Good Morning! On this day in 1969, 1,000 FSU students formed a human chain and rescued records and artwork from a burning administration building while firefighters fought the blaze.
SpaceX and United Launch Alliance are gearing up for a rare doubleheader launch today from the Space Coast, featuring rockets not often seen and two sonic booms.
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Lawmakers Schedule Budget Special Session
Lawmakers said they have a deal on top-line spending levels that clears the way for a budget approval at another special session, set to run May 12-29.
House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton said weeks of closed-door negotiations gave way to formal talks on the final details of the spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1, with the plan landing below the current fiscal year’s $117 billion budget.
Lawmakers will use the budget bills they passed during the regular session as a starting point, working to meet somewhere in the middle, having agreed on joint allocations totaling nearly $52 billion across eight budget categories, including healthcare, public education, and the environment.
Gov. Ron DeSantis noted that lawmakers have until early August to place a tax overhaul on the November ballot and pledged to call multiple sessions until the House and Senate make it happen.
Housing Affordability Headlines Policy Summit
Housing affordability is now a defining issue for many Floridians, according to discussions at the third annual Florida Policy Project Summit held in St. Petersburg last week.
The summit convened with over 350 stakeholders to discuss policy innovations, including zoning, density, and public-private partnerships. Industry leaders, including Realtors, builders, business owners, and elected officials, addressed mounting concerns over the state’s housing market.
The average home price in Florida ranges between $375,000 and $417,000, which is $253,000 higher than the prices buyers faced before the pandemic. An argument that smaller lot sizes can be a significant part of the solution was the topic of a panel discussion.
The Florida Policy Project is a nonprofit founded by former Pinellas County Republican Sen. Jeff Brandes.
13,000 Apply for VPK, College Plans
Gov. DeSantis announced that about 13,000 families have applied for voluntary prekindergarten (VPK) and opened a Florida Prepaid College Savings Plan account.
The VPK and the Florida Prepaid College Savings Plan programs launched a partnership four months ago, allowing families to apply for both with a single application. As an incentive, they receive $100.
“This is a huge thing to have this many people signing up so soon after the launch,” DeSantis said at a news conference in Kissimmee. “I imagine this is going to be something that’s going to be very popular in the months and years to come.”
Florida was among the first states to offer free, voluntary prekindergarten for all 4-year-olds. Since the program’s launch in 2005, VPK has served over 3.1 million children.
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➤ Tampa: The man arrested after the body of Zamil Limon was found was charged with two counts of premeditated murder in the first degree with a weapon. Limon was one of two Bangladeshi doctoral students missing from the University of South Florida. Nahida Bristy’s body has not been found. (More)
➤ Daytona Beach: Fire Chief Dru Driscoll and Deputy Chief Jessica Matthews were subpoenaed to appear before a statewide prosecutor on April 29 following a city audit that alleged $550,000 in misspending between 2021 and 2025. (More)
➤ Leesburg: The annual Bikefest weekend drew over 70,000 people to downtown and was expected to draw over $40 million in economic impact. (More)
➤ Okeechobee County: Officials removed consideration for data center proposals from the county’s Comprehensive Plan amid backlash by residents of the proposed area. (More)
➤ West Palm Beach: Officials are considering a redesign of the downtown waterfront district. In a video titled A Vision for a People-First Waterfront, Mayor Keith James outlined a concept he described as “connected, accessible, and people-centered.” (More)
➤ Orlando: The Florida Puerto Rican Parade & Festival returned to downtown on Saturday for its 10th anniversary with a theme of Build the Future in Puerto Rico. (More)
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➤ University of Florida football was one of just two schools to have one player drafted in each round of the NFL draft this weekend, while the Miami Hurricanes had nine players selected—the most of any Miami team since 2017. (More)
➤ The Orlando Magic will try to take a 3-1 series lead over the top-seeded Detroit Pistons tonight. Despite holding the series lead, the Magic enter the game as 2.5-point underdogs. (More)
➤No. 8 Florida State baseball lost its second series of the year last weekend, falling 8-7 in 11 innings to Stanford on Saturday. (More)
➤ Your Cutting Board is a Major Health Risk. Your cutting board could be harboring harmful bacteria like E. coli—and even shedding microplastics into your food. Grooves and cracks trap germs, putting your family at risk. Discover a safer, smarter solution with Tivano and keep your kitchen truly clean. (LEARN MORE)
➤ NASA announced the SpaceX Crew-13 mission members who will spend months on the International Space Station. Dr. Jessica Watkins will be the commander, while Luke Delaney, a Volusia County native, will be the pilot. Canadian Space Agency astronaut Joshua Kutryk and Roscosmos cosmonaut Sergey Teteryatnikov will serve as mission specialists. (More)
➤ Party City is returning to Florida through a partnership with Staples, opening 700 locations nationwide inside the office supplies and print services chain. (More)
➤ West Palm Beach-based Roxy’s Pub may be forced to sell at auction as a result of unpaid court-ordered judgments now totaling nearly $1.2 million. Roxy’s has until June 1 to pay. (More)
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➤ Melbourne High School’s Clay MacConnell pitched six innings against Viera High School in the 6A District 7 Championship, helping his team clinch the title by allowing only three non-scoring hits. MacConnell hasn’t lost a start this season. (See Video)
➤ At Racks Billiards in Sanford, players are offered a place to play and to learn from local pro billiards player Michael DeLawder, expanding the sport locally. (See Video)
➤ Officers in West Palm Beach wrangled an angry alligator in a parking lot. One officer grabbed the reptile’s snout with his bare hands. (See Video)
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Lawmakers Schedule Budget Special Session
