It’s a dubious honor for the Sunshine State as the records show Florida residents get more spam and robocalls than any other state in the country.
But that problem is about to get even worse.
Fox 4 Investigates’s Ryan Kruger shows us how your phone could soon be ringing off the hook. In fact, one recent study shows Floridians get more than 4 times as many spam calls and text messages than the next closest state. And some experts say you’re about to get even more. A recent report by the consumer group — customer service number – found Florida residents received by far the most spam complaints in the country.
Zach Zermay is a consumer lawyer in Fort Myers who specializes in robocalls and spam. He says lawmakers have worked in the past to dramatically cut down on the number of robocalls, including passing legislation in 2021 that banned some companies from using automated systems to make robocalls without permission from the person on the other end of the phone.
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The Federal Trade Commission says Floridians complained about robocalls 388,000 thousand times in 2021.
In 2022, there was a 45% drop in the number of complaints.
Zermay fears those protections are going away.
Governor DeSantis signed new legislation in May that critics argue would allow companies to make even more robocalls.
But supporters, like the Florida retail federation, say those consumer protections are still there and that the new law cuts down the number of people who can file lawsuits against businesses for calling them. 1
A very merry Christmas to South Florida. (Photo by Darryl Oumi/Getty Image
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; The stockings were hung by the chimney with care As South Florida won the Hawaii Bowl by a hair.
As much of the nation’s children were sleeping with dreams of Santa, the Bulls were winning one of the wildest games of bowl season, a five-overtime, 41-39 thriller over San José State in the Hawaii Bowl. It was the NCAA’s first bowl or postseason game to go more than three overtimes.
The game nearly ended in a back-and-forth regulation, however, as South Florida got the ball back with less than a minute left and down by three points. A good punt return and pair of first downs got them into field goal territory, at which point kicker John Cannon got a charitable bounce to tie the game.
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Overtime then developed into a classic college football shootout, with the teams exchanging touchdowns, then field goals, then two-point conversions, then failed two-point conversions. With each set of plays, the game inched toward midnight ET, until it was finally Christmas for much of the country.
The game ended a half-hour later, when USF converted its two-point attempt and got the stop it needed.
USF got the win despite being outgained 441-291 and gaining only 1.6 yards per rush. Its biggest plays came on special teams and defense, including a 93-yard kick return touchdown by Ta’Ron Keith. USF quarterback Bryce Archie finished 24-of-34 with 235 passing yards and an interception.
It was the kind of game designed for the people who want to spend the final hours of Christmas Eve cheering for a tug-of-war between two Group of 5 programs. The win gives South Florida back-to-back winning seasons and bowl wins, having gone 7-6 last year with a win in the Boca Raton Bowl.
1 killed, several injured in Florida boat explosion – CBS News
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At least one person was killed and six others injured when a boat exploded in a marina in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Three people suffered traumatic injuries. Cristian Benavides reports.
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FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. – A boat explosion at a South Florida marina has left one person dead and five others injured, officials said.
The explosion occurred Monday night at the Lauderdale Marina, Fort Lauderdale Fire Rescue said in a social media post.
Rescue workers transported five people to local hospitals, three with traumatic injuries, officials said. A sixth person was found dead in the water several hours later by the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
Fire rescue officials said they didn’t immediately know what caused the explosion.
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