Sunday, May 24, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1962, astronaut Scott Carpenter lifted off from Cape Canaveral’s Launch Complex 14 aboard Aurora 7, becoming the second American to orbit Earth. Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Months after he stopped a 400-pound boulder that was heading towards a child during a live show at Hollywood Studios, Robert Herrick has returned to work. Get all the details in Et Cetera.

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla Brown highlighted new research on a kitchen staple that scientists say could play a surprising role in protecting brain health. Multiple long-term studies found people who ate it regularly had a significantly lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, adding to growing evidence that everyday diet choices may have a bigger impact on memory and cognition than once thought. Listen here.

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Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Blue Origin Bets $600M on Florida

Blue Origin will invest $600 million to build an 830,000-square-foot upper-stage rocket manufacturing facility at Cape Canaveral Spaceport—the company’s biggest single investment yet on Florida’s Space Coast.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the project, called “Project Horizon,” on Friday; the new Brevard County facility will create 500 aerospace jobs with average salaries exceeding $98,000. The building will produce upper-stage components for Blue Origin’s New Glenn heavy-lift rocket.

Blue Origin already operates 11 sites across Brevard and Orange counties, employing nearly 4,000 workers and channeling more than $2.3 billion through 500 Florida suppliers. CEO Dave Limp called Project Horizon “the latest and most ambitious chapter in Blue Origin’s decade-long commitment to Florida.”

The announcement comes as the FAA cleared New Glenn to fly again after closing a one-month investigation into an April launch anomaly. Blue Origin plans up to 12 New Glenn launches before year’s end.

DeSantis Signs the Teddy Bridgewater Act

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed the “Teddy Bridgewater Act” into law Friday at Jean Ribault High School in Jacksonville, allowing Florida coaches to use their own money for player meals, transportation, and physical therapy.

The law is named for former NFL quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, who grew up in Miami’s Liberty City neighborhood and returned home to coach at Miami Northwestern High School. Bridgewater was suspended before his second season after admitting he used personal funds to pay for players’ Uber rides and meals—a practice previously banned under Florida athletic rules.

DeSantis also signed a companion bill Friday that lets school districts offer more competitive coaching salaries by allowing booster clubs to supplement pay. Both measures were signed at Ribault, a Jacksonville school with a celebrated football tradition.

Heat, Storms, Rip Currents This Weekend

Florida’s Memorial Day weekend brings a statewide triple hazard: afternoon thunderstorms from the Panhandle to South Florida, dangerous rip currents along both coasts, and heat index values near 100°F.

The National Weather Service has placed rip current risk at high levels along Atlantic beaches from the Space Coast to the Keys, with the Panhandle shoreline also under elevated warnings.

Central Florida’s forecast follows a summerlike pattern through the long weekend, with scattered afternoon storms Saturday and Sunday before showers carry into Monday.

South Florida faces hot, humid beach hazards through the weekend. The NWS advises checking local beach forecasts and swimming only where lifeguards are posted.

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➤ Levy County: Residents and business owners in Inglis and Yankeetown are raising concerns about discolored water, a recent boil water notice, and the long-term reliability of the town’s water system. (More)

➤ Flagler County: Deputies rescued over 50 dogs from a woman’s home after an investigation spanning Flagler and St. Johns Counties; the animals were found in filthy, neglectful conditions and the woman now faces multiple animal cruelty charges. (More)

➤ Land O’ Lakes: The community has become the first master-planned development to deploy AI-powered robotic beehives designed to monitor and protect colonies in an effort to help safeguard against colony collapse. (Details)

➤ Pensacola: Downtown’s iconic Palafox Street officially reopened Friday with a ribbon-cutting ceremony after a major reconstruction project, with city leaders and residents celebrating what they called “The New Palafox.” (See Photos)

➤ Jacksonville: Natasha Jackson walked the stage at Riverside High’s graduation Friday to accept her late son Matthew’s diploma—he was 18 when he was shot and killed while working at a Burger King last November. (See Video)

➤ South Florida: Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz announced Friday she’s running for another congressional term in a new district after GOP-led redistricting backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis reshuffled South Florida’s political map. (More)

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➤ Florida evened the NCAA softball Gainesville Super Regional at one game apiece Saturday, routing Texas Tech 10-2 to force a decisive Game 3 today. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the Gators’ baseball team fell 8-7 to rival Georgia in the SEC tournament semifinals, surrendering four unanswered runs across the seventh and eighth innings. (More)

➤ Miami committed three errors and threw two wild pitches in a 9-3 loss to top-seeded Georgia Tech in the ACC baseball tournament semifinals. (More)

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➤ AAA has activated its annual Tow to Go program statewide for Memorial Day weekend, offering free tows and rides home to impaired drivers at no charge through 6 a.m. on Tuesday. (Details)

➤ Disney stunt performer Robert Herrick is back at work at the Indiana Jones Epic Stunt Spectacular at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, months after a runaway 400-pound boulder prop injured him during a live show. (See Photo)

➤ Donald Trump Jr. legally married socialite Bettina Anderson in West Palm Beach on Thursday ahead of their weekend Bahamas wedding celebration, with Palm Beach County records confirming the marriage license was filed. (More)

➤ A Fort Myers bookstore rescued hundreds of books from a dumpster after learning the Lee County School District had flagged them for disposal. (See Video)

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