The Associated Press
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The ousted former chair of the Republican Party of Florida will not face a video voyeurism charge for recording a sexual encounter with a woman who accused him of rape, a case in which he was also not charged, prosecutors said Wednesday.The woman made inconsistent statements about whether or not she consented to the video made by Christian Ziegler during the October encounter at her home, prosecutors said in a memo. A crime could be committed if there was sufficient evidence the video was made without her knowledge and consent.
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Miami Beach is trying to break up with spring break, but it’s not yet clear whether spring break will take the hint.After three consecutive years of spring break violence, Miami Beach officials are implementing monthlong security measures aimed at curbing the chaos, including parking restrictions for non-residents and closing sidewalk cafes on busy weekends. The city has warned visitors to expect curfews, bag searches at the beach, early beach closures, DUI checkpoints, and arrests for drug possession and violence. Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that 45 state law enforcement officers are also being deployed to the city to bolster the police.
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Super Tuesday is traditionally the biggest day nationwide for primary elections and caucuses before the actual Election Day in November.Voters in 16 different states and one territory will decide who they want to run for president.More than one-third of the total delegates available in both the Republican and Democratic primaries will be awarded.
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For more than a quarter-century, Phillies fans considered dollar hot dog night among the best ballpark promotions — but the team has now decided it was the wurst.Those dog days of April — when Philly weather is cold and the wieners are a steal — are going, going, gone.
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More than 61,000 pounds of steamed chicken soup dumplings sold at Trader Joe’s are being recalled for possibly containing hard plastic, U.S. regulators announced Saturday.The Agriculture Department’s Food Safety and Inspection Service noted that the now-recalled dumplings, which are produced by the California-based CJ Foods Manufacturing Beaumont Corp., may be contaminated with foreign materials — “specifically hard plastic from a permanent marker pen.”
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Babies born this coming Saturday could get a birthday present featuring a guy who knows how to have fun — The Cat in the Hat.Dr. Seuss Enterprises is celebrating the iconic children’s author’s 120th birthday with a free giveaway of “The Cat in the Hat” to U.S. residents who have a baby born this March 2.
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The Supreme Court on Wednesday agreed to decide whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges he interfered with the 2020 election, calling into question whether his case could go to trial before the November election.While the court set a course for a quick resolution, it maintained a hold on preparations for a trial focused on Trump’s efforts to overturn his election loss. The court will hear arguments in late April, with a decision likely no later than the end of June.
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This year looks to be a much better one for the U.S. economy than business economists were forecasting just a few months ago, according to a survey released Monday.The economy looks set to grow 2.2% this year after adjusting for inflation, according to the National Association for Business Economics. That’s up from the 1.3% that economists from universities, businesses and investment firms predicted in the association’s prior survey, which was conducted in November.
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Florida’s controversial surgeon general is drawing criticism for his handling of an elementary school’s measles outbreak, telling parents of unvaccinated children it is their choice whether their students attend class — a contravention of federal guidelines calling for their mandatory exclusion.Dr. Joseph Ladapo, nationally known for his outspoken skepticism toward the COVID-19 vaccine, sent a letter this week to parents at Manatee Bay Elementary School near Fort Lauderdale after six students contracted the highly contagious and potentially deadly virus. Such outbreaks are rare in the United States, though reported cases have spiked from 58 for all of 2023 to 35 already this year.The letter notes that when a school has a measles outbreak, it is “normally recommended” that unvaccinated students who haven’t previously had the disease be kept home for three weeks “because of the high likelihood” they will be infected.