Florida Gas Hits Four-Month Low

Florida’s average gas price slid to $3.79 a gallon Monday, AAA said, a four-month low that sits more than 60 cents below the late-September peak of $4.42 and about 22 cents under the national average.

Oil prices have fallen about 11% since Oct. 20, with U.S. crude settling at $90.83 a barrel Friday. AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins said cheaper wholesale fuel takes time to reach stations, and “there could be more on the way.”

Panhandle drivers are paying the least, with Panama City, Pensacola, and Crestview-Fort Walton Beach all at $3.50 to $3.55. West Palm Beach-Boca Raton is the state’s priciest market at $3.97, followed by Gainesville and Fort Lauderdale.

Man Charged in Hot-Car Death

Homestead police arrested a 22-year-old man after a 1-year-old girl he was supposed to drive to her babysitter died Saturday, left inside his car outside his home for about eight hours.

Keyner Roman Vazquez de Leon, who isn’t related to the girl, had made that drive six days a week for about a year. Saturday, he picked her up around 6:45 a.m., dropped another person at work, then drove home.

He went inside and, around 9 a.m., began washing other cars there, according to the arrest report. When the girl’s mother called around 3 p.m. asking where her daughter was, he found her unresponsive, carried her inside, still in her car seat, and called 911.

Vazquez de Leon told homicide detectives he left the girl in the car by accident. A judge ordered him held without bond on the manslaughter charge, which carries up to 30 years in prison.

Season’s Coldest Air Coming Up

After a warm, wet October, South Florida will wake up to the season’s coldest air this weekend, with lows in the upper 50s for the first time since March 22.

Until then, expect highs in the mid- to upper 80s and a few passing showers, including on Veterans Day. A strong cold front will sweep through Friday, drying things out and holding weekend highs in the mid-70s.

Farther north, the drop will be steeper. Tampa Bay’s weekend highs will only reach the 60s, and overnight lows will fall into the 40s, so it’s time to dig out the jackets.

The Panhandle will get the deepest chill, with lows in the upper 30s by Sunday morning. The National Weather Service says a light freeze is possible inland, with a low to medium chance of frost in spots.

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➤ Greenacres: The NTSB finished its on-scene investigation Sunday into the Nov. 1 Learjet crash that killed all nine aboard, including a tech entrepreneur and his family. (More)

➤ Brevard County: Two races head to machine recounts today, including state House District 33, where Democrat Daniel McDow leads incumbent Republican Monique Miller by 289 votes. A Cape Canaveral council seat separated by 0.2 percentage points could require a hand count. (More)

➤ Miramar Beach: A man forfeited $75,000 and ancient artifacts, including clay tablets up to 5,000 years old from modern-day Iraq, after federal agents found his shipments were undervalued on customs forms. The items will be returned to their countries. (See Artifacts)

➤ St. Augustine: The city paid $40,000 to settle a lawsuit by gun-rights group Florida Carry over signs banning guns at its downtown visitors center. The group argued only the Legislature can decide where guns are prohibited. The signs are down. (More)

➤ Lee County: A sheriff’s helicopter lifted a pilot to safety Sunday after his floatplane made an emergency landing in a remote stretch of Estero Bay Preserve that crews couldn’t reach by boat or vehicle. He was alone and unhurt. (More)

➤ Fort Lauderdale: The city had the nation’s highest rate of cellphone thefts in 2025, about 480 per 100,000 residents, more than triple the national average, new FBI data shows. Baltimore and Atlanta also made the top five. (See Rankings)

➤ Statewide: The average Florida household spends about $697 a month on groceries, or 10.76% of median income, the ninth-highest share in the nation, a new analysis estimates. Arkansas ranked first. (More)

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➤ The Jacksonville Jaguars traded a 2027 second-round pick and a 2028 fifth-round pick to Atlanta for safety Jessie Bates III on Monday. The 29-year-old second-team All-Pro fills a hole left by Eric Murray’s season-ending injury. (See Trade)

➤ Florida State named alumnus Jeff Purinton its new athletic director, bringing home a Palatka native who started in FSU’s athletics communications office in 1994. He was part of Bobby Bowden’s 1999 national title season, then spent 15 years at Alabama. (Meet Purinton)

➤ USA Gymnastics will hold its national championships at Tampa’s Benchmark International Arena Aug. 12-15, 2027. The city last hosted in 2022, and Jacksonville hosted in 1985. All-session tickets are on sale now. (See Schedule)

Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW

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➤ A 2010 UC Davis study found that one natural compound can trigger the growth of brand-new mitochondria, the powerhouses your heart depends on. A human trial and a Japanese team backed it up. Since the compound can’t be patented, the research was quietly starved of funding, and most products use far less than the dose researchers tested. (Learn More)

➤ Ironman Florida drew more than 2,500 athletes from all 50 states and 30-plus countries to Panama City Beach for its 28th year this weekend, sending business to restaurants and hotels. It’s the nation’s longest consecutively running Ironman. (More)

➤ A 12-story hotel with 415 rooms is proposed for Orlando’s Universal Boulevard, a few miles from Epic Universe. It still needs city approval and key permits, with wetlands and sewer capacity among its hurdles. (More)

➤ A 330-unit complex near The Villages sold to Southeast apartment investor Centennial Holding Company for an undisclosed price. Wildwood’s Juliette, built in 2024, is 96% leased and aimed at workers who serve the retirement community. (See Sale)

➤ A Moffitt Cancer Center-led coalition won a $47.3 million federal grant to build a Land O’ Lakes hub for cancer drugs that deliver radiation straight to tumors. Backers project about 4,000 jobs. (See Hub)

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➤ Even smart shoppers can overlook costly money habits. FinanceBuzz highlights 11 ways people may waste money, from high-interest debt to missed cash-back opportunities and insurance savings. Review the list, explore potential alternatives, and see which changes could make sense for your budget. Discover what you might be overlooking.

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➤ A suspected shark swam through a flooded Fort Pierce intersection on Nov. 2, and a mom headed to pick up her daughter caught it on video. Some viewers insist it was a dolphin or a tarpon, but nobody has confirmed it. (See Creature)

➤ Spirit Christmas, the holiday spinoff of Spirit Halloween, opened its first Tampa Bay store in Clearwater. Shelves carry matching reindeer pajamas, inflatables, and animatronics, including a 7.5-foot Krampus. (See Store)

➤ A large alligator pushed out by flooding lunged at Indian River County deputies, who spent about an hour wrangling it at a condo complex Oct. 30. Deputies relocated it, and no one was hurt. (Watch Capture)

➤ An Army veteran plays piano about three days a week at Orlando’s Nemours Children’s Hospital. Rob Fess, who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, began composing in 2019 while recovering from PTSD. One little girl thanked him with a blue rose. (Meet Veteran)

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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. 

➤ Could the carbs we’ve spent decades blaming for unhealthy aging actually wind your biological clock back by years? (Listen Now)

➤ Just as holiday lights start going up, more than 3.6 million ladders are being recalled after reports of falls causing skull fractures and brain injuries. (Hear Details)

➤ Ohio State has suspended a fraternity chapter after video from a weekend party appeared to show two people on fire. (Hear Story)

Where do you usually keep your phone when out in public?

1. Front pocket
2. Back pocket
3. Purse or bag
4. In my hand
5. Other

Saturday’s Results:

Which volunteer effort would you most likely join?

1. Food distribution: 26%
2. All of them: 21%
3. Animal rescue: 20%
4. Beach cleanup: 18%
5. Neighbors’ repairs: 9%
6. Other: 6%

Where in Florida can you visit the Dummett Sugar Mill Ruins?

Show me the answer

If you’re a fan of our Trivia section, you’ll love our new book, The Flyover Book of Trivia 2027, an illustrated collection of 100 of our favorite questions and answers. (Buy It Now)