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[1/2] The "1200 building" at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the crime scene where the 2018 shootings took place, is seen in Parkland, Florida, U.S. August 4, 2022. Scot Peterson, the school resource officer on duty at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, on Feb. 14, 2018, was armed but never went inside the building as the shooting unfolded, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office and surveillance video. Friday's re-enactment is part of a civil case against Peterson in which victims' families and survivors are seeking unspecified damages. In June, Peterson was acquitted by a Florida jury of criminal charges of child neglect, culpable negligence and perjury connected the shooting. It has remained largely unaltered since the 2018 shooting, with bloodstains and bullet holes still visible.

Persons: Marjory Stoneman, Amy Beth Bennett, Scot Peterson, Peterson, Friday's, Michael Piper, Piper, David Brill, Carol, Lisa Phillips, Phillips, Nikolas Cruz, Julia Harte, Cynthia Osterman Organizations: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Broward County Sheriff's Office, Broward, Broward County Public, Thomson Locations: Parkland , Florida, U.S, Florida, Broward County, Broward

[1/2] Judge Elizabeth Scherer reads the verdict in the trial of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooter Nikolas Cruz at the Broward County Courthouse in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., October 13, 2022. Amy Beth Bennett/South Florida Sun Sentinel/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoJuly 25 (Reuters) - Florida's top court has publicly reprimanded the judge who presided over the trial of Nikolas Cruz, who killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland in 2018, for appearing partial to the prosecution. Monday's decision by the Florida Supreme Court came after the 15-member Judicial Qualifications Commission concluded in June that Broward County Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer violated judicial conduct rules during last year's trial. Her decision to hug members of the prosecution and the victims’ families in the courtroom after sentencing Cruz in November prompted the Florida Supreme Court to remove her from another death penalty case involving a different defendant, Randy Tundidor, in April. Scherer admitted her treatment of defense lawyers was times not patient or dignified, though she said she offered to embrace defense counsel too, according to court records.

Persons: Elizabeth Scherer, Marjory Stoneman, Nikolas Cruz, Amy Beth Bennett, Cruz, Scherer, Randy Tundidor, Nate Raymond, William Maclean Organizations: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High, South Florida Sun Sentinel, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Florida Supreme, Broward, Circuit, Parkland, Thomson Locations: Broward, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, U.S, South, Parkland, Florida, Boston

☆ Jury Awards $800,000 to a Girl Burned by a Chicken McNugget
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-20 | by ( Chang Che | More About Chang Che | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A Florida jury awarded $800,000 in damages to a 7-year-old girl on Wednesday for the suffering and mental anguish caused when a Chicken McNugget fell on her thigh, causing a second-degree burn. The jury in Broward County awarded the girl, Olivia Caraballo, the damages for pain, suffering and other forms of mental anguish — $400,000 for the pain she endured and an additional $400,000 for any future suffering resulting from the injury, according to court documents. Lawyers for the family had asked for $15 million. The suit was brought in state court by Olivia’s parents, Philana Holmes and Humberto Caraballo Estevez, against McDonald’s and Upchurch Foods, the franchise operator in Tamarac, Fla. In May, a separate jury determined that the two companies were liable for failing to provide reasonable instructions or warnings — on the packaging, for example — about the risks of injuries that could result from a Chicken McNuggets meal, which comes with pieces of white chicken meat.

Persons: Olivia Caraballo, Philana Holmes, Humberto Caraballo Estevez Organizations: Broward, McDonald’s, Upchurch Foods Locations: Florida, Broward County, Tamarac, Fla

☆ As the climate crisis intensifies, insurers will likely reshape where people live — leaving desperate homeowners in the lurch
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-02 | by ( Catherine Boudreau | Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +9 min

Nick's dilemma illustrates how the climate crisis is touching even the most mundane aspects of owning a home. That's been stagnant because of strict state regulations on what insurance companies can charge. She's one of many homeowners who for years have bought policies from companies that aren't approved by Florida's insurance regulators. Houses that would cost $1 million or more to rebuild are not covered by the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance, leaving them vulnerable to a disaster. Now he's not sure whether he — or anyone — will ever get the chance to live in his former neighborhood again.

Persons: —, Nick, hadn't, McKinney, Hurricane, Madelyn Rodriguez, Rodriguez, Ian, Rodriguez's townhome, Bob Stephens, Stephens, It's, he'd, he's Organizations: Service, California FAIR, Insurance, Institute, State Farm, Allstate, Insurance Information Institute, Property Insurance, Los Angeles Locations: Klamath, Forest, Oregon, McKinney, California, Florida, Fort Lauderdale , Florida, Broward County, Marathon , Florida, —, Marathon

☆ Jury acquits former Florida deputy of failing to protect students in Parkland school shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

June 29 (Reuters) - A Florida jury on Thursday acquitted a former sheriff's deputy accused of failing to protect students during the 2018 mass shooting at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. After the verdict, Peterson told reporters at the courthouse that he would like to talk to the parents of students who lost their lives in the shooting. Peterson was armed but never went inside while the shooting was underway, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office and surveillance video. A jury in October spared Nikolas Cruz, the gunman in the Parkland shooting, from the death penalty, instead calling for life in prison without possibility of parole. In May, the United States marked the one-year anniversary of the deadliest U.S. school shooting in nearly a decade, in which a gunman in Uvalde, Texas, killed 19 children and two teachers and injured 17 others.

Persons: Parkland's Marjory Stoneman, Scot Peterson, Peterson, Tony Montalto, Gina, Montalto, Nikolas Cruz, Julia Harte, Deepa Babington Organizations: Parkland's, Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Broward State Attorney’s Office, Broward County Sheriff's Office, Police, Texas Department of Public Safety, Thomson Locations: Florida, Broward County, Parkland, United States, Uvalde , Texas

☆ Jury Acquits Deputy Who Failed to Confront Parkland Gunman
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-29 | by ( Patricia Mazzei | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

A former Florida sheriff’s deputy who failed to confront the gunman at a Parkland high school five years ago, and instead backed away from the building while the students and teachers inside endured a deadly barrage, was found not guilty of child neglect and other crimes on Thursday. When Mr. Peterson’s behavior was revealed after the shooting, critics — including some fellow police officers — painted him as being too scared to face a heavily armed gunman. His actions outraged the Parkland community, and Mr. Peterson was cast as the central character in a morality tale about cowardice and law enforcement’s duty to protect children. The gunman was sentenced last year to life in prison. Mr. Peterson was the lone armed resource officer assigned to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School during the Feb. 14, 2018, massacre.

Persons: Scot Peterson, —, Peterson, Marjory Stoneman Organizations: Broward County sheriff’s, ”, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Locations: Florida, Parkland, Broward County, Broward

CNN —A jury has acquitted on all counts the former school resource officer who stayed outside during the February 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida – absolving him of wrongdoing in the rare trial of a law enforcement officer for his response to a mass shooting. His attorney argued the then-Broward Sheriff’s Office deputy didn’t enter the building under attack because he couldn’t tell where the shots were coming from. And even if Peterson had known where the shooter was, speculation he could have made a difference is false, Eiglarsh argued. Eiglarsh emphasized Peterson was at the scene for the last 4 minutes and 15 seconds of the shooting, which lasted about 6 1/2 minutes. Peterson also arrived at the scene without a bulletproof vest or rifle and called for measures to lock down the school, the attorney told jurors.

Persons: Marjory Stoneman, Scot Peterson, “ I’ve, ” Peterson, Peterson, didn’t, Scott Beigel, Meadow Pollack, Jaime Guttenberg, Cara Loughran, Joaquin Oliver, Peter Wang, Stacey Lippel, Anthony Borges, Kyle Laman, Marian Kabachenko, Peterson “, Kristen Gomes, Mark Eiglarsh, Amy Beth Bennett, AP Peterson, ” Eiglarsh, Eiglarsh, “, ” Organizations: CNN, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Broward, Broward County Sheriff’s, Broward Sheriff’s, BSO, Parkland Locations: Parkland , Florida, Broward County, Coral Springs, Florida

☆ A giant snail that eats plaster and is a threat to human health was spotted in a Florida county, forcing it into quarantine
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Sonam Sheth | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

A giant African land snail was spotted in Broward County, forcing part of it into quarantine. The snail is among the world's most invasive species and lays thousands of eggs at a time. The giant snail is among the most invasive species in the world; it eats plaster, paint, and stucco, poses significant threats to vegetation, according to CBS. The portion of Broward County under quarantine covers Fort Lauderdale and is about 3.5 square miles, the report said. It's illegal to import or possess the giant African land snail in the US; the snail was first spotted in Miami in 1969, according to ABC News.

Persons: — Organizations: Service, CBS News, CBS, Florida's Department of Agriculture, Consumer Services, ABC News Locations: Broward County, Florida's Broward County, Florida, Fort Lauderdale, Miami

☆ Former Florida Deputy Goes on Trial for Not Confronting Parkland Gunman
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( Jane Musgrave | Matthew Rosenberg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The deputy, Scot Peterson, served as the school resource officer at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School at the time of the shootings in 2018. For not confronting the gunman, he is facing 10 charges, including seven counts of child neglect — a rare prosecution of a law enforcement officer involved in the response to a mass shooting. In opening statements, the prosecution repeatedly noted that after arriving at the scene on the afternoon of Feb. 14, Mr. Peterson stayed in a stairway of an adjacent school building while the shootings took place in Building 1200. “The defendant will never leave that alcove while the shooter is in that building,” said Steven Klinger, an assistant state attorney in Broward County. “In fact, he doesn’t leave it for 30 or 40 minutes when everything is finished.”

Persons: Scot Peterson, Marjory Stoneman, Peterson, “, ”, Steven Klinger Organizations: Wednesday, Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Locations: Parkland, Fla, Broward County, “

☆ Trial opens for former Florida deputy in Parkland school shooting
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-07 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/2] People attend a memorial service on the five-year anniversary since gunman Nikolas Cruz opened fire at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School killing 14 students and three staff members, in Parkland, Florida, U.S., February 14, 2023. REUTERS/Marco Bello/File PhotoJune 7 (Reuters) - Florida prosecutors and defense attorneys will make opening statements on Wednesday in the trial of a former sheriff's deputy charged with failing to protect students as the 2018 mass shooting unfolded at Parkland's Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. Peterson never went inside while the shooting was underway, according to the Broward County Sheriff's Office and surveillance video. A jury in October spared Nikolas Cruz, the gunman in the Parkland shooting, from the death penalty, instead calling for life in prison without possibility of parole. In May, the United States marked the one-year anniversary of the deadliest U.S. school shooting in nearly a decade, in which a gunman in Uvalde, Texas killed 19 children and two teachers and injured 17 others.

Persons: Nikolas Cruz, Marjory Stoneman, Marco Bello, Scot Peterson, Peterson, Julia Harte, Bill Berkrot Organizations: Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, REUTERS, Broward County Sheriff's Office, Police, Texas Department of Public Safety, Thomson Locations: Parkland , Florida, U.S, Florida, Broward County, Parkland, United States, Uvalde , Texas

☆ Florida’s homeowner insurance rates are four times the national average. That’s not getting better anytime soon
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-01 | by ( Chris Isidore | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

But no matter how many storms hit Florida this year, the state’s residents are already struggling as they try to get homeowners’ insurance. But in Florida, State Farm has about 7% of the market, according to the Insurance Information Institute, an industry trade group. Just more than half of insurers based in Florida are on the state insurance regulator’s watch list due to their financial health. Homeowners in the state pay private insurers about $6,000 a year, compared to a national average of $1,700. But wind damage to homes and roofs are covered under homeowners’ insurance policies.

Persons: ”, Mark Friedlander, hasn’t, Friedlander, It’s, Hurricane Ian, Harvey, “ We’ve, shortchanging policyholders, Stephen Cain, “, Matthew Carletti, “ They’ve, ” Carletti, There’s Organizations: New, New York CNN — Hurricane, State, Insurance Information Institute, Homeowners, Atlantic, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Hurricane, NOAA, National Flood Insurance, Insurance, Property Insurance Corp, Citizens Property Insurance Corp, Citizens, Dade, JMP Securities Locations: New York, Florida, South Florida, Miami, Broward, Monroe County, South, Atlantic Coast

☆ Florida parents are suing McDonald's after claiming a chicken nugget left their child with second-degree burns
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Sophia Ankel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

A Florida couple is suing McDonald's over its "dangerously hot" chicken nuggets, a lawsuit says. The couple's toddler was left with burns after the nugget got stuck between her thigh and seat belt. download the app Email address By clicking ‘Sign up’, you agree to receive marketing emails from Insider as well as other partner offers and accept our Terms of Service and Privacy PolicyThe parents of a four-year-old girl are suing McDonald's for $15,000 after claiming a chicken nugget left their daughter with second-degree burns. In court documents, Holmes said the injury happened after she bought her daughter a Chicken McNugget Happy Meal at a Tamarac McDonald's drive-thru in 2019. Even though the scar doesn't bother her anymore, she does sometimes refer to it as "her chicken nugget," he added.

☆ Democrats say Florida is 'dead for Biden' as his 2024 presidential campaign starts: 'We just need to be realistic'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Nicole Gaudiano | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +15 min

"It's like a dead carcass on the side of the road," DeSantis said in April of the Florida Democratic Party. Nearly two decades ago, Florida Democrats were "similarly declared dead, you know, forever, Amen," Schale said, but they rebounded. Wilfredo Lee/AP PhotoDemocrats say they still have spend in FloridaBut it's important for Democrats to still invest campaign resources in Florida, Democratic insiders said. Florida Democratic Party Chair Nikki Fried said the party had no infrastructure and no voter registration drive when she took the helm in February. Joe Raedle/Getty Images, Scott Olson/Getty ImagesBuilding a Democratic benchFried she's optimistic about Florida Democrats' future — and Biden's potential there.

☆ Congressional Democrats bash Ron DeSantis for alienating Florida job creator Disney World in service of a 'flailing presidential campaign'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Warren Rojas | Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Ron DeSantis's Tuesday swing through DC, calling it ill-timed, his political resume goofy, and his ongoing fight with Walt Disney World a devastating vanity project. Walt Disney World has roughly 80,000 employees in Florida and is the state's biggest tourist attraction. The Florida governor wasn't being offered much cover by Florida Republicans on Capitol Hill. When another reporter asked whether DeSantis had gone too far by threatening Disney with state prisoners for neighbors, Scott claimed ignorance. "Ron DeSantis is out campaigning outside of the state of Florida and picking fights with Mickey Mouse," Fried said.

A woman looks on as she stands outside of his flooded home after heavy rain in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on April 13, 2023. People in South Florida are grappling with the aftermath of a record-breaking storm that hit Fort Lauderdale this week and damaged critical infrastructure, flooded homes and vehicles and shut down the city's airport. About 600 people have been taken to shelters and no deaths have been reported. Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, which halted flights Wednesday after exits, entrances and runways were flooded, resumed operations on Friday morning, the airport said. Ron DeSantis on Thursday declared a state of emergency for Broward County, where Fort Lauderdale is located, which orders the director of the Division of Emergency Management to execute response and recovery plans to address the flooding.

☆ Fort Lauderdale got 25 inches of rain in 'unprecedented' storm
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Phil Helsel | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Abandoned vehicles sit in a flooded street on April 13, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Joe Raedle | Getty ImagesAn additional 2 to 3 inches of rain fell Thursday, the National Weather Service said. Runways at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport are flooded after heavy rain in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, on April 13, 2023. Ron DeSantis on Thursday declared a state of emergency for Broward County, where Fort Lauderdale is, and the county government also declared a local emergency. Santiago Rojas salvages some items from his flooded home on April 13, 2023 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

☆ A Florida mayor accused Ron DeSantis — who's away on a book tour — of not calling to check in on Fort Lauderdale as it floods
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( Aditi Bharade | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Ron DeSantis was away in Ohio on his book tour when Fort Lauderdale flooded this week. I'm not sure what's going on," the mayor of Fort Lauderdale said. "I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm sure he's very interested in what's going on here, and we're happy to work with his office," Trantalis said. Although he had not officially declared a 2024 bid, DeSantis' book tour is widely regarded as a precursor to his presidential run. In October, DeSantis visited Arcadia to speak about the state's relief efforts after Hurricane Ian made landfall in South Florida.

☆ Southeast Florida swamped by more than two feet of rain
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Brendan O'Brien | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

[1/3] A general view shows a flooded street in, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, U.S., April 12, 2023 in this screen grab obtained from social media. John Haywood/via REUTERSApril 13 (Reuters) - Torrential downpours inundated Southeast Florida on Thursday, bringing total rainfall in the Fort Lauderdale region to more than two feet in recent days, with widespread flooding that blocked roads, closed schools and shut down an airport. Preliminary reports showed that about 25 inches (64 cm) of rain had fallen in Fort Lauderdale, making it a 1 in a 1,000-year weather event, the National Weather Service (NWS) said. Video footage on social media showed sheets of rain pounding the area as flood waters reached the tops of cars, and people wading through waters. "Like putting a faucet right over Fort Lauderdale, turning it on, and walking away."

☆ Florida cleans up after deluge strands cars, closes airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Crews had worked through the night to attend rescue calls, but there were no immediate reports of injuries or deaths. Stranded cars littered streets around eastern Broward County, where rains started Monday, with the heaviest downpours coming Wednesday afternoon and evening. Fort Lauderdale City Hall remained closed Thursday with ground-floor flooding and no power. Fort Lauderdale Hollywood International Airport remained closed through at least noon Thursday, with many flights canceled and some passengers stranded. But the entrance to the lower-level, or arrivals, road remained closed, officials tweeted.

☆ Fort Lauderdale Is Drenched With Over a Foot of Rain, Shutting the Airport
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-13 | by ( Mike Ives | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Thunderstorms in southeastern Florida dumped 15 to 20 inches of rain in the Fort Lauderdale area on Wednesday, the National Weather Service said, trapping motorists in floodwaters and leaving travelers stranded inside a major airport that had been shut down. But the rain was so heavy that the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport closed. The Weather Service issued a flash flood emergency for the Fort Lauderdale area on Wednesday night. Those are reserved for extremely rare situations after heavy rain that lead to torrents of water that pose a severe threat to human life and can cause catastrophic damage. Fort Lauderdale, which lies in central Broward on the Atlantic coast, is one of Florida’s largest cities.

☆ DeSantis administration revokes Hyatt Regency Miami alcohol license after it hosted "A Drag Queen Christmas"
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-14 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The DeSantis administration had previously said it was looking into "A Drag Queen Christmas." "A Drag Queen Christmas" is a holiday-themed drag show that tours in 36 different cities and features stars from the reality show "RuPaul's Drag Race." In July 2022, the DeSantis administration filed a complaint against a Miami bar that hosted a drag show where minors were present. This year, Tennessee became the first to ban adult performances, including drag, from public spaces such as parks and schools. Public libraries across the US began facing backlash from some parents in recent years for hosting Drag Queen Story Hours.

☆ Florida is gearing up to pass tons of new laws over the next two months: 'It's the Ron DeSantis show'
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-06 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Florida lawmakers are meeting over the next 60 days to pass new legislation. "It's the Ron DeSantis show," House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell said. Ron DeSantis hasn't formally announced he's running for president — and that's in part because his business in Florida isn't finished yet. "Unfortunately, it's the Ron DeSantis show, we all know this," House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell of Polk County told reporters Monday. Florida Republican Gov.

☆ DeSantis strips Disney World of its self-governing power in Florida: 'There's a new sheriff in town'
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-27 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

DeSantis has officially stripped Disney World of its self-governing status. DeSantis appointed political allies to the board, which have to be approved by the Florida Senate. Ron DeSantis abolished Walt Disney World's special authority on Monday, nearly 11 months after the company spoke out publicly against his controversial education agenda. Under the new law, board members cannot be employees, owners, or operators at Disney World. DeSantis said several times during the press conference that Disney World now had to follow the same rules as other Florida theme parks.

☆ Disney's strategy to win its battle with DeSantis is to just wait until he runs for president, says a top Florida Democrat
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-06 | by ( Kimberly Leonard | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Disney will sue Florida for dissolving its self-governing status, predicted Democratic state Sen. Jason Pizzo. Florida lawmakers are deciding Disney's financial fate this week. Ron DeSantis will be to simply run out the clock, a top Florida Democrat predicted Monday. Other areas state lawmakers will consider would allow Florida to transport migrants from other states and to give the state more power to prosecute election fraud. Today, more than 40 lobbyists represent Disney before the Florida legislature, according to an Insider review of lobbying disclosures.

☆ The new Select World Elite Mastercard is making its debut — and it gives you big discounts at fancy restaurants, hotels, and more
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-02 | by ( Joseph Hostetler | Credit Cards Reporter | Read More | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +21 min

You can get exclusive discounts at restaurants at several cities in the US with the Select World Elite Mastercard. The Select™ World Elite Mastercard® will confer membership to the Select community (among other benefits). Coming soon: Select World Elite MastercardThe Select World Elite Mastercard (currently taking waitlist applicants here) has opened its waitlist as of February 2, 2023. Credit card perksThe Select World Elite Mastercard comes with standard World Elite Mastercard benefits, including access to the World Elite Concierge, Mastercard Luxury Hotels and Resorts, and discounts with Lyft, DoorDash, and Fandango. What to know about the Select World Elite MastercardThe Select™ World Elite Mastercard® offers a benefit that you won't find on any other card — membership to the Select community, giving you exclusive access to various events, discounts on travel, and more.

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