Good Morning! On this day in 1839, President Martin Van Buren appointed Robert Raymond Reid governor of Florida. Reid presided at the convention that drafted Florida’s first constitution.
Welcome to winter, sort of. Yesterday marked the start of meteorological winter, a designation meteorologists use to refer to the calendar months of December, January, and February. This simplifies the division of seasons, tracking statistics, and often lines up with actual weather changes. Astronomical winter, of course, begins on the winter solstice, Dec. 21.
Shopping for your loved ones? Skip the guesswork and use The Flyover Christmas Gift Guide, packed with the year’s smartest, most reliable picks.
If you’ve ever wished your generosity could stretch even further, today’s sponsor, Convoy of Hope’s Matching Challenge, allows every dollar you give right now to be doubled, helping to feed hungry families and bring hope around the world.
Daytona Beach 🌤️ 79/59° | Fort Myers 🌦️ 81/66° | Jacksonville 🌧️ 76/51° | Key West 🌤️ 81/72° | Miami 🌤️ 83/70° | Ocala 🌧️ 78/55° | Orlando 🌦️ 80/62° | Pensacola 🌤️ 59/36° | Port St. Lucie 🌥️ 84/65° | Tallahassee 🌦️ 69/40° | Tampa 🌦️ 81/63°
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Florida Supreme Court Asks for More Judges
The Florida Supreme Court is requesting that lawmakers add 25 more circuit and county court judges to the state, a move that requires legislative approval. All of the appointments would be made by Gov. Ron DeSantis during his final year in office.
Five of the seven justices currently on the state supreme court were appointed by the governor. With Justice Charles Canady stepping down in January, DeSantis will also fill that vacancy.
The court certified the need for 13 new circuit judges and 12 county judges, primarily driven by caseload growth in Southwest Florida and in major counties, including Duval, Miami-Dade, and Orange.
It is the second year the court has made a significant request, following last year’s recommendation to add 48 judges. In 2025, lawmakers approved 22 circuit judges and 15 county judges.
Uthmeier Investigates Campbell’s Soup
Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier said last week that his office is investigating allegations that the Campbell’s Soup Company has been using bioengineered meat in its soups. The company has strongly denied the claim.
The investigation was announced after a TV station in Detroit reported an audio recording of a Campbell’s vice president criticizing the company for using bioengineered meat and saying that he didn’t want to “eat a piece of chicken that came from a 3-D printer.”
“Florida law bans lab-grown meat. Our Consumer Protection division is launching an investigation and will demand answers from Campbell’s,” Uthmeier wrote on X.
In a statement posted to the company’s website, Campbell’s denied the allegations, stating that it uses chicken from “long-trusted, USDA-approved U.S. suppliers” in its soups.
The Best Cities to Live in Florida
U.S. News & World Report ranked 81 Florida cities in this year’s list of the best places to live, examining five key factors to determine which locations in the U.S. best match Americans’ preferences.
The five index factors included quality of life, housing affordability and cost of living, crime rates, the job market, and the number of residents moving in or out of an area.
Parkland, in Broward County, took the No. 1 spot in Florida and ranked No. 59 on the national list. Palm Harbor, Weston, Jupiter, and Alafaya closed out the top five cities in the Sunshine State.
The report revealed a significant shift from the previous ranking, which had placed six Florida cities in the top 50, including Naples, the best-ranked city nationwide. Naples is now ranked at No. 179. Johns Creek, Georgia, is ranked No. 1 on this year’s list.
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➤ Statewide: Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking lawmakers to draft legislation to protect animals from abuse, including cracking down on puppy mills and other negligent breeders. (More)
➤ Statewide: Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky told the Senate Banking and Insurance Committee last week he wants to make sure regulators can properly oversee AI use by insurance companies. (More)
➤ Miami: Police investigated a suspicious package that was left by a tree outside a federal courthouse where deliberations are scheduled to continue in rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s defamation lawsuit against blogger Milagro Gramz. (More)
➤ Orange County: Sen. Carlos Guillermo Smith filed a package of bills with the aim of keeping children from drowning. State data shows that about 65% of the children who drowned this year were between the ages of 1 and 3. (See Details)
➤ Escambia County: The Pensacola Bay Fishing Bridge Replacement Project will begin this month. The bridge sustained damage during Hurricane Sally in 2020. The project is expected to be completed by summer 2027. (More)
➤ Orlando: A house bill filed by state Rep. Anna Eskamani, D-District 42, aims to create a plan for public school staff if a student with a disability elopes or runs away unattended. (More)
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➤ The Florida Gators hired Tulane coach Jon Sumrall as their next head coach. Sumrall’s six-year deal pays $7.5 million per year with potential pay bumps for making the College Football Playoff. (More)
➤The Gators also hired Dave Caldwell away from the Philadelphia Eagles as their new football general manager. Caldwell was previously GM of the Jacksonville Jaguars from 2013 to 2020. (More)
➤Auburn signed USF coach Alex Golesh to a six-year head coaching contract. Golesh was 23-15 during his three seasons with the Bulls. (More)
➤ Florida fell five spots to No. 15 in this week’s men’s college basketball AP poll. No other Florida teams made the top 25. (See Full Poll)
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➤ Jacksonville’s first-ever outdoor ice skating rink opened Friday morning downtown near the Riverside Arts Market. (More)
➤ Mainsail Lodging & Development in Tampa is launching a new initiative called Plates with Purpose to help local families. From Dec. 2 to Dec. 9, restaurants inside five Mainsail hotels will donate the equivalent of up to five meals for every entrée sold. (More)
➤ Universal Destinations & Experiences, which operates parks worldwide, including Universal Studios in Orlando, is considering implementing sensor-equipped seats and robotic inspection devices to enhance safety on its rides. (More)
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➤ Brain surgery helped a 7-year-old from Bradenton become seizure-free. (More)
➤ The family of 13-year-old Lilly Glaubach has been fighting for tougher hit-and-run laws in and around Sarasota since 2022, when she was killed in a hit-and-run crash. (More)
➤ A Pasco County entrepreneur turned her life around after prison, opening Creations Med Aesthetics and Wellness Spa in Lutz. (More)
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Florida Supreme Court Asks for More Judges
