See Florida's news of the day through our best photos

Sargassum floats in the water at the shoreline near the William O. Lockhart Pier in Lake Worth Beach, Fla., on June 15, 2026.

A tractor drives past desiccated sargassum on the shoreline near the William O. Lockhart Pier in Lake Worth Beach, Fla., on June 15, 2026.

Sargassum on the shoreline in near the William O. Lockhart Pier in Lake Worth Beach, Fla., on June 15, 2026.

Beachgoers at Naples' Clam Pass State Park helped push a stranded dolphin stuck in shallow waters back into the ocean under the supervision of Collier County Sheriff's deputies.

Beachgoers at Naples' Clam Pass State Park helped push a stranded dolphin stuck in shallow waters back into the ocean under the supervision of Collier County Sheriff's deputies.

Brevard County Sheriff Wayne Ivey oversees the arrest of Donnell Smith in an animal cruelty case.

Al Ferraro, manager of blight initiatives for the city of Jacksonville, stands at left as he talks June 1, 2026 with Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan about the city's efforts to cut down on littering, illegal dumping and blight.

The 28-acre Hobe Sound Scrub Preserve, seen June 1, 2026, is comprised of rare sand pine scrub habitat. The preserve is located on an ancient sand dune that formed when most of Florida was under the ocean over 100,000 years ago. In 2018, Martin County purchased the land using funding provided by the Florida Legislature. Pittsburgh resident Louise Yeiser donated a parcel adjacent to the preserve to Martin County for preservation.

The inaugural Jupiter Fire Rescue Department personnel stand for the national anthem during their swearing in ceremony in the Sallie & Berton E. Korman Hall under the Bill & Kay Morton Proscenium Arch on the Margaret & Richard J Katz, Jr. Stage at Maltz Jupiter Theater in Jupiter, Fla., on June 1, 2025. The new department will be officially operational on October 1.

The inaugural Jupiter Fire Rescue Department personnel stand during the opening of their swearing in ceremony in the Sallie & Berton E. Korman Hall under the Bill & Kay Morton Proscenium Arch on the Margaret & Richard J Katz, Jr. Stage at Maltz Jupiter Theater in Jupiter, Fla., on June 1, 2026. The new department will be officially operational on October 1.

World War II veteran Bill Keegan, 102, places his hat backwards before going on a motorcycle ride down Old Dixie Highway, June 1, 2026, after celebrating his birthday with friends and fellow veterans at the American Legion Felix Poppell Post 39.

World War II veteran Bill Keegan, 102, takes a photo with Jean Lapierre, 92, of Vero Beach, during his birthday surrounded by friends, veterans and other community members who gathered at American Legion Felix Poppell Post 39, June 1, 2026, in Vero Beach to honor his life and his accomplishments. The gathering concluded with a drive by from members of the Indian River County Sheriff’s office and community members on motorcycles.

The intersection with Government Street along the reopened Palafox Street in downtown Pensacola on June 1, 2026.

Deanna Harrell, accused of a driving a pickup truck into a tollbooth and killing the attendant, is led away in handcuffs from the Dunlawton beach ramp in Daytona Beach Shores.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station May 29, 2026. The rocket is carrying 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station May 29, 2026. The rocket is carrying 29 Amazon Leo internet satellites. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

The New Glenn launch Complex 36 in flames, visible from south Cocoa Beach burning after 9:00 p.m. Thursday, May 28 after an explosion on the pad.

The New Glenn rocket exploded during an engine “hotfire” test Thursday evening, May 28 on Launch Complex 36. Damage to the area visible at first iight Friday May 29.

A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is prepped for launch on pad LC-41 May 28, 2026. The rocket, scheduled for launch May 29, will carry a batch of Amazon Leo satellites into low Earth orbit. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

The Volusia Sheriff's Office said May 28 that a body believed to be that of Gainesville murder suspect, Xavion Perry, washed up on the beach in the 3600 block of Ocean Shore Boulevard in Ormond. Sherff's vehicles were seen near a crossover stair that leads down to the beach.

Two young, male white-tailed deer graze among the tickseed. The annual Coreopsis floridana bloom at Myakka River State Park is happening now. The official state flower, commonly referred to as tickseed, typically produces spectacular blooms at the end of May on the Big Flats Marsh in the park.

A young, male white-tailed deer is curious about a photographer standing in the middle of the Big Flats Marsh and comes closer to investigate. The annual Coreopsis floridana bloom at Myakka River State Park is happening now. The official state flower, commonly referred to as tickseed, typically produces spectacular blooms at the end of May on the Big Flats Marsh in the park.

Space Perspective's uncrewed test capsule sits outside the company's former balloon-factory building in late May at Space Coast Regional Airport in Titusville.

Protesters stand outside of a Jackson County Board of County Commissioners meeting where they were set to discuss what they believed to be a proposed data center on May 26, 2026.

A yacht travels south past Midtown Beach on a misty morning May 27, 2026.

A makeshift memorial continues to grow on May 26, 2026, along Seventh Avenue in New Smyrna Beach for 2-year-old Avery Lynn Sexton, who was struck by a car during Memorial Day weekend.

A makeshift memorial continues to grow on May 26, 2026, along Seventh Avenue in New Smyrna Beach for 2-year-old Avery Lynn Sexton who was struck by a car during Memorial Day weekend.

A person on a bicycle died May 26 following a collision involving a Brightline train at Southeast Monterey Road and Southeast Dixie Highway, just east of U.S. 1.

A person on a bicycle died May 26 following a collision involving a Brightline train at Southeast Monterey Road and Southeast Dixie Highway, just east of U.S. 1.

Community members gather at Veterans Memorial Island Sanctuary for the annual Memorial Day ceremony organized by the Indian River Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America, May 25, 2026, in Vero Beach.

Dozens of community members attend a Memorial Day ceremony at Hodges Funeral Home at Naples Memorial Garden in Naples, Fla., on Monday, May 25, 2026.

Marine Corps League of Naples E.T. Brisson Detachment #063 exit after presenting the colors during a Memorial Day ceremony at Hodges Funeral Home at Naples Memorial Garden in Naples, Fla., on Monday, May 25, 2026.

Paddleboarder catches the waves in Ponce Inlet on May 19, 2026.

Toys, technology and military memorabilia from across the ages are found on display at the Melbourne Liberty Bell Museum.

Shown is the view of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink broadband satellites into low-Earth orbit from South Vero Beach, Florida. The rocket launched at 6:04 a.m. Thursday, May 21, 2026, from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station May 21, 2026, carrying 29 Starlink satellites. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station May 21, 2026, carrying 29 Starlink satellites. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

Actors relax between scenes as filmmaker Todd Wiseman Jr. and his crew film the upcoming television series "A Land Remembered" in downtown Micanopy, Fla., on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. Based on the novel of the same name, the story follows the MacIvey family and their struggles on the Florida Cracker frontier. Crews brought in red clay and refaced storefronts with period signage to recreate an 1860s south Georgia town. Filming in Micanopy wrapped Wednesday, with the series expected to stream next year.

Filmmaker Todd Wiseman Jr. and his crew film scenes for his upcoming television series A Land Remembered at downtown in Micanopy, FL on Wednesday, May 20, 2026. The story, based on a book of the same name, tells the story of the Maclvey and their struggles on the Florida Cracker frontier. The crew brought in red clay, and remade the store fronts with period signage to recreate an 1860’s south Georgia town. The filming in Micanopy wrapped up on wednesday and will be available next year to stream. [Alan Youngblood/Gainesville Sun]

Pensacola International Airport was awarded a $9 million grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation and Federal Aviation Administration to support the expansion of the passenger terminal. The grant will fund the expansion that adds 8,400 square feet of new space, expands the checkpoint to six screening lanes, improves passenger queuing areas, constructs additional restrooms, and modernizes critical baggage handling infrastructure to enhance the family travel experience.

Burrowing owls are considered by many visitors to be one of the many unique features they look forward to experiencing while in Cape Coral. These were photographed on Monday, May 18, 2026 near the Pelican Baseball Complex.

Sargassum seaweed blankets the shoreline just north of Herman's Bay Beach on Hutchinson Island on May 20, 2026, in St. Lucie County. While it's a beneficial resource in the ocean, including providing habitat for an array of animals, it piles up on beaches, produces a horrid stench as it rots, and hosts organisms that can irritate the skin.

Sargassum seaweed blankets the shoreline just north of Herman's Bay Beach on Hutchinson Island on May 20, 2026, in St. Lucie County. While it's a beneficial resource in the ocean, including providing habitat for an array of animals, it piles up on beaches, produces a horrid stench as it rots, and hosts organisms that can irritate the skin.

The Cuban activist Aniurka Préstamo demonstrates outside the Freedom Tower in Miami on May 20, 2026, where U.S. prosecutors announced the indictment of Raul Castro in the 1996 deaths of four Brothers to the Rescue pilots shot down during a humanitarian mission.

The Freedom Tower in downtown Miami hosted an event on May 20, 2026, commemorating Cuba's independence. The building, now a museum, has deep ties to Cubans who left the island for the United States after Fidel Castro came to power.

Several crews from Joshua Tree Inc. began a major tree removal operation along Cape Coral Parkway as part of an ongoing infrastructure and pedestrian safety improvement project in the downtown area. More than 30 live oaks are scheduled to be taken out along the parkway for road-widening.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 booster descends for landing at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station May 15, 2026. The booster launched CRS-34, a cargo resupply mission for the International Space Station. The mission was delayed from Tuesday due to weather. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

ˆLaunch of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launching a Dragon spacecraft packed with supplies and equipment to the International Space Station. The rocket launched at 6:05 p.m. from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Friday, May 15.

Jesse Clapham, the fleet manager at Erickson & Jensen Seafood works on repairing a shrimp boat at the docks on Fort Myers Beach on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. High fuel prices are affecting the shrimp fleet. While boats are still shrimping, captains are having to adjust. Some are breaking even, while others are waiting for fuel prices to go back down before returning to the Gulf to go shrimping.

Tallahassee Democrat news director Jim Rosica, right, shows his Capitol Press Corps badge to the Capitol police Friday, May 15, 2026. Law enforcement stated that he would be arrested for trespassing if he did not leave the building.

Rep. Angie Nixon sits on the floor of the Florida Governor’s office while answering questions on an Instagram live feed Friday, May 15, 2026. Nixon vowed not to leave until Gov. Ron DeSantis meets with her and calls a special legislative session to redraw Florida’s congressional map.

Morning Sunrise at the Bridge of Lions in St. Augustine.

Latanya Rodgers plays a vertial bell at the Riverfront Music Garden located behind the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Jacksonville, Fla. Leaders and patrons met for a ribbon-cutting ceremony to officially open the new outdoor park. The park honors musical talent from the city and is part of the revitalized Riverwalk that spans from the Riverside Arts Market to the Hyatt.

On Thursday,, May 14, Olympia Outten, one of 11 people to survive a plane crash in the ocean, sat between Dr. Victor Vargas, Health First Chief Medical Officer and Dr. Scott Zenoni, Trauma Medical Director, to talk about her rescue.

Brevard Zoo is mourning the passing of a 9-year-old giraffe, named Floyd. The zoo had to euthanize the animal after it had a long history of health problems.

Video shows EF0 tornado in Hudson Florida, Tuesday, May 11, 2026.

Sailboat Soulmate behind the Fort Pierce Coast Guard on May 13, 2026 as part of investigation into a missing woman.

U.S. Navy Blue Angels AM2 Cody Farrell waves to No. 7 Lt. Ronny Hafeza and Youth Guidance Executive Director Phil Barnes as they prepare to take off on a flight in the F/A-18 Super Hornet at the Vero Beach Regional Airport, May 13, 2026, ahead of the 2026 Vero Beach Air Show. The flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy serves as an ambassador of U.S. naval aviation.

U.S. Navy Blue Angels No. 7 Lt. Ronny Hafeza and Youth Guidance Executive Director Phil Barnes prepare to take off on a flight in the F/A-18 Super Hornet at the Vero Beach Regional Airport, May 13, 2026, ahead of the 2026 Vero Beach Air Show. The flight demonstration squadron of the United States Navy serves as an ambassador of U.S. naval aviation.

A blooming Royal poinciana tree is seen at the base of the Edison Bridge in Fort Myers on Wednesday, May 13, 2026. The blooming trees can be seen throughout Southwest Florida.

Pilot Lt. Col. Matt Johnson, Capt. Rory Whipple, PJ with the 920th, and pilot Maj. Elizabeth Piowaty with the 920th Rescue Wing, talk to the media at The Tides Club at Patrick Space Force Base about the rescue of 11 passengers who crashed about 80 miles off of the coast of Florida on May 12. The U.S. Coast Guard was also part of the rescue.

A cypress tree juts from dry landscape on lands near Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed Flint Pen Strand Trails in Bonita Springs on Thursday, May 7, 2026. As the drought in SWFL persists, dry lands are visible throughout the landscape.

Cypress trees that are underwater seasonally are seen at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers on Monday, May 11, 2026. As the drought in SWFL persists, dry lands are visible throughout the landscape.

Kalvin Peterson tries his luck fishing during sunset at Bowditch Pointe Park on Fort Myers Beach on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

An alligator makes its way to the water near Fisherman’s Loop at Myakka River State Park.

Artist Geoffrey Smith stands next to the ‘Tree of American Dreams’ sculpture he created for Legacy Park, May 8, 2026, in Tradition. The sculpture honors the life and legacy of Anthony F. Sansone Sr., the founder of Sansone Group who broke ground on the 425-acre Legacy Park in 2021.

Defense attorney Michael Rocque pleads with his client Saam Rajaei, left, to accept a plea deal during a break in jury selection in his manslaughter trial in Judge Sherri L. Collins' courtroom at the Judge Daniel T.K. Hurley Courthouse in West Palm Beach, Fla., on May 8, 2026. Rajaei is charged with manslaughter following the 2016 shooting the death of James Cartigiano in unincorporated Palm Beach County.

Fans crowd surf during Magnolia Park’s performance on day 3 of Welcome to Rockville at Daytona International Speedway on May 9, 2026.

Protestors gather for a weekly vigil across the street from Alligator Alcatraz in Ochopee in Collier County on Sunday, April 19, 2026. Since the opening of the controversial detention center, people have been gathering on Sundays to protest.

Port St. Lucie Police K-9 Landi demonstrate tactics used by the department, May 6, 2026, at the department's specialized K-9 training facility in McCarty Ranch Preserve.

Eco Scout homeschool students find a bristle worm, or polychaetes, in the seagrass being used to make seagrass mats, May 7, 2026, at Florida Oceanographic Society (FOS) on Hutchinson Island in Martin County. The mats are used to help restore seagrass meadows in the Indian River Lagoon. The large-scale restoration project is a collaboration with FOS, the National Estuary Program and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The project is aimed to increase not only seagrass beds but also the fish population in the lagoon, said Nate Winn, research associate and seagrass project manager. Based in Palm Beach County, the Eco Scouts is an environmental educational group for kids.

Burmese python hatchlings from Harriet, a snake tracked by the Conservancy of Southwest Florida since 2019.

Amelia Owens in a portrait in condo 2V at Boca View Condominium in Boca Raton, Fla., on May 6, 2025. She's been unable to sell the unit she once shared with her late husband because the HOA president has repeatedly blocked sales.

Painters from Brister Signs work to paint ‘USA’ on three silos at the City of Vero Beach Water and Sewer water reclamation facility near the Vero Beach Regional Airport ahead of the Vero Beach Air Show, May 6, 2026. The painting is paid for by the water treatment facility funds, according to City Council member Linda Moore with hopes that the U.S. Navy Blue Angels will see them during the air show next weekend.

Blue Angels fan James McCormack watches the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron soar over NAS Pensacola and the National Naval Aviation Museum for the team's first public practice of the 2026 season on May 5, 2026.

Minimal rapids can still be seen on the Peace River under the State Road 60 bridge in Bartow. The Southwest Florida Water Management District began closing a water-control structure on Saddle Creek in late April in response to declining water levels on Lake Hancock.

Jeroen Jarrell Coombs, who faces charges of first-degree murder, sexual battery of a child under 12, three counts of aggravated child abuse, and one count of child abuse, is shown on May 6 during a hearing at the Marion County Judicial Center.

WEST PALM BEACH; 11/5/99: Demolition continues at the old West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium. A wrecking ball has begun tearing into the old facility, which opened in 1963 as the home of the Milwaukee (now Atlanta) Braves. Spectators and souvenier hunters are no longer allowed on the site. The demolition should be continueing for another couple of weeks, according to a worker on the site. The spot is destined to become a Home Depot, a Wendy's and a Mobil gas station. The City of West palm Beach sold the stadium along with the auditorium and the 72-acre site to the Jehova's Witnesses last year for $12.5 million. ( Lannis Waters/Palm Beach Post)

WEST PALM BEACH; 2/5/03: A pile of chain link fencing sits behind a dugout on a back practice field, being slowly covered over by vegetation at the site of the old West Palm Beach Municipal Stadium. Lannis Waters/Palm Beach Post

Edgewater father, Brian Chrun, has been on a more than five-month quest to get justice for his son. He says Anthony Chrun was shot 6 times from behind, so he is disputing prosecutors' determination that his son was killed in self-defense.

Florida educators, parents and others gather on the steps of the Florida Historic Capitol to voice their opinions for better support of public schools Tuesday, May 5, 2026.

An American alligator rests at Tear Island in the historic Florida Everglades.

Katja Richardson, second from right, reacts as her daughter Keyla Richardson is announced as one of the three finalists on American Idol during a watch party at Margarita’s Fusion Restaurant & Bar in Pensacola on May 4, 2026.

Hundreds of motorcyclists and drivers at the wheels of other vehicles escort the Vietnam Traveling Memorial Wall and the Some Gave All Moving Tribute through Brevard County to Wickham Park in Melbourne.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifts off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station May 1, 2026. The rocket is carrying 29 Starlink satellites in this view from The Gantry at LC-39. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

A SWAT member appears outside of the Kravis Center for the Performing Arts ahead of President Donald Trump's arrival on Friday, May 1, 2026, in West Palm Beach, Florida.

Thousands moved through security hoping to secure a seat before Donald Trump speaks Friday, May 1, 2026, at Middleton High School in The Villages, Florida. Trump supporters began arriving Thursday afternoon and spent the night outside the school.

Dominic Spicher swings at a pitch Wednesday, April 29, 2026, in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Make-A-Wish Central & Northern Florida surprised the 6-year-old, who has a congenital heart disease, with a baseball-themed celebration and his wish to soon meet the Savannah Bananas.

The driver of a Caterpillar D7 Dozer earthmoving machine pushes sand around as beach restoration efforts continue north of Midtown Beach Thursday morning April 30, 2026.

The trial for Thomas Stein continued on Thursday, April 30, 2026 at the Lee County Courthouse in Fort Myers. Stein faces charges of first-degree murder and attempted armed robbery in the March 2024 death of 15-year-old Kayla Rincon-Miller.

The deck of NASA's Pegasus transport barge is lined with tie down anchors for cargo at Kennedy Space Center, FL, April 29, 2026. The barge most recently transported the Artemis III core stage to KSC. Craig Bailey, FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK

A crew from the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation looks for evidence of tape grass in the Caloosahatchee River along the coast of North Fort Myers on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. Tape grass is an important species for marine life. According to scientists, this area had an abundance of tape grass in the past. The crew from SCCF documented small sprigs of the important species on this trip.

Florida state troopers pay their respects during a procession for volunteer firefighter James “Kevin” Crews before his funeral on April 30, 2026, in Hilliard. Crews died at 60 years old following a medical emergency he suffered in the line of duty during an April 23 wildfire.

Many tropical, non- native plants were severely damaged or killed during the hard freeze last winter. Most noticeable were the line of sea grapes along the dunes at Patrick Space Force Base. As warm weather hits the Space Coast many plants are coming back. The sea grapes at Patrick are making a comeback, sprouting up from the ground and lower trunks.

Protestors gather along Colonial Boulevard in front of the Lee County School District headquarters on Wednesday, April 29, 2026. They were protesting budget changes and teacher cuts.

Two adult Ospreys have built a new nest atop the traffic signal on Viera Boulevard at the northeast corner of Stadium Parkway. These raptors, also known as “fish hawks” have chicks in the nest. Osprey chick reach near- adult weight in 30 days.