Barbuda ‘Barely Habitable’ after Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, has left a trail of devastation across the Caribbean as it headed west towards the Bahamas and Florida. At least nine people have died, and the small island of Barbuda is “barely habitable” after being hit by the storm.

How Raids against Undocumented Workers Affect Agriculture

Steve Harrigan takes a closer look

Was President Trump's Rally Message Effective?

Trump: 'I'm Only Worried He's Gonna Give Me a Kiss'

BBC: US President Trump invited one of his supporters on stage during his "campaign rally for America" event in Florida.

While the Republican was giving a speech, he recognised the man in the crowd that he had seen "on television just now", and let him deliver a few words at the podium to the Trump supporters. (+BBC video) » | Sunday, February 19, 2017

President Trump: Media Are Part of Corrupt System

Feb. 18, 2017 - 2:16 - President speaks out at Florida rally

Clinton’s Fierce Attack on ‘Dark, Divisive and Dangerous Vision’ of Trump Supporters

When a protester starts waving a sign and shouting ‘Bill Clinton is a rapist’ at a Florida rally on Tuesday, Hillary Clinton goes on the attack. ‘I am sick and tired’, she says, ‘of the negative, dark, divisive and dangerous vision and behaviour of the people who support Donald Trump’. The protester is led away and the sign ripped up. ‘We are not going backwards; we are going forward,’ she says pointing at him

Read the Guardian article here

Florida Prepares for Matthew's Wrath | DW News

After wreaking havoc in the Caribbean, Hurricane Matthew is raging toward Florida. Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency, as people head for higher ground and those remaining batten down the hatches and stock up on what they need.

Anderson Cooper Grills Bondi on LGBT Support

US Man Plotted to Use Backpack Bomb on Florida Beach - FBI

BBC AMERICA: A 23-year-old man has been charged with planning to detonate a backpack bomb on a Florida beach, US officials say.

The US justice department said Harlem Suarez, also known as Almlak Benitez, has been charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction.

He allegedly planned to bury a bomb containing nails at a beach in Key West and detonate it with a mobile phone.

Prosecutors claim he was inspired by the Islamic State militant group, which has called for attacks on the West.

According to the FBI, Suarez recorded a video in May in which he said: "We will destroy America and divide it into two. We will raise our black flag on top of your White House and any president on duty." » | Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Florida Man Decapitates Mother on New Year's Eve

BBC: US police say they have charged a man with first-degree murder after he decapitated his mother on New Year's Eve.

Florida officials said that 23-year-old Christian Gomez killed his mother with an axe on Wednesday.

Officers found the body of Maria Suarez-Cassagne outside the family home in Oldsmar, Pinellas County. » | Friday, January 02, 2015

101-year-old Runs for US Congress in Florida

THE DAILY TELEGRAPH: Florida centurion bids to become oldest person to be elected to US Congress

A Florida great-great grandfather has launched a campaign to run for the US Congress in November, running on a record of 101 years of life experience.

In a bid to become the world's oldest freshman, Joe Newman announced on his website joenewman101.com that he will present his candidacy to the House of Representatives for the first time on a promise that "all citizens be heard".

He is 76 years older than the minimum age of 25 required to serve in Congress. » | AFP | Friday, February 21, 2014

Pastor Terry Jones Arrested in Florida in Another Plan to Burn Korans

THE INDEPENDENT: Jones caused uproar with similar plans in 2010

A US cleric who caused global consternation three years ago with plans to burn copies of the Koran has been arrested in Florida towing a large grill and 3,000 copies of the holy books soaked in paraffin.

Terry Jones has pulled similar stunts around the time of previous 9/11 anniversaries. The 61-year-old had announced he planned to burn the books at a park in Tampa Bay, on Florida's west coast.

It was Pastor Jones, of Dove Outreach Centre in Gainesville, Florida, who planned an "International Burn-a-Koran Day" for 11 September 2010, but called it of after wide condemnation[.] » | James Legge | Thursday, September 12, 2013

Florida to Execute Mentally Ill Man Despite Constitutional Prohibition

THE GUARDIAN: Schizophrenic man will die by lethal injection at 6pm Monday unless his lawyers can convince the supreme court to intervene

Florida is preparing to execute a schizophrenic man who believes that he is the immortal prince of God vested with superhuman powers that include an ability to control the sun, despite the US constitution's prohibition against putting mentally ill people to death.

John Ferguson, 65, will be killed by lethal injection at 6pm on Monday unless his lawyers can convince the US supreme court to intervene. Ferguson's legal team, backed by a raft of prominent legal and mental health organisations, are appealing on the nation's highest legal panel to step in on grounds that the execution would be a flagrant violation of the Eighth Amendment of the US constitution that bars "cruel and unusual punishment". » | Ed Pilkington in New York | Monday, August 05, 2013

Textbook Praises Islam, Denigrates Christianity

TOWNHALL.COM: A world history book used in an Advanced Placement class is under review by a Florida school board over allegations it favors Islam at the expense of Christianity and Judaism.

State Rep. Ritch Workman told Fox News the Prentice World History textbook rewrites Islamic history and presents a biased version of the Muslim faith.

“The book has a 36-page chapter on Islam but no chapters on Christianity or Judaism,” Workman said. “It’s remarkably one-sided.”

The textbook is being used in an Advanced Placement class in Brevard County schools. The book is on a state-approved list and has been used in the school system for the past three years without any complaints.

Workman said he received a copy of the book and he said it’s clear the authors “make a very obvious attempt not to insult Islam by reshaping history.”

“If you don’t see it from the eyes of a parent, kids are going to take this book as gospel and believe that Christians and Jews were murderous barbarians and thank God the Muslims came along and the world is great,” he said. » | Todd Starnes | Monday, July 29, 2013

Will Romney Take the Sunshine State?
Florida Senator Marco Rubio weighs in

Obama Campaign Struggling to Win over Florida Voters as Enthusiasm Wanes
THE GUARDIAN: The president needs to convince the elderly that Romney will hurt Medicare – and to persuade young voters to show up at all

The banners, flags and T-shirts – Women for Obama, Hispanics for Obama, LBTG for Obama – plaster Democratic campaign offices in the hard fought swing state of Florida, just as in 2008. What's missing this time is the people.

Four years ago Barack Obama's campaign was flooded by volunteers – the young in particular – excited by his vision of remaking America, and by the prospect of putting an African American in the White House. Now active support in Florida is visibly more sparse, and it may prove decisive as Democrats struggle to claw back the state from Mitt Romney.

"This election's not as inspirational as the last one was," said Robert Obry, deputy field organiser at a near deserted Obama campaign office in Ybor City, a historic Tampa neighbourhood popular for its bars, music and cigars. "This one is more about straight politics. Even my grandmother, who is a Republican, voted for Obama last time which kind of blew my mind. This time she's not voting for him because she says not enough has changed." » | Chris McGreal in Tampa | Monday, October 22, 2012

Obama Suffers Fresh Poll Blow as Romney Opens Up Big Lead in Florida

THE GUARDIAN: Mason-Dixon poll shows Romney has 51% to Obama's 44% of likely voters – a change attributed to president's debate display

The Obama campaign suffered a major blow only hours before the vice-presidential debate when a new poll showed Romney opening up a seven-point lead over Barack Obama in Florida, the biggest of the swing states.

It is one of the most devastating set of poll figures the president has yet faced.

Were he to take Florida, with its 29 electoral college votes, Obama would be almost guaranteed re-election to the White House, needing just one more of the swing states. But without Florida, the race is thrown wide open. » | Ewen MacAskill in Danville | Friday, October 12, 2012

Florida Muslim Group Wants to Educate Community about Prophet Mohammed
WUFT NEWS: One of the largest Muslim civil liberties and advocacy organizations in the United States launched an online education program this week to shine a more accurate light on the Prophet Mohammed.

This program is in response to the recent global backlash of the controversial and anti-Muslim film, “Innocence of Muslims.”

“We are taught in Islam to meet evil with good; the makers of this barbaric film, ‘Innocence of Muslims,’ may have intended to insult Muslims and degrade our beliefs, but they failed miserably,” said Nezar Hamze, the executive director of Council on American-Islamic Relations located in South Florida, in a press release on Thursday. “Interesting enough, hundreds of people in Florida have reached out and they want to know about the Prophet Mohammed now. We will provide educational materials and credible academia sources.”

Such resources include the 1977 film “The Message.”

“The film is old; however, the producers and directors respected the limits of the Islamic faith and still educated the viewing audience,” the press release stated.

CAIR-FL, the Florida branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, also released an audio narration of the “Prophetic Timeline,” an interactive timeline of the Prophet Mohammed’s life.

Their goal is to educate the American community on the history of the Prophet Mohammed. » | Sami Main | Friday, September 14, 2012

Ryan Says Obama’s Moment Passed as He Joins Romney on Ticket
SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE: Republican vice presidential nominee Paul Ryan portrayed Barack Obama as a shallow president who has failed to live up to his promises, in a convention speech also infused with an optimism reminiscent of Obama’s 2008 “yes we can” campaign theme.

Arguing for a “clean break” from Obama, Ryan pledged that he and Mitt Romney, who will accept the party’s presidential nomination tonight, would make the difficult decisions necessary to improve the economy and create jobs. He vowed to use Medicare -- an issue where Democrats traditionally have an advantage --as a campaign cudgel against Obama, saying, “We want this debate.”

“They’ve run out of ideas. Their moment came and went. Fear and division is all they’ve got left,” Ryan said in a 37- minute nationally televised speech from Tampa, Florida, as he formally accepted No. 2 spot on the ticket. » | Julie Hirschfeld Davis | Bloomberg News | Thursday, August 30, 2012

Florida Pastor Terry Jones Burns Copies of Koran Outside Church

NEW YORK DAILY NEWS: Dove World Outreach Center preacher fined for act as officials fear it may spark Muslim outrage

An Islamophobic pastor in Florida is playing with fire once again.

Terry Jones, who sparked international outrage in 2010 when he vowed to burn copies of the Koran, ignited copies of the Islamic holy book outside his Dove World Outreach Center Saturday night, according to the Gainsville Sun.

The pastor — who once promised he would "not ever" burn a Koran — also burned an image depicting the prophet Muhammad, the newspaper reported.

Jones carried out the incendiary act along with about 20 others to protest the imprisonment of Pastor Youcef Nadarkhani, a Christian jailed in Iran since 2009 for his religious beliefs, according to the Christian Post.

“Our end result is we would like to have these things brought in front of the United Nations,” Jones told the newspaper.

“We would like Islam-dominated countries to adapt at least some form of human rights, freedom of speech, and freedom of religion rights; individual rights [and] civil rights. That would be the outcome that we would desire.” » | Michael Sheridan / New York Daily News | Sunday, April 29, 2012