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Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) ordered all California beaches and state parks to close last week. However, photos of Democratic Congressman Harley Rouda reportedly show he was at a private beach last weekend despite saying that opening the beaches was "reckless." "Keeping Orange County beaches open during a heat wave is reckless," Rouda tweeted April 21. "We need leaders who will prioritize public health and make the tough calls to keep our families safe."

Five days after ordering the “hard close” of all state and local beaches in Orange County to curb the spread of coronavirus, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Tuesday announced three more Orange County cities can begin allowing the public back on some areas of the scenic coastline. The governor reached agreements with Huntington Beach, Seal Beach and Dana Point to lift state-mandated closures, with some restrictions and effective immediately, one day after California approved plans put forth by local officials in Laguna Beach and San Clemente. “The good news, is just a few hours ago, we were able to make similar...

Finally! A Grim Reaper who's trying to save lives.Move over “Florida man” stories, because 2020 is shaping up to be the year of the “Florida lawyer.” That is if Florida attorney Daniel Uhlfelder has anything to do with it. Uhlfelder is the man you’ve probably heard of by now who achieved nationwide notoriety by dressing as the archetypal representation of Death itself in order to caution Florida beachgoers against the dangers of reopening pandemic-stricken beaches too soon. When I heard of this story, I immediately sent Uhlfelder an email asking for an interview. He responded within just a few minutes...

Beaches to be closed again. @KUSINews pic.twitter.com/tYc89J1uDl — Ginger Jeffries (@GingerKUSI) April 30, 2020______ SAN DIEGO (KUSI) – In a memo sent to city leaders, Governor Gavin Newsom stated that tomorrow he is announcing closure of all beaches and all state parks in California, effective May 1st. Newsom highlights that after seeing multiple violations of the stay-at-home order is the reason for this closure. “Those images are an example of what not to see, people, what not to do if we’re going to make the meaningful progress that we’ve made in the last few weeks extend into the next number...

Gov. Gavin Newsom will order all beaches and state parks closed starting Friday after people thronged the seashore during a sweltering weekend despite his social distancing order that aims to slow the spread of the coronavirus, according to a memo sent to police chiefs around the state. Eric Nuñez, president of the California Police Chiefs Association, said it was sent to the group's members Wednesday evening so they have time to plan ahead of Newsom’s expected announcement Thursday. SNIP While most state parks and many local beaches, trails and parks have been closed for weeks, Newsom's order is sure to...

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will be closing all beaches and state parks across the state starting Friday to help slow the spread of the coronavirus, according to a memo sent to California police chiefs Wednesday. The decision comes less than a week after Newsom called out the massive crowds that flocked to Newport Beach in Orange County last weekend during a heatwave. Newsom called the beach crowds an example of "what not to do" for the state to make progress toward easing restrictions in the statewide stay-at-home order.

The Miami Herald, the revenue-losing paper which is owned by a company that may be pursuing a coronavirus-linked taxpayer bailout, has a columnist who'd like half that taxpaying population dead. This tweet from a Miami Herald columnist tells you all you need to know about her, and based on their hiring choices, likely everything you need to know about the Miami Herald as well. Their flagrant bias continues to go on unchecked. Disgusting. https://t.co/FOmn5zxnaK — Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) April 19, 2020 Here's the now-deleted tweet: It was a ridiculous tweet, because it turns out Florida doesn't have 'packed beaches.'...

FOLLY BEACH, S.C. (WCSC) - Four Lowcountry beach communities have agreed to continue island restrictions even as governor McMaster is expected to re-open beach access early next week. Leaders with Isle of Palms, Sullivan’s Island, Folly Beach and Edisto Beach have been in contact with county officials since finding out about the governor’s plans. “People should not assume that because one regulation is relaxed, that the threat has passed,” Sullivan’s Island Mayor Patrick O’Neil said. “It will be very important for people to distinguish between being able to have access to the beach per say, versus having access to the...

MYRTLE BEACH, S.C. (WMBF) - Beach access in South Carolina will reopen next week, according to officials. S.C. State Senator Stephen Goldfinch said on Facebook Saturday afternoon simply,“Beach Access being reopened next week.” Goldfinch tells WMBF News the information comes from the governor’s office. According to S.C. Rep Alan Clemmons, Gov. Henry McMaster is set to address the matter in a press conference scheduled for Monday, April 20. “Thank you, Governor Henry McMaster, for listening and taking appropriate action to reopen public access to our beaches, while keeping in place social distancing requirements, allowing no more than three individuals to...

The mayor of Jacksonville, Fla., said that the city's beaches and parks are will reopen at 5 p.m. Friday, but with restrictions as the coronavirus outbreak continues across the state and country. The beaches and parks will be open for essential activities only, which per Gov. Ron DeSantis' (R) executive order include walking, biking, hiking, fishing, running, swimming and surfing as long as social distancing guidelines are followed. “This can be the beginning of the pathway back to normal life,” Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry said Thursday. “Please respect and follow these limitations. Stay within the guidelines for your safety as...

Pinellas County’s world-famous beaches have been nearly empty for three weeks, but that could change on Thursday. During an emergency meeting Monday for the Pinellas County Commission to extend emergency orders, a majority of the seven commissioners said they want information for a Thursday meeting so they can consider opening private pools at condominiums and parts of the county’s beaches for exercise and recreation. One such scenario could allow residents to use the shoreline for walking and jogging, but not allow crowds to congregate in beach chairs or under canopies. Another could allow private condominium pools to open, but would...

Former Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee has filed a lawsuit against Walton County in Florida, and their Sheriff’s Office, for threatening to arrest him and his neighbors if they use their private beaches. Huckabee teamed up with several other residents to file a federal complaint over a county ordinance that closed all beaches, including the ones on private property, which they contend stops them from “being able to use or even set foot in their own backyards.” The lawsuit was filed on Monday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida and argues that their constitutional rights are...

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti announced new measures Sunday to help fight the spread of the coronavirus in L.A., as well as speed up testing for high-risk residents. While many Californians have been adhering to stay at home orders and social distancing guidelines, like keeping six feet distance from other people, far too many are not, the mayor said. "This weekend we saw too many images of too many people crowding beaches or canyons beyond their capacity. Too many people, too close together, too often," Garcetti said. "The longer we do that, the more people will get sick, and the...

A slew of popular Florida beaches have closed to keep away crowds of young people and seasonal visitors amid the coronavirus outbreak — but GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis defiantly says he won’t issue a statewide closure order. Miami-Dade, Manatee, Sarasota and Okaloosa counties said Thursday they’d close their beaches, joining Naples, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale and Miami Beach as vacationers flood into the Sunshine State, Politico reported. “I’ve stood by every local community… [beach closure is] great if that’s good for them. But I also think we’re going to be in a situation where if people are able to go out...

A woman was dead after a bluff collapsed at Grandview Surf Beach in Encinitas Friday afternoon, authorities said. Discarded beach chairs and sun hats could be seen near the portion of cliff that officials say sloughed off around 3 p.m. beneath a staircase giving access from the 1700 block of Neptune Avenue. In addition to the fatality, four others were hurt. Two people were in critical condition, one of whom had to be airlifted for treatment, according to Encinitas Fire Chief Mike Stein. Another two people suffered minor injuries. One of them was treated and released at the scene, while...

Mississippi closed all mainland beaches on the state's coastline during the Fourth of July weekend due to toxic bacteria sweeping the state's Gulf Coast. The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality (MDEQ) has been closing beaches due to blue-green algae blooms since June. By Sunday, the spread of the noxious bacteria forced the department to close the state’s last open mainland beach.

A young boy was rushed to the hospital after he contracted a flesh-eating bacteria at a Maryland beach. Brittany Carey shared two graphic images of her son's leg where the bacteria began eating away at his flesh in three spots. Carey said in a Facebook post on Saturday that her parents had taken her son out for a beach day off the coast of Ocean City on June 23. She wrote that her son had a great time swimming until June 24 when she 'started noticing little spots developing all over his body'. 'Tuesday morning there were open wounds developing...

• TripAdvisor has released its 2017 Travelers' Choice Awards, naming the 25 best beaches in the US. • Florida's Siesta Key Beach claims the title of America's best beach, followed by coastal stretches across the country in Hawaii, California, Georgia, and more. • TripAdvisor also found the cheapest month to visit each beach destination, and the average rate for a hotel room there. The world is full of gorgeous beaches, so it's easy to forget that the US has some spectacular beaches of its own — especially if you don't live along the coast. TripAdvisor's 2017 Travelers' Choice Awards, which...

Back in 2014 Mark Zuckerberg paid $100 million to purchase 700 acres of beachfront property on the North Shore of Kauai. The estate includes 1,000's of feet of pristine shoreline providing the perfect "safe space" for the 30-year-old Silicon Valley Billionaire and his family. Unfortunately, there was just one little problem with the purchase...technically the sellers didn't own the title to all of that land due to the so-called Kuleana Act, a Hawaiian law established in 1850 that for the first time gave natives the right to own the land that they lived on. So now, according to the Honolulu...

Residents of a Siberian town documented their encounter with a rare phenomenon -- hundreds of naturally formed snowballs covering a beach. The snowballs, ranging from about the size of a tennis ball to nearly 3 feet across, were created by wind and water rolling tiny pieces of ice into balls in the Gulf of Ob, in the Arctic Circle village of Nyda. Residents said they have never seen anything like the snowballs in the gulf. "As a rule, first there is a primary natural phenomenon -- sludge ice, slob ice. Then comes a combination of the effects of the wind,...