Orlando Lands 2028 Olympic Qualifiers

The International Olympic Committee confirmed on Wednesday the sports lineup for the 2028 Olympic Q-Series, with Orlando hosting the final stop as the only U.S. city selected.

Athletes will compete in flag football, beach volleyball, climbing, and park skateboarding June 8-11, 2028, at Camping World Stadium, one month before the Los Angeles Games open. Tokyo, Shanghai, and Montreal host the other stops.

The series will decide the last three men’s and women’s teams in flag football and beach volleyball; U.S. flag football squads sit out because hosts get guaranteed spots. Orlando hosted the 2024 U.S. Olympic Marathon Trials.

Pinellas Powerbroker Jack Latvala Dies

Jack Latvala, the Clearwater Republican who helped build Florida’s modern GOP, has died at 74, his family announced.

He spent 16 years in the Senate between 1994 and 2018, chairing Appropriations and representing parts of Pinellas, Pasco, and Hillsborough counties.

A party operative since the 1970s, he recruited candidates statewide and founded a St. Petersburg direct-mail firm credited with laying the groundwork for the GOP takeover of Tallahassee.

He resigned in December 2017 amid sexual harassment allegations he denied, ending his gubernatorial bid; prosecutors declined to charge him. His family said he “dedicated a lifetime to public service.”

Arrest Made in 1987 Jacksonville Murder

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office announced an arrest on Thursday in the December 1987 killing of 20-year-old Melissa “Missy” Ellison, one of the city’s oldest unsolved murders.

Sheriff T.K. Waters said 70-year-old Gary Edward Glowacz is charged in what investigators describe as a burglary turned deadly.

Ellison was found beaten to death with a charred log from her fireplace in her Westside mobile home three days after Christmas. Her 13-month-old daughter was found unharmed.

Crime Stoppers said tips after its January appeal and $5,000 reward offer played a pivotal role.

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➤ Statewide: Florida’s tax credit scholarship program turned 25 this month after growing from 15,585 students to more than 540,000. A new federal tax credit will expand it in 2027. (See Details)

➤ Marion County: The annual “Mission: Bus Brigade Supply Their Success” school supply drive is underway with officials collecting backpacks, notebooks, hygiene products, and other essentials for students in need. (More)

➤ Palm Beach: A federal judge ruled the public may continue using a disputed North End beach, finding the shoreline has long been open to the public despite a beachfront homeowner’s private property claim. (See Details)

➤ South Florida: FBI Miami warned of a rise in violent dating app robberies, with suspects luring victims to private meetups before robbing them at gunpoint. (More)

➤ Leon County: The teachers union and district officials resumed contract talks as they dispute how to distribute state raise funding that excludes about 45% of teachers from pay increases. (See Details)

➤ Bay County: Local leaders are exploring shared services, including equipment, facilities, fire protection, and fleet maintenance, as they look for ways to reduce costs and eliminate duplicated services ahead of possible revenue shortfalls. (See Details)

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➤ The Miami Heat gave Tim Hardaway Jr. his father’s retired No. 10 jersey, marking the first time in franchise history a retired number has returned to circulation after Hardaway Sr. approved the family decision. (More) 

➤ The Tampa Bay Rays unveiled the first interior renderings of their proposed Forever Home Ballpark in Tampa, offering a new look at the team’s vision for a permanent stadium. (See Photos)

➤ A Miami-based company is at the center of an FBI investigation into the Argentine Football Association’s finances, with investigators examining more than $300 million in transactions for possible money laundering and wire fraud. (More)

➤ Former Florida coach Billy Napier said he was too stubborn to give up offensive play-calling at Florida, admitting the added demands of NIL and the transfer portal hurt his attention to detail. (More) 

➤ Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | Wimbledon | MLB | WNBA | Golf

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➤ The invasive pasture mealybug has spread to 15 Florida counties in just two months, raising concerns for sugarcane, limpograss pastures, and other grass crops as researchers race to track and contain the pest. (More)

➤ JetBlue is expanding at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, increasing to about 150 daily flights by year’s end while hiring former Spirit Airlines employees after the ultra-low-cost carrier exited the market. (See Details)

➤ The W South Beach will close in August for renovations after Hilton reached a management agreement to rebrand the oceanfront hotel as the Waldorf Astoria Miami Beach, with a winter 2027 reopening planned. (See Details)

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This Metal’s Price Went Up 170%

No, not gold. Lithium. Prices more than doubled from last June to this one, spurring a modern-day “white gold” rush driven by AI, energy, and more.

With demand growing 5X by 2040, a major opportunity is emerging. No wonder 50,000+ people have invested in EnergyX.

Their patented tech can recover up to 3X more lithium than traditional methods, in days instead of months. That combination of technological prowess and market demand earned an investment from General Motors.

In the past 24 months, EnergyX has raised ~$100M from retail investors, formed a first-of-its-kind lithium agreement with the U.S. Army, and Eni, Italy’s largest oil company, just signed an agreement to invest up to $225M.

Now they’re preparing to unlock ~15M+ tons of lithium. Invest in EnergyX before the 7/16 deadline.

➤ Tampa drivers dropped 19 spots in Allstate’s 2026 America’s Best Drivers Report, which ranked 200 cities by collision claims, while Miami scored among the worst for phone use behind the wheel. (See Report)

➤ The Artemis II crew returned to Kennedy Space Center to thank the team behind the historic mission, saying their record-setting journey farther from Earth than any humans will help prepare NASA for the Artemis III lunar landing. (See Details)

➤ Panacea’s Gulf Specimen Marine Lab shared photos of Ravioli, a rescued sea turtle recovering after staff removed a fishing hook lodged in its throat. (See Photos)

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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:

➤ The Justice Department has threatened criminal charges against election officials in all fifty states who let noncitizens vote. (Hear Details)

➤ More than 30 people were hospitalized in Maryland when a transit bus slammed into a building, setting off a chain of crashes. (Hear Episode)

➤ These household objects are negatively impacting your Wi-Fi connection. (Listen Now)

Would you support neighboring cities sharing services if it helped lower taxes?

1. Yes
2. No
3. If services don’t suffer
4. Not sure

Yesterday’s Results:

If your power company owed you a refund, how would you want to get it?

1. One refund check: 38%
2. Bill credit: 31%
3. Lower monthly bills: 21%
4. No preference: 10%

Which Florida city is home to the largest collection of Salvador Dalí works outside of Spain?

Show me the answer