The Fox Nation is for those opposed to intolerance, excessive government control of our lives, and attempts to monopolize opinion or suppress freedom of thought, expression, and worship. Read more...
We invite all Americans who share these values to join us here at Fox Nation.
toure patti smith lottery winners lottery winners april fools day pranks ohio state vs kansas daniel von bargen
Florida () is a state in the southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. Florida is the 22nd most extensive, the 4th most populous, and the 8th most densely populated of the 50 United States. The state capital is Tallahassee, its largest city is Jacksonville, and the Miami metropolitan area is the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern United States.
Much of Florida is a peninsula between the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic Ocean, and the Straits of Florida. Its geography is notable for a coastline, omnipresent water and the threat of hurricanes. Florida has the longest coastline in the contiguous United States, encompassing approximately , and is the only state that borders both the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the state is at or near sea level and is characterized by sedimentary soil. The climate varies from subtropical in the north to tropical in the south. Some of its most iconic animals, such as the American alligator, crocodile, Florida panther and the manatee, can be found in the Everglades, one of the most famous national parks in the world.
Since the first European contact was made in 1513 by Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Le?n ? who named it La Florida ( "Flowery Land") upon landing there during the Easter season, Pascua Florida ? Florida was a challenge for the European colonial powers before it gained statehood in the United States in 1845. It was a principal location of the Seminole Wars against the Indians, and racial segregation after the American Civil War. Today, it is distinguished by its large Hispanic community, and high population growth, as well as its increasing environmental concerns. Its economy relies mainly on tourism, agriculture, and transportation, which developed in the late 19th century. Florida is also known for its amusement parks, the production of oranges, and the Kennedy Space Center.
Florida culture is a reflection of influences and multiple inheritance; Native American, European American, Hispanic and African American heritages can be found in the architecture and cuisine. Florida has attracted many writers such as Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Ernest Hemingway and Tennessee Williams, and continues to attract celebrities and athletes. It is internationally known for golf, tennis, auto racing, and water sports.
Archaeological research indicates that Florida was first inhabited by Paleo-Indians, the first human inhabitants of the Americas, perhaps as early as 14 thousand years ago. The region was continuously inhabited through the Archaic period (to about 2000?BC). After about 500?BC the previously relatively uniform Archaic culture began to coalesce into distinctive local cultures. By the 16th century, the earliest time for which there is a historical record, major Native American groups included the Apalachee (of the Florida Panhandle), the Timucua (of northern and central Florida), the Ais (of the central Atlantic coast), the Tocobaga (of the Tampa Bay area), the Calusa (of southwest Florida) and the Tequesta (of the southeastern coast).
Florida was the first part of what is now the continental United States to be visited by Europeans. The earliest known European explorers came with the Spanish conquistador Juan Ponce de Le?n. According to the "500TH Florida Discovery Council Round Table", on March 3, 1513, Ponce de Leon, organized and equipped three ships which commenced an expedition (with a Crew of 200-including Women and Free Blacks) departing from "Punta Aguada" Puerto Rico. Puerto Rico was the historic 1st gateway to the discovery of Florida which opened the doors to the advanced settlement of the USA. They introduced Christianity, Cattle, Horses, Sheep, the Spanish language and more to the land (Florida) that later became the United States of America, 107 years before the Pilgrims landed. Ponce de Le?n spotted the peninsula on April 2, 1513. According to his chroniclers, Ponce de Le?n named the region La Florida ("flowery land") because it was then the Easter Season, known in Spanish as Pascua Florida (roughly "Flowery Easter"), and because the vegetation was in bloom. From 1513 onward, the land became known as "La Florida", although after 1630 and throughout the 18th century, Tegesta (after the Tequesta tribe) was an alternate name of choice for the Florida peninsula following publication of a map by the Dutch cartographer Hessel Gerritsz in Joannes de Laet's History of the New World. Between 900 and 1,500 Seminole Indian warriors employed guerrilla tactics against United States Army troops for seven years until 1842. The U.S. government is estimated to have spent between $20 million and $40 million on the war, at the time an astronomical sum.
On March 3, 1845, Florida became the 27th state of the United States of America, although initially its population grew slowly. White settlers continued to encroach on lands used by the Seminoles, and the United States government resolved to make another effort to move the remaining Seminoles to the West. The Third Seminole War lasted from 1855 to 1858, and resulted in the removal of most of the remaining Seminoles. Even after three bloody wars, the U.S. Army failed to force all of the Seminole Indians in Florida to the West. Though most of the Seminoles were forcibly exiled to Creek lands west of the Mississippi, hundreds, including Seminole leader Aripeka (Sam Jones), remained in the Everglades and refused to leave the native homeland of their ancestors. Their descendants remain there to this day.
White settlers began to establish cotton plantations in Florida, which required numerous laborers. By 1860 Florida had only 140,424 people, of whom 44% were enslaved. There were fewer than 1000 free African Americans before the Civil War.
On January 10, 1861, before the start of the American Civil War, Florida declared its secession from the Union; ten days later, the state became a founding member of the Confederate States of America. The war ended in 1865. On June 25, 1868, Florida's congressional representation was restored. After Reconstruction, white Democrats succeeded in regaining power in the state legislature. In 1885 they created a new constitution, followed by statutes through 1889 that effectively disfranchised most blacks and many poor whites over the next several years. Provisions included poll taxes, literacy tests, and residency requirements. Disfranchisement for most African Americans in the state persisted until the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s gained federal legislation to protect their suffrage.
Until the mid-20th century, Florida was the least populous Southern state. In 1900 its population was only 528,542, of whom nearly 44% were African American. The boll weevil devastated cotton crops, and early 20th century lynchings and racial violence caused a record number of African Americans to leave the state in the Great Migration to northern and midwestern industrial cities. Forty thousand blacks, roughly one-fifth of their 1900 population, left for better opportunities. Economic prosperity in the 1920s stimulated tourism to Florida. Combined with its sudden elevation in profile was the Florida land boom of the 1920s, which brought a brief period of intense land development. Devastating hurricanes in 1926 and 1928, followed by the stock market crash and Great Depression, brought that period to a halt.
Florida's economy did not fully recover until the buildup for World War II. The climate, tempered by the growing availability of air conditioning, and low cost of living made the state a haven. Migration from the Rust Belt and the Northeast sharply increased the population after the war. In recent decades, more migrants have come for the jobs in a developing economy. With a population of more than 18 million according to the 2010 census, Florida is the most populous state in the Southeastern United States, the second most populous state in the South behind Texas, and the fourth most populous in the United States.
At 345?feet (105?m) above mean sea level, Britton Hill is the highest point in Florida and the lowest highpoint of any U.S. state. Much of the state south of Orlando is low-lying and fairly level; however, some places, such as Clearwater, feature vistas that rise 50 to 100?feet (1530?m) above the water. Much of Central and North Florida, typically 25?miles (40?km) or more away from the coastline, features rolling hills with elevations ranging from 100 to 250?feet (3076?m). The highest point in peninsular Florida (east and south of the Suwanee River), Sugarloaf Mountain, is a peak in Lake County.
The climate of Florida is tempered somewhat by the fact that no part of the state is very distant from the ocean. North of Lake Okeechobee, the prevalent climate is humid subtropical (K?ppen: Cfa), while coastal areas south of the lake (including the Florida Keys) have a true tropical climate (K?ppen: Aw). Mean high temperatures for late July are primarily in the low 90s Fahrenheit (32?34??C). Mean low temperatures for early to mid January range from the low 40s Fahrenheit (4?7??C) in northern Florida to the mid-50s (?13??C) in southern Florida. With an average daily temperature of , it is the warmest state in the country.
In the summer, high temperatures in the state seldom exceed 100 ?F (38 ?C). Several record cold maxima have been in the 30s ?F (?1 to 4??C) and record lows have been in the 10s (?12 to ?7??C). These temperatures normally extend at most a few days at a time in the northern and central parts of Florida. Southern Florida, however, rarely encounters freezing temperatures.
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Florida was , which was set on June 29, 1931 in Monticello. The coldest temperature was , on February 13, 1899, just away, in Tallahassee.
Due to the tropical climate Florida rarely receives snow. However, on very rare occasions, a combination of cold moisture and freezing temperatures can result in snowfall. Frost is more common than snow, occurring several times during the winter months.
The USDA Plant hardiness zones for the state range from zone 8a (no colder than ) in the inland western panhandle to zone 11 (no colder than ) in the lower Florida Keys.
Florida's nickname is the "Sunshine State", but severe weather is a common occurrence in the state. Central Florida is known as the lightning capital of the United States, as it experiences more lightning strikes than anywhere else in the country. Florida has the highest average precipitation of any state, in large part because afternoon thunderstorms are common in most of the state from late spring until early autumn. A narrow eastern part of the state including Orlando and Jacksonville receives between 2,400 and 2,800 hours of sunshine annually. The rest of the state, including Miami, receives between 2,800 and 3,200 hours annually.
Florida leads the United States in tornadoes per area (when including waterspouts) but they do not typically reach the intensity of those in the Midwest and Great Plains. Hail often accompanies the most severe thunderstorms.
Hurricanes pose a severe threat during hurricane season, which lasts from June 1 to November 30, although some storms have been known to form out of season. Florida is the most hurricane-prone state, with subtropical or tropical water on a lengthy coastline. From 1851 to 2006, Florida has been struck by 114 hurricanes, 37 of them major?category 3 and above. It is rare for a hurricane season to pass without any impact in the state by at least a tropical storm. For storms, category 4 or higher, 83% have either hit Florida or Texas. August to October is the most likely period for a hurricane in Florida.
In 2004, Florida was hit by a record four hurricanes. Hurricanes Charley (August 13), Frances (September 4?5), Ivan (September 16), and Jeanne (September 25?26) cumulatively cost the state's economy $42 billion. Additionally, the four storms caused an estimated $45 billion in damage. In 2005, Hurricane Dennis (July 10) became the fifth storm to strike Florida within eleven months. Later, Hurricane Katrina (August 25) passed through South Florida and Hurricane Rita (September 20) swept through the Florida Keys. Hurricane Wilma (October 24) made landfall near Cape Romano, just south of Marco Island, finishing another very active hurricane season. Wilma is the second most expensive hurricane in Florida history, due in part to a five year window in which to file claims.
Florida was the site of the second costliest weather disaster in U.S. history, Hurricane Andrew, which caused more than $25 billion in damage when it struck on August 24, 1992. In a long list of other infamous hurricane strikes are the 1926 Miami hurricane, the 1928 Okeechobee hurricane, the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, Hurricane Donna in 1960, and Hurricane Opal in 1995. Recent research suggests the number of storms are part of a natural cycle which rises in some years, falls in others.
| City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
| 65/42 | 68/45 | 74/50 | 79/55 | 86/63 | 90/70 | 92/73 | 91/73 | 87/69 | 80/61 | 74/51 | 67/44 | |
| 75/65 | 76/66 | 79/69 | 82/72 | 85/76 | 88/78 | 89/80 | 90/80 | 88/78 | 85/76 | 80/71 | 76/67 | |
| 72/51 | 73/53 | 77/57 | 81/61 | 85/67 | 88/71 | 90/73 | 90/73 | 88/72 | 83/67 | 78/60 | 73/53 | |
| 76/60 | 78/62 | 80/65 | 83/68 | 87/73 | 89/76 | 91/77 | 91/77 | 89/76 | 86/73 | 82/68 | 78/63 | |
| 71/49 | 74/52 | 78/56 | 83/60 | 88/66 | 91/72 | 92/74 | 92/74 | 90/73 | 85/66 | 78/59 | 73/52 | |
| 61/43 | 64/46 | 70/51 | 76/58 | 84/66 | 89/72 | 90/74 | 90/74 | 87/70 | 80/60 | 70/50 | 63/45 | |
| 64/39 | 68/42 | 74/47 | 80/52 | 87/62 | 91/70 | 92/72 | 92/72 | 89/68 | 82/57 | 73/48 | 66/41 | |
| 70/51 | 73/54 | 77/58 | 81/62 | 88/69 | 90/74 | 90/75 | 91/76 | 89/74 | 85/67 | 78/60 | 72/54 |
The only known calving area for the Northern Right Whale is off the coasts of Florida and Georgia.
The native bear population has risen from a historic low of 300 in the 1970s, to 3,000 in 2011.
Since their accidental importation from South America into North America in the 1930s, the Red imported fire ant population has increased its territorial range to include most of the Southern United States, including Florida. They are more aggressive than most native ant species and have a painful sting.
A number of non-native snakes and lizards have been released in the wild. In 2010 the state created a hunting season for Burmese and Indian pythons, African rock pythons, green anacondas, and Nile monitor lizards. Green iguanas have also established a firm population in the southern part of the state.
It directs public entities (schools, state and local public agencies) to report the amount they recycle annually to their counties. Private businesses are encouraged (but not mandated) to report the amount they recycle to their counties. Finally, the section directs DEP to create the Recycling Business Assistance Center. Under the new law, each county must implement a recyclable materials recycling program that shall have a goal of recycling recyclable solid waste by 40 percent by December 31, 2012, 50 percent by 2014, 60 percent by 2016, 70 percent by 2018, and 75 percent by 2020. The county with the highest recycling rate is Lee County with a 43% recycling rate as of 2008.
The largest deposits of potash in the United States are found in Florida.
Extended systems of underwater caves, sinkholes and springs are found throughout the state and supply most of the water used by residents. The limestone is topped with sandy soils deposited as ancient beaches over millions of years as global sea levels rose and fell. During the last glacial period, lower sea levels and a drier climate revealed a much wider peninsula, largely savanna.
In January, 1879, a shock of Mercalli intensity scale VI occurred near St. Augustine. There were reports of heavy shaking that knocked plaster from walls and articles from shelves. Similar effects were noted at Daytona Beach south. The tremor was felt as far south as Tampa and as far north as Savannah, Georgia.
In January 1880, Cuba was the center of two strong earthquakes that sent severe shock waves through the city of Key West.
The shock from the 1886 Charleston, South Carolina, earthquake was felt throughout northern Florida, ringing church bells at St. Augustine and severely jolting other towns along that section of Florida's east coast. Jacksonville residents felt many of the strong aftershocks that occurred in September, October, and November 1886.
In 2010, illegal immigrants constituted an estimated 5.7% of the population. This was the sixth highest percentage of any state in the country. There were an estimated 675,000 illegal immigrants in the state in 2010.
There were 186,102 military retirees living in the state in 2008.
In the 2000 Census, 1,278,586 people in Florida self-identified as having "American" ancestry, most of these people are of English descent and some are of Scots-Irish descent however have families that have been in the state so long, in many cases since the colonial period, that they choose to identify simply as having "American" ancestry or do not in fact know their own ancestry. In the 1980 United States census the largest ancestry group reported in Florida was English with 2,232,514 Floridians citing that they were of English or mostly English ancestry. Their ancestry primarily goes back to the original thirteen colonies and for this reason many of them today simply claim "American" ancestry, though they are of predominately English stock. They were followed by Irish at 1,617,433.
Before the American Civil War, when slavery was legal, and during the Reconstruction era that followed, blacks made up nearly half of the state's population. Their proportion declined over the next century, as many moved north in the Great Migration while large numbers of northern whites moved to the state. In 1970, non-Hispanic whites were nearly 80% of Florida's population. Recently, the state's proportion of black residents has begun to grow again. Today, large concentrations of black residents can be found in northern Florida (notably in Jacksonville, Gainesville, Tallahassee, and Pensacola), the Tampa Bay area, the Orlando area, especially in Orlando and Sanford.
Florida's Hispanic population includes large communities of Cuban Americans in Miami and Tampa, Puerto Ricans in Orlando and Tampa, and Central American migrant workers in inland West-Central and South Florida. The Hispanic community continues to grow more affluent and mobile. As of 2011, 57.0% of Florida's children under the age of 1 belonged to minority groups.
White Americans of all European backgrounds are present in all areas of the state. Those of English and Irish ancestry are present in large numbers in all the urban/suburban areas across the state. Native white Floridians, especially those who have descended from long-time Florida families, affectionately refer to themselves as "Florida crackers". Like whites in most of the other Southern states, they descend mainly from English and Scots-Irish settlers, as well as some other British settlers.
| Largest cities in Florida | ||||||
| ! Rank | ! City | ! Year of Incorporation | ! Metropolitan Area | ! Population(2010 census) | ! Population Density(people per mi2) | ! Land Area(mi2) |
| 1832 | ||||||
| Miami | 1896 | |||||
| 1855 | ||||||
| 1903 | ||||||
| 1885 | ||||||
| 1925 | ||||||
| 1825 | ||||||
| 1911 | ||||||
| 1961 | ||||||
| 1960 |
The largest metropolitan area in the state as well as the entire southeastern United States is the Miami metropolitan area, with about 5.5 million people. The Tampa Bay Area, with over 2.7 million people, is the second largest; the Orlando metropolitan area, with over 2.1 million people, is the third; and the Jacksonville metropolitan area, with over 1.3 million people, is fourth.
Florida has twenty Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs) defined by the United States Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Thirty-nine of Florida's sixty-seven counties are in an MSA. Reflecting the distribution of population in Florida, Metropolitan areas in the state are concentrated around the coast of the peninsula. They form a continuous band on the east coast of Florida, stretching from the Jacksonville MSA to the Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach MSA, including every county on the east coast, with the exception of Monroe County. There is also a continuous band of MSAs on the west coast of the peninsula from the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater MSA to the Naples-Marco Island MSA, including all of the coastal counties from Hernando County to Collier County. The interior of the northern half of the peninsula also has several MSAs, connecting the east and west coast MSAs. A few MSAs are scattered across the Florida panhandle.
Florida's public education system identified over 150 first languages other than English spoken in the homes of students. In 1990, the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) won a class action lawsuit against the state Florida Department of Education that required educators to be trained in teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL).
Article II, Section 9, of the Florida Constitution provides that "English is the official language of the State of Florida." This provision was adopted in 1988 by a vote following an Initiative Petition.
Florida is mostly Protestant, but Roman Catholicism is the single largest denomination in the state. There is also a sizable Jewish community, located mainly in South Florida; this is the largest Jewish population in the South and the third largest in the country behind New York and California. Florida's current religious affiliations are shown in the table below:
The basic structure, duties, function, and operations of the government of the state of Florida are defined and established by the Florida Constitution, which establishes the basic law of the state and guarantees various rights and freedoms of the people. The state government consists of three separate branches: judicial, executive, and legislative. The legislature enacts bills, which, if signed by the governor, become law.
The Florida Legislature comprises the Florida Senate, which has 40 members, and the Florida House of Representatives, which has 120 members. The current Governor of Florida is Rick Scott. The Florida Supreme Court consists of a Chief Justice and six Justices.
Florida has 67 counties. Some reference materials may show only 66 because Duval County is consolidated with the City of Jacksonville. There are 379 cities in Florida (out of 411) that report regularly to the Florida Department of Revenue, but there are other incorporated municipalities that do not. The state government's primary source of revenue is sales tax. Florida does not impose a personal income tax. The primary revenue source for cities and counties is property tax.
In 2000, George W. Bush won the U.S. Presidential election by a margin of 271?266 in the Electoral College. Of the 271 electoral votes for Bush, 25 were cast by electors from Florida. Reapportionment following the 2000 United States Census gave the state two more seats in the House of Representatives.
Despite the Democratic advantage in registration, as of 2008, Republicans controlled the governorship and most other statewide elective offices; both houses of the state legislature; and 15 of the state's 25 seats in the House of Representatives. Florida has been listed as a swing state in Presidential elections since 1950, voting for the losing candidate once in that period of time. In the closely contested 2000 election the state played a pivotal role.
In 2008, delegates of both the Republican Florida primary election and Democratic Florida primary election were stripped of half of their votes when the conventions met in August due to violation of both parties' national rules.
In the 2010 elections, Republicans solidified their dominance state-wide, by winning the governor's mansion, maintaining firm majorities in both houses of the state legislature. They won four previously Democratic-held seats to create a 19?6 Republican majority delegation representing Florida in the federal House of Representatives. As a result of the 2010 United States Census, Florida will gain two House of Representative seats in 2012.
The state repealed mandatory auto inspection in 1981.
In 1972, the state made personal injury protection auto insurance mandatory for drivers, becoming the second in the nation to enact a no-fault insurance law. The ease of receiving payments under this law is seen as precipitating a major increase in insurance fraud. Auto insurance fraud was the highest in the nation in 2011, estimated at close to $1 billion. Fraud is particularly centered in the Miami-Dade metropolitan and Tampa areas.
In 2009, 44% of highway fatalities involved alcohol. Florida is one of seven states that prohibit the open carry of handguns. This law was passed in 1987.
Some people suffer from various allergies from plants at varying seasons including pollen from oak trees and juniper shrubs.
The economy is driven almost entirely by its nineteen metropolitan areas. In 2004, they had a combined total of 95.7% of the state's domestic product.
The state was one of the few states to not have a state minimum wage law of its own and was therefore obliged to follow federal minimum wage law. This changed in 2004, when voters passed a constitutional amendment establishing a state minimum wage and (unique among minimum wage laws) mandating that it be adjusted for inflation annually. As of January 1, 2012, the calculated Florida minimum wage for non-tipped positions is $7.67, and $4.65 for tipped positions, this is higher than the federal rate of $7.25, so the state rate controlled.
Florida is one of the seven states that do not impose a personal income tax.
According to a study by Experian, Florida has 4 cities in the top 25 cities in the country with the most credit card debt.
There were 2.4 million Floridians living in poverty in 2008. 18.4% of children 18 and younger were living in poverty. Miami is the sixth poorest big city in the United States.
The state also had the second-highest credit card delinquency rate, with 1.45% of cardholders in the state more than 90 days delinquent on one or more credit cards.
In 2010, over 2.5 million Floridians were on food stamps, up from 1.2 million in 2007. To qualify, Floridians must make less than 133% of the federal poverty level, which would be under $29,000 for a family of four.
Because of the collective effect on the insurance industry of the hurricane claims of 2004, homeowners insurance has risen 40% to 60% and deductibles have risen.
At the end of the third quarter in 2008, Florida had the highest mortgage delinquency rate in the country, with 7.8% of mortgages delinquent at least 60 days. A 2009 list of national housing markets that were hard hit in the real estate crash included a disproportionate number in Florida.
In 2009, there were 89,706 federal workers employed within the state.
In 2012, government was a top employer in all counties in the state. This was mainly due to the prevalence of teachers, whose school boards employ nearly 1 out of every 30 workers in the state. The military was the top employer in three counties.
The second largest industry is agriculture. Citrus fruit, especially oranges, are a major part of the economy, and Florida produces the majority of citrus fruit grown in the United States. In 2006, 67% of all citrus, 74% of oranges, 58% of tangerines, and 54% of grapefruit were grown in Florida. About 95% of commercial orange production in the state is destined for processing (mostly as orange juice, the official state beverage).
The Everglades Agricultural Area is a major center for agriculture. The environmental impact of agriculture, especially water pollution, is a major issue in Florida today.
In 2009, fishing was a $6 billion industry, employing 60,000 jobs for sports and commercial purposes.
Another major economic engine in Florida is the United States Military. There are currently 24 military bases in the state, housing three Unified Combatant Commands; United States Central Command in Tampa, United States Southern Command in Doral, and United States Special Operations Command in Tampa. There are 109,390 U.S. military personnel currently stationed in Florida, contributing, directly and indirectly, $52 billion a year to the state's economy.
At the same time that Scripps started operations in Florida, Tavistock Group, an investment firm that held of land immediately South East of Orlando International Airport began formulating new possibilities for its land use after the decline in tourism to the state. Tavistock decided to use part of the land to establish a Bio-Sciences cluster. In 2005, the state of Florida along with Tavistock Group and the University of Central Florida agreed that Tavistock would donate and $12.5 Million (which the state would match for a total of $25 Million) to start the UCF College of Medicine and the Burnett School of Biomedical Sciences. The UCF College of Medicine won approval from the State Board of Governors in 2006. That decision was key to attracting Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute to Central Florida. Tavistock then donated another and $17.5 Million to Sanford-Burnham which allowed Sanford-Burnham's East Coast expansion. In February and March 2007, Nemours and the The V/A(respectively) announced Lake Nona as the site of two new hospitals.
Other prospective tenants of the Lake Nona Medical City included M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, the University of Florida research center, and Valencia Community College.
It was determined in 2008 from a study done by Arduin, Laffer and Moore Econometrics that the Lake Nona Medical City cluster has in two years reached 80% of the Milken Numbers which were based on the commitments made by the economic development statements. The study then released new projections for the 10 year period which included 30,000 jobs created and a $7.6 Billion economic impact.
Amusement parks, especially in the Orlando area, make up a significant portion of tourism. The Walt Disney World Resort is the largest vacation resort in the world, consisting of four theme parks and more than 20 hotels in Lake Buena Vista, Florida; it, and Universal Orlando Resort, Busch Gardens, SeaWorld, and other major parks drive state tourism. Many beach towns are also popular tourist destinations, particularly in the winter months. 23.2 million tourists visited Florida beaches in 2000, spending $21.9 billion.
The public has a right to beach access under the public trust doctrine. However, some areas have access effectively blocked by private owners for a long distance.
Orlando utilizes the LYNX bus system as well as a downtown bus service called LYMMO, and has attempted to plan a local light rail service for years. A commuter rail service ? SunRail ? has been approved by all concerning counties and is in final planning stages.
Tampa and its surrounding area use the Hillsborough Area Regional Transit Authority system ( "HART"). In addition, downtown Tampa has continuous trolley services in the form of a heritage trolley powered by Tampa Electric Company. Pinellas County and St. Petersburg provide similar services through the Pinellas Suncoast Transit Authority or "PSTA". The beaches of Pinellas County also have a continuous trolley bus. Downtown St. Petersburg has a trolley system.
| Largest public transit systems in Florida (2012, Q1) | |||||
| Rank | City | ! Weekday passenger ridership | ! Populationserved | ! % of populationon transit | Modes of transit |
| 1 | Miami | 367,000 | 2,554,776 | 14.4% | Tri-Rail (commuter rail), Miami Metrorail (heavy rail), Metromover (people mover) & Metrobus |
| 2 | Fort Lauderdale | 147,718 | 1,748,066 | 8.5% | |
| 3 | Orlando | 93,200 | 2,134,411 | 4.4% | |
| 4 | 50,500 | 125,326 | 40.3% | ||
| 5 | Tampa | 50,400 | 1,229,226 | 4.1% | Hillsborough Area Regional Transit |
| 6 | 45,100 | 1,320,134 | 3.4% | [[Tri-Rail (commuter rail) & Palm Tran (bus) | |
| 7 | 42,500 | 916,542 | 4.6% | ||
| 8 | 41,500 | 821,784 | 5.0% | [[Jacksonville Transportation Authority | |
| 9 | 22,400 | 181,376 | 12.4% |
Florida's interstates, state highways and U.S. Highways are maintained by the Florida Department of Transportation. Florida's interstate highway system contains 1,473?miles (2,371?km) of highway, and there are 9,934?miles (15,987?km) of non-interstate highway in the state, such as Florida state highways and U.S. Highways.
In 2011, there were about 9,000 retail gas stations in the state. On an average day, Floridians consume 21 million gallons of gasoline, ranking it third in national use.
Motorists have the 45th worst rate of car insurance in the country. 24% are uninsured. Drivers between 15 and 19 years of age averaged 364 car crashes a year per ten thousand licensed Florida drivers in 2010. Drivers 70 and older averaged 95 per 10,000 during the same time frame. A spokesperson for the non-profit Insurance Institute said that "Older drivers are more of a threat to themselves."
State highways are numbered according to convention. The first digits of state highways are numbered with the first digit indicating what area of the state the road is in, from 1 in the north and east to 9 in the south and west. Major north-south state roads generally have one- or two-digit odd route numbers that increase from east to west, while major east-west state roads generally have one- or two-digit even route numbers that increase from north to south. Roads of secondary importance usually have three-digit route numbers. The first digit x of their route number is the same as the first digit of the road with two-digit number x0 to the immediate north. The three-digit route numbers also increase from north to south for even numbers and east to west for odd numbers.
Following this convention, State Road 907, or Alton Rd. on Miami Beach, is farther east than State Road 997, which is Krome Ave, or the farthest west north-south road in Miami-Dade County. One notable exception to the convention is State Road 826, or the Palmetto Expressway (pictured at the right heading north) which, although even numbered, is signed north-south. State roads can have anywhere from one to four digits depending on the importance and location of the road. County roads often follow this same system.
Prior to the construction of routes under the Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956, Florida began construction of a long cross-state toll road, Florida's Turnpike. The first section, from Fort Pierce south to the Golden Glades Interchange was completed in 1957. After a second section north through Orlando to Wildwood (near present-day The Villages), and a southward extension around Miami to Homestead, it was finished in 1974.
Florida's primary interstate routes include:
The Miami metropolitan area is connected by Tri-rail, a long line with 18 stations which operates on Amtrak rails.
The Florida Department of Transportation was preparing to build a high speed rail between Tampa, Lakeland and Orlando. This was to be the first phase of the Florida High Speed Rail system. Soil work began in July 2010 and construction of the line was slated to begin in 2011, with the initial Tampa-Orlando phase completed by 2014. The second phase, would have extended the line to Miami. Governor Scott, however, refused federal funds and the project has been canceled.
Secondary airports, with annual passenger traffic exceeding 5 million each in 2010, include Southwest Florida International Airport (Fort Myers) (7,514,316), Palm Beach International Airport (West Palm Beach) (5,887,723), and Jacksonville International Airport (5,601,500).
Florida's extensive coastline made it a perceived target during World War II, so the government built airstrips throughout the state; today, approximately 400 airports are still in service. According to the National Drug Intelligence Center, Florida has 131 public airports, and more than 700 private airports, airstrips, heliports, and seaplane bases.
Fourteen, about half, of all Major League Baseball teams conduct spring training in the state. Throughout MLB history other teams, at one time or another, held spring training in Florida.
Yet Florida did not have a permanent major-league-level professional sports team until the American Football League added the Miami Dolphins in 1966. The state now has three NFL teams, two MLB teams, two NBA teams, and two NHL teams.
The state of Florida has given professional sports franchises some subsidies in the form of tax breaks since 1991.
Three of the Arena Football League's teams are in Florida.
Golf, tennis, and auto racing are popular. NASCAR (headquartered in Daytona Beach) begins all three of its major Series in Florida at Daytona International Speedway, and ends all three Series in November at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The PGA of America is headquartered in Palm Beach Gardens while the LPGA is headquartered in Daytona Beach.
Minor league baseball, football, basketball, ice hockey, soccer and indoor football teams are based in Florida. Florida's universities have a number of collegiate sport teams. Florida is the traditional home for Major League Baseball spring training, with teams informally organized into the "Grapefruit League".
Category:States of the United States Category:States of the Southern United States Category:States of the Confederate States of America Category:Former British colonies Category:Former Spanish colonies Category:States and territories established in 1845 Category:Peninsulas of the United States Category:Article Feedback 5 Additional Articles
af:Florida am:???? ang:Florida ar:??????? an:Florida frp:Florida ast:Florida gn:Florida ay:Florida suyu az:Florida bn:???????? zh-min-nan:Florida be:???? ??????? be-x-old:??????? bcl:Florida bi:Florida bg:??????? bar:Florida bo:???????????? bs:Florida br:Florida ca:Florida cv:??????? cs:Florida cbk-zam:Florida co:Florida cy:Florida da:Florida de:Florida nv:??odah Hahoodzo et:Florida el:???????? es:Florida eo:Florido eu:Florida fa:??????? hif:Florida fo:Florida fr:Floride fy:Florida ga:Florida gv:Florida gag:Florida gd:Florida gl:Florida hak:Fu-l?-l?-tha?t xal:??????? ko:???? ? haw:Pololika hy:??????? hi:????????? hsb:Florida hr:Florida io:Florida ig:Fl?r?d? ilo:Florida bpy:???????? id:Florida ia:Florida ie:Florida iu:???? ik:Florida os:??????? zu:Florida is:Fl?r?da it:Florida he:??????? jv:Florida kn:??????? pam:Florida krc:??????? ka:??????? kw:Florida sw:Florida ht:Florid ku:Florida mrj:??????? lad:Florida lez:??????? la:Florida lv:Florida lb:Florida ltSource: http://article.wn.com/view/2013/02/23/Oscar_Eats_Florida_Orange_Bouillabaisse/
bruno mars the Grammys 2013 State of the Union 2013 katy perry Rihanna Katy Perry Grammys 2013 justin timberlake
![[ Back to EurekAlert! ]](http://www.eurekalert.org/images/back2e.gif){kind=small}
Public release date: 20-Feb-2013
Share ] Contact: Megan Hanks
mhanks@acponline.org
215-351-2656
American College of Physicians
PHILADELPHIA, February 20, 2013 -- The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), the leading professional association for informatics professionals, has joined AmericanEHR Partners as a content provider, joining more than 20 professional societies that support the free online resource.
AmericanEHR Partners provides comprehensive information to support clinicians in the selection and use of electronic health records (EHR) in order to improve health care delivery. It was founded by the American College of Physicians (ACP) and Cientis Technologies.
"AMIA is one of the leading medical informatics groups and brings a rich array of high quality content and expertise in health information technology to AmericanEHR Partners," said Michael S. Barr, MD, FACP, MBA, who leads ACP's Medical Practice, Professionalism & Quality division. "As a content partner on AmericanEHR Partners, AMIA will help us ensure that our users can find an array of trusted content that is relevant to them as they adopt and use health IT."
AmericanEHR content providers are not-for-profit organizations with expertise in health care informatics that create neutral educational content to support selection, adoption, and use of EHRs by health care providers and their practice teams.
"AMIA is heavily invested in applied and operational informatics education supporting clinicians," said Kevin M. Fickenscher, MD, president and CEO, AMIA. "AMIA's partnership with AmericanEHR is a perfect fit for outreach and education efforts."
###
About AmericanEHR Partners
AmericanEHR Partners is a free online resource designed to aid the medical community with the selection, implementation, and effective use of health information technology and electronic health records. AmericanEHR Partners was founded by the American College of Physicians and Cientis Technologies and is supported by 16 medical societies and five health IT organizations with a combined membership of more than 700,000 clinicians, representing over 65 percent of physicians in the U.S. It does not endorse any electronic health record vendor. For more information on AmericanEHR Partners, visit www.americanehr.com.
About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 133,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.
About the American Medical Informatics Association
AMIA, the leading professional association for informatics professionals, serves as the voice of the nation's top biomedical and health informatics professionals and plays an important role in medicine, health care, and science, encouraging the use of data, information and knowledge to improve both human health and delivery of healthcare services. More about AMIA is online at www.amia.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Public release date: 20-Feb-2013 Share ] Contact: Megan Hanks
mhanks@acponline.org
215-351-2656
American College of Physicians
PHILADELPHIA, February 20, 2013 -- The American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA), the leading professional association for informatics professionals, has joined AmericanEHR Partners as a content provider, joining more than 20 professional societies that support the free online resource.
AmericanEHR Partners provides comprehensive information to support clinicians in the selection and use of electronic health records (EHR) in order to improve health care delivery. It was founded by the American College of Physicians (ACP) and Cientis Technologies.
"AMIA is one of the leading medical informatics groups and brings a rich array of high quality content and expertise in health information technology to AmericanEHR Partners," said Michael S. Barr, MD, FACP, MBA, who leads ACP's Medical Practice, Professionalism & Quality division. "As a content partner on AmericanEHR Partners, AMIA will help us ensure that our users can find an array of trusted content that is relevant to them as they adopt and use health IT."
AmericanEHR content providers are not-for-profit organizations with expertise in health care informatics that create neutral educational content to support selection, adoption, and use of EHRs by health care providers and their practice teams.
"AMIA is heavily invested in applied and operational informatics education supporting clinicians," said Kevin M. Fickenscher, MD, president and CEO, AMIA. "AMIA's partnership with AmericanEHR is a perfect fit for outreach and education efforts."
###
About AmericanEHR Partners
AmericanEHR Partners is a free online resource designed to aid the medical community with the selection, implementation, and effective use of health information technology and electronic health records. AmericanEHR Partners was founded by the American College of Physicians and Cientis Technologies and is supported by 16 medical societies and five health IT organizations with a combined membership of more than 700,000 clinicians, representing over 65 percent of physicians in the U.S. It does not endorse any electronic health record vendor. For more information on AmericanEHR Partners, visit www.americanehr.com.
About the American College of Physicians
The American College of Physicians is the largest medical specialty organization and the second-largest physician group in the United States. ACP members include 133,000 internal medicine physicians (internists), related subspecialists, and medical students. Internal medicine physicians are specialists who apply scientific knowledge and clinical expertise to the diagnosis, treatment, and compassionate care of adults across the spectrum from health to complex illness. Follow ACP on Twitter and Facebook.
About the American Medical Informatics Association
AMIA, the leading professional association for informatics professionals, serves as the voice of the nation's top biomedical and health informatics professionals and plays an important role in medicine, health care, and science, encouraging the use of data, information and knowledge to improve both human health and delivery of healthcare services. More about AMIA is online at www.amia.org.
[ | E-mail | Share ] ?
AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.
Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2013-02/acop-ces022013.php
the jerk lake havasu halo 4 jewel san francisco earthquake san francisco earthquake terminator salvation
By Adam Shergold
|
Things are always looking a bit desperate for England when they rely on Graeme Swann to do the big hitting - and here's the reason why.
The cricket star was enjoying a relaxing round of golf on a course in New Zealand when he was dared to try an outrageous trick shot.
Fellow bowler Jimmy Anderson even lent him a custom made driver for the challenge - which was simply to thwack a golf ball off an enormous cliff into the sea.
Scroll down for video
'You dare me?' Graeme Swann goes for a trick shot - hitting a golf ball off a cliff into the sea
Whoops! At the end of his swing, the head of the club has flown off somewhere, leaving Swann - and Stuart Broad filming - in fits of giggles
But things didn't go according to plan. Sure, the ball ended up quite a distance out but unfortunately the head of the club did too.
Stuart Broad, who caught the hilarity on camera, thought the loss of the expensive equipment hilarious, dissolving into a fit of laughter.
But perhaps they should both stick to the cricket from now on...
Hilarity: Swann shows no remorse for the damaged club in this picture posted by Broad on Twitter
VIDEO: Swann's trick shot goes badly wrong?
?
ryan leaf luke kuechly brad miller chandler jones peyton hillis fletcher cox charlotte bobcats
Grand Junction, Colo. (KKCO) ? Monday was President's Day, and there are those who wanted to help make a very public display while celebrating the holiday.
For many who live in the Redlands celebrating President's Day by displaying our nation's flag has become a tradition. The Redlands Lions Club offers a flag service for several holidays throughout the year including Presiden't Day.
They put out American flags in front of their customer's homes and say the tradition is a way to display patriotism for our country. The club puts out the flags for 9 holidays each year for a donation of $30. "To drive down the streets and see the American flags being portrayed and demonstrated to the world that we are proud of what we have and what this country is about. The Lions Club uses this as a fundraiser but yet it also provides a show of support of patriotism to the United States," says David Mcilnay, who is with the Lions Club.
Club members started putting theflags up this morning at 7 and are taking them down that same night. They put flags out for about 600 customers.
don draper gallagher madmen james cameron liam hemsworth miss canada justin bieber boyfriend
Stocks could stay in low gear in the week ahead, as traders look for clarity on the Federal Reserve's policy, the housing recovery and most especially ? the consumer.
Home builder sentiment Tuesday, housing starts Wednesday, and existing-home sales Thursday could provide a good look at how the housing market is faring. The Fed also releases minutes of its last meeting on Wednesday and there is much interest in what officials might say about ending extraordinary easing policies earlier than expected.
At the December meeting, several Fed members said they wanted to stop quantitative easing by the end of this year. The Fed is currently buying $85 billion in Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities monthly, under the program. But since the December meeting minutes were released in January, Treasury rates have risen and the 10-year note yield has moved to a higher range around 2 percent.
"I can't imagine that conversation got any less pertinent since December, given the fact we avoided the 'fiscal cliff' and the economic numbers got better," said Deutsche Bank chief U.S. economist Joseph LaVorgna. The makeup of the Fed changed in January, with new voting members, but it is still not expected to take on a more hawkish tone.
Of big interest will be Wal-Mart's earnings Thursday, after Bloomberg news service Friday quoted an email from a mid-level executive saying Wal-Mart's February sales were a "total disaster," the weakest start to a month he'd seen in his seven years with the company. Wal-Mart, in response, said like any organization, it sees internal communications that are not entirely accurate or in context. The report drove Wal-Mart and other retail stocks lower Friday.
Read More: Leaked Wal-Mart email drags retailers
"You're looking at a very important company in a very important space, but it doesn't always meant that as one company goes so goes everyone else and so goes retail sales," said LaVorgna.
Economists have been concerned that the 2-percent increase in payroll taxes would hold back consumers, as gasoline prices are also rising.There is also worry that the delay in tax refunds this year could also dampen consumer spending.
"Wal-Mart bears watching for hints that there was a slowdown. I would be hesitant to say the consumer is done. The consumer is very resilient. Vehicle sales have been good ... it looks anecdotally that vehicle sales numbers look to be okay through February," LaVorgna said, adding that data show consumer sentiment is recovering.
"I certainly think we have to wait until Wal-Mart actually lets us know what the numbers look like," said Art Hogan of Lazard Capital Markets. "I don't think it takes very many bricks to build a bridge to lower consumer sales on the low end and lower consumer sales in general." He said the snowstorm which slammed New England earlier during the month could also have impacted sales since it paralyzed travel for several days.
"Next week, we get a lot of housing data, so the economic-data calendar is richer. We probably start hearing more about whose plans for the sequester are going to work," he said. The sequester is the $85 billion series of automatic spending cuts that kick in on March 1 if Congress does not act.
Europe will also be a factor as investors watch the run-up to the Italian election next weekend. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi also speaks at the European Parliament Economic and Monetary Affairs Committee Monday, when U.S. markets are closed for the President's Day holiday.
As for Italy, the election there is becoming an increasing concern for markets as former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi appears to have gained ground. "What's happening at the short end is Italian bonds have been underperforming Spanish bonds. There's a black out period for the polls," said Marc Chandler, head of foreign exchange strategy at Brown Brothers. "Partly, they're flying in the dark, and the problem is he's in favor of tax cuts."
Slow motion
The S&P 500 gained for a seventh week, but the advance was just 0.1 percent to 1519, and the Dow was down less than 0.1 percent at13,981. The Nasdaq was also lower by less than 0.1 percent, to 3192. But the small-cap Russell 2000 moved in a much bigger way and scored repeated new highs in the past week. It ended the week up 1 percent at 923.
"I think the tendency at the moment is to trade sideways to perhaps biased downward. I think to change that directionally, it's going to need something more macro," said Mark Luschini, chief investment strategist at Janney Montgomery. He said the market could be helped by some positive development on the "sequester" spending cuts, but analysts have been lowering the odds on any serious action by Congress.
The past week was marked by a sudden surge in takeover activity, including the planned $24 billion acquisition of Heinz by Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and 3G Captial Management. US Air and American Airways also announced their long awaited merger, and Comcast in a surprise move, said it would buy the rest of NBC Universal from General Electric sooner than expected for $16.7 billion. NBC is the parent of CNBC.
Stocks involved in the deals moved on the news, as did some stocks in related sectors, like food, but the broader market did not budge.
"I think it's a little bit of a negative that the market is not a little more excited about it," said Laszlo Birinyi, president of Birinyi Associates. "Part of it is companies have so much cash and they're not getting paid to do anything with it."
Birinyi said he sees a chance that the S&P hits 1600 this year, and he remains bullish. "I'd feel better if the market did react a little more aggressively. On the other hand, I'm very pleased with how this market is holding in."
He said the rash of activism in the market is also apositive. "Anytime there's a disturbance that can bring focus to bear on an issue, I think it helps," he said. He said the activity is positive, even if he disagrees with the objections.
Dell's going private deal faces objections from shareholders over price, and Apple too is facing a test. Hedge-fund manager David Einhorn is suing Apple, seeking to block its shareholder vote on a proposal to eliminate the ability to issue preferred stock without investor approval. A hearing in the case is set for Tuesday in Manhattan.
Not So Glittery
Gold took a pounding in the past week, losing 3.4 percent to $1,609.50 per ounce.
"In a way, the same thing is happening with the great rotation," said Chandler, noting investors are taking cash and putting it to work in the equities market. "What they're reducing is cash and some of them think gold is a form of cash and there's money coming from gold, going into the stock market."
What to Watch:
Monday
President's Day holiday
Tuesday
1000 a.m. NAHB survey
Wednesday
0830 a.m. Housing starts
0830 a.m. Producer prices
2:00 p.m. FOMC minutes
Thursday
0830 a.m. Jobless claims
0830 a.m. Consumer Prices
1000 a.m. Existing home sales
Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/business/stocks-expected-idle-investors-eye-us-consumer-1C8415554
james jones aladdin black forest ufc 144 fight card ufc 144 results acura nsx all star weekend 2012
PARIS (Reuters) - An investigation has identified a French meat-processing firm as a likely culprit in the horsemeat scandal that has enraged consumers across Europe and implicated traders and abattoirs from Cyprus to Romania.
Separately, British police investigating alleged mislabeling of beef products arrested three people on Thursday at facilities in Wales and Yorkshire which had handled horsemeat and were raided by police earlier, British media reported.
No further details on the British arrests were immediately available.
The French probe into how horsemeat found its way into ready meals sold across Europe found that the Spanghero firm labeled meat as beef when it knew what it was processing may have been horse, the government said on Thursday.
Spanghero, based in the town of Castelnaudary near Toulouse in southwest France, could have its operating license revoked and will face legal action if the suspicions are confirmed, France's consumer affairs and farm ministers told a news conference.
"It would seem that the first agent in this chain to label the meat 'beef' was indeed Spanghero," Consumer Affairs Minister Benoit Hamon said. "This was either a very big mistake or a deception for profit."
There was no indication that a Romanian firm supplying meat to Spanghero had mislabeled what was in fact horsemeat, he said, arguing that Spanghero could not have failed to notice the meat it was importing was much cheaper than beef.
"The investigation shows Spanghero knew the meat labeled as beef could be horse. There was a strong suspicion," he said.
Spanghero denied the accusations and said it firmly believed what it was selling was beef. "There is an inquiry under way which will determine whether there was negligence or not," a spokeswoman said.
The privately-owned company, founded by two brothers of 1970s French rugby star Walter Spanghero, produces thousands of metric tons of processed meat, sold in nondescript blocks, and jars of regional dishes like cassoulet from its premises in Castelnaudary.
HORSEMEAT PROFITS
The scandal, which has triggered recalls of ready meals and shattered confidence in Europe's vast and complex food industry, erupted last month when tests carried out in Ireland revealed that meat in some "beef" products was up to 100 percent horsemeat.
The British government and the European Union have called for a high-level meeting to investigate, and the issue will be on the agenda of a February 25 farm ministers meeting.
The European Commission has proposed increased DNA-testing of meat products to try to establish the scale of a scandal which has exposed just how many countries a portion of mince may have travelled through before ending up in a frozen lasagne.
EU legislation states that horsemeat can be sold in meat products on the condition it is declared on the label. Member states are responsible for proper enforcement of the rules.
Hamon said the French investigation found that Spanghero had generated a profit of 550,000 euros ($733,800) over six months by selling cheap horsemeat as beef in a supply chain that reached through 28 companies in 13 countries.
He also wagged his finger at another French firm, Comigel, which used processed meat from Spanghero to make frozen "beef" ready meals, saying it should have noticed when it thawed the meat blocks that they did not look and smell like beef.
Comigel said in a statement it paid market prices for what it thought was beef. It said it had alerted the authorities as soon as it became aware of a problem and had filed a legal complaint as a victim of fraud.
It also said its frozen meat had not been thawed for inspection before entering its factory for cooking, so its staff would not have noticed anything unusual in its appearance or smell.
As regulators across Europe raced to test food products, Britain's Food Standards Agency said six horses slaughtered in Britain that tested positive for the drug phenylbutazone were exported to France and may have entered the human food chain.
Phenylbutazone, known as bute, is an anti-inflammatory painkiller for sporting horses which is banned for animals intended for human consumption as it is potentially harmful.
Asda, one of Britain's biggest supermarkets, said it was recalling its beef bolognese sause after a preliminary test result suggested the presence of horse DNA in the product.
(Additional reporting by Nicholas Vinocur and Marion Douet; Writing by Catherine Bremer; Editing by Andrew Roche)
Source: http://news.yahoo.com/french-government-suspects-firm-sold-horsemeat-labeled-beef-164307309.html
cooking a turkey toysrus how to carve a turkey ipad 2 wal mart happy thanksgiving Macys Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012
