TOWN OF DEFUNIAK SPRINGS FLORIDA

Apr 22 2026CRIME

Florida Investigates AI for Possible Role in Campus Shooting

Florida’s top prosecutor recently announced a criminal investigation into OpenAI and its chatbot ChatGPT after a deadly shooting at a university last spring. The shooter, who killed two people and injured six others, reportedly used the AI tool to ask about guns and ammunition before the attack. Inv

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Apr 21 2026POLITICS

Gas prices: Why official predictions keep changing

Officials keep giving different answers about when gas prices might drop. First they said weeks, then months, then maybe never before the election. Energy Secretary Chris Wright started with a confident \"weeks\" timeline in early March. By April, he called summer a \"very aggressive\" guess. Just d

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Apr 20 2026POLITICS

Florida strengthens crime victims' privacy rights after court ruling

Florida has long been a leader in protecting crime victims, starting with a constitutional change in 1988 that guaranteed basic rights. In 2018, voters approved Marsy’s Law, giving victims stronger, clearer protections like privacy. But in 2023, a Supreme Court decision took that privacy right away,

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Apr 18 2026POLITICS

Nordic Countries Back Iran’s Strait of Hormuz Move

Officials from Finland, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark spoke up after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz open for ships. The statement followed a truce worked out in Lebanon, which paused a long-running dispute in the area. The Nordic leaders didn’t just cheer Iran’s words—they stressed that real peace

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Apr 15 2026POLITICS

Protecting Florida’s Open Spaces and Questioning Big Politics

Florida environmental groups have filed a lawsuit to stop the planned construction of thousands of acres that could house tens of thousands of new homes and businesses. The land, once intended to stay open, is now threatened by the county’s planning board and commissions. Critics warn that unchecked

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Apr 14 2026ENVIRONMENT

Big Tech wants to turn Florida green into grey

Florida is famous for its sunshine, not its server farms. Yet the same companies pushing AI are eyeing swamps and pastures to build power-hungry computer palaces. These places need as much water as a small town every day just to keep the machines from melting. Right now the state’s energy grid can b

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Apr 12 2026POLITICS

Florida wants more red snapper fishing days but not everyone agrees

Florida recently asked for a special permit to let more people fish for red snapper off its Atlantic coast this year. Instead of just two days like last time, anglers could fish for 39 days if the plan gets approved. The state says it can run this program well and that more days would help local fis

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Apr 11 2026FINANCE

How Florida's Fuel Prices Got Hooked on Global Drama

Florida’s gas and diesel prices have been playing a game of tag with global events lately, and the Sunshine State isn’t winning. For weeks, drivers paid way more than the rest of the country—sometimes 15 cents extra per gallon for gas and 35 cents for diesel—because Iran’s actions near the Strait of

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Apr 02 2026SPORTS

FSU’s Baseball Team Faces Big Challenge Without Their Top Hitter

Florida State University’s baseball team just lost their star first baseman, Myles Bailey, for the season after a serious ankle injury during a game against Duke. Bailey was having an incredible year, smashing 13 home runs and driving in 33 runs with a batting average of . 363. Without him, the Semi

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Mar 28 2026POLITICS

U. S. Plans Limited Iran Action Without Ground Forces

Officials in Washington believe they can handle Iran’s military threats without sending soldiers into combat. Speaking after meetings with global allies, a top diplomat said the U. S. expects to wrap up its campaign in weeks, not months. The focus is on weakening Iran’s ability to launch missiles an

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