Your daily look at news, upcoming events and the stories that will be talked about today.
FLORIDA GOV. SCOTT TOUTS IMPROVING ECONOMY
Gov. Rick Scott touted Florida’s improving economy in his last State of the State speech before asking voters to give him a second term in November. The speech Tuesday reflected more on Scott’s accomplishments than it laid out a vision for the final year of his first term. It also introduced a catch-phrase that will likely serve during his upcoming election - “let’s keep working.”
SENATE PASSES TOUGHER SEXUAL PREDATOR BILLS
The Senate passed a package of bills designed to strengthen sexual predator laws on the first day of its annual session. The four bills passed unanimously Tuesday. They’re designed to tighten loopholes in a law that allows the state to civilly commit the most dangerous sexual offenders once they’ve finished their prison terms.
JUDGE ORDERS BIEBER VIDEO RELEASED WITH BLACKOUTS
A South Florida judge has ordered the release of remaining police video of Justin Bieber after his January arrest with sensitive portions blacked out to protect his privacy. Miami-Dade County Judge William Altfield said Tuesday that two of the five video clips depict the singer’s genitalia during a urine test for drugs. Altfield agreed with lawyers for Bieber, who turned 20 Saturday, that the video’s airing would be an invasion of privacy that outweighed the public’s right to know.
LAWYER SEEKS DELAY IN LOUD MUSIC CASE
Attorneys are seeking to delay the sentence for a man convicted of attempted murder until after he’s tried again for fatally shooting a teenager during an argument over loud music. Michael Dunn is currently set for sentencing the week of March 24. He’s accused of killing 17-year-old Jordan Davis outside a Jacksonville gas station.
SUSPECT KILLED BY DEPUTIES NEAR TAMPA
A 41-year-old man was fatally shot during an altercation with three Hillsborough County Sheriff’s deputies near Tampa on Tuesday. Authorities say the man slashed a cat and charged at deputies with a large butcher knife before they fired at him. He died a short time later at a hospital.
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