Good Morning! On this day in 1983, while giving a speech in Florida, President Ronald Reagan first used the term “Evil Empire” about the USSR.
After a man claimed to have been kidnapped by dolphins and said he was forced to build an underwater city, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office said on social media, “We checked with our newly implemented Underwater Construction Investigation Team and learned the dolphins of our oceans deny any involvement.” Get all the details in Et Cetera.
Today’s sponsor, Sonic Glow Toothbrush, uses powerful sonic vibrations and built-in blue light technology to help remove plaque, protect sensitive gums, and promote a cleaner, brighter, healthier smile in just seconds a day.
Daytona Beach ⛈️ 81/65° | Fort Myers 🌤️ 89/66° | Jacksonville ⛈️ 85/64° | Key West 🌤️ 81/74° | Miami ☀️ 82/73° | Ocala 🌤️ 85/63° | Orlando ☀️ 87/66° | Pensacola ⛈️ 73/65° | Port St. Lucie 🌤️ 85/66° | Tallahassee ☁️ 81/63° | Tampa 🌤️ 86/66°
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Auto Insurance Rates Drop
Florida Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky announced on Thursday that the state’s top five auto insurance companies are decreasing their average rates by 8%.
“The historic legislative reforms continue to drive auto insurance rates down—with nearly 80% of Florida’s auto policyholders seeing lower rates for 2026,” Yaworsky said.
State laws passed in 2022 and 2023 help insurance companies save money on legal fees when attorneys sue them, and now some of those savings are being passed on to customers of Progressive, GEICO, State Farm, Allstate, and USAA.
Miami Developer Charged in $85M Fraud
Prominent Miami real estate developer Rishi Kapoor, 41, has been charged in an alleged $85 million fraud scheme that helped him buy a luxury yacht and fund a lavish lifestyle.
Kapoor was the chief executive officer of Location Ventures, a Miami-based real estate development company who was able to raise $85 million from investors for promised real estate projects, most of which were never built.
“Despite being entitled to a capped salary of $400,000 plus certain fees, Kapoor diverted substantially more funds for personal use,” prosecutors said in a news release.
He has been charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, money laundering, conspiracy to commit offenses against and to defraud the U.S., failure to pay payroll taxes, tax evasion, failure to file tax returns, and bank fraud.
Apalachicola Airport Plans Employment Boost
Leaders at the Apalachicola Regional Airport say the facility is positioning itself to become the second-largest employer in Franklin County.
The airport manager says a total of $8.3 million in funding has been secured. The Florida Department of Transportation has agreed to put $2.3 million in this year’s budget, and there is a $2.5 million appropriation from the Florida House and Senate, as well as a $3.5 million grant from Florida Commerce.
Hanger upgrades, runway rehabilitation, and a classroom-to-shop training pipeline are in the works.
The plan could bring maintenance shops, parts suppliers, and a steady stream of aviation jobs to an area that has struggled for years to grow higher-paying work.
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➤Statewide: Republican gubernatorial candidate James Fishback says that his campaign has been banned from every Waffle House in Florida after he promised to meet voters “where they are” at the restaurants. (More)
➤Statewide: Florida’s bar says it “erroneously” stated that an ethics investigation is underway against Lindsey Halligan, the ex-U.S. attorney in the Eastern District of Virginia who prosecuted President Trump’s political adversaries. (More)
➤Bradford County: The Bradford County School District will receive $3 million to build a new Commercial Driver’s License training facility offered through North Florida Technical College. (More)
➤Orange County: Six people were transported from SeaWorld to the hospital on Friday “out of an abundance of caution” after a ride stalled for seven minutes. (More)
➤Cape Coral: A community fridge set up by the owner of Lee County Plumbing and Supply to help people in need is now facing uncertainty after the city issued a code compliance warning at the property. (Details)
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➤Pool D action at Miami’s loanDepot park for the 2026 World Baseball Classic continues today, with games between Netherlands and the Dominican Republic at noon as well as Nicaragua vs. Israel at 7 p.m. (More)
➤Florida Panthersstar Matthew Tkachuk led the Panthers to a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Red Wings on Friday, recording a hat trick and icing the game with this third-period empty-net goal. (See Goal)
➤Florida Gulf Coastmen’s basketball rode a 17-0 first-half run to a dominant 77-53 win over Lipscomb in the ASUN Tournament on Friday, advancing to the semifinals. (More)
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Flying together with our sponsor
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➤ Two Wakulla County seniors in their eighties are gearing up to compete in the Capital City Senior Games powerlifting competition on Tuesday. (See Training Photos)
➤The Tampa Training Ground recently opened a massive outdoor and indoor facility at 6621 Memorial Hwy. to help make youth soccer accessible and affordable. (More)
➤The Lee County Sheriff’s Office playfully debunked an online rumor that dolphins kidnapped a man to build an underwater city. “No dolphins were harmed in the making of this rumor,” they said on social media. (More)
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Gov. Ron DeSantis launched a social media series dubbed Diners, Drive-ins & DeSantis, highlighting restaurant stops across Florida.
Auto Insurance Rates Drop
