Tuesday, April 21, 2026

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Article Icon 1Final Day of Coral Gables All-Mail Election

Today is the last day to return ballots in Coral Gables’ first mail-only ballot election to decide eight proposed changes to the city’s charter, including a closely watched plan to shift municipal elections to November.

The vote could result in some of the most significant changes to Coral Gables’ government in years, with measures affecting election timing, oversight, budgeting, and how officials are held accountable. You can see the eight amendments here.

As of last week, about 23% of the 37,000 eligible voters had cast ballots, suggesting a small share of the electorate could determine the outcome in an election with no candidates on the ballot.

Ballots must be received, not postmarked, by 7 p.m. and can be hand-delivered to the Miami-Dade County Supervisor of Elections office in Doral. There are no polling places or early voting sites.

Article Icon 1Seminole County City Embraces AI

Altamonte Springs City Manager Frank Martz is spearheading a digital transformation by integrating artificial intelligence to streamline government operations and slash taxpayer costs.

The city is the first in the country to contract with Gainesville-based AutoReview.AI, a newly formed company that aims to change how code compliance checks are conducted using state-of-the-art, patent-pending technology. AI-driven site plan reviews have decreased wait times from three weeks to 30 minutes.

The Orlando suburb is using Robocist technology to assess road conditions. The cutting-edge solution provides a faster, more efficient way to identify and address road issues such as cracks and potholes, and is ten times more cost-effective.

Internally, an AI bot named “Herman Resources” now handles 40% of a full-time employee’s workload by answering staff inquiries 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The police department deployed AI-powered Axon body cameras that provide real-time translation and automated report drafting, yielding a 14% return on investment.

Article Icon 1Florida Drops Gen Ed Credits for Sociology

Students attending public colleges in the Sunshine State will no longer be required to study sociology. The Florida State Board of Education voted to remove introductory sociology from general education requirements at state colleges, making it an elective.

The policy aligns with a change made weeks ago by the State University System Board of Governors, which issued a similar ruling affecting the state’s 12 public universities.

The decision, backed by state education leaders including Commissioner of Education Anastasios Kamoutsas and supported by Gov. DeSantis, reflects ongoing efforts to curb what officials describe as ideological bias in coursework.

Critics argue that the move will diminish students’ understanding of social systems and behavior. The change stems from broader higher education reforms targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion.

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The Flyover

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Around Florida

Statewide: The National Weather Service issued a fire weather watch for 27 of Florida’s 67 counties on Monday, which means critical fire weather conditions were forecast to occur within the next 48 hours. (See Map)

Meanwhile, several major wildfires were burning across Northeast Florida on Monday, as crews worked to contain them. In both Clay and Putnam counties, fires had grown to more than 1,000 acres with little containment. (See Video)

Pasco County: A pilot was killed after a Cessna 402 crashed in the 25000 block of Aldus Drive in Wesley Chapel on Sunday. The crash caused a fire with at least one residence damaged. The pilot was the only person on board the plane. (More)

Martin County: A voter-approved initiative will permanently preserve 2,000 additional acres of the Bar-B ranch as part of the Florida Forever Program. (More)

New Smyrna Beach: Firefighters responded to a late-night blaze Sunday involving multiple tractor-trailers at the Reddy Ice plant, as reports of fire and possible explosions were heard. No injuries were reported. (See Photo)

Palm Beach County: The Boca Raton closed out the polo season with a championship win at the Grand Champions Polo Club, defeating DUS in the final match at one of Wellington’s premier polo events. (More)


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Florida Sports

The Tampa Bay Lightning continue their NHL Playoff series against the Canadiens tonight, where they’ll try to avenge Sunday’s 4-3 overtime loss. (More)

➤ The No. 8 seed Orlando Magic stunned the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons 112-101 to take a 1-0 lead in their playoff series. Game 2 is tomorrow night in Detroit. (More)

 No. 15 FAU earned the top seed at the Conference USA Beach Volleyball Championship for the second straight year. Their first match of the tournament will be Thursday at 3:30. (More)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers partnered with Manchester United to host a dual-sport youth clinic on Sunday, with 60 kids rotating between flag football and soccer drills. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NBA | NHL | MLB | NCAAB | NCAASB | Soccer

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The Business Of Florida

SNAP food assistance recipients will no longer be able to use the funds to buy soda, energy drinks, candy, or ultra-processed prepared desserts as part of a two-year pilot program, as of Monday. (More)

Ft. Pierce-based Aviator College of Aeronautical Science and Technology permanently closed amid financial issues, after providing less than two weeks’ notice to students. Families are out thousands of dollars in tuition and flight costs. (More)

The Diplomat Beach Resort in Hollywood will join the Signia by Hilton portfolio in May. Five new dining spots and an adults-only oceanfront pool club will be offered, as the resort hints that a Club Signia lounge and speakeasy will be available later this year. (More)

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Many Americans have no idea they could do this!

Because you have homeowners insurance… 

You have car insurance, and you may even have cell phone insurance, but do you have insurance on your Retirement Savings? 

Many Americans have done nothing to help protect their retirement savings from another economic crisis, but that’s because they have no idea this even exists! 

So, you could wait until the worst possibly happens or you could see how this acts like Retirement Insurance.  At the very least, you should be educated about your options. But of course, the choice is yours.

Et Cetera

Operation: Military Matters in Pinellas County hosted volunteers from the Florida Veterans Coalition and Grow Financial Federal Credit Union to build about 100 care packages for active-duty military members overseas. (See Video)

A Dunedin couple who lost their historic home in Hurricane Helene made a $100,000 donation to the Dunedin Boat Club and Sailing Center, which also lost its historic building after the 2024 storm season. (See Video)

The Tropical Audubon Society is promoting Lights Out Miami to save migrating birds, asking that outdoor lights be turned off from 11 p.m. to sunrise. Cities are high-risk zones for migrating birds from mid-March to mid-May as millions travel over South Florida on their way north. (See Details)

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The Polling Station

Have you ever been to a polo match?

  1. Yes
  2. No

 

Monday’s Results:

How often do you drink orange juice?

  1. Rarely: 43%
  2. I don’t: 28%
  3. Weekly: 15%
  4. Daily: 14%
Florida Trivia

Who took off from Miami in an airplane in 1937 in an attempt to fly around the world?

Show me the answer

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