Damian Lewis and wife Helen McCrory in jovial spirits

Three people killed as eye of Irma SLAMS into Florida: Brunt of the deadly category 4 hurricane lashes the Lower Keys with 130mph winds as 600,000 are left without power Ex-husband, 44, of Texas realtor, 37, who disappeared just before Hurricane Harvey is charged with MURDER: Police find mother's body in the woods two weeks after she went missing on her way to his house to pick up their children 'He drove the car through the front of our house': People reveal the WORST house guests they've ever had to stay in shocking confessions 'I have some bold conditions': Man with room for rent says it's only on offer to women keen to be 'roommates with benefits' - so is it too far, or fair enough? What evacuation order? Man in Key West is wiped out by a giant wave while snapping a photo at the US's southernmost point as people ignore Irma threat to pose for SELFIES 'They failed us in the worst and ... (more)

Wayne Rooney party girl ‘crashed into A 50,000 Jaguar’

Irma back up to Category 4 hurricane as it approaches Key West: Florida hit by TORNADOES and threats of 15ft storm surges as 200,000 are left without power and 6.3million are told to evacuate Ex-husband, 44, of Texas realtor, 37, who disappeared just before Hurricane Harvey is charged with MURDER: Police find mother's body in the woods two weeks after she went missing on her way to his house to pick up their children 'They already have enough difficulty bearing the weight of their celebrity': George Clooney reveals why he and Amal didn't give their twins 'ridiculous Hollywood names' What evacuation order? Man in Key West is wiped out by a giant wave while snapping a photo at the US's southernmost point as people ignore Irma threat to pose for SELFIES 'They failed us in the worst and most-needed moment': Floridians say Amazon didn't deliver key supplies before Irma Rescue workers airlift ... (more)

Most Florida flood zone property not insured

As Hurricane Irma bears down on Florida, an Associated Press analysis shows a steep drop in flood insurance across the state, including the areas most endangered by what could be a devastating storm surge. In just five years, the state's total number of federal flood insurance policies has fallen by 15 percent, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency data.

Nelson calls on HHS to oversee state’s handling of 13,000 kids removed from CMS

U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson today called on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services "to exercise its oversight and enforcement authority" to protect more than 13,000 Florida children with special needs who were improperly removed from the state's specialized care program, known as Children's Medical Services. Nelson's request comes on the heels of recent reports that despite a Florida judge's ruling two years ago that required the state to stop using a new screening tool that declared thousands of kids ineligible for the state's specialized care program, the state of Florida has still not yet notified all of the families who were improperly removed from the program to provide them an opportunity to reenroll.

A Florida first: White man will be executed after getting death penalty for killing black man

Since Florida reinstated the death penalty in 1976, at least 20 black men have been executed for killing white victims, according to data from the Death Penalty Information Center. On Thursday, Mark James Asay - a former white supremacist prison gang member once inked with a swastika tattoo - is scheduled to become the first, by way of lethal injection with a drug never before used in a U.S. execution.

In a Florida first, white man to be executed for killing black man

For the first time in state history, Florida is expecting to execute a white man Thursday for killing a black person - and it plans to do so with the help of a drug that has never been used before in any U.S. execution. Barring a stay, Mark Asay, 53, is scheduled to die by lethal injection after 6 p.m. Asay was convicted by a jury of two racially motivated, premeditated murders in Jacksonville in 1987.

Jeb Bush: Debbie Wasserman Schultz’s ‘incompetence and terrible judgment’ is ‘jarring’

Former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush lashed out at Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Fla., amid an information technology procurement scandal involving one of her former staffers. "The incompetence and terrible judgment displayed by Debbie Wasserman Schultz and House Democrats is jarring," Bush tweeted Saturday, with a link to a Wall Street Journal opinion piece detailing the controversy surrounding IT aide Imran Awan.

How Florida explains our polarized politics

The strategists plotting Florida Gov. Rick Scott's re-election bid in 2014 faced a problem: The state's explosive growth, especially in liberal cities like Miami, Orlando and Tampa, was being fueled by an influx of voters likely to back Scott's Democratic opponent. To win a second term, Scott would have to find votes in unlikely places.

Commissioner Adam Putnam One of First Individuals Awarded 2017 US Water Prize

Last night Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam was presented with the 2017 US Water Prize in acknowledgement of his leadership on water issues in Florida. The prize was award by the US Water Alliance, a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the nation about the true value of water and advancing policies and programs that manage water resources to advance a better quality of life for everyone.

House Dems Hired A Fired McDonald’s Worker As Their IT Guy

Multiple members of Congress hired as their information technology administrator an individual whose most recent job experience was being fired from McDonald's, The Daily Caller News Foundation's Investigative Group has learned. Spokesmen for the members won't say what their bosses knew at the time, but the hiring decisions highlight the role - witting or unwitting - the representatives played in what turned out to be an alleged multi-million-dollar IT scam in Congress with serious implications for national security.

Session on verge of collapse as Florida GOP leaders feud

Florida's Republican-controlled Legislature, which has been wracked by feuds among its top leaders for the last several years, is in danger of ending a three-day special session without restoring billions in money that public schools use to pay for day-to-day operations. The session is scheduled to end Friday, but after two days there remained a divide over spending that appears to have been partially spurred on by Gov. Rick Scott's decision to veto more than $400 million in projects, including tens of millions in programs for the state's 12 public universities.

Florida GOP lawmakers hand Democrats some anti-Rick Scott ammo in budget

The Republican-controlled Florida Legislature approved an $83 billion budget on Monday night that ignores some of Republican Gov. Rick Scott's top priorities - and provides Democrats some ammunition if Scott makes an expected challenge of Democratic Sen. Bill Nelson next year. Scott wanted $100 million for the Visit Florida tourist marketing program; legislators approved $25 million.

An unscientific analysis of the Florida delegation’s feelings on orange juice

In addition to being the day the House of Representatives passed an Obamacare repeal bill and the unofficial Star Wars day, Thursday was also National Orange Juice Day. It's a totally real thing promoted by the state's Department of Citrus, which you should not be surprised to hear is also a real thing.

Two ED picks raise fears on civil rights enforcement

A lawyer who represented Florida State University in an explosive sexual assault case and another lawyer who during the 2016 presidential campaign accused Hillary Clinton of enabling sexual predators have been chosen for key roles in the Department of Education, raising fears that the agency could pull back from enforcing civil rights in schools and on college campuses. President Trump will nominate Carlos G. Muniz, a politically connected Florida lawyer who served as deputy general counsel to former Gov. Jeb Bush, to be general counsel to the Education Department.

Delta Delays Drag Into Fifth Day, Testing Passengers’ Patience

Brittany Wengel was supposed to fly Delta to Florida on Thursday for a long weekend away from a gray New York City. As of Sunday, she was still grounded.  Delta, which had canceled her original flight to Fort Lauderdale, rebooked her on another direct one for Sunday morning before canceling that one as well and offering her a multiple layover option instead.