Judge Strikes Down School Library Law

A federal judge struck down major parts of a Florida law that allowed parents to challenge and remove books from schools on Wednesday, ruling the measure’s ban on material describing sexual conduct was overly broad.

“Historically, librarians curate their collections based on their sound discretion, not based on decrees from on high. There is also evidence that the statute has swept up more non-obscene books than just the ones referenced here,” U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza said.

The statute was signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in 2023, and it’s been used to remove thousands of books from Florida’s school library shelves. DeSantis had previously said, “Florida does not ban books; instead, the state has empowered parents to object to obscene material in the classroom.“

State officials plan to appeal the ruling.

Oyster Harvesting Back at Apalachicola Bay

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted on Thursday to partially reopen the Apalachicola Bay for oyster harvesting starting next year.

The initial season will take place Jan. 1 to Feb. 28, 2026, and then move forward with a normal season running October to February.

Called the “Oyster Capital of the World,” the Apalachicola Bay once supplied 90% of Florida’s wild-caught oysters and 10% of the nation’s, but it closed in 2020 after suffering from overharvesting and other factors.

Locals are excited to see the industry return, with Brandon Martina, owner of Lynn’s Quality Oysters in Eastpoint, saying, “It kind of skipped a generation of oystermen that’s gone off to do different jobs, but there’s quite a few around here that would go off and do it, so yeah, I would love to see it again.“

Florida 6th Best Place to Live

Florida ranked sixth in a best places to live study released by WalletHub, which ranked the states based on affordability, economy, education, health, and quality of life.

Massachusetts ranked first, with the lowest premature death rate and the highest share of residents with health insurance coverage, at 97.4%. Idaho ranked second, with high marks in safety.

New Jersey, Wisconsin, and Minnesota rounded out the top five, with New Jersey and Wisconsin scoring high in safety and Minnesota recognized for its education and health.

Florida received high marks for quality of life.

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➤ Tallahassee: Attorney General James Uthmeier announced that a deportation flight departed from Tallahassee on Friday. (More)

➤ Miami-Dade County: The Florida Department of Health issued a poor water quality warning for Crandon Park North in Key Biscayne. (Details)

➤ Leon County: The Leon County School District is facing a $500,000 shortfall in funding for its after-school programs. (More)

➤ Seminole County: A water main break on South International Parkway caused an outage that impacted over 500 homes on Friday. Residents in the area are advised to boil their water. (More)

➤ Orlando: Residents at the Howard Johnson by Wyndham Orlando hotel on International Drive have to be out by Monday because of code violations at the hotel. Several organizations are stepping up to help. (Details)

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➤ The Miami Dolphins beat the Detroit Lions 24-17 yesterday, while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 17-14 in the second week of the 2025 NFL preseason. (More)

➤ Tampa Bay Rays designated hitter Yandy Diaz delivered a clutch RBI single to break a 6-6 tie against the San Francisco Giants, leading the Rays to a 7-6 win. (Watch Video)

➤ The Orlando Magic and Miami Heat have released their full schedules for the 2025-26 NBA season. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NFL | MLB | NASCAR | PGA | LPGA | WNBA | Soccer | LLWS

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➤ A 200-year-old grand oak in Dade City is in danger of being cut down after officials said it threatens the structural integrity of a nearby World War II memorial. (See Tree)

➤ Local teens created seed libraries at five branches of Broward County Public Library, where visitors can “borrow” packets of seeds free of charge to plant in their own yards or community gardens. (See Photo)

➤ Body camera footage was released by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department on Wednesday, showing the moment when a $167 million lottery winner was tackled and arrested at TradeWinds Resort in April. (See Video)

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Have you ever been to a professional tennis match?

1. Yes
2. No

Yesterday’s Results:

How much plain water do you drink daily?

1. 1-40 ounces: 46%
2. 41 or more ounces: 37%
3. None: 17%

What Miami-born actress is the life partner of actor Ryan Gosling?

Show me the answer