Donalds, Jolly Hit the Campaign Trail

Republican Byron Donalds and Democrat David Jolly hit the campaign trail Thursday, two days after winning their parties’ nominations for Florida governor.

Jolly took 61% of the Democrat primary vote on an affordability-focused message and opened with a 7:30 a.m. meet-and-greet at CasaCuba in South Miami alongside running mate Gwen Graham.

Donalds, who won roughly 48% of an 11-candidate Republican field, headlined a 5 p.m. unity rally in Tampa with Sen. Ashley Moody and state Chief Financial Officer Blaise Ingoglia. The Trump-endorsed congressman faces Jolly in November to succeed term-limited Gov. Ron DeSantis.

No Democrat has won the office since 1994.

Florida Ties for Most Top 100 Schools

Thirteen Florida high schools rank among the nation’s top 100, tying Arizona for the most of any state, in U.S. News’ Best High Schools rankings released Tuesday.

Sarasota’s Pine View School, a gifted magnet, claimed Florida’s top spot, followed by Marine Academy of Science and Technology at FIU and Kissimmee’s Neocity Academy.

Brevard’s West Shore Junior/Senior High School climbed 10 spots to No. 47 nationally and No. 5 in the state.

Five Brevard campuses made the list. The rankings scored nearly 18,000 schools on college readiness, assessments, and graduation rates; Tennessee’s Central Magnet School claimed the national No. 1.

Spirit’s Data Sells to Google for $10M

Google will pay $10 million for a trove of Spirit Airlines data to train its artificial intelligence models, court filings disclosed this week.

The Dania Beach-based carrier shut down May 2 and is auctioning assets against roughly $8.1 billion in debt; Google’s bid beat AI firm Mercor’s $7.5 million offer. The sale includes 100 million emails, 500 million Microsoft Teams chats, and billions of flight-pricing and passenger-transaction records dating to 2008.

A third party will strip personal information before the handoff. Spirit’s flight attendant union is objecting in court, and a judge pushed the sale hearing to Sept. 9.

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➤ Tallahassee: Florida State and Florida A&M received nearly $30 million from the Rural Health Transformation Program to expand North Florida care through satellite clinics, workforce training, and digital connectivity over five years. (See Details)

➤ West Miami-Dade: A 200-acre brush fire near mile markers 41 to 43 remained 0% contained on Thursday afternoon, prompting a Miami-Dade air quality alert as crews battled flames during a heat advisory. (More)

➤ Homosassa Springs: Customers are flocking from hours away to Florida’s only Pizza Hut Classic, a franchise featuring nostalgic 1980s décor, boosting sales and straining staffing. (Read Story)

➤ Hialeah: Federal and local authorities removed 13 credit card skimmers after inspecting 378 Miami-Dade businesses, preventing an estimated $13 million in potential fraud losses. (See Details)

➤ Lee County: The sheriff’s office cited 686 drivers for illegally passing stopped school buses during the first week of classes, with fines funding new software to improve bus routes. (More)

➤ Orange County: Authorities arrested three Indianapolis residents accused of stealing jewelry and family heirlooms from graves and mausoleums across several states, including three Florida counties. (See Details)

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➤ The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and defensive tackle Vita Vea agreed to a one-year, $30 million extension, ending his training camp hold-in and guaranteeing the two-time Pro Bowler $48 million over two seasons. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, Buccaneers pass rusher Jack Pyburn could leave Tampa Bay and return to college after a judge granted him fifth-season eligibility following previous stops at Florida and LSU. (More)

➤ The Billie Jean King Cup returns to the Delray Beach Tennis Center Nov. 21-22, with Team USA facing Hungary in a best-of-five playoff. The Americans are 4-0 all-time at the venue, and tickets go on sale today. (See Details)

➤ The state athletic association suspended multiple Hernando and Sunlake football players for Week 1 following a preseason brawl, with Hernando potentially missing up to seven players. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | Golf | Tennis | WNBA | Little League World Series

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➤ Florida logged 5,470 first-time unemployment claims last week, down from 5,797, while two companies planned layoffs affecting over 350 workers, including 181 as Postal Center International closes its Weston headquarters. (See Report)

➤ Buc-ee’s cleared preliminary permit requirements for a roughly 75,000-square-foot travel center with 120 fueling positions near Interstate 10 in Leon County, moving the project closer to final approval. (See Details)

➤ Florida’s housing market showed early rebound signs in July as home sales surged and prices recovered three years after high interest rates stalled sales. (More)

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➤ Scientists in the Florida Keys produced more than 108,000 coral larvae during annual elkhorn and staghorn spawning, aiming to plant the hardier next generation on state reefs within two years. (See Details)

➤ Hollywood officials will honor lifeguard Marcelo Lorenzo after he rescued his father, cousin, and aunt from Aruba waters when their tube crashed into a catamaran, injuring all three. (Read Story)

➤ Two Fort Pierce women were arrested after using movie-prop bills at a Port St. Lucie restaurant, with one charged with forgery and larceny and the other with drug possession. (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:

➤ Two fishermen were found off the coast of Mexico after a shipwreck left them clinging to a large cooler for five days. (Hear Details)

➤ Is intermittent fasting overhyped, or does it really work? (Hear Episode)

➤ In sorority basements across the country, hidden teams are digging up dirt that can tank a recruit’s chances. (Full Story)

Would you travel out of your way to visit a retro 1980s Pizza Hut?

1. Yes, save me a red cup
2. Maybe for a personal pan pizza
3. Only if I’m already nearby
4. No, I’ll order delivery

Yesterday’s Results:

How comfortable would you be having robotic-assisted surgery?

1. Very: 44%
2. Somewhat: 36%
3. Not very: 12%
4. Not comfortable: 8%

Which Florida town is known as the fern capital of the world?

Show me the answer