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The “Fairness in Women’s Sports Act” makes participation in athletics contingent on a student’s “biological sex.” “The Fairness in Women’s Sports Act will empower Florida women & girls to be able to compete on a level playing field. This will help ensure that opportunities for things like college scholarships will be protected for female athletes for years to come,” the governor tweeted on Tuesday. Florida joins Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Mississippi, Tennessee and West Virginia, which have all enacted bans that prohibit transgender women and girls from playing on women’s sports teams....

Patients in St. Petersburg are waiting up to an hour in ambulances parked right outside of the hospital, the Orlando Sentinel reported. The admission process for COVID-19 patients typically takes around 15 minutes, according to Pinellas County Administrator Barry Burton. Because the ambulances have to wait for available hospital beds, they cannot go out on other emergencies until the patient is admitted. “They’re not available to take another call, which forces the fire department on scene at an accident or something to take that transport,” Burton told the Sentinel....

Riggs can play immediately because he is scheduled to graduate from Florida this spring. The 5-9, 190-pound Riggs ranked fourth for the Gators last season with 51 tackles playing safety after previously playing cornerback. He also had three pass breakups and 1.5 sacks. He played in 40 games over three seasons, totaling 107 tackles, two sacks, an interception and eight pass breakups. The Irish lose starting cornerback Bennett Jackson to graduation and started five players at safety last season....

Thanks to the ECHL’s Florida Everblades, he now has 16 solid reasons to continue playing hockey in 2017-18. MORE: Stanley Cup gets wholesome treatment from Chris Kunitz and kids The Hurricanes affiliate caught wind of Jagr’s social media pleas for work following an unceremonious split with the Panthers and on Monday extended a roster invitation to the ageless NHL legend, should he fail to latch on with a club for a 24th season....

The Gators reached the SEC championship last season despite losing to preseason favorite Tennessee, and Florida will most-likely be picked behind Georgia in preseason polls this year. That’s OK. McElwain reeled in another excellent recruiting class with another one in the making for 2018, and the Gators have a close-to-home schedule through November. MORE: 2017 SEC predictions They won’t have to wait long to prove it. Florida opens the season against Michigan in the Advocare Classic at Jerry World on Sept....

Jason Michael Fletcher, 22, was detained at Ponytail Palm Circle in the city of Oviedo by deputies from Seminole County Sheriff’s Office at roughly 9:55 p.m. Police said in an arrest report, obtained by court filings, they had been called to investigate alleged animal cruelty. Dispatchers told the deputies Fletcher had “intentionally suffocated” a dog a few hours prior. Fletcher was placed in handcuffs as the officers spoke to his girlfriend, who said she had noticed her pug had been “acting strange....

The incident was caught on video, believed to be Saturday night at the Opa Locka Hialeah Flea Market Carnival. This video shows the ride operator holding a Ferris wheel car while the woman and her two children exit the car. The man, who was wearing a mask, can’t be seen saying anything, and then the woman started shouting towards the man as she steps out of the car. The man then apparently pushes her and a brawl ensues....

Alec Sprague was at a Costco in Jacksonville when he saw the man loading up on the pricey appliances. “[I] was just in Cosco off Collins [Road] getting a generator (at $450 each) and this guy right here is purchasing over 100 generators and food to send to the Bahamas!” Sprauge posted on Faceook. “All I could do was shake his hand and thank him! There still are good people in the world!...

Johnny Swinney was conducting the nationwide count of every U.S. resident when he was confronted with an assault-style weapon, according to detectives. Now police have announced they arrested 32-year-old Michael Cooper on Monday in connection with the incident. News channel Erie News Now said an incident report stated that neighbors had told deputies how Swinney’s U.S. Census Bureau badge could be seen when he approached Cooper sitting on the porch of his home and he clearly identified himself as a federal worker....

Under a March 17, 2020 executive order, the state of Florida required two negative tests for a worker to return to the job after testing positive for COVID-19. The new executive order, however, modifies the original order, putting the responsibility on restaurants to “implement employee screening protocols pursuant to guidance developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” The order follows a July update to the CDC’s guidelines. Under the new guidelines, patients recovering from COVID-19 can stop self-isolating 10 days after the first appearance of symptoms, down from the previous recommendation of 14 days, providing that patients don’t have a fever or show any new symptoms....

To make matters worse, Sen. Robert Torricelli’s sudden electus interruptus Monday caused state Dems to run the third man on their list of preferred replacement candidates. (The top two choices, Reps. Robert Menendez and Frank Pallone Jr., both passed on the opportunity.) “This is not an organized withdrawal,” says a Democratic political strategist in New Jersey. “This is the enemy breaking through our lines and rushing in. It’s a collapse, and now we’ve got to rush into court and fight a battle on which the law hadn’t even been researched....

Donovan reinstated junior forward Dorian Finney-Smith to the team Friday, making him eligible to play for the Gators in their home game against Tennessee on Saturday. Finney-Smith was suspended indefinitely for “a violation of team rules” earlier this month and had missed the last three games — including back-to-back road losses at LSU and Missouri. MORE: The latest Field of 68 update | DECOURCY: Vandy’s Stallings should learn some sportsmanship...

Data from The New York Times’ COVID-19 tracking database showed new known cases in the state reached 23,314 on the weekend, 30 percent higher than the state’s previous pandemic peaks in January. The Times’ database also showed there has been an average of 227 COVID deaths reported each day in Florida as of Tuesday. Which is a record for the state and the most daily COVID deaths in the nation....

According to the Florida Department of Health (DOH), 966 people were confirmed positive for the virus statewide between Sunday and Monday. Daily case reports shared to the DOH website show Florida’s health authorities confirmed 8,074 diagnoses with the respiratory syndrome, and 252 resulting deaths, over the last seven days. At least 1,000 people have been reported positive every day since the DOH confirmed 617 new cases were reported on June 1, as reflected in its June 2 report....

That’s good news for P.J. Williams and Ronald Darby. Both are corners who entered the 2015 NFL Draft after deciding to skip senior seasons at Florida State, where press man coverage isn’t just the norm. It’s the specialty. MORE: Top 100 players in draft | Best at each position | NFL free agency signings, departures Darby (3), Williams (back right) and Florida State teammates celebrate their 2014 BCS national championship....

Line: FSU -2.5, Total: 43 Line movement: The Seminoles opened as 1-point favorites at The Wynn, and the line was adjusted a full point to -2 within minutes of trading. A little push back dropped it to -1.5, only to see more momentum FSU’s way on Wednesday, with the line settling at -2.5. The total slipped a half point to 43 from an opener of 43.5 offshore. “I’m not saying they will in this particular game, but if you go back and look at the history of these games, Florida State always scores in the high 20s, 30s,” John Avello, head oddsmaker at The Wynn, remarked to The Linemakers on Sporting News on Monday....

LSU brings in the nation’s top-scoring offense, at 54.6 points per game. The hire of Saints passing coordinator Joe Brady has been the talk of the season, and quarterback Joe Burrow has 1,864 yards, 22 touchdowns and three interceptions. The Tigers can add another quality win to an impressive resume. WEEK 7 PICKS: Straight up | Against the spread Florida (6-0) can beat a top-10 for the second time in as many weeks, and is packing the nation’s fifth-best scoring defense (9....

The undefeated boxer shelled out $36,000 for four courtside seats for him and his security team. The man who recently defeated Manny Pacquiao was featured on the video screen and welcomed with boos. MORE: Ortiz demands rematch | Pacquiao believes he beat Mayweather | Floyd, ‘The Best Ever?’ The disdain for Mayweather comes from a lot of places. People don’t like his history of beating women, his arrogance, how he spends his wealth and the list goes on....

But in a strange moment, Mayweather took to Instagram on Thursday night and posted a long apology for nothing in particular that anyone seems to be aware of. MORE: Floyd Mayweather’s most ridiculous Instagram posts | Will Floyd’s last fight be free on TV? The caption reads as follows: “Sure I enjoy the company of my friends. I enjoy the unprecedented lifestyle my hard work has afforded me. I enjoy spending my free time traveling the world and having fun with my children- These are the things that mean most to me and I have become accustomed to blocking out negativity and refocusing my energy on those deserving of it…And more importantly, the people who bring me true happiness....

On May 21, Mayweather faces off against Don Moore in an exhibition bout Abu Dhabi inside the Etihad Arena on Yas Island. Tickets for the event will only be available for 20 VIP fans. Part of the Global Titans Fight Series, all tickets will be sold as NFTs. NFTs are digital assets used to represent physical objects, and can be sold at a certain price. The fight was supposed to take place on May 14, but it was postponed due to the death of UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan....