Friday, June 5, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1959, Jean Flagler Matthews saved Whitehall from demolition and founded the Flagler Museum, preserving Henry Flagler’s Gilded Age estate for future generations.

See today’s Florida Business section for how SpaceX’s planned record-setting $75 billion IPO could fuel job creation and economic growth across Florida.

Today’s sponsor, BOXABL, is working to tackle America’s housing affordability crisis with factory-built, foldable homes designed for faster production, easier shipping, and scalable deployment. Later today, you’ll receive a message from them detailing the opportunity they offer.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Speaker Rejects Push to Impeach Judges

Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez rejected calls from Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier to impeach Tallahassee-area judges, saying any such move is up to “future legislatures.”

The stand comes as Perez prepares to exit: President Trump nominated him ambassador to Brazil this week, ending his speakership and any near-term path for executive-backed removals.

Among those targeted is Leon County Judge Tiffany Baker-Carper, who released on bond a convicted sex offender later charged with killing his 5-year-old stepdaughter, Missy Mogle. Defense lawyers backed Perez, warning it’s “dangerous” for the executive to keep pressuring judges.

UF Finalist Vows No Return to DEI

Stuart Bell, the sole finalist for University of Florida’s presidency, made his public debut Wednesday at Gainesville forums, fielding pointed questions on DEI and his vision for Florida’s flagship.

Bell, who led the University of Alabama for a decade, left no doubt on its most charged question, telling students: “I’m certainly not coming to Florida to bring DEI or any form of woke back. Period.”

He cited his Alabama record as proof he can keep UF strong under state law banning “divisive concepts” and DEI spending. Trustees interview him next week; the Board of Governors must give final approval.

Duke-Michigan Takes Court in Miami

Two college basketball blue bloods are swapping Madison Square Garden for a baseball stadium: Duke and Michigan now plan to play their Dec. 21 showdown at loanDepot Park, home of the Marlins, sources say.

A broadcast-rights fight forced the move. Duke’s Amazon streaming deal collided with Fox’s territorial rights over New York venues, so both coaches agreed to relocate rather than swap opponents.

Miami won out partly because Marlins owner Bruce Sherman and Michigan coach Dusty May became friends during May’s Florida Atlantic years. Contracts aren’t signed, but sources call it near-certain.

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BOXABL Is Betting on Factory-Built Housing

Boxabl’s goal is ambitious: build homes more like automobiles using factory automation and standardized production.

The company says a single automated factory could eventually produce thousands of homes annually while using significantly less labor than traditional homebuilding methods.

Its foldable Casita homes are designed to ship efficiently and unfold on-site in about one hour. BOXABL also says it is developing stackable housing systems for multifamily and larger residential projects.

BOXABL has announced plans for a proposed SPAC merger with FG Merger II Corp. (NASDAQ: FGMC), with the combined company expected to under the anticipated ticker symbol $BXBL following closing.

FGMC on Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/FGMC/

Learn more about the proposed transaction here.

➤ Statewide: Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier warned organizers of chaotic teen takeovers that state prosecutors are developing plans to investigate and potentially prosecute those behind the gatherings. (More)

➤ Jacksonville: Officials will use AI-assisted permit reviews to cut housing development approval times by up to 60 days as they work to address a shortage of 50,000 affordable housing units. (More)

➤ Pensacola Beach: Volunteers discovered the first five loggerhead sea turtle nests of the season on Pensacola Beach, bringing Escambia County’s 2026 total to nine as peak nesting season gets underway. (More)

➤ Port St. Lucie: A local woman received a three-year prison sentence after investigators said she ran an illegal backyard med spa that left a client with partial facial paralysis from Botox injections. (More)

➤ St. Petersburg: Rep. Lindsay Cross, D, St. Petersburg, announced she won’t seek reelection to the Florida House, ending a two-term run as she plans to focus on local issues and community engagement. (More)

➤ Tampa Bay: Local shops and national chains across the city will celebrate National Doughnut Day today with free doughnuts, discounts, and special flavors for customers. (More)

➤ The Miami Hurricanes flipped five-star edge rusher Jaiden Bryant from LSU this week, vaulting their 2027 recruiting class to No. 3 in the country. (More)

➤ Florida basketball players Thomas Haugh and Alex Condon both made FOX Sports’ list of the top 10 returning players in college basketball. (See List)

➤ UF golfers Paula Francisco and Siuue Wu are making their major debuts in the U.S. Women’s Open this week. The Gators are one of only three schools with multiple players in the field. (More)

➤ Former Dolphins general manager Chris Grier joined the Detroit Lions’ front office this week, landing a personnel executive role less than a year after Miami fired him. (More)

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➤ SpaceX’s reported plans for a record-setting $75 billion IPO could deliver a major boost to Florida’s Space Coast, where the company employs thousands and fuels much of Brevard County’s aerospace growth. (More)

➤ Universal’s Epic Universe has strengthened Florida’s tourism economy, helping drive a year of growth in Orange County tourism tax revenue and generating an estimated $2 billion for the state. (More)

➤ Florida consumer confidence fell for a third straight month in May as concerns about unemployment, inflation, rising energy costs, and a weakening job market weighed on residents’ economic outlook. (More)

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BOXABL’s Growth Story Is Drawing Investor Attention

This company has raised more than $235M from investors as it works toward its goal of transforming the housing industry with factory-built homes.

The company’s foldable housing system is designed to reduce shipping costs and speed up installation. Its flagship Casita unfolds on-site in less than one hour.

The company has announced a proposed merger with FG Merger II Corp. (NASDAQ: FGMC), which could result in BOXABL trading publicly on Nasdaq under the ticker $BXBL.

Shareholder meetings related to the proposed transaction are expected on June 9, 2026.

FGMC on Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/FGMC/

Find important information related to the proposed merger here.

BOXABL and FGMC have extended their merger deadline to June 30, 2026, pending shareholder approvals, see SEC Exhibit 99 for further details https://www.sec.gov/edgar/browse/?CIK=1816937

➤ Google plans to release 32 million bacteria-treated mosquitoes in Florida and California over two years as part of an effort to curb mosquito-borne diseases, including West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis. (More)

➤ The historic Boston House has reopened as a restaurant in downtown Fort Pierce, preserving its 1909 architecture while adding a new dining destination to the city’s revitalization efforts. (More)

➤ Florida’s major cell carriers are deploying AI-powered networks, drones for rapid tower repairs, and mobile cells on wheels ahead of hurricane season to keep communications running during major storms. (More)

➤ Thousands of free World Cup tickets are available for U.S. veterans, active military members, and first responders, including for matches in Miami, where games begin June 15 at Hard Rock Stadium. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

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