Good Morning! On this day in 2004, Hurricane Charley roared ashore near Punta Gorda as a 150 mph Category 4, the strongest hurricane to strike the United States since Andrew in 1992. It tore up the Peace River corridor and crossed Orlando.
Our Poll question today asks if you have a TV in your bedroom. Some of us have always had one. Others never will. And some have long ago moved on to computers and phones. Hit reply to give us your take.
Do you remember exactly where you were on 9/11? Most of us can still picture the room, the faces, and the TV screen as if it were yesterday. Scientists call it a “flashbulb memory,” a moment so powerful your brain takes a photograph and keeps it sharp for decades while ordinary days vanish completely. Only a handful of events in modern history have burned themselves into nearly every American’s mind that same way, and researchers have measured which ones cut the deepest. So, where does your moment land? Today on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla counts down the moments Americans will never forget. Tune in here!
If shedding extra pounds and feeling your best this summer is on your agenda, today’s sponsor, Direct Meds, is offering $150 off your first order of doctor-supervised GLP-1 weight-loss treatment delivered right to your door.
Car insurance rates have climbed for many drivers over the past few years. Later today, watch for a message from our partner, Insurify, about a simple way to compare quotes and see if you could save.
Daytona Beach ⛈️ 91°/76° | Fort Myers 🌤️ 95°/77° | Jacksonville ⛈️ 94°/76° | Key West 🌤️ 88°/83° | Miami 🌤️ 90°/83° | Ocala ⛈️ 95°/75° | Orlando ⛈️ 93°/77° | Pensacola ⛈️ 91°/79° | Port St. Lucie ⛈️ 94°/76° | Tallahassee ⛈️ 96°/75° | Tampa 🌤️ 93°/76°
DeSantis Sets ‘Hog Trail Killer’ Execution
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a death warrant Tuesday for Daniel O. Conahan Jr., setting his execution for 6 p.m. Sept. 10.
Conahan, 72, has been on death row since his conviction in the 1996 kidnapping and murder of Richard Montgomery. Investigators have long regarded him as a suspected serial killer.
Montgomery’s body turned up in the woods of Charlotte County. Other bodies found in the wooded backcountry of southwest Florida in the 1990s gave Conahan the name “Hog Trail Killer,” which he’s been known by since.
The Florida Supreme Court put the rest of the case on a fast track. Anything still pending in the trial court, along with any new filings, must be resolved by 11 a.m. Aug. 21.
116 Arrests in Hillsborough Trafficking Operation
A two-month human trafficking investigation in Hillsborough County ended with 116 arrests and five victims rescued, including two 16-year-old girls.
Sheriff Chad Chronister and Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the results of Operation Relentless Summer, which ran June 8 through Aug. 5. Detectives used search warrants, undercover online chats, hotel operations, and sex offender compliance checks.
One case drove much of it: Frank Amiekumo, 35, accused of trafficking women and girls across Florida, Louisiana, and Texas for about four years. Investigators say he recruited women for strip clubs, supplied fake IDs to underage girls, and forced some into commercial sex.
Arrested at Tampa International Airport, Amiekumo is being held without bond on charges including racketeering and two counts of human trafficking of a minor. “This operation involved real children, real women and real victims who were bought, sold and abused,” Chronister said.
Cristobal is spinning 880 miles west of the Azores with 45 mph winds, racing east at 25 mph. Cooler water, dry air, and wind shear should tear it apart by Thursday.
The system worth watching is Invest 92L, a tropical wave 900 miles southwest of the Cabo Verde Islands with an 80% chance of becoming a tropical depression in the next couple of days.
Forecast models have cooled on it. Dry air is choking the wave, and wind shear over the eastern Caribbean should finish the job this weekend, though it could bring needed rain to drought-stricken Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.
A third wave off the West African coast carries 20% odds over two days and 40% over a week.
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➤ Lake City police used the Flock license plate reader network to locate two abducted children and arrest a suspect Monday after a man attacked his girlfriend in the police station lobby, then drove off in her car with the kids inside. (More)
➤Haines City: A police officer ran 717 searches on the department’s Flock license plate cameras to track his estranged wife’s car over nearly two years, investigators say. Christopher Goodson was arrested on charges of official misconduct and computer crime. (See Details)
➤Orlando: The family of a 92-year-old woman killed in January when a police cruiser hit the SUV carrying her home from bingo filed a $92 million lawsuit. Attorney Benjamin Crump called it $1 million for each year of her life. (See Details)
➤St. Johns County: State House candidate Diana Jordan-Baldwin says a man campaigning at the site punched her in the face outside a World Golf Village polling place and shoved her to the ground. Deputies charged Charles Hunt with battery. (More)
➤Jacksonville: Cooling centers are open through Sunday as the heat index climbs toward 111 degrees, covering all 21 city libraries, 20 community centers, and 31 pools. JTA is giving free rides to anyone headed to one. (See Details)
➤South Florida: A federal jury convicted Tania Rosa Rodriguez, 57, of unlawfully obtaining U.S. citizenship after prosecutors said she hid her role in a $4.6 million health care fraud scheme. She faces up to 10 years in prison. (More)
➤Tallahassee: The Florida Action Committee sued the state Aug. 11, arguing limits on where sex offender registrants can live, travel, and gather amount to “a system of perpetual punishment.” The suit names the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and dozens of local governments. (More)
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➤ The Dolphins ranked seventh among NFL teams in Sportico’s annual franchise valuations at $10.25 billion, the highest of Florida’s three teams. The Buccaneers came in 18th at $8.68 billion, and the Jaguars 29th at $7.91 billion. (More)
➤ Florida men’s basketball will face Georgia Tech on Dec. 12 at the Kia Center in Orlando as part of the Hall of Fame Series. (More)
➤ Miami Dolphins coach Jeff Hafley told De’Von Achane to “be in good shape,” saying the Pro Bowl back could see more than 40 touches in some games this season. (More)
➤ Giannis Antetokounmpo will skip Greece’s FIBA World Cup qualifiers later this month at the Heat’s request so he can focus on training camp ahead of his first season in Miami. (More)
➤ Florida State defensive back Karson Hobbs tore his ACL and will miss the 2026 football season, he announced on social media. Hobbs signed with FSU in January and was expected to start in the Seminoles’ secondary. (More)
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➤ Buc-ee’s settled its trademark lawsuit against Prometheus Esoterica, a Winter Park oddities shop that sold T-shirts and decals bearing the chain’s beaver logo. The shop must destroy the merchandise and file a sworn compliance report within 30 days. (See Details)
➤ FSU’s medical school won more than $19 million in federal grants to launch six rural health projects, including work on telehealth, food insecurity, and at-home care. (More)
➤ Lake County commissioners unanimously approved buying 11 miles of railroad track for $23.5 million to extend the Wekiva Regional Trail to Mount Dora, Tavares, and Leesburg. The county will borrow $50 million, but won’t close until after November’s tax vote. (See Details)
➤ Rural health programs will split nearly $200 million in state money, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday. Two programs at Lake Butler Hospital split $7 million, North Florida Pediatrics in Lake City gets $6 million, and Trenton Medical Center gets $400,000. (More)
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➤ A 5-year-old boy with autism wandered from his Port St. Lucie home into a retention pond Saturday. Melinda Dryer and her sister spotted him crossing the road and coaxed him out. Police found him covered in fire ants but unhurt. (See Details)
➤ Three blood donor dogs kept Polk County K-9 Ace alive after he was shot Aug. 6 while chasing a suspect near Kathleen. The 7-year-old German shepherd lost his left front leg, walked out of the hospital hours after surgery, and is now retiring. (More)
➤ A 1,000-pound manatee wrapped in crab trap line off St. Simons Island, Georgia, was freed by a Florida and Georgia rescue team as her calf hovered nearby. A fishing guide’s 911 call started the two-day effort. (Read Story)
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:
➤ These seven moments burned themselves into nearly every American’s memory. (See List)
➤ Party leaders spent weeks pressuring their own Senate nominee to quit ahead of a ballot deadline that could reshape a key race. (Hear Details)
➤ Video gamers are being hired by the thousands to guide real planes amid a deepening air traffic controller shortage. (Listen Now)
DeSantis Sets ‘Hog Trail Killer’ Execution
