Good Morning! On this day in 1957, the Orlando division of the Glenn L. Martin Company opened, specializing in defense missile design. The Martin Company merged with Marietta to form Martin Marietta, which later became Lockheed Martin.
It’s National Cookie Day. Do you have a favorite cookie recipe you’d like to share? We’d love to have it! Here are some of our favorites just in time for holiday baking.
New polling for the 2028 Republican primary has surfaced, showing some eye-catching shifts and prompting a closer look at JD Vance and Donald Trump Jr. as the early field develops. There’s a lot to unpack, and host Ayla Brown breaks it down on today’s Flyover Podcast.
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Plan to Expand E-Verify Advances
Florida lawmakers are debating whether to require all private employers in the state to verify the citizenship of job applicants through the federal E-Verify database before hiring. Currently, Florida law only requires E-Verify for businesses with 25 or more employees.
The bill advanced through the Florida House Industries and Professional Activities Subcommittee and is now being considered in the Commerce Committee. State Rep. Berny Jacques, R-District 59, sponsored the plan in October.
Florida is home to nearly half a million businesses with fewer than 20 employees. The proposal carries penalties. Three violations within a 24-month period could result in a $1,000-per-day fine until the company complies.
Lawmakers opposed to the bill argue that it will create additional burdens for businesses already facing challenges.
Port Canaveral Named World’s Busiest
For the second time in its history, Port Canaveral has become the world’s busiest cruise port, surpassing PortMiami. The port has not been at No. 1 since 2022.
Central Florida’s Port Canaveral served 8,602,047 multi-day passengers in the 2025 fiscal year, with South Florida’s PortMiami serving over 8.5 million. PortMiami held the previous record with 8.23 million travelers in 2024.
The port attributes its growth to its investment in six cruise terminals and parking facilities, which meet an increasing demand for cruise vacations. The port serves as home for 18 cruise ships from seven cruise lines with over 1,000 sailings per year.
In 2025, the port welcomed more and larger ships. The world’s largest ship, Royal Caribbean’s Star of the Seas, arrived in August.
College Board Approves Land for Trump Library
Miami Dade College trustees voted Tuesday to donate 2.6 acres of school land for the future presidential library for President Trump. It was the second vote in favor of the plan, following a legal dispute over how the first vote was handled in September.
A judge had temporarily blocked the land transfer after the initial vote, ruling that it violated Florida’s Sunshine Law, which requires transparency.
After more than three hours of heated testimony, trustees reaffirmed their original decision. Nearly 100 people attended the vote, with many opposing the plan. The lawsuit filed by activist Marvin Dunn will proceed, with attorneys promising an aggressive discovery process into how the deal was handled.
The library is expected to cost $67 million and will be built next to the Kaseya Center, which is home to the Miami Heat. The site also sits next to the city’s iconic Freedom Tower, an immigration landmark many Cuban refugees regard as the Ellis Island of the South.
➤ Statewide: U.S. Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-District 13, is pushing forward with a discharge petition to circumvent U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson and force a vote on a congressional stock trading ban. (More)
➤ Tallahassee: A bill seeking to repeal portions of legislation enacted after the 2018 shooting in Parkland and lower the minimum age to buy a gun from 21 to 18 is heading to the House floor after the Judiciary Committee voted 13-7 to advance. (More)
➤ St. Johns County: A leadership clash on the county commission ended with a surprise vote Tuesday that installed Clay Murphy as chair, reversing last month’s vote to give Krista Joseph another year in the role. (More)
➤ Panama City Beach: State health officials will meet Dec. 12 to begin rolling back childhood immunization requirements, three months after Gov. Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced plans to end all vaccine mandates. (More)
➤ Miami-Dade: Developer David Martin easily won a county vote Tuesday on his proposed takeover of the Miami Seaquarium, clearing the way for the bankrupt theme park to be transformed into a marina and entertainment spot. (More)
➤ Boca Raton: Carlito Milfort, known professionally as the rap artist Poorstacy, died Nov. 29 in what police are describing as an “incident” at a hotel. (More)
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➤ No. 15 Florida men’s basketball fell to No. 4 Duke 67-66 after nearly closing a 12-point halftime deficit in the final minute of the game. (More)
➤ The Miami and Florida State college football teams combined for 17 All-ACC conference team selections across the first, second, and third teams, including one first-team receiver each: Duce Robinson for FSU, and Malachi Toney for Miami. (More)
➤USF is expected to hire Ohio State offensive coordinator Brian Hartline as its next head football coach. Hartline told the Buckeyes about his intention yesterday morning. (More)
➤ 37 Freaking Awesome Gadgets. Why is everyone talking about these 37 gadgets? Simple: they work. These aren’t random impulse buys… they’re the smart solutions people keep recommending to friends and family. Each one delivers on its promise, whether it’s decluttering your space, upgrading your tech setup, or just making daily tasks easier. The reviews speak for themselves, and so do the empty shelves. These top picks are moving fast, with several already on backorder. Learn More
➤ Florida’s tourism industry generated a record-breaking $133.6 billion in economic activity in 2024, according to Visit Florida’s annual report. (More)
➤ The Jimmy Evert Tennis Center in Fort Lauderdale will hold a reopening dedication on Dec. 8 after a $9.5 million renovation. The center will host the Orange Bowl International Tennis Championships Dec. 6-14. (More)
➤ J.C. Newman Cigar Company cut the ribbon on the final stage of the 18.7 million restoration for the historic Sanchez y Haya building in Ybor City. The 115-year-old building sits across from the J.C. Newman factory. (More)
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➤ The Full Throttle Festival, dubbed “the official Daytona 500 pre-party,” will debut Feb. 14, the night before the 68th annual Great American Race, at the Ocean Center Convention Center in Daytona Beach. Tickets go on sale Friday. (More)
➤ U.S. Sen. Rick Scott is headlining the Rescuing the American Dream policy summit today, a two-day event in Washington, D.C. Florida’s U.S. Reps. Byron Donalds and Randy Fine are expected to attend. (More)
➤ A Sarasota County man has transformed his 5-acre property and nonprofit petting zoo into a free winter wonderland for visitors Fridays through Sundays. (See Video)
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Plan to Expand E-Verify Advances
