In the News

LOCAL 10 (WPLG ABC MIAMI)AR-15 assault rifle used in Orlando nightclub massacre, other mass shootingsHollywood gun store owner defends 'weapon of war'By Bob Norman - Investigative ReporterHOLLYWOOD, Fla. - What do the mass shootings at Pulse Orlando, Sandy Hook Elementary, San Bernardino and Aurora have in common?The shooters all chose an AR-15 assault rifle, considered the deadliest weapon on the market.Pulse shooting suspect Omar Mateen bought his AR-15 and a pistol from a Port St. Lucie gun d... Read more

ASSOCIATED PRESSSouth Florida hosts blood drive for Orlando shooting victimsHOLLYWOOD, FLA. (WSVN) - South Florida is showing its support by donating blood after a mass shooting at an Orlando gay club took the lives of 49 and injured 53, Sunday.Outpourings of love and support took place hours after the shootings in Orlando, and South Florida is no different. Hundreds gathered, Monday, to donate blood at a drive in Hollywood. “Well, I know I’m type O, so I know my blood definitely helps out with ... Read more

CBS4 (WFOR MIAMI)Wilton Manors Stonewall Festival Will Go OnWILTON MANORS (CBSMiami) – In the wake of the Orlando massacre targeting the gay community, organizers are evaluating their security measures for the upcoming Wilton Manors Stonewall Festival and Parade.“The situation is fluid and evaluation is ongoing. Security and safety remains our top priority, said Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick in a statement. “Throughout the planning process, the Wilton Manors Police Department and others have ... Read more

LOCAL 10 (ABC WPLG MIAMI)Miami Beach gay community, elected leaders come together for Orlando shooting vigilDebate about whether gay men should be able to donate blood draws applauseBy Carlos SuarezMIAMI BEACH, Fla. - The sound of John Lennon's "Imagine" brought tears to many in the crowd who gathered Sunday night in Miami Beach to mourn the victims of the Orlando nightclub shooting massacre.Hundreds attended a vigil to remember the victims of the massacre, including Roger Lords, whose friend, J... Read more

Orlando Jews Call for Unity With Muslims as Nation Reels From Nightclub MassacreBy Nathan GuttmanORLANDO — Central Florida’s Jewish community started laying the groundwork for interfaith cooperation with Muslims Monday as the nation reeled in grief and anger after an anti-gay gunman killed 50 people in the worst-ever mass killing in recent U.S. history.Rabbi Steven Engel of the Congregation for Reform Judaism, the largest synagogue in Orlando, and Imam Muhammad Masri, president of the Islamic So... Read more

FORWARDJewish Leaders Denounce Gun Violence After Orlando Mass KillingBy Forward StaffDemocratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders led a chorus of Jewish political, religious and cultural leaders who expressed outrage at gun violence after the mass shooting that killed 50 people in a gay nightclub in Orlando.“All Americans are horrified, disgusted and saddened by the horrific” mass killing, Sanders said.Florida Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz planned to attend a Sunday night Miami gay pride ev... Read more

Tension over LGBT angle to Orlando massacreBy Nahal ToosiAs lawmakers from both parties rushed to condemn the mass shooting that left 50 dead in Orlando, Republicans appeared to shy away from noting the LGBT connection, while Democrats explicitly brought it up.Officials say the shooting, the deadliest such attack in U.S. history, occurred at a gay-themed nightclub and is being investigated as a possible act of domestic terrorism. The alleged shooter, who was killed by police, was a U.S. citizen ... Read more

ROLL CALLFlorida Senators: Orlando Shooting Appears to Be Terror Attack50 people killed in gay nightclub, deadliest mass shooting in U.S. historyBy Bridget BowmanFlorida's two U.S. senators say the nightclub shooting in Orlando that appears to be the nation's worst in history, appeared to be related to radical Islamic terrorism. “Right now there’s a lot of indications that this has some link to radical Islam,” Republican Sen. Marco Rubio told CNN on Sunday. “I think we have to continue to explai... Read more

TC PALM.COMTalks on a Zika bill in Congress to start soon, but that’s not fast enough for FloridiansBy Ledyard King, USA TODAY NETWORKLawmakers are expected to start ironing out the details of a spending bill to combat Zika in the coming week, more than four months after President Barack Obama first asked Congress for nearly $2 billion to fight the mosquito-borne virus that has been linked to birth defects and paralysis.A final compromise still could be weeks away and is expected to be far belo... Read more

SOUTH FLORIDA GAY NEWSLocal Community Mourns Orlando MassacreIn the wake of the mass shooting that resulted in the murder of 50 people at an LGBT nightclub in Orlando, Wilton Manors Mayor Gary Resnick promised that the city would take extra steps to ensure a repeat did not occur at the upcoming Stonewall festival on June 18.He said that the city had been working with the FBI and BSO “long before” the shooting but that more would be done in the days to come.“We cannot allow that kind of hatred. [... Read more