Good Morning! On this day in 1763, British troops took possession of Pensacola, beginning 20 years of British rule over Florida. Spain had ceded the territory to Britain to regain Havana, which had been captured during the Seven Years’ War.
Our Poll today asks if you’d ever volunteer to be part of a simulated disaster drill because of an item in Et Cetera about a massive nighttime drill at the Orlando airport. Hit reply to tell us what disaster you would most want to help simulate and prepare for.
Here is a debate you don’t want to miss. Warren Buffett, the man behind one of history’s greatest fortunes, has an investing rule for everyday people, and it’s simple. He calls it the 90/10 rule, and it’s the same plan he wrote into his own will for his wife’s inheritance. But critics say it’s far too aggressive for retirees, and maybe for anyone who can’t stomach a downturn. So which side is right? Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla takes you inside both sides of the fight, plus what happened when one researcher put the rule through a 30-year stress test. Tune in here!
Today’s sponsor is Incogni, a privacy service that helps remove your personal information from data broker databases and keep it off the web automatically.
Daytona Beach ☁️ 84/77° | Fort Myers ⛈️ 90/75° | Jacksonville 🌤️ 88/75° | Key West ☁️ 87/82° | Miami ⛈️ 87/81° | Ocala 🌤️ 89/73° | Orlando ⛈️ 88/76° | Pensacola 🌤️ 88/78° | Port St. Lucie ⛈️ 87/78° | Tallahassee 🌤️ 91/74° | Tampa ⛈️ 87/75°
Judge Orders Property Tax Ballot Rewrite
A Leon County circuit judge ruled Monday that the ballot title and summary of Florida’s property tax cut amendment are misleading and must be rewritten.
Amendment 3 would raise the homestead exemption to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 for non-school taxes. Judge David Frank called the title “more akin to a political slogan” and said phrases like “protecting small businesses” were political rhetoric rather than explanation.
If the state doesn’t appeal, Attorney General James Uthmeier has 10 days to rewrite the summary, and ballots must be finalized by the end of August.
Jamie Cole, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the goal is fair language, not knocking the measure off the ballot. DeSantis, who has toured the state criticizing rising property tax bills, did not immediately comment.
Crew-13 Targets Sept. 12 Launch
NASA’s SpaceX Crew-13 mission is targeting a Sept. 12 launch to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Commander Jessica Watkins leads pilot Luke Delaney, Canadian astronaut Joshua Kutryk, and Russian cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov on the long-duration science mission. Their experiments will target treatments for heart disease and Parkinson’s, as well as crop production for future deep-space flights.
Delaney, a DeBary native and Deltona High School graduate, is making his first spaceflight. “I’m real excited, the closer we get, the more real it seems,” he said.
It’s NASA’s first crewed mission numbered 13 since Apollo 13 in 1970. The crew rehearses in its Dragon capsule on Friday before entering quarantine at Kennedy Space Center.
Flock Camera Pushback Spreads
Residents packed Monday night’s Taylor County Commission meeting to demand answers about the Flock license plate readers operating in their county.
Undersheriff Marty Tompkins said the county owns none of the cameras, which belong to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and deputies must log a case number to search the system. “If we found an officer misusing the system, they would be terminated,” he said.
The same night in Lake City, the city council voted 3-2 against placing a non-binding referendum on the November ballot. Police Chief Gerald Butler defended the cameras, citing last week’s Marion County Amber Alert.
Meanwhile, a St. Petersburg man who calls himself “the Flock Blocker” has spent recent weekends sitting in front of the cameras, holding a sign to block their view. Police confirmed the protest is legal.
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➤Statewide: Florida’s new HB 1471 allows the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s director to designate domestic and foreign groups as terrorist organizations, subject to Cabinet approval. Gov. Ron DeSantis has moved to designate Antifa, the Muslim Brotherhood, and CAIR. The ACLU says the law lacks constitutional safeguards. (See Details)
➤South Florida: Lightning strikes during Monday’s storms set a backyard gazebo ablaze in Southwest Miami-Dade and ignited fence wiring in Fort Lauderdale. Surveillance video caught a bolt hitting a palm tree, dropping a burning frond onto the gazebo. (See Video)
➤Palm Coast: Mollie Hayes, 20, was sentenced to 180 days in jail and four years of probation for drunkenly striking and severely injuring an ebiker on Belle Terre Parkway. Her blood alcohol level measured more than twice the legal limit. (See Details)
➤Deltona dropped its first-in-Florida ban on riders under 18 operating e-bikes after Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood said he wouldn’t enforce it. Helmet requirements and a 15-mph sidewalk speed limit remain in effect. (More)
➤Leesburg: Police Sgt. John Hollowell, a 24-year veteran who served as a K-9 handler, SWAT officer, and criminal investigator, died suddenly Monday in Ocala. The department called him “a courageous leader.” A cause of death hasn’t been released. (More)
➤Gainesville: Alachua County deputies arrested 16 people in “Operation Firewall,” a three-day undercover sting targeting adults accused of using the internet to sexually exploit children. Deputies also seized firearms and drugs. (See Details)
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➤ University of Miami football coach Mario Cristobal reportedly agreed to a long-term contract extension with the school this week. Details of the contract haven’t been released. (More)
➤ The Tampa BayBuccaneers unveiled their first-ever practice jersey patch this week as part of a renewed multi-year partnership with Fifth Third Bank. The logo appeared on players’ jerseys during Monday’s padded practice at training camp. (More)
➤ The Tampa Bay Rays acquired catcher Liam Hicks from the Marlins, sending pitcher Jacob Kisting and infielders Adrian Santana and Brayden Taylor to Miami. (More)
➤ NASCAR’s Clash exhibition race returns to Daytona International Speedway on Feb. 13, 2027, kicking off Speedweeks for the first time since leaving after 2021. The newly renamed Wheatley Vodka Clash leads into the 69th Daytona 500 on Feb. 21. (See Details)
➤ Keep unwanted pests out without messy traps or harsh chemicals. Riddex plugs into a standard wall outlet and uses electromagnetic technology designed to help drive away rodents and crawling insects throughout your home. It’s an easy, low-maintenance solution that works continuously to help keep your living space more comfortable. (LEARN MORE)
➤ Two UF Health hospitals were ranked in the top 20 of U.S. News’ list of Florida’s 321 best hospitals, with Shands in Gainesville at No. 3 and UF Health Jacksonville at No. 18. Shands also ranked nationally in five specialties, including No. 16 in OB-GYN. (See Details)
➤ Cape Canaveral leaders will consider tripling the city’s property tax rate to 10 mills to close a $4 million budget deficit, and the city manager has requested an investigation into the shortfall. A public hearing is set for Sept. 3, with a final vote Sept. 15. (See Details)
➤ Point Summit, the company behind Snowcat Ridge and Scream-A-Geddon, will open Wunder Glow, a $10 million, 50-acre holiday light attraction, in Dade City this November. A mile-long trail through the oak forest anchors the park, alongside a Christmas Village. (More)
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➤ Nearly 100 first responders and volunteers staged “Operation Dark Horizon,” reacting to a simulated giant fireball during a nighttime drill at Orlando International Airport that simulated a natural gas pipeline rupture and explosion. Agencies from Orlando, Orange County, Volusia County, and beyond trained side by side under a federal pipeline-safety grant. (See Details)
➤ Ilka Roncone, a Clay County Sheriff’s Office victim advocate, was named the Florida Sheriffs Association’s 2026 Civilian of the Year, an award recognizing exemplary service that comes with $2,000. Sheriff Michelle Cook praised her “extraordinary gift for supporting victims.” (Read Story)
➤ Anime fans descended on the Tampa Convention Center over the weekend for Metrocon 2026, with organizers expecting attendance to top 18,000. The convention has grown since its 2003 debut and has generated roughly $3 million from ticket sales and hotel stays. (See Details)
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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:
➤ One of the world’s richest investors swears by a rule critics call dangerously aggressive for retirees. (Hear Details)
➤ Rising costs are forcing a record number of young professionals back into their parents’ homes. (Hear Episode)
➤ The death ofa young woman at a New York med spa is exposing a booming and largely unregulated industry. (Listen Now)
Would you ever volunteer to participate in a simulated disaster drill?
Judge Orders Property Tax Ballot Rewrite
