$29.5M for Biscayne Bay and Coral Reef Restoration

Gov. Ron DeSantis held a news conference in North Miami Beach on Tuesday to discuss progress and plans for environmental restoration across the state.

Speaking at the FIU Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, the governor announced that the state’s ambitious efforts to restore the Everglades, Indian River Lagoon, and Biscayne Bay have reached $100 million in funding.

DeSantis announced $20 million in state grants to help clean Biscayne Bay and another $9.5 million to protect the state’s coral reefs.

“These projects include septic to sewer conversion, wastewater storage projects that will lead to improved water quality of Biscayne Bay. What we’ve already done has made a difference,” DeSantis said.

Gubernatorial Candidate Calls for Special Session

Former House Speaker Paul Renner wants Florida lawmakers to immediately convene a Special Session to roll back property taxes to 2024 levels, arguing Floridians need relief now before taxes go up again in 2026.

Renner, who is running for Governor, has been among GOP leaders advocating for property tax cuts or elimination. Republicans have been openly disagreeing on the best way to put an initiative on the ballot next year for voter approval.

Gov. Ron DeSantis has rejected seven House tax cut plans as insufficient, instead pushing for the complete elimination of homestead property taxes with state dollars backfilling local revenues.

Sixty-five percent of Florida voters want state lawmakers to slash or end property taxes, despite the potential impact on local services, according to a new poll by Tallahassee-based Sachs Media that surveyed 1,230 voters in November.

Tuesday’s Special Election Results

Senate District 11: Republican Ralph Massullo, a former four-term state representative from Lecanto, defeated Democrat Ash Marwah, a civil engineer from The Villages. Blaise Ingoglia’s appointment as the state’s chief financial officer opened the seat. (More)

House District 90: Delray Beach Vice Mayor and City Commissioner Rob Long defeated Republican Maria Zack and Karen Yeh, who had no party affiliation. Long, a Democrat, will finish out the late Democratic Rep. Joe Casello’s term. (More)

Orlando District 3 City Council: Roger Chapin, son of former Orange County Mayor Linda Chapin, won his bid, capturing 51% of the vote to beat Mira Tanna. (More)

Miami Beach Commission: Monica Matteo-Salinas beat Monique Pardo Pope 71% to 29%, while Rolando Escalona beat Frank Carollo 53% to 47%. (More)

Hialeah Council: Gelien Perez beat Jessica Castillo 80% to 20%, while William “Willy” Marrero beat Javier Morejon 71% to 29%. (More)

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➤ Starke: Mark Allen Geralds, 58, was executed by lethal injection on Tuesday. Geralds was sentenced to death for murdering Panama City resident Tressa Pettibone in 1989. It was Florida’s 18th execution in 2025. (More)

➤ Statewide: On Tuesday, a state Senate committee approved designating Oct. 14 as an annual Charlie Kirk Day of Remembrance in honor of the slain Christian conservative activist. (More)

➤ Palm Beach County officials voted Tuesday to mount a legal challenge against new FAA year-round flight restrictions aimed at protecting President Trump, as many residents have complained that the one-mile no-fly zone over Mar-a-Lago has rerouted air traffic over their neighborhoods. (More)

➤ Tampa: The city announced it is putting the building known as Big Blue, which houses the city’s police headquarters, up for sale for $36 million. (More)

➤ Fort Pierce: David Smith was unanimously voted to be the new police chief after a month-long search that included 57 applicants. Smith is a police commander in Woodbridge, Virginia. (More)

➤ Broward County: Alex Benefield, a Deerfield Beach resident and instructor at Boyd Anderson High School in Lauderdale Lakes, was sentenced to two years of probation for dogfighting. (More)

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➤ No. 18 Florida men’s basketball lost 77-73 to No. 5 UConn in a primetime matchup at Madison Square Garden in New York City on Tuesday, dropping to 5-4 on the season, with three losses coming against teams now ranked in the Top 5. (More)

➤ The Tampa Bay Rays jumped from No. 7 to No. 2 during the MLB Draft lottery—the biggest jump of any team in the league. (More)

➤ The Orlando Magic defeated the Miami Heat in the NBA Cup quarterfinals thanks to a 37-point performance from sharpshooter Desmond Bane. The Magic will play the Knicks in the NBA Cup semifinals in Las Vegas on Saturday. (More)

➤ The Tampa Bay Buccaneers host the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football tonight, entering the game as 4.5-point favorites. (More)

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➤ Disney is suing over tax assessments on multiple properties in Orange County, stating that the assessments “exceed the market value,” which the company argues violates the Florida Constitution. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, a federal lawsuit against the entertainment giant contends that changes Disney made to a popular program, allowing qualifying disabled guests to skip long lines at its theme parks, are now too restrictive. (More)

➤ Jacksonville’s city council approved the sale of the Jumbo Shrimp, transferring the MLB AAA franchise to Prospector Baseball Group as current owner Ken Babby moves into his new role as CEO of the Tampa Bay Rays. (More)

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➤ A Volusia County man accused of stealing a BMW and wrecking it in a high-speed crash told a deputy he didn’t steal the car but instead “teleported” into it. (See Video)

➤ A South Florida pig named 6-7 was saved when Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava held the eighth annual pig pardoning ceremony to celebrate the city’s deep-rooted lechon culture. (See Photo)

➤ The St. Augustine Lighthouse got a special shout-out on the 800th episode of The Simpsons, “Guess Who’s Coming to Skinner,” which aired Sunday night. (See Photo)

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Do you watch The Simpsons?

1. Yes
2. Sometimes
3. I used to
4. No

Wednesday’s Results:

Have you ever flown in a single-engine aircraft?

1. Yes: 61%
2. No: 39%

What Florida fort served as a prison for Native Americans from the Great Plains?

Show me the answer