Florida

Regional News • Americas • United States
Bill Nelson to be nominated to head NASA – Biden administration
Bill Nelson to be nominated to head NASA – Biden administration
Credit: (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Isaiah J. Soliz/Released), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Former Florida senator Bill Nelson is poised to be nominated to head the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) by President Joe Biden. Nelson, a three-term US senator and one-time astronaut, would succeed Trump appointee Jim Bridenstine.

The news was followed by criticism as many had hoped Biden would nominate a woman for this position. “Given how many qualified and talented women were rumored to be in consideration, he’s putting great trust in his former Senate colleague,” so Lori Garver, a former deputy administrator of NASA.

Health
First baby born with Covid-19 antibodies after mother receives vaccine
Representative image
Representative image Credit: unsplash.com / Aditya Romansa

After her mother was vaccinated against Covid-19, a baby girl was born with antibodies that fight the coronavirus in Florida in the eastern United States.

The girl's mother was 36 weeks pregnant when she received the first dose of the antidote developed by the Moderna laboratory, to which she agreed because she was on the front line of the fight against the pandemic. The baby girl was born three weeks later, in late January.

"As far as we know, this is the world's first reported case of a baby born with covid-19 antibodies after her mother's vaccination," said Paul Gilbert, a pediatrician. Gilbert and Chad Rudnick, also a pediatrician, will publish a scientific paper on the matter, they said in an interview with Palm Beach television station WBPF.

Regional News • Americas • United States
Trump to make a public appearance at CPAC in Florida
Donald Trump at a previous CPAC edition
Donald Trump at a previous CPAC edition Credit: Gage Skidmore (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

Former President Donald Trump will speak at the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, on February 28th. Trump is set to speak about the future of the Republican party and attack President Biden's migration policies.

The speaking engagement would mark Trump's first public appearance following his departure from the White House last month.

The lineup of speakers at the event so far consists of vocal Trump allies, including Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Law
Hacker attacked drinking water supply in Florida
Hacker attacked drinking water supply in Florida
Credit: unsplash.com / Maria Lin Kim

A hacker tried to drastically increase the sodium hydroxide addition to the drinking water supply of Oldsmar, Florida shortly before the Super Bowl game. An employee of the groundwater treatment plant noticed the movement of his mouse pointer and was able to intervene in good time. The sheriff has not yet given any information on the perpetrators or motives.

Sports • Football
Tampa Bay wins Super Bowl LV
Tampa Bay wins Super Bowl LV
Credit: unsplash.com / Dave Adamson

Football superstar Tom Brady has added another impressive chapter to his hero story. With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, he ensures a bitter defeat of the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in the Super Bowl.

Quarterback legend Tom Brady has won the Super Bowl for the seventh time in his career and dethroned the favoured defending champion Kansas City Chiefs with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Buccaneers won on Sunday (local time) in Tampa 31:9 (21:6) and are now the first team in NFL history to celebrate the greatest triumph in American football in their own stadium.

Sports
Super Bowl LV: Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Kansas City Chiefs
Super Bowl LV: Tampa Bay Buccaneers against the Kansas City Chiefs
Credit: NFL (Twitter Reproduction)

Tom Brady's Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Championship game on Sunday, 31 to 26, advancing to the Super Bowl LV. The reigning champion Kansas City Chiefs, led by Patrick Mahomes, celebrated the AFC Championship after a 38 to 24 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

Super Bowl LV will happen on Sunday, February 7, at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. This will be the first time in Super Bowl history that one of the finalists will be playing in their home stadium.

Science • Space
SpaceX sets new rocket reuse records with successful Starlink launch
SpaceX sets new rocket reuse records with successful Starlink launch
Credit: SpaceX (Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 2.0)

SpaceX launched 60 more Starlink satellites Wednesday, adding more capacity and coverage to the company's commercial broadband network while setting new records for the pace it is reusing Falcon 9 rocket boosters. This flight marked the first time that one of the company’s Falcon 9 first stage boosters flew a record 8 times.

Regional News • Americas • United States
Joseph Biggs, leader of Proud Boys, arrested for his part in the siege of the US Capitol
Joseph Biggs
Joseph Biggs Credit: United States Department of Justice (Public Domain)

Joseph Biggs, one of the leaders of the far-right group Proud Boys, was arrested in Florida for his role in the insurrection of the US Capitol. He faces charges of obstruction of a proceeding, entering restricted grounds and disorderly conduct.

Regional News • Americas • United States
All 50 US states prepare for possible violence ahead of Biden's inauguration
All 50 US states prepare for possible violence ahead of Biden's inauguration
Credit: The National Guard / via Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

After the FBI issued a warning of potential violence in all 50 state capitals ahead of President-elect Joe Biden's inauguration on January 29, state officials are preparing for potentialyl armed and violent protests. National Guard forces have been activated in California, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Kentucky and Florida. Washington, DC is bracing for further violent protests following the attack on the US Capitol earlier this month.

Science • Space
SpaceX-NASA to launch Crew-1 mission
SpaceX-NASA to launch Crew-1 mission
Credit: NASA / Joel Kowsky (Public Domain)

The Crew Dragon capsule, placed atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, is expected to launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Saturday at 19:49(ET). Three NASA astronauts — Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker — will be joined by Soichi Noguchi, an astronaut with Japan's space agency, JAXA, on the trip.

The flight of four astronauts to the International Space Station in a Crew Dragon capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket follows the success of the Demo-2 mission and its historic splashdown. It will also set a few key spaceflight milestones.

Sports
Chris Nikic becomes first person with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman
Chris Nikic becomes first person with Down syndrome to finish an Ironman
Credit: Courtesy of Instagram

Chris Nikic wrote sports history in the early hours of German time on Sunday morning. In Florida, the 21-year-old American was the first person with Down syndrome to complete an Ironman.

After two years of training, Nikic completed the 3.86 km swim, 180 km bike ride and a marathon on Saturday in Florida within 16:46:09 hours.

Regional News • Americas • United States
Judge orders USPS to sweep swing-state facilities for ballots
Judge orders USPS to sweep swing-state facilities for ballots
Credit: unsplash.com/Obi Onyeador

Judge Emmet Sullivan of the US District Court of the District of Columbia ordered the US Postal Service to immediately sweep facilities for ballots in crucial swing states. The order mandates that facilities must start the process by 3pm ET "to ensure that no ballots have been held up and that any identified ballots are immediately sent out for delivery.

Sweeps must be conducted in various crucial swing states, including Detroit, Philadelphia, Atlanta, Houston, Arizona and South Florida.

Regional News • Americas • United States
Trump suggests he'd fire Dr. Fauci after the election
Trump suggests he'd fire Dr. Fauci after the election
Credit: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, via Wikimedia Commons (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

President Donald Trump has suggested that he would fire Dr. Anthony Fauci, America’s top infectious disease expert, during a rally in Florida after the crowd started chanting "Fire Fauci."

"Don’t tell anybody, but let me wait until a little bit after the election. I appreciate the advice. I appreciate it," so the President. "Nah, he’s been wrong on a lot. He’s a nice man though. He’s been wrong on a lot."

Regional News • Americas • United States
Trump to hold a town-hall-style meeting Thursday on NBC
Trump to hold a town-hall-style meeting Thursday on NBC
Credit: The White House from Washington, DC / Public domain

NBC News confirmed that they would broadcast President Donald Trump's town-hall-style meeting from Miami on Thursday. The event will be moderated by Today show host Savannah Guthrie and the president will answers questions of Florida voters.

NBC did not explicitly say whether they had received a negative Covid-19 test result from Trump.

Regional News • Americas • United States
Trump holds first rally sine being diagnosed with Covid-19, alleges he's immune to virus
Trump holds first rally sine being diagnosed with Covid-19, alleges he's immune to virus
Credit: Office of Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere / Public domain

President Donald Trump held his first rally since being diagnosed with Covid-19 and addressed a mostly maskless crowd in Florida. His doctor announced Sunday that Trump was no longer at risk of transmitting Covid-19.

"They say I'm immune. I feel so powerful. I'll walk into that audience. I'll walk in there, I'll kiss everyone in that audience. I'll kiss the guys and the beautiful women – everybody," so Trump to his cheering audience.

Business • Economy
Disney to lay off 28,000 employees as Covid-19 affects its theme park business
Disney to lay off 28,000 employees as Covid-19 affects its theme park business
Credit: Joe Penniston (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

In a memo sent to employees on Tuesday, Disney announced it would lay off 28,000 employees across its parks, experiences and consumer products segment. Around 67% of the laid-off workers were part-time employees.

The company blamed prolonged closures and capacity limits at open parks for the layoffs. While Disney's theme parks in Florida, Paris, Shanghai, Japan and Hong Kong have been able to reopen with limited capacity, both California theme parks have remained shuttered.

Science • Space
NASA and SpaceX schedule the first Crew Dragon operational flight for October 31
NASA and SpaceX schedule the first Crew Dragon operational flight for October 31
Credit: NASA (Public Domain)

NASA and SpaceX are targeting 6:40(UTC), October 31, for the launch of the SpaceX Crew-1 mission with astronauts to the International Space Station.

Astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker of NASA and Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will be carried to the station on the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Regional News • Americas • United States
Trump again declines to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he lost the election
Trump again declines to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he lost the election
Credit: The White House from Washington, DC / Public domain

President Donald Trump has again declined to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he lost the election when asked by reporters.

"We want to make sure that the election is honest, and I’m not sure that it can be," the President told reporters before heading to a campaign rally in Florida.

Meanwhile, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany assured that Trump would "accept the results of a free and fair election" and Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell stated that the "winner of the November 3rd election will be inaugurated on January 20th."

Regional News • Americas • United States
Michael Bloomberg to spend at least $100 million in Florida to help elect Joe Biden
Michael Bloomberg
Michael Bloomberg Credit: World Bank Photo Collection (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

The former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg committed to spend at least $100 million in Florida to help elect Joe Biden.

Florida is one of the the swing state, and it is also the most expensive of the expected battlegrounds in which to campaign. Current polls there show a race that between Trump and Biden effectively tied.

Bloomberg adviser Kevin Sheekey stated "Mike Bloomberg is committed to helping defeat Trump, and that is going to happen in the battleground states."

Science • Space
SpaceX successfully launches Earth-observation satellite for Argentina
SpaceX successfully launches Earth-observation satellite for Argentina
Credit: Twitter Reproduction

SpaceX launched three satellites Sunday, including the SAOCOM-1B for the Argentine Space Agency. The mission was the first polar launch from Cape Canaveral since 1969.

The company reused a Falcon 9 booster that previously flew on two separate commercial resupply missions to the International Space Station, and one mission to deploy Starlink's internet satellites.

SpaceX originally planned two launches to be performed on Sunday, but the weather earlier in the day forced the first launch to be rescheduled.