Protests continued in Clearwater, Tampa and St. Petersburg on Friday.UPDATE 11 P.M.: Protests ended Friday night peacefully and without incident across Tampa Bay.A quiet evening in Downtown Tampa where a TV reporter finished a standup in front of a mostly empty Curtis Hixon Park and a couple police vehicles remained outside City Hall. — Divya Kumar (@divyadivyadivya)“Another successful night,” said Terron Gland, one of the leaders as the march wrapped up. “No one got hurt, no one went to jail. The police left us alone, they finally did their job, finally. This is getting better, little by...…Protests continued in Clearwater, Tampa and St. Petersburg on Friday.UPDATE 11 P.M.: Protests ended Friday night peacefully and without incident across Tampa Bay.A quiet evening in Downtown Tampa where a TV reporter finished a standup in front of a mostly empty Curtis Hixon Park and a couple police vehicles remained outside City Hall. — Divya Kumar (@divyadivyadivya)“Another successful night,” said Terron Gland, one of the leaders as the march wrapped up. “No one got hurt, no one went to jail. The police left us alone, they finally did their job, finally. This is getting better, little by...WW…

/Florida’s Spring Break-filled beaches created a national firestorm. But even as the pandemic continues, some want them reopened.Some states and communities are starting to ease restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In Florida, that question has focused on the state’s most valuable asset: Its beaches.Some Florida beaches have reopened, while many have not. Tampa Bay’s beaches have not reopened, but officials here are pondering that question.Here are five things to know about why Florida’s beaches are closed, what’s happening to beaches elsewhere and what’s...…/Florida’s Spring Break-filled beaches created a national firestorm. But even as the pandemic continues, some want them reopened.Some states and communities are starting to ease restrictions put in place to slow the spread of the coronavirus. In Florida, that question has focused on the state’s most valuable asset: Its beaches.Some Florida beaches have reopened, while many have not. Tampa Bay’s beaches have not reopened, but officials here are pondering that question.Here are five things to know about why Florida’s beaches are closed, what’s happening to beaches elsewhere and what’s...WW…

/Public health officials say masks are crucial to containing COVID-19. But a Florida sheriff is the latest in law enforcement to resist using them. Why is that?This time it wasn’t a president, a senator or even a governor whose opposition to wearing masks drew national media attention and the dismay of public health officials, who say face coverings are necessary to slow the spread of the coronavirus.This time it was a Florida sheriff.Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods announced this week that his deputies — save for those in schools, hospitals, the jail and the courthouse — . He even banned...…/Public health officials say masks are crucial to containing COVID-19. But a Florida sheriff is the latest in law enforcement to resist using them. Why is that?This time it wasn’t a president, a senator or even a governor whose opposition to wearing masks drew national media attention and the dismay of public health officials, who say face coverings are necessary to slow the spread of the coronavirus.This time it was a Florida sheriff.Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods announced this week that his deputies — save for those in schools, hospitals, the jail and the courthouse — . He even banned...WW…

/There’s no evidence Florida’s protests were “coordinated by well-organized donors with deep pockets.” That’s the assertion made by St. Petersburg police Officer Jonathan Vazquez in an Orlando Sentinel column.ST. PETERSBURG — The leader of Pinellas County’s largest police union advanced a widely debunked theory in an op-ed column arguing in favor of HB 1, the controversial “anti-riot” legislation that passed the Florida House along partisan lines.In the March 26 column , Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association president and St. Petersburg police officer Jonathan Vazquez said the protests...…/There’s no evidence Florida’s protests were “coordinated by well-organized donors with deep pockets.” That’s the assertion made by St. Petersburg police Officer Jonathan Vazquez in an Orlando Sentinel column.ST. PETERSBURG — The leader of Pinellas County’s largest police union advanced a widely debunked theory in an op-ed column arguing in favor of HB 1, the controversial “anti-riot” legislation that passed the Florida House along partisan lines.In the March 26 column , Sun Coast Police Benevolent Association president and St. Petersburg police officer Jonathan Vazquez said the protests...WW…

/A reform bill would broaden the criteria for involuntarily holding someone for mental-health reasons. Civil rights advocates fear that would harm vulnerable people.The Baker Act is one of Florida’s most powerful laws — and, critics say, one of its most dysfunctional.The 50-year-old law allows someone to be held for mental health evaluation and potentially committed to a treatment facility, whether they agree to it or not.But the number of those held involuntarily keeps accelerating, and the fastest-growing age group forced to undergo exams are children.Now a bipartisan group of legislators...…/A reform bill would broaden the criteria for involuntarily holding someone for mental-health reasons. Civil rights advocates fear that would harm vulnerable people.The Baker Act is one of Florida’s most powerful laws — and, critics say, one of its most dysfunctional.The 50-year-old law allows someone to be held for mental health evaluation and potentially committed to a treatment facility, whether they agree to it or not.But the number of those held involuntarily keeps accelerating, and the fastest-growing age group forced to undergo exams are children.Now a bipartisan group of legislators...WW…

/Instead of causing widespread injury or loss of life, the attack could stand as a huge red flag marking quietly pervasive flaws in national security.An attack on Oldsmar’s water supply last week highlighted cybersecurity experts’ longstanding concerns about the security of the country’s critical infrastructure.Though a change the attackers made to the city’s water treatment process was quickly reversed, experts said it got farther than any other hacking attempt to physically impact critical infrastructure in the U.S.And yet Oldsmar’s residents got lucky, experts said. Instead of causing...…/Instead of causing widespread injury or loss of life, the attack could stand as a huge red flag marking quietly pervasive flaws in national security.An attack on Oldsmar’s water supply last week highlighted cybersecurity experts’ longstanding concerns about the security of the country’s critical infrastructure.Though a change the attackers made to the city’s water treatment process was quickly reversed, experts said it got farther than any other hacking attempt to physically impact critical infrastructure in the U.S.And yet Oldsmar’s residents got lucky, experts said. Instead of causing...WW…

/Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the attacker tried to raise levels of sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, by a factor of more than 100. Local and federal authorities are investigating after an attempt Friday to poison the city of Oldsmar’s water supply, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said.Someone remotely accessed a computer for the city’s water treatment system and briefly increased the amount of sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, by a factor of more than 100, Gualtieri said at a news conference Monday. The chemical is used in small amounts to control the acidity of water...…/Pinellas Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said the attacker tried to raise levels of sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, by a factor of more than 100. Local and federal authorities are investigating after an attempt Friday to poison the city of Oldsmar’s water supply, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said.Someone remotely accessed a computer for the city’s water treatment system and briefly increased the amount of sodium hydroxide, also known as lye, by a factor of more than 100, Gualtieri said at a news conference Monday. The chemical is used in small amounts to control the acidity of water...WW…

/The Southern Poverty Law Center warns that these groups are more threatening than ever, despite a slight decline in numbers from 2019 to 2020. In Florida, the numbers went up.The number of hate groups operating in Florida increased slightly from 2019 to 2020 and topped all but one other state, according to an annual count released Monday by the Southern Poverty Law Center.The nonprofit organization tracked 68 hate groups in Florida last year, it said, one more than in 2019. It tracked 72 in California, 54 in Texas and 37 in New York. Among the most populous states, Florida also had the...…/The Southern Poverty Law Center warns that these groups are more threatening than ever, despite a slight decline in numbers from 2019 to 2020. In Florida, the numbers went up.The number of hate groups operating in Florida increased slightly from 2019 to 2020 and topped all but one other state, according to an annual count released Monday by the Southern Poverty Law Center.The nonprofit organization tracked 68 hate groups in Florida last year, it said, one more than in 2019. It tracked 72 in California, 54 in Texas and 37 in New York. Among the most populous states, Florida also had the...WW…

/The men are accused of agreeing to have sex in a park with other men — who were actually undercover deputies. Experts and advocates say it recalls an era of anti-gay policing.Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister announced the September arrests of 11 men with .“These vile acts by these men took place in a park, the same place where our children play,” said Chronister, who’s running for re-election. Then in another snippet: “These men made these parks their personal playground for their deviant behavior. It will not be tolerated.”But these men weren’t accused of high-level felonies. They...…/The men are accused of agreeing to have sex in a park with other men — who were actually undercover deputies. Experts and advocates say it recalls an era of anti-gay policing.Hillsborough Sheriff Chad Chronister announced the September arrests of 11 men with .“These vile acts by these men took place in a park, the same place where our children play,” said Chronister, who’s running for re-election. Then in another snippet: “These men made these parks their personal playground for their deviant behavior. It will not be tolerated.”But these men weren’t accused of high-level felonies. They...WW…