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Florida is most popular for its beaches and theme parks but it has hundreds of freshwater springs too. In central Florida, no springs may be more prized than those at Ichetucknee Springs State Park.

SeaWorld won a short-term victory on Tuesday. A committee in the state assembly decided a bill banning SeaWorld from holding killer whales captive and using them in shows needs further study.

Archaeologists say the collection of circles in the bedrock of the city may be the oldest remains of a tribal village east of the Mississippi.

In his re-election bid, Florida GOP Gov. Rick Scott can point to a rallying economy and a big war chest. But his campaign has recently run into trouble with an important group of voters — Hispanics.

Today, only seven states still have the sport, and most of the dog tracks are in Florida. A bill in the Florida Legislature could kill greyhound racing there — and possibly nationwide.

The state's once-abundant orchid population has dwindled. Conservationists hope to change that by planting lab-grown flowers in urban areas throughout South Florida.

A Texas company seeking permission for an injection well in the heart of the Everglades is finding stiff opposition from environmental groups and some locals.

The result of Tuesday's special election for a congressional seat in Florida was a big victory for Republicans. Ahead of mid-term elections, David Jolly beat Democratic candidate Alex Sink.

This legislative session in Florida, one of the Republican authors of the "stand your ground" law is teaming with a Democratic leader on a bill to make some significant changes to the law.

Private equity firms have been snapping up properties in many areas hit hard by the recession. Some analysts worry that those bulk purchases will leave middle-class buyers out in the cold.

A jury in Jacksonville, Fla., returned a mixed verdict Saturday in the trial of Michael Dunn, charged in the shooting death of teenager Jordan Davis. Unable to reach a verdict on the charge of murder, the jury found Dunn guilty on four other counts.

Mexican Artist Pedro Reyes wants to encourage questions about the availability of deadly weapons, so he turns guns into shovels and most recently, unique musical instruments.

Wildlife groups will be back on the scene Thursday off the coast of Southwest Florida where more than three dozen pilot whales are stranded in shallow water. At least 10 of the whales have beached and died. Officials are not optimistic about the outlook for a rescue.

Dozens of whales are stranded in shallow waters of the Everglades National Park.

The Perez Art Museum Miami opens this week, and despite praise for the building's design, the museum faces controversy over its name and has an uphill battle in a city where the art scene is already defined by private collectors.

More than 150 years ago, Polly Parker, a Seminole Indian, organized and led an escape from federal troops who were deporting Indians to the West. Parker traveled through hundreds of miles of wilderness to get back to tribal lands. The tribe is marking the event by following that dangerous journey.

Nearly 30 years ago, William Potts hijacked a plane to Cuba. He is scheduled to be in court in Miami on Thursday. It's the first time he's been in the U.S. for nearly three decades.

A Florida school district reached an agreement with the NAACP and law enforcement to reassess tough "zero tolerance" guidelines. Non-violent misdemeanors — like alcohol and marijuana possession — will be dealt with by schools instead of police.

Charlie Crist left the Republican Party during a failed bid for Senate and later became a Democrat. Now he's running against Florida's current Republican governor, Rick Scott, a conservative elected with strong Tea Party support.

Ports along the East Coast are scrambling to dredge and expand so they can accommodate larger ships expected once the Panama Canal widening is complete in 2015. Politicians and port executives in the East call it a game-changer. Other industry leaders, including port officials on the West Coast, say despite the billions of dollars being spent, the wider Panama Canal is not likely to bring much new shipping to the East Coast.