News

Florida advocacy group Equality Florida is launching a new campaign to legalize same-sex marriage. Group members say the first step is to get more members of the public on board.

The “Get Engaged” campaign will use a combination of merchandising, social media and outreach to create a public push to get Florida’s ban on same-sex unions removed from the state constitution. 

Florida’s newest public university wants to admit its first class by August 2014.  The school made its case before the Florida Board of Governors Wednesday.

Florida Polytechnic University is not eligible for federal financial aid until it’s accredited. That’s not set to happen until 2016. Board of Governors members like Chairman Dean Colson question whether the school can recruit the 500 students it wants for its inaugural class, and retain them.

Florida State University officials want to use a new designation to help the school increase its profile. FSU and the University of Florida are so-called “preeminent” schools, making them eligible for more state funding.

FSU President Eric Barron told the state university oversight board Wednesday that he wants to use the money to hire high-profile faculty members in the areas of science and technology.

A violation of a Florida highway safety law led to the June arrest of one of America’s Most Wanted. State troopers say it’s not only a lesson for motorists, it also caught a bad guy in the process.

Country singer Slim Whitman has died near Jacksonville, Fla., at age 90. Whitman was best known for his high-pitched yodel and for selling millions of records through TV ads in the '80s and '90s.

Fans of the '90s movie "Mars Attacks!" might remember Slim Whitman’s song "Indian Love Call." When they heard it, the movie’s alien villains’ heads exploded.

Whitman’s falsetto voice, mustache and sideburns inspired countless parodies, as his TV commercials helped him sell millions of records.