Good Morning! On this day in 1999, Olympian and Florida Gator Bobby Finke was born in Tampa. Finke won three gold medals and one silver for the U.S. at the 2020 and 2024 Summer Olympics in the men’s 800-meter and 1500-meter freestyle swims.
Enjoy the warmer weather this weekend, as meteorologists are calling for an “impressive” cold front to impact the state next week, bringing sweater weather and the threat of the first freeze of the season in some parts of the state.
What happens when a government shutdown collides with the busiest travel season of the year? On today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast, host Ayla Brown explains how the shutdown is putting holiday air travel at risk—and why Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy says he might “shut the whole airspace down.” Click here to watch The Flyover Podcast.
Heads-up, Flyover readers: Our CEO, Cole, is sending a quick note later today about a few Amazon Prime perks you might be missing—plus how a new baby in the house has him on the lookout for deals. Thanks to our friends at Brad’s Deals.
If you’re ready to finally take control of your weight and your health, today’s sponsor, DirectMeds, makes it simple to start—with trusted GLP-1 treatments prescribed online and delivered straight to your door.
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Sunshine State Election Results
Seventeen Florida counties held off-year elections on Tuesday for municipal positions. A few highlights:
➤ Lee County: Voters in Fort Myers Beach approved the recall of town council member Karen Woodson following a contentious campaign tied to a controversial high-rise development on the former Red Coconut RV Park site.
➤ Miami-Dade County: Commissioner Eileen Higgins and former City Manager Emilio González will meet in a runoff on Dec. 9 to determine the Mayor of Miami, after neither secured a majority. Miami Commissioner Christine King easily won re-election to represent District 5. Former Hialeah City Council member Bryan Calvo unseated Mayor Jackie Garcia-Roves, reclaiming the city’s top post.
➤ Orange County: Former Rep. Tom Keen unseated longtime incumbent Jim Gray in the Orlando City Council election. In Orlando’s District 3 race, Roger Chapin and Mira Tanna advanced to a runoff. Shan Rose retained her seat on the Orlando City Council in a contentious District 5 campaign.
➤ Polk County: Sara Roberts McCarley won Lakeland’s open mayor’s race, becoming the city’s first elected female mayor in decades.
➤ St. Lucie County: In Fort Pierce, a runoff election between Chris Dzadovsky and Jaimebeth Galinis on Jan. 13 will decide the District 2 seat.
➤ Volusia County: Lake Helen Vice Mayor Roger Eckert narrowly defeated the incumbent, Vernon Burton, to become mayor.
Uthmeier Accuses Microsoft of Discrimination
Attorney General James Uthmeier believes Microsoft is engaging in unlawful religious discrimination against Florida-based religious nonprofits, which are being denied access to the company’s nonprofit discount program.
Uthmeier said Christian schools, churches, and pregnancy resource centers are among the nonprofits that have been denied by the software giant, representing potential violations of Florida’s Civil Rights Act.
In a letter to the company, Uthmeier demanded Microsoft “fix” the issue, saying that he expects “Microsoft’s cooperation in fixing this problem, or there will be consequences.”
The program explicitly names nonprofits, nongovernmental organizations, public libraries, public museums, and various healthcare organizations as eligible for discounts.
Floridians Consider Leaving Over Cost of Living
A new Florida Atlantic University survey found that one in four Floridians is seriously considering leaving the state due to the high cost of living. At the same time, half said they’ve given it some thought.
Researchers have called affordability Florida’s “pressure point,” with eight in 10 residents expressing concern about housing costs and half being “very concerned.”
Younger Floridians are most likely to consider moving, with 72% of those aged 18 to 24 responding that they’re thinking about leaving, compared to 27% of seniors. Many younger adults move to cities with higher-paying jobs.
Most Floridians are hopeful for the future. Over half believe the American Dream “still holds true,” though many acknowledge it’s becoming harder to achieve as the cost of living outpaces wages.
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➤ Statewide: House Bill 127, filed by Republican state Reps. Toby Overdorf and Dana Trabulsy, would require public elementary school students to learn and be tested on cursive writing in grades two through five. (More)
➤ South Florida: King tides return this week, with the peak risk for flooding today, following the full super moon on Wednesday. (More)
➤ Boca Raton: A bond referendum will be put to voters in March that would have homeowners pay back $175 million through property taxes for a new police headquarters at a rate of about $125 a year for the next 30 years. (More)
➤ Hillsborough County: The Florida Public Service Commission approved rate hikes for Tampa Electric. The increase will take effect in January, with customers paying about $5.50 more each month. (More)
➤ Volusia County: The county council approved a new dog-friendly beach starting Dec. 1 that will span 1.7 miles in Daytona Beach. Dogs will be allowed on leash during daylight hours. (More)
➤ Palm Bay: Pineapple Cove Classical Academy was put on a shelter-in-place order on Tuesday after reports of a person at a nearby park dressed as a vampire. It turned out to be a 16-year-old boy dressed in a costume. (More)
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➤ Orlando Magic guard Desmond Bane was ejected from the team’s game against Atlanta on Tuesday after flagrantly fouling an opposing player and then firing the ball at him as he tumbled to the ground. (See Video)
➤ The Dolphins are turning Madrid’s La Plaza De España into a “Fan Zone” ahead of their game in the city on Nov. 16. They’re also “Painting Madrid Aqua” by illuminating various iconic buildings with team-colored lighting. (More)
➤FSU basketball won its season opener over Alcorn State 108-76, the first win for former-player-turned-coach Luke Loucks. (More)
➤ The Denver Broncos reportedly reached out to the Miami Dolphins about acquiring wide receiver Jaylen Waddle before the trade deadline, but Miami’s price was “simply too high.” (More)
➤ Transform your fitness in just 10 minutes a day with the LifePro Fitness’ vibration plate—trusted by over 20,000 users and physical therapists, it boosts circulation, eases joint pain, strengthens muscles, and jumps your wellness forward with zero heavy lifting. (LEARN MORE)
➤ PepsiCo Foods U.S. announced the shutdown of its Frito-Lay plant in Orlando, driven by business needs. (See Photos)
➤ President Trump announced Tuesday he will nominate Jared Isaacman to serve as his NASA administrator, months after withdrawing the tech billionaire’s nomination because of concerns about his political leanings. (More)
➤ Jose Juarez’s BarbaCuban Original 455 Sauce was selected over 6,000 other products that participated in Walmart’s Annual Open Call to be stocked at the shelves of over 100 Walmart locations across Florida. (See Photo)
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➤ Car insurance costs to hit record highs in 2025. Car insurance premiums rose by an average of 12% nationwide from 2024 to 2025, but some states faced significantly sharper increases. Was yours one of them? See if you could save with Money’s best car insurance list. SEE IF YOU COULD SAVE
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➤ Kim Knor, 86, is closing in on her lifelong goal of making 1,000 skydives, a milestone that will earn her the United States Parachute Association Gold Wings next week in Lake Wales. (See Photo)
➤ The Super Girl Surf Festival returns Nov. 7-9 in Jacksonville Beach, with over 2,000 women competing in 12 sports and a concert series featuring artists The Band Perry and the Plain White T’s. (See Photo)
➤ The Palm Beach Zoo & Conservation Society is helping to save the golden lion tamarin, a small monkey, that was nearly extinct in the wild. (See Video)
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Have you ever considered moving out of Florida due to the cost of living?