According to Florida Lottery’s website, winners cannot remain anonymous: “Florida law mandates that the Florida Lottery provide records containing information such as the winner’s name, city of residence; game won, date won, and amount won to any third party who requests the information.”
However, the site states, the “names of lottery winners claiming prizes of $250,000 or greater will be temporarily exempt from public disclosure for 90 days from the date the prize is claimed, unless otherwise waived by the winner.”
Does Walmart sell lottery tickets? Where to buy lottery tickets in Florida
In Florida, most gas stations and some grocery stores sell lottery tickets. It’s harder to find a gas station that doesn’t sell Powerball, Mega Millions, Florida Lottery and scratch-off tickets than it is to find one that does.
Publix also sells lottery tickets and is known for selling many winning tickets. A lesser-known location is Walmart. Whether the Walmart location closest to you sells lottery tickets depends on your state and the store. Many Walmart locations in Florida have self-service lottery ticket vending machines or sell lottery tickets at the customer service desk.
You can use the “Where to Play” search tool on the Florida Lottery website to find a grocery store or gas station near you that sells lottery tickets.
(This story will be updated to include new information.)
Lianna Norman and Jennifer Sangalang are trending reporters for the USA TODAY NETWORK-Florida, covering pop culture, lotteries, rocket launches, Florida wildlife, breaking news and more. You can get all of Florida’s best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://floridatoday.com/newsletters.
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