Uthmeier Sues Adults Sites
(Tallahassee, FL) --Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier is suing several pornography platforms for allegedly violating age verification laws. The state's new HB 3 law requires adult sites to verify user ages and prevent access to minors. Uthmeier says he filed the lawsuits to stop online pornographers from exploiting children for profit.
Florida To Further Restrict SNAP Purchases
(Tallahassee, FL)-- Florida is putting a stop to unnecessary SNAP purchases. Starting next year, the state will restrict what can be purchased with food stamps. Items include soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts. Supporters say the move promotes healthier choices and better use of taxpayer dollars.
Teacher In Transgender Controversy Won't Return To Brevard County Classroom
(Titusville, FL)-- A Brevard County teacher involved in a controversy with a transgender student won't return to the district. Superintendent Dr. Mark Rendell said yesterday Melissa Calhoun must serve her probation before he'll consider rehiring her. Calhoun broke a state law when she referred to a transgender student by their preferred name instead of their birth name without parental consent. She was teaching at Satellite High School at the time, but her contract was not renewed. The state recently allowed her to keep her license, but she was put on probation for a year. Calhoun applied to get her job back, but Rendell says she must wait a year. He says we must have trust in our teachers to act in partnership with families, not come between parents and their children.
Cocoa Police Save Man Stuck On Train Tracks
(Cocoa, FL) -- Thanks to some police officers in Brevard County, a man is safe after a life-threatening situation. Cocoa Police say an elderly man drove onto railroad tracks at SR 520 and US One last week.The car got stuck, and officers called the Florida East Coast Railway to stop the trains and avoid a collision. Officers also got the man off the tracks, and the trains stopped before hitting the car. A wrecker cleared the car off the tracks, and the trains started running again. No one was hurt. Police cited the man for an improper turn.
Possible Active Shooter Incident Prevented In Palm Beach County
(West Palm Beach, FL)-- Deputies in Palm Beach County are credited with preventing a possible active shooter situation. The sheriff's office says a suspicious man was seen outside Palm Beach International Airport yesterday morning. Deputies say they confronted him and found an AR-15, a fully-loaded magazine, knives and a machete inside his car. He was taken into custody without incident. Deputies identified him as Palm Beach Gardens' Michael Rodrigues. He's facing charges that include possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Rodrigues is being held without bond.
Warrant Issued For Mass. Woman Accused Of Unleashing Bees On Deputies
(Longmeadow, MA)-- An arrest warrant is out for a woman charged with unleashing a swarm of bees on deputies in Hampden County, Massachusetts. Officials say Rorie Woods failed to appear in court yesterday for the start of her trial. Woods is accused of releasing boxes of bees as deputies attempted to carry out an eviction in 2022. The Hampden District Attorney's Office said Woods may have delayed justice, but it won't be denied.
McDonald's Announces New Adult Happy Meals
(Chicago, IL) -- The popular McDonald's adult Happy Meals are returning next week. The McDonaldland Meal will be available starting August 12th.It comes with the customer's choice of a Quarter Pounder with Cheese or ten-piece Chicken McNuggets, fries and the new, limited-edition Mt. McDonaldland Shake. Fans will get one of six collectible tins featuring a McDonaldland character like Ronald McDonald, Grimace and the Hamburglar that have postcards, stickers and more inside with the meal. A McDonaldland merchandise collection in collaboration with Pacsun will also be available August 12th.
Today in History
2012, the Mars Rover Curiosity landed on the floor of the Gale Crater.
1965, President Lyndon Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act into law. The act outlawed discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting. The law had an immediate impact. By the end of 1965, a quarter of a million new black voters had been registered to vote.
1945, at 8:15 EDT, the United States B-29 Super Fortress called the "Enola Gay" dropped a ten-foot long atomic bomb code named "Little Boy" on Hiroshima, Japan, killing an estimated 140-thousand people.
1890, the electric chair was first used in a prison in Auburn, New York to execute convicted ax murderer William Kemmeler.