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Michael Caruso is the suspended Palm Beach County Clerk of Court and Comptroller and a former Florida state representative. Florida officials announced his Aug. 18 arrest on charges related to alleged child sexual abuse; the FDLE said its investigation remained ongoing. An Orange County judge later allowed Caruso’s release on bond, and prosecutors have moved to revisit that decision.
Harold Gene Lucas had been convicted of first-degree murder for the 1976 shooting death of 16-year-old Jill Piper in Bonita Springs, as well as attempted murder for shooting and wounding Richard Byrd Jr. and Terri Rice. His death sentence was reimposed multiple times following sentencing-related court rulings, while the murder conviction remained in place. Lucas was executed by three-drug injection at Florida State Prison near Starke on Sept. 1, 2026.
Memorial Healthcare System and Broward Health are taxpayer-funded public health systems serving southern and northern Broward County, respectively. Shane Strum had served as Broward Health’s CEO since 2021 and as Memorial’s interim CEO since 2024. The systems have pursued a “Better Together” collaboration focused on expanding access to care while remaining independent.
Tiger Woods’ Martin County case stemmed from a March 27, 2026 rollover crash on Jupiter Island after his SUV struck a trailer while attempting to pass a pickup truck. He had initially pleaded not guilty to misdemeanor DUI with property damage and refusal to submit to a lawful test; a breath test was negative, while he declined a urine test. On September 2, the DUI allegation was resolved through reduced driving-related charges after prosecutors said toxicologists could not establish impairment by hydrocodone.
The Trump administration has used third-country deportations for people whose home countries limit returns or who have protections against removal to their countries of origin. A group that included Cuban immigrants who had lived in Florida was flown from Texas to Bangui, Central African Republic, in late July. Reporting from CBS News and the Tampa Bay Times describes deportees remaining there without travel documents and facing uncertainty about their legal status and future.
Oliver Larkin, a Democratic Socialists of America-backed union organizer, challenged U.S. Rep. Jared Moskowitz in Florida’s newly redrawn 25th Congressional District Democratic primary. Moskowitz defeated Larkin in the Aug. 18 primary and is set to face Republican primary winner and former Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer in November. The district stretches along South Florida’s coast from Delray Beach to Miami Beach.
Tropical Storm Dolly had weakened into disorganized remnants in the Caribbean rather than remaining an organized tropical cyclone. Forecasts indicated that its moisture, alongside other local weather features, would raise South Florida’s chances of showers and thunderstorms during the Labor Day weekend. Forecasters warned that heavy downpours, lightning, gusty winds and localized flooding were possible, while temperatures remained near normal late-summer levels.