Uthmeier Pitches Felony for Poachers

Attorney General James Uthmeier wants poachers who fire guns near Florida homes charged with a second-degree felony. He pitched the plan on Tuesday in Bay County. Poaching on private land would rise from a misdemeanor to a third-degree felony, and repeat violations could reach first-degree.

“Right now, most poaching offenses are mere misdemeanors,” Uthmeier said, adding that complaints run “from the Panhandle to Pahokee.”

Convictions would bring permanent loss of hunting licenses and forfeiture of the firearm, vehicle, and gear used. The statewide prosecutor would take over the cases. Florida Fish and Wildlife Executive Director Roger Young and Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford back the measure, which lawmakers will take up in the spring 2027 session.

Court Clears Florida Drag Show Law

The full 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 8-5 Tuesday that Florida can enforce its law keeping children out of sexually explicit live performances.

The decision wipes out an injunction that had blocked statewide enforcement of the Protection of Children Act. The law makes it a misdemeanor to “knowingly admit a child to an adult live performance.”

Orlando’s Hamburger Mary’s, which once hosted “family-friendly drag shows,” sued over the law. Its lawyers argued the wording was so broad that it chilled protected speech and cost the business money.

Judge Andrew Brasher, writing for the majority, called the law “a straightforward regulation of obscenity.” All three prongs of its obscenity test must be met before a performance is barred for a child, he wrote. Gov. Ron DeSantis said the law protects kids and “shouldn’t even be controversial.” Hamburger Mary’s can still seek further review.

Duval Bus Drivers Authorize Strike

A union representing 275 Duval County school bus drivers voted Tuesday to authorize a strike, six days before classes begin.

Teamsters Local 512 says weeks of negotiations with Durham School Services have stalled. Durham runs routes at the beaches, Arlington, the Southside, and Mandarin, while Student Transportation of America covers schools on the north and west banks of the St. Johns River.

“This company has had every chance to do the right thing and recognize our hard work,” said Katina Stewart, a 19-year driver. The union says it’s preparing unfair labor practice charges.

Durham called the strike vote surprising, saying good-faith talks have been ongoing since late June and that it’s working to avoid any service disruption. Duval County Public Schools said Durham signed a contract extension, and test routes are underway ahead of Monday’s first day. The union says that the extension expires Friday.

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➤ Everglades City: Professional hunter Tom Rahill took the $10,000 grand prize in the 2026 Florida Python Challenge after catching 96 Burmese pythons, 36 more than last year’s winner. In all, 907 participants removed 280 pythons during the 10-day hunt. (More)

➤ Miami: Michael Joseph Simpson, 51, swam over and switched off an 18-year-old diver’s floating air supply during a dispute over a lobster diving spot on July 29, an arrest report says. A judge reduced his charge to second-degree attempted murder on Wednesday and set bond at $10,000. (See Details)

➤ Sumter County: Sheriff’s detective Brandy Almany, 40, was fired and arrested after an audit found she ran 47 illegal Flock license plate searches on her husband’s ex-wife from April through July, using fake case numbers. The sheriff suspended the agency’s use of Flock cameras. (See Details)

➤ Kissimmee: Customers of Simple Pawn & Jewelry are trying to track down the items they pawned after Friday’s fire gutted the West Vine Street shop. Affiliated La Familia Pawn Shop across the street says it’s handling claims. (More)

➤ Tallahassee: A federal grand jury indicted postal worker NaPeaches Blair, 43, on two counts of theft of mail by a postal employee. Investigators say she opened a sealed greeting card holding $1,000 in an undercover operation, pocketed the cash, and returned the empty envelope to outgoing mail. (More)

➤ Tampa: Tampa General Hospital plans to start flying blood to trauma patients by drone in October, pending commission approval. The hospital is running the program with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue and the University of South Florida. (See Details)

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➤ The Miami Hurricanes were the state’s only football program to make the preseason Coaches Poll, checking in at No. 7. Florida State, Florida, UCF, and USF were all left out. (More)

➤ Miami Dolphins president Tom Garfinkel stepped down Tuesday after 13 years in the role. Owner Stephen Ross named his son-in-law Daniel Sillman CEO of a new entity overseeing the team, Hard Rock Stadium, the Grand Prix, and the Miami Open. (More)

➤ Orlando will host the U.S. men’s national soccer team’s first match since the 2026 World Cup, a Sept. 26 friendly against Peru at Inter.co Stadium. (More)

➤ Blue Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola will host three fall college baseball scrimmages this October: Florida State vs. Auburn, Alabama vs. Georgia Tech, and Florida vs. Troy. (More)

➤ FAMU’s football program rolled out its “Rattler Recovery Unit” for a fifth straight preseason, a cooling station that lowers players’ body temperatures during August practices in full pads. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | Tennis | Soccer | Little League Softball World Series

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➤ Disney posted a third quarter built on a $1 billion box office run for Toy Story 5 and steady U.S. theme park attendance, which offset softer international tourism. Operating income at the Experiences division, which includes the parks and cruise line, rose 20%. (More)

➤ Florida State University’s $5 million winning bid for the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity house on College Avenue is on hold after Circuit Judge Lee Marsh vacated the foreclosure sale. Court records show the property’s owner filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy four minutes before Friday’s auction began. (See Details)

➤ Bay County commissioners approved a $13.5 million contract with NCMC Construction to add three sand filters to the county water treatment plant, raising filtration capacity from 50 million gallons to 60 million. Officials say rates won’t rise. (See Details)

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➤ Publix’s Key lime pie landed on Southern Living‘s new Southern Food Hall of Fame, a reader-driven list of the 50 top-rated Southern-born foods and drinks. Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets and Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice Company of Fort Pierce also made the cut. (See List)

➤ Three Jacksonville restaurants picked up Michelin Guide recognition placards at City Hall on Wednesday: Eggboy, Rue Saint Marc, and The Bearded Pig. (See Details)

➤ Tampa’s Museum of Science & Innovation reopened its minigolf course with five oversized dinosaurs planted along the fairways, a warm-up for SUE The T. rex Experience arriving in January 2027. The exhibition centers on an exact replica of the largest, most complete T. rex ever found. (More)

➤ A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station at 3:49 a.m. on Wednesday, carrying three AST SpaceMobile BlueBird satellites into low-Earth orbit. It was the 50th orbital mission of 2026 from the Space Coast. (Watch Launch)

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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:

➤ Do you think adult children owe their aging parents care? Tune in to hear both sides of the debate. (Hear Debate)

➤ German authorities scrambled a bomb disposal robot after an explosive-laden drone was found beside a Ukrainian cargo plane. (Hear Episode)

➤ Investigators are searching for answers after a famous influencer was shot and killed in public while livestreaming. (Listen Now)

Which of these foods from Southern Living’s Southern Food Hall of Fame do you like best?

1. Publix’s Key Lime Pie
2. Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets
3. Natalie’s Orchid Island Juice
4. Other

Yesterday’s Results:

Would you ever volunteer to participate in a simulated disaster drill?

1. Of course!: 49%
2. Depends on disaster: 26%
3. No, too busy: 16%
4. No, too scary: 9%

Who is the legendary Spanish pirate who plundered the Gulf Coast and was made famous by his cabin boy’s writings?

Show me the answer