Articles by Mike Schneider and Tamara Lush

Actors Union Asks Disney to Delay Reopening Florida Parks

A day after Disney said it would delay reopening its California theme parks, the union representing actors at Walt Disney World said Thursday that the company should also postpone welcoming back guests at its Florida parks which are scheduled to …

Florida Congresswoman Requests Longer Hurricane Season

Even though the six-month Atlantic hurricane season lasts as long as a typical Major League Baseball season, a Florida congresswoman thinks it needs to be longer. Democratic U.S. Rep. Stephanie Murphy sent a letter to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric …

Florida Begins ‘Phase 1’ Reopening, Except for South Florida

Florida partially reopened Monday, allowing restaurants and shops in most of the state to open at 25% capacity in hopes of kick-starting the ailing economy after weeks of coronavirus-related shutdowns. Business owners and customers reacted with emotions ranging from elation …

Florida Panhandle Facing Uphill Battle in Recovery One Year after Michael

A year after Hurricane Michael, the Florida county hardest hit by the Category 5 storm is still in crisis: Thousands in Bay County are homeless, medical care and housing are at a premium, domestic violence has become a problem and …

Second Florida City Pays Hackers As Third City Faces Breach

A second small Florida city this month has paid hundreds of thousands of dollars to hackers who took over most of its computer operations, an official said Wednesday, while a third Florida city said its data was breached. The attacks …

Disney World Union Warns of Safety Risks as Park Fire Dept. Faces Staffing Shortage

Firefighters for Walt Disney World’s private government say they’re understaffed and that poses a safety risk as the Florida theme park resort grows even bigger with this year’s openings of a new Star Wars land and air gondolas. “We just …

Florida Gov to Form Opioid Task Force

Florida’s Office of Drug Control will be re-established in the governor’s office and a state task force on drug abuse will be set up to provide a unified vision for battling the state’s opioid epidemic, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday. …

New Florida Gov Wants State Ban on Smokable Medical Marijuana Ended

Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the Legislature’s implementation of a medical marijuana law and said last week that if they don’t fix it quickly, he’ll take matters into his own hands. DeSantis wants a new law by mid-March that …

Suit Filed in Florida Against Tesla Claims Autopilot Failed, Caused Crash

A Florida man says the autopilot feature of his Tesla vehicle failed to detect a disabled car on a highway, leading to a collision that left him with permanent injuries, according to a negligence lawsuit filed Tuesday. Shawn Hudson said …

Investigation of Derailed Florida Roller Coaster that Injured 9 Underway

Some passengers who were riding a Florida roller coaster when it derailed last week could have lifelong injuries, an attorney for three of the nine riders who were hospitalized said Monday. The riders suffered broken bones, concussions and possible nerve …