Everglades Wildfires Shut Shark Valley

Two lightning-sparked wildfires burning in Everglades National Park have closed the Shark Valley area, park officials said on Sunday. The larger Chipmunk Fire, reported on Friday two miles southwest of Shark Valley, has burned roughly 9,232 acres and is 30% contained.

The Vulture Fire, reported Saturday east of the Shark Valley Tram Road, covers about 286 acres and is 60% contained. The Florida Forest Service placed the fires along the Miami-Dade and Broward county line, off Krome Avenue and U.S. 27.

The park’s emergency closure order covers public and administrative facilities in the area as crews work to contain the flames.

Florida’s Kirkwood Wins D.C. Grand Prix

Florida native Kyle Kirkwood took the checkered flag Sunday at the inaugural Freedom 250 Grand Prix in Washington, D.C., where President Trump waved the green flag on a street course marking America’s 250th birthday.

The Jupiter driver grabbed the lead from pole-sitter Alex Palou on the opening lap and led 128 of 147 laps, the most ever led in an IndyCar street race. Christian Lundgaard finished second, while a penalty dropped Palou to 20th.

The win is Kirkwood’s second this season and trims Palou’s championship lead to 91 points with two race weekends left.

Florida Falls Out of Top 10 for Senior Migration

Florida netted just 815 new residents age 65 and older in 2025, according to a new analysis of nearly 15 million moves nationwide. The state still drew more incoming seniors than any other, 45,696, but 44,881 left.

The near-even churn knocked Florida out of the top 10 states for net senior gains. South Carolina led the nation at 5,427, and nearly 1,900 of its new retirees came from Florida.

Analysts point to rising property and insurance costs as a major driver, fueling a “halfback” trend of retirees relocating partway north to the Carolinas, Georgia, and Tennessee.

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➤ Statewide: State agriculture officials extended the application deadline for more than $600 million in 2023-24 hurricane relief to Jan. 1; 600-plus farmers have been approved for nearly $100 million. (More)

➤ Statewide: The National Hurricane Center is monitoring three Atlantic systems, including an African tropical wave with a 50% seven-day development chance, though none immediately threatens the continental U.S. (See Map)

➤ Gainesville: Officials are reviewing private proposals for Ironwood Golf Course after the 30-day bidding period closed on Saturday. Golfers want the money-losing public course to remain affordable and well-maintained. (More)

➤ Ocala: Police and the Florida Department of Transportation launched a traffic enforcement operation through September, deploying additional officers around the clock to curb speeding and aggressive driving. (More)

➤ Miami-Dade County: South Florida architects and designers are proposing infrastructure upgrades to help communities withstand recurring floods, rising seas, and higher temperatures. (Read Story)

➤ Oakland Park: A driver escaped her car moments before an Amtrak train struck it Saturday evening, resulting in the vehicle catching fire. No injuries were reported. (See Details)

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➤ Rutherford High School retired No. 44 in honor of late football star Alonzo Johnson, who later became an All-American linebacker at Florida. Johnson, who died in 2024 at 60, finished his Gators career with 335 tackles and 27 sacks. (More)

➤ Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker drilled a 69-yard field goal Saturday against Tampa Bay, a preseason kick that would have broken the NFL regular-season record by 1 yard. (More)

➤ Former Florida center Jake Slaughter earned the Los Angeles Chargers’ starting center job after a strong preseason and an ACL injury to Tyler Biadasz. (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NFL | Golf | NASCAR | IndyCar | F1 | Tennis | WNBA | Soccer | Little League World Series

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➤ Punta Gorda Airport opened six new departure gates as its $44 million Bailey Terminal expansion advances, with the full 50,000-square-foot project scheduled for completion in late 2027. (More) 

➤ The Florida Board of Education will consider a rule on barring students without legal immigration status from postsecondary career and technical education programs. (More) 

➤ Belgian chipmaker Magics Technologies will establish its first U.S. office and headquarters at NeoCity in Osceola County, creating up to 12 jobs. (More)

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“The Future of Flight is Coming”

This statement from the U.S. transportation secretary after his historic flight in an eVTOL this June has captured Wall Street’s attention. 

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➤ Two dogs and a cat are recovering from smoke inhalation after firefighters rescued them from a Lynn Haven home engulfed in flames following a lightning strike on Wednesday night. (More) 

➤ Publix is removing the 10-item limit from express checkout lanes companywide after testing the change in Miami, saying it should improve customers’ experience and reduce wait times. (More) 

➤ A witness captured video of a Piper PA-30 crashing into the ocean off Boca Raton on Saturday. Officials said the pilot escaped unharmed. (See Crash)

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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:

➤ Nearly two weeks after deadly storms hit Indiana, thousands are still in the dark, and residents want to know why. (Hear Story)

➤ Imagine a winter without a single sunset before 5 p.m. Congress could make it happen, but there’s a catch. (Hear Trade-Off)

➤ How to wake up without an alarm clock, according to sleep researchers. It only takes about a week to retrain your body. (Listen How)

Should express checkout lanes have an item limit?

1. Yes
2. No
3. Only during busy hours
4. Whatever keeps the lines moving

Yesterday’s Results:

Have you ever ridden a horse?

1. Yes, many times: 51%
2. Once or twice: 43%
3. No, and I’ll pass: 4%
4. No, but I’d like to: 2%

Where did the Beatles officially break up?

Show me the answer