Economists Tally Amendment 3’s Local Cost

State economists released city-by-city projections showing how much property tax revenue local governments stand to lose if voters approve Amendment 3 in November.

The measure, backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, would raise the homestead exemption from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028 for non-school taxes. Leon County alone would lose $45.4 million in the first year.

A University of North Florida poll found 61% of likely voters back the idea at first blush. Told of a projected $11.8 billion two-year hit to local budgets, support dropped to 45%, short of the 60% needed to pass.

Florida Democrats voted to formally oppose the measure, with Chair Nikki Fried calling it “just plain bad for Florida.”

Back-to-School Tax Holiday Begins

Florida’s monthlong back-to-school sales tax holiday kicked off Monday, waiving sales tax on school supplies, clothing, and computers through Aug. 20.

Clothing and shoes up to $100, supplies up to $50, learning aids up to $30, and personal computers up to $1,500 all qualify. Lawmakers made the holiday permanent last year and moved it earlier so families can shop before classes start.

In Pembroke Pines, former Miami Dolphins and Miami Hurricanes lineman Vernon Carey celebrated day one by treating 23 students to a $300 shopping spree each at Dick’s Sporting Goods. The kids are enrolled in his foundation’s summer reading program at the Carver Ranches Boys & Girls Club.

A new hunting, fishing, and camping tax holiday follows Sept. 1 through Dec. 31, covering tents, tackle, firearms, and ammunition.

Tate Brothers Fight UK Extradition

Influencer brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate appeared before a federal magistrate in Miami on Monday, two days after their arrest on a United Kingdom extradition request.

British prosecutors charged the pair with rape, assault, and trafficking offenses involving four new alleged victims from 2010 to 2017. They already face U.K. charges involving three other alleged victims.

A U.S. district judge will decide in the coming weeks whether the brothers, who remain in federal detention, meet the conditions for extradition.

The brothers deny wrongdoing, and attorney Joseph McBride, who called the charges “filth and slander,” said he’ll contest extradition “at every turn.”

The dual U.S.-British citizens moved to Romania in 2016, were arrested there in 2022 on sexual exploitation allegations, and flew to Florida last year after that case stalled.

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➤ Miami Gardens: Miami-Dade leaders said the FIFA World Cup drew more than 500,000 visitors, with seven matches at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens and 830,000 Metromover rides to the Bayfront Park fan festival. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said businesses had “record-breaking days and weeks.” (See Details)

➤ Statewide: The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission pulled driving records of at least a dozen environmental activists who opposed bear hunting, according to reports, accessing one man’s 28 times. The agency cites security concerns and acknowledges that no criminal investigation exists. A federal privacy lawsuit is underway. (Read Story)

➤ Fort Lauderdale: A 130-foot yacht named Determination, being towed up Fort Lauderdale’s New River, slammed into a dock near Andrews Avenue Monday morning after someone on the bridge accidentally hit the throttle. The yacht left with a piling lodged in its bow. No one was hurt. (See Video)

➤ Florida Keys: The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service added three of Florida’s rarest reptiles to the endangered species list: the Key ring-necked snake, the rim rock crowned snake, and the Florida Keys mole skink, a 5-inch lizard documented on just 15 Monroe County islands since 2000. (See Details)

➤ Pompano Beach: Surveillance video shows three men fleeing after a Tesla plowed through a mailbox, a parked Range Rover, and the front of Orene Terry’s home around 3:30 a.m. Terry said it “sounded like a bomb went off.” Deputies are searching for the driver. (See Video)

➤ Statewide: First-time unemployment claims jumped to 7,133 for the week ending July 11, up 2,598 from the week before. Meanwhile, Florida’s June unemployment rate dipped from 4.8% to 4.7%, its first decline in more than a year, though it remains above the national 4.2%. (See Details)

➤ South Florida: Graziano’s Mercado, an Argentine restaurant in Coral Gables, will donate $10,000 to children’s charity Amigos for Kids after Spain’s World Cup title settled a friendly wager with Casa Juancho, a Spanish restaurant in Little Havana. (More)

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➤ The Dr. Phillips Little League’s Senior Softball All-Stars swept the Florida State Tournament for the program’s first state softball title. The team opens regional play Friday in Clarksville, Tennessee, against West Virginia. The 13-to-16-year-old roster draws from Dr. Phillips, Olympia, and Lake Buena Vista high schools. (More)

➤ Florida Gators All-American Skye Blakely won gold on uneven bars (14.10) and balance beam (14.25) at Saturday’s U.S. Classic in Hartford, Connecticut, the only gymnast among 21 competitors to top 14.00 twice. Gator signee Simone Rose took bronze on bars with a 13.60. (More)

➤ Bethune-Cookman tennis player and Ocala native Madison Molock is one of 30 women selected for the 2026 USTA Aspiring Coaches program. She’s a three-time Marion County Player of the Year. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA

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➤ Florida gas prices jumped 19 cents early last week, peaking at $3.96 a gallon Friday, the highest since early June, before easing to $3.94 Sunday. AAA cites Middle East tensions and summer demand. A year ago, the state average was $3.14. (See Details)

➤ MDH Partners bought the three-building Lakeland Commerce Center from Stonemont for $67.7 million. The 557,100-square-foot Class A industrial portfolio sits on County Line Road in Polk County, roughly equidistant from Tampa and Orlando, in a market that absorbed nearly 3 million square feet in 2025. (More)

➤ The Miami metro’s cost of living has surpassed New York City’s for the first time, per Bureau of Economic Analysis data reported by Bloomberg. Miami home prices have climbed 79% since the pandemic, and Florida home insurance, averaging nearly $8,300 a year, is the highest in the nation. (Read Story)

➤ Amazon warehouse closures in Port St. Lucie and Homestead will eliminate about 1,110 Florida jobs, federal filings show, as the company converts both fulfillment centers to robotics over two years. Amazon calls the closures temporary and offers transfers, but the WARN Act classifies layoffs lasting more than six months as permanent. (See Details)

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➤ Lego Festival is back at Legoland Florida in Winter Haven through Aug. 16, with five interactive zones including new Pokémon and F1 areas. Visitors can build a Lego Poké Ball, try Pokémon Smart play sets before they hit stores in August, and design their own F1 car. (See Details)

➤ Dozens of Jeeps rolled from Jacksonville’s Maxwell House lot through the Eastside, Springfield, and Brooklyn neighborhoods Sunday for the second annual Stop the Violence ride honoring lives lost. Organizer MOBB JEEP joined a national movement started by a Detroit grandmother who lost her granddaughter to domestic violence. (Read Story)

➤ Busch Gardens’ Lion & Hyena Ridge opens Saturday in Tampa, expanding the park’s Edge of Africa savanna to nearly 35,000 square feet. Five lion brothers born in 2024 share the new habitat with hyenas Cazi and Dazi. (See Photos)

➤ Pasco County’s SCREAM-A-Geddon announced a $2.5 million renovation of the horror park’s midway, reopening Aug. 29 as “Bonzo’s Bizarre” with carnival games, food, and clown-themed chaos. The 2026 season runs on select dates through Nov. 1, with fan-favorite haunted houses returning. (See Details)

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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:

➤ New research found the low-calorie sweeteners hiding in everyday drinks may be quietly eroding your memory. (Hear Details)

➤ Health officials are working to trace the source of a deadly Legionnaires’ outbreak on New York’s Upper East Side. (Hear Episode)

➤ One of the most notorious figures in Mexico’s drug trade was sentenced to life in prison and ordered to forfeit billions. (Listen Now)

Will you be going to a Florida theme park between now and the end of the year?

1. Yes
2. Maybe
3. No

Yesterday’s Results:

If you were rescued from a stalled theme park ride, would you ride it again?

1. Absolutely not: 41%
2. Maybe another day: 28%
3. After an explanation: 22%
4. Yes, immediately: 9%

What is the tallest roller coaster in Orlando?

Show me the answer