Rory O’Neill has been a Florida-based correspondent since 1999. Prior to joining the network, Rory worked at radio stations in Daytona Beach and in his native Rhode Island.

During his time in the “Sunshine State,” Rory covered countless high-profile stories including the 2000 saga of Elian Gonzalez, the case of Terri Schiavo, and Casey Anthony’s murder trial. Other stories include the death of Trayvon Martin, the Surfside condo collapse, and the Pulse Nightclub shooting.

Over more than two decades of reporting, Rory has closely followed NASA missions including the space shuttle program, assembly of the International Space Station, and the Artemis mission to return humans to the moon. He has also covered the rapid expansion of commercial spaceflight by companies like SpaceX, Blue Origin, and more.

Of course, you can’t cover Florida without reporting on hurricanes, and Rory has covered more than he can count. Riding out the storm as it makes landfall, in the broadcast booth helping to relay emergency information, or on the ground with first responders as they coordinate disaster recovery, Rory has reported on every angle of the storm.

A self-described political junkie, Rory was “hanging with the chads” during the 2000 presidential election recount in Florida. He’s covered two presidential debates, attended a half-dozen political conventions and two presidential inaugurations. “Work” has also taken him to six Super Bowls, a dozen Daytona 500s, a World Series, and the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

In 2016, Rory stepped away from the daily news cycle to spend a year traveling around the world. The solo journey took him to more than 40 countries before his return to Florida where he worked at a local affiliate in Miami before rejoining the network.