Good Morning! On this day in 1896, Miami was officially incorporated with a population of just over 300, months after Henry Flagler’s Florida East Coast Railway first rolled into town.
Today’s edition features a shark bite, an alligator surprise, and a wandering emu. We’re curious: What’s a Florida wildlife encounter you’d actually want to have (or have again)? Hit reply to let us know.
Depending on when you claim, picking the wrong time to start collecting Social Security could cost you tens of thousands of dollars over a lifetime. Yet most Americans rush the decision instead of running the numbers. Where does your break-even age fit into it? What about your spouse’s check, or the paycheck you’re still earning? In today’s episode of The Flyover Podcast, Ayla breaks down the three claiming options on the table and the one number that reveals which path actually fits your plan. So do you know which of the three is right for you? Tune in here!
Today’s sponsor, Reiturn, is giving investors the opportunity to own equity in a real estate investment platform built for the coming $84 trillion generational wealth transfer before its investment window closes on Aug. 13.
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Secret Service Agent Charged in Hazing Incident
A U.S. Secret Service agent is among three men charged in a South Florida fraternity hazing investigation that left two victims hospitalized.
Marquez Christopher Pinder, 29, Jared Lamar James, 26, and Elijah Delano Dyous, 29, face charges including attempted manslaughter with a deadly weapon and hazing with a deadly weapon.
Investigators say pledges of a Kappa Alpha Psi chapter, one a University of Miami graduate student, were beaten with canes and paddles over four days in April in Sweetwater and southwest Miami-Dade. One victim required surgery and skin grafts. Prosecutors say he would have died of kidney failure without emergency care.
Pinder, identified as the group’s “dean of pledges,” is on administrative leave. The fraternity’s national president said the suspects have no official affiliation with the organization.
Shark Bites Man Saving Pregnant Fiancée
A shark bit a 21-year-old Georgia tourist in waist-deep water off Daytona Beach Shores on Saturday evening as he pushed his pregnant fiancée to safety, the man says.
Jacorey High said he never saw the shark before it clamped onto his left foot and ankle. Volusia County Beach Safety crews treated him on the sand and took him to a hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Officials said the shark, estimated at 4 feet long, struck near the Dunlawton Beach Approach just before 5:30 p.m.
Volusia County records more shark bites than anywhere else in the world, averaging about nine a year.
Broward Brush Fire Fully Contained
A brush fire that shut down U.S. 27 between Interstate 75 and Griffin Road in western Broward County is 100% contained, the Florida Forest Service confirmed Monday morning.
The blaze, dubbed the AA 27 Fire, sparked Sunday near Weston and closed the highway for hours as flames and heavy smoke billowed at the edge of the Everglades.
Forestry officials said the fire burned 225 acres. The cause remains unclear.
It’s the second major brush fire along the corridor this month, after the Mile Marker 40 Fire scorched thousands of acres in the Everglades in mid-July.
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➤Ave Maria: Gary Bonacci opened his front door for a 4 a.m. airport run Thursday and found an 8-foot-4-inch alligator a few steps away, directly in his three dogs’ path. All the dogs made it back inside, and a trapper wrangled the thrashing gator off to a gator farm. (See Video)
➤Sunrise: A speeding Mercedes-Benz plowed into a home early Friday, tearing through a bedroom, kitchen, and bathroom and injuring the homeowner, who was in her bedroom. Neighbors say it’s the third car to hit the house and are asking the city for traffic-calming measures. (More)
➤Maitland: State agriculture officers arrested Roger Rodriguez Vega for hauling 24 sheep and goats from Texas into Florida through Georgia after he was turned away at a Pensacola inspection station under the state’s New World screwworm emergency rules. He faces 24 counts of unlawful entry of animals. (See Details)
➤Statewide: The Florida Fraternal Order of Police joined firefighter groups in opposing Amendment 3, the property tax rollback on the Nov. 3 ballot, saying there’s no clear plan to fund police, fire, and other services. The measure would phase in a $250,000 homestead exemption by 2028, saving homeowners thousands annually. (More)
➤ Raiford: Florida is set to execute two men on the same day, Tuesday, for the first time in more than 60 years, after courts denied final appeals from James Duckett, 68, and Dominick Occhicone, 80. Duckett is scheduled for lethal injection at noon, Occhicone at 6 p.m. (See Details)
➤Bradenton: All 157 residents escaped injury when part of the roof caved in at the Aviata at Bradenton Villas assisted living facility Saturday evening. Staff had already closed the dining hall over a water leak before the collapse. A structural engineer will now assess the building. (More)
➤Miami: Lawyers for Andrew and Tristan Tate met with federal prosecutors Monday to set a schedule for the brothers’ fight against extradition to the United Kingdom, where they face rape and sex trafficking charges. The influencers, arrested July 18, are being held in federal detention and deny wrongdoing. (More)
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➤ Inter Miami superstar Lionel Messi will miss tomorrow’s MLS All-Star Game in Charlotte, but will not face a suspension as he did last year for skipping the event. (More)
➤ Florida State added FCS Freshman All-American defensive back C.J. Richard Jr. via the transfer portal. He intercepted three passes last season for Illinois State and was a key element in the Redbirds reaching the national title game. (More)
➤ Ocala’s Juice Bucs won the NFL Flag 14U national championship, beating New York City 33-21 one day after a 19-18 semifinal thriller. Quarterback Drake Eason, who wasn’t slated to start when the tournament began, threw for 168 yards and three touchdowns in the final and was named MVP. (More)
➤ The Florida Panthers will open the NHL season Sept. 29 in Raleigh, where the Carolina Hurricanes will raise their Stanley Cup banner before the puck drops. The opener pits Florida, two-time champions before injuries knocked them out of last season’s playoffs, against the league’s newest titleholder. (More)
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➤ Villa Skyfall, an $85 million James Bond-inspired estate in Delray Beach’s Stone Creek Ranch, hit the market with a hidden poker lounge, a 95-foot pool, and closets pre-stocked with designer handbags. The asking price could set a Delray Beach record. (See Photos)
➤ Newberry’s new $1.5 million roundabout opened July 22 on a primary route between Newberry and Alachua, jointly funded by the city and Alachua County after a traffic study recommended it. County officials say the design slows traffic while keeping it moving, and it’s built wide enough for semis. (More)
➤ JEA helicopters began flying Monday to help string new wiring for the $117 million Fulton Cut project, which will replace 175-foot transmission towers over the St. Johns River with 225-foot ones so bigger ships can reach Blount Island. Flights will continue periodically through the end of the year. The project is scheduled to wrap next summer. (See Details)
There’s a reason why so many millionaires invest in real estate. It’s one of the most time-tested asset classes in existence: U.S. home values have appreciated at an average of 4%+ annually since 19671. But with prohibitively high minimums, the system was never designed for regular investors.
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➤ Dade City police swapped traffic stops for an early-morning emu chase Sunday when dispatch reported the big bird strolling through town. The department joked on Facebook that “chasing an emu” wasn’t in the academy curriculum. The bird was safely corralled. (See Details)
➤ Team Florida returned from the 2026 Special Olympics USA Games in Minnesota with 73 medals: 23 gold, 28 silver, and 22 bronze, the third-highest haul of any delegation. The state sent roughly 200 athletes, partners, coaches, and staff to the Games, which featured more than 3,000 competitors. (More)
➤ Mount Dora’s W.T. Bland Public Library has a 20-foot T. rex looming in its dinosaur exhibit, free to visit through Aug. 31. (See Details)
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➤ What cold feet tell you about your heart. Cold feet can be a warning sign for a much deeper circulation problem that comes from a weak heart and clogged arteries…And could lead to serious clots or cardiac events. 7-second “feet test” can predict a heart attack (could SAVE your life).
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:
➤ Rushing the Social Security claiming decision could cost retirees tens of thousands over a lifetime, so which choice makes sense for you? (Listen Now)
➤ Gunfire erupted at a crowded Seattle food festival, leaving three dead and forcing thousands of visitors to flee. (Hear Episode)
➤Authorities say a Secret Service agent took part in a fraternity hazing that nearly killed a University of Miami pledge. (Listen Now)
Secret Service Agent Charged in Hazing Incident
