Florida Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Florida Breaks Annual Manatee Death Record In First 6 Months Of 2021

By NWPB News July 12, 2021

Manatees crowd together near the warm-water outflows from Florida Power & Light's plant in Riviera Beach, Fla., on Feb. 5. More manatees have died already in 2021 than in any other year in Florida's recorded history, primarily from starvation due to the loss of seagrass beds. Greg Lovett/AP

More manatees have died already this year than in any other year in Florida's recorded history, primarily from starvation due to the loss of seagrass beds, state officials said. Continue Reading Florida Breaks Annual Manatee Death Record In Read More

Crews Are Ending The Search For Survivors In The Surfside Condo Collapse

By NPR News July 7, 2021

Rescue workers search in the rubble at the Champlain Towers South condo in Surfside, Fla., on June 26. CREDIT: Gerald Herbert/AP

Fourteen days after the catastrophic collapse of the Champlain Towers South condo building in Surfside, Fla., officials have called off the search for survivors. Continue Reading Crews Are Ending The Search For Survivors In The Surfside Read More

The Warnings Were Mounting At A Florida Condo. Officials Demanded Only Minor Repairs

By NPR News June 30, 2021

Search and Rescue teams look for survivors in the partially collapsed 12-story Champlain Towers South condo building on June 30, 2021 in Surfside, Fla. Four more bodies were found on Wednesday. Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images

Just weeks before Champlain Tower South collapsed, town officials in Surfside, Fla. were demanding immediate changes on the property - but all of their requirements focused on relatively minor concerns. Continue Reading The Read More

2018 Report Found Florida Condo Had ‘Major Structural Damage’ Before It Collapsed This Week

By NPR News June 26, 2021

In this photo provided by Miami-Dade Fire Rescue, search-and-rescue personnel search for survivors through the rubble at the Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, Fla., on Friday. Via AP

A structural engineering report provided to the Champlain Towers condominium association in 2018 found widespread problems that required extensive repairs "in the near future." Continue Reading 2018 Report Found Florida Read More

Here’s What We Know About The Condition Of The Florida Building Before It Collapsed

By NPR News June 25, 2021

A Miami-Dade Fire Rescue truck is seen Thursday in front of debris from the partially collapsed Champlain Towers South complex in Surfside, Fla., north of Miami Beach. CREDIT: Eva Marie Uzcategui/AFP via Getty Images

As search and rescue operations continue, questions abound as to why the Champlain Towers South complex near Miami, only 40 years old, partially collapsed on Thursday. Continue Reading Here’s What We Know About The Read More

Pandemic Is Overwhelming U.S. Public Health Capacity In Many States. What Now?

By NPR News July 28, 2020

People wait in line outside a testing site in Florida. The state has seen unprecedented surges in coronavirus cases in recent weeks. CREDIT: Lynne Sladky/AP

With the coronavirus spreading out of control in many parts of the U.S., some experts say the strategy of testing and tracing can't contain the pandemic until lockdowns bring case numbers down. Continue Reading Pandemic Is Read More

WNBA To Return In July With Shorter Season, No Fans

By NPR News June 16, 2020

The Washington Mystics play in Game 5 of basketball's WNBA Finals in October. The league, which postponed the start of its season due to the coronavirus, announced plans to reopen in July. CREDIT: Alex Brandon/AP

The WNBA has announced plans for a shortened season to be held in Florida, a neutral site. It's the first time that all teams' players will train and play in the same location. Continue Reading WNBA To Return In July With Shorter Season, No FansRead More

As States Reopen, Health Experts Seek To Understand Coronavirus’s Early Silent Spread

By NPR News April 25, 2020

Beachgoers return to Port Hueneme Beach, Calif., on Thursday. Ventura County beaches and parks have been scheduled to reopen this week with some restrictions. CREDIT: Mark J. Terrill/AP

Medical examiners are now screening for possible coronavirus connections in late January. Emerging evidence suggests it spread far earlier and more widely than initially believed. Continue Reading As States Reopen, Health Read More

States Consider Whether Religious Services Qualify As ‘Essential’ During Coronavirus Shutdowns

By NPR News April 1, 2020

Church members at Richland’s Shalom United Church of Christ sing environmental hymns during a service on Feb. 9, 2020, that addressed environmental issues, such as climate change. CREDIT: Courtney Flatt/NWPB

Some see government bans on large public gatherings as attacks on religious freedom when they are applied to houses of worship. Continue Reading States Consider Whether Religious Services Qualify As Read More

BOOK REVIEW: Rooted In History, ‘The Nickel Boys’ Is A Great American Novel

By NPR News July 16, 2019

Colson Whitehead's deeply affecting new novel is based on the true story of a segregated reform school in Florida where African American boys were brutalized and possibly murdered. Continue Reading BOOK REVIEW: Rooted In History, Read More

Deputy In Parkland School Shooting Arrested, Faces 11 Charges For ‘Inaction’ In Response

By NPR News June 4, 2019

In this 2015 photo, then-school resource officer Scot Peterson spoke at a school board meeting of Broward County in Florida. Peterson was arrested on Tuesday and faces 11 charges in the wake of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. Broward County Public Schools via/AP

Scot Peterson, if convicted, could get more than 96 years in prison. He is charged with criminal counts that include child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury. Continue Reading Deputy In Parkland School Shooting Read More

Florida Governor Says Russian Hackers Breached 2 Counties In 2016

By NPR News May 14, 2019

South Florida voters wait in line to cast their ballots late in the day at a busy polling center in Miami on Nov. 6, 2018. Rhona Wise/AFP/Getty Images

The attack had not been publicly known until last month's release of the Mueller report. The governor said no vote tallies were affected and that no data had been manipulated. Continue Reading Florida Governor Says Russian Hackers Breached 2 Read More

Florida Secretary Of State Resigns After Photos Show Him In Blackface As ‘Katrina Victim’

By NPR News January 24, 2019

Michael Ertel in November 2012 while he was the elections supervisor of Seminole County, Fla. He resigned Thursday from his post as Florida secretary of state after photos of him in blackface emerged. CREDIT: Orlando Sentinel/MCT via Getty Images

Michael Ertel stepped down shortly after the Tallahassee Democrat showed the photos to the office of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Continue Reading Florida Secretary Of State Resigns After Photos Show Him In Read More

Florida Governor Replaces Broward Sheriff, Citing ‘Incompetence’ In Mass Shooting Response

By NPR News January 12, 2019

Broward Sheriff Scott Israel refused to resign for nearly a year but on Friday, he was suspended and replaced by former Coral Springs Police Department Lt. Gregory Tony. Brynn Anderson/AP

"Sheriff [Scott] Israel has repeatedly failed and has demonstrated a pattern of poor leadership," Gov. Ron DeSantis announced. Former Coral Springs Police Sgt. Gregory Tony will replace Israel. Continue Reading Florida Read More

Déjà Vu All Over Again: Florida Elections For Governor And U.S. Senate Heading For Recount

By NPR News November 10, 2018

Crowds gathered outside of the Broward County Supervisor of Elections this week in Florida. The elections for governor and U.S. Senate are heading for recounts. CREDIT: Joe Skipper/AP

Machine counting of votes will begin this week after narrow margins were reported in the races for governor and U.S. Senate. Continue Reading Déjà Vu All Over Again: Florida Elections For Governor And U.S. Senate Heading Read More

Key Questions The 2018 Election Will Answer

By NPR News November 5, 2018

A volunteer stands in front of an American flag before President Trump speaks at a rally last week in Indianapolis. Indiana is a key Senate battleground state for the GOP.

Voters will give the final judgment on Tuesday, determining not just the control of Congress — but also the very future of American politics. Continue Reading Key Questions The 2018 Election Will AnswerRead More

Hit Hard By Hurricane Michael, ‘It Will Be Years’ Before Tyndall Air Force Base Returns To Normal

By NPR News October 20, 2018

Tyndall Air Force base, home to 11,000 airmen and their families, sustained catastrophic damage when Hurricane Michael came through earlier this month. Residents don't know if they will ever go back. Continue Read More

Wreckage Left By Hurricane Michael Slows Relief Efforts

By NPR News October 13, 2018

A bridge damaged by Hurricane Michael can be seen Friday in Mexico Beach, Fla. The most powerful hurricane ever known to have hit the Florida Panhandle has left transportation and communication infrastructure in shambles, slowing relief efforts. CREDIT: Gerald Herbert/AP

Government and nonprofit agencies work in advance of storms to create distribution networks for critical aid, but the Category 4 storm damaged key communications and transportation infrastructure. Continue Reading Wreckage Left By Hurricane Michael Read More