Good Morning! On this day in 1961, the U.S. launched the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in Cuba with a CIA-sponsored group of 1,400 Cuban exiles, some of whom were recruited and trained in Florida.
Lakeland was named the 20th most challenging city in America for people with pollen allergies, with today’s national allergy map showing much of Florida at the highest pollen level. Do you suffer from allergies? Reply to let us know how you’re doing this year.
If you’re planning a trip this summer, you need to hear this: Jet fuel prices have nearly doubled since February, and airlines are passing every penny along to you, through higher fares, fewer flights, and hidden fees. On today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast, host Ayla Brown explains how the war in Iran is affecting travel costs across the board. Plus insight on what airlines aren’t telling you and what experts say you should do now to protect your summer plans. Tune in here!
Today’s sponsor, American PowerGen, is stepping up to meet the massive energy demands of the AI boom with ambitious power projects designed to keep the grid, and innovation, running.
Daytona Beach 🌤️ 82/65° | Fort Myers 🌤️ 89/68° | Jacksonville ☀️ 89/63° | Key West 🌤️ 81/76° | Miami 🌤️ 82/74° | Ocala 🌤️ 91/62° | Orlando ☀️ 89/66° | Pensacola ☀️ 81/65° | Port St. Lucie 🌤️ 83/68° | Tallahassee ☀️ 89/57° | Tampa ☀️ 89/66°
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Special Session Delayed and Expanded
On Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis issued a proclamation that delayed a special session on congressional redistricting by one week, with the new session beginning on April 28 and running through May 1.
In addition to redistricting, lawmakers are tasked with establishing an AI bill of rights to protect consumers from artificial intelligence and to explore “medical freedom” to strengthen parental rights regarding vaccines.
The two new additions to the special session are priorities of the governor and the Senate that the House did not take up during the general session. Some commentators suggest DeSantis is forcing the chamber’s hand amid the feud between him and House Speaker Daniel Perez.
Two state priorities are not on the agenda: repealing homestead property taxes and the mandatory state budget due before July 1. Special sessions on one or both issues could come later.
New Task Force on Public Assistance Fraud
Attorney General James Uthmeier launched a new Task Force on Public Assistance Fraud to strengthen the state’s legal response to fraud in taxpayer-funded benefit programs.
The multi-agency task force will centralize legal guidance and prosecution strategies for cases involving programs such as Medicaid, SNAP, WIC, housing assistance, and reemployment benefits, helping state agencies and law enforcement build stronger criminal cases across these areas.
“We are launching this task force to bring accountability and prosecute those who are stealing from Floridians,” Uthmeier said. “Florida is not Minnesota or California, and we will safeguard the taxpayers’ investment in the services meant for the vulnerable.”
Uthmeier named Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Scott Strauss as Special Prosecutor. Public assistance fraud can be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the case, and may include fines, restitution, and prison time.
Citizenship To Be Displayed on Driver’s Licenses
Starting Jan. 1, 2027, Florida will require non-U.S. citizens to have a special designation, “NC” for non-citizen, displayed on driver’s licenses and state IDs.
House Bill 991 was signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis as part of the Florida SAVE Act legislative package. The requirement applies to new, renewed, or replaced licenses and aims to strengthen voter registration verification and election security.
Two federal lawsuits have been filed in Florida challenging the designation, arguing that requiring documentary proof of citizenship and marking that status on identification violates constitutional protections under the First and Fourteenth Amendments.
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The AI Bottleneck is No Longer Chips, It’s Electricity
The biggest names in tech are converging on Texas, as Oracle, Google, Amazon, and Meta all build massive AI data centers.
They’re not alone either. In 2026, 140 will break ground in Texas alone. But this need for massive amounts of always-on power creates major strain on the grid.
American PowerGen is ready. Led by a team with $5B+ worth of previous power project acquisitions, they specialize in getting these difficult projects off the ground, fast.
This year, they’ll break ground on a project set to supply enough energy to power 3M homes. By 2028, they plan to scale capacity 3X+.
➤ Statewide: Starting May 1, the state will permit the sale of winter-grade gasoline for 90 days during the summer months. The measure aims to lower fuel prices, as winter-grade gas is less expensive to produce. (More)
➤ South Florida: All 124 miles of State Road 80, from A1A (next to Mar-a-Lago) across the state to U.S. 41 in Lee County, will soon be named for President Donald Trump, as per a newly signed transportation bill. (More)
➤ Miami-Dade: An effort to recall Mayor Daniella Levine Cava violated Florida law by missing a state-mandated finance reporting deadline and omitting key disclaimer language in a TV ad. (More)
➤ Marion County: Investigators uncovered a cyberfraud operation involving online dating websites that scammed people in Florida and Massachusetts out of over $5.4 million, including a senior citizen who lost $450,000. (More)
➤ Walton County: A grand jury indicted Dr. Thomas Shaknovsky on a manslaughter charge for removing a patient’s liver instead of the patient’s spleen during a 2024 surgery. (More)
➤ Pinellas County: School district officials have begun cutting the number of staff they will employ in the fall, with about 250 teaching positions expected to be eliminated due to falling enrollment. (More)
➤ Kissimmee: Firefighters will start a new work schedule on April 25 that will prioritize allowing time to recover after responding to emergencies and stressful situations, following a previous fire assessment study. (More)
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➤ The NBA fined Hornets guard LaMelo Ball $35,000 for making “unnecessary and reckless contact” with Miami Heat superstar Bam Adebayo in the NBA play-in game. (More)
➤ Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi is being sued for $7 million by an event promoter for skipping an exhibition match with Argentina, then playing for Inter Miami the following day. (More)
➤ The Senior PGA Championship tees off this week at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, marking the first time the tournament has been held in Florida since 2000. Manatee and Sarasota counties each committed $4.5 million to host the event for the next three years. (More)
➤ Florida big man Alex Condon announced he’ll return to the Gators for his senior season of basketball. He was projected as a first-round pick had he entered this year’s NBA draft. (More)
➤ The Real Reason You Can’t Lose Weight After 50. Cutting calories, but the scale won’t budge? Harvard research shows it’s likely low levels of your “weight loss hormone,” GLP-1. One natural botanical activates your body’s GLP-1 production in seconds daily—without expensive injections, prescriptions, or dangerous side effects. Learn More
➤ The Miami-Fort Lauderdale metro area attracted $1.15 billion in venture capital in the first quarter of 2026. The metro area retained its position as a top 10 U.S. venture capital hub for the number of deals made, coming in at No. 7, just behind Austin. (See Report)
➤ Nassau County is pursuing a 12-month moratorium on data center development. County officials said the move will provide time to evaluate the overall scale, intensity, and potential impacts of data center development in the county. (More)
➤ Waymo driverless rideshare service is now open to everyone in Orlando and Miami via the Waymo driverless rideshare service. (More)
➤ White Castle will open its fifth Florida location in St. Augustine, and first in Northeast Florida, on International Golf Parkway in the same shopping center where a Walmart Supercenter is under construction. (More)
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Is Houston the New Silicon Valley?
Big Tech was once fueled by Silicon Valley’s innovation. The next phase? It’ll run on infrastructure, with Houston its new capital. Apple. Google. OpenAI. Amazon. Meta. They’re all building massive AI operations in Texas, part of 440+ new data centers planned for the state.
But getting new electricity online to power them takes years. Enter American PowerGen. Led by experienced energy developers with $5B worth of project acquisitions to buyers like Blackstone, they’re experts.
➤ Real Housewives of Miamistar Lisa Hochstein was booked into Miami-Dade’s Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center on Wednesday on felony charges related to secretly recording her ex-husband. (More)
➤ The Country Thunder Music Festival, May 8-10, has moved to Coachman Park in Clearwater after environmental controversy erupted over its previous location on St. Pete Beach. Country Thunder is described as America’s largest traveling music festival. (More)
➤ Police in Bradenton had an unexpected meeting with a manatee this week. The sea cow stopped by for some fresh water dripping from a police boat. (See Video)
Flying together with our sponsor
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This is a paid advertisement for American Power Gen Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.americanpowergen.com/ This offering involves promissory notes and is conducted under Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF). Investments in this offering are speculative and involve significant risks, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Please review the full offering documents, including risk factors, before investing. Investments are subject to the limitations and requirements of Reg CF This offering involves promissory notes and is conducted under Regulation Crowdfunding (Reg CF). Investments in this offering are speculative and involve significant risks, including the potential loss of principal. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Please review the full offering documents, including risk factors, before investing. Investments are subject to the limitations and requirements of Reg CF
Special Session Delayed and Expanded
