Good Morning! On this day in 1778, British and Loyalist troops turned back an American invasion of East Florida at the Battle of Alligator Bridge near present-day Callahan. It was the only major clash of a failed Revolutionary War campaign.
Today’s Poll question asks if you’ve ever been present at the opening of a time capsule. What would you put in a time capsule today to represent Florida in 2026 for future generations? Hit reply to let us know.
Americans have been chasing the coveted 10,000 steps a day for years. We all know walking keeps the heart strong, the mind clear, and the body moving well into old age. But a major new study says the number of steps isn’t what matters most. Researchers who tracked tens of thousands of adults found that how you walk does far more for your heart than how many steps you rack up. Tune in to today’s Flyover Podcast as Ayla breaks down what the research found, plus five simple ways to get more out of the walking you’re already doing. So are you walking the right way? Tune in here to find out!
Later today, watch for a special message from our partner, EnergyX, about an early-stage investment opportunity in a lithium company backed by major industry leaders.
Today’s sponsor, Fisher Investments, is helping you plan your ideal retirement with a free guide that aligns your goals, timeline, and investment strategy for lasting financial confidence.
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DeSantis Signs His Final State Budget
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed his eighth and final state budget Monday, vetoing more than $800 million from the $114.5 billion spending plan.
At a Tampa signing event, DeSantis touted a fourth straight year of reduced spending and a state reserve he pegged at roughly $18 billion.
“The footprint of government is not growing in Florida,” DeSantis said. “If anything, it’s shrinking.“
Among the vetoes was a companion bill funding new prison construction, which also nixed $91 million in pay raises for corrections officers tied to its passage. DeSantis said the borrowing it required made it “a casualty” of his debt-reduction push.
The budget still allocates about $30 billion to K-12 schools, $4.5 billion to private school vouchers, and $665 million to Everglades restoration.
Alligator Kills Woman in Seminole County
A 31-year-old woman died Sunday after an alligator attacked her as she swam in the Econlockhatchee River in Seminole County.
She had been hiking with her boyfriend and a friend near the Barr Street Trailhead in Little Big Econ State Forest when the group went for a swim. Her boyfriend pulled her free, but she died at the hospital. Police released a 911 call reporting the incident.
Searchers killed two alligators, measuring 12 and 13 feet, though officials aren’t sure if either was the animal that attacked her. DNA samples are headed to a Gainesville lab.
It was the second gator attack of the weekend. A day earlier, a boy fishing at Nelson’s Fish Camp in Marion County was bitten on the hand, and an officer killed the 8-foot-7 alligator.
A 19-year-old snorkeler was also bitten in Marion County’s Rainbow River last week and has since been released; the FWC says serious alligator injuries remain rare.
Florida Brings Back Mandatory Cursive Lessons
Starting July 1, Florida public schools must teach cursive writing in grades 3 through 5 and confirm students can do it by fifth grade.
The requirement is part of a broad education law, SB 182, that Gov. DeSantis signed in April. By the end of fifth grade, students must write the cursive alphabet, form legible words and sentences, and read and use cursive in essays and assignments.
Florida required cursive until 2010, when it dropped the skill after adopting Common Core standards. The new law reinstates the mandate in statute.
SB 182 also orders public schools to display portraits of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln in a conspicuous spot and establishes a mentoring program for teachers at struggling schools.
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Source: HealthView Services, as of 11/07/2025.
➤Broward County: A brush fire that sparked Sunday afternoon near the Sawgrass Expressway had burned nearly 2,000 acres of Everglades by Monday and remained uncontained, with wind pushing flames and smoke west. Florida Forest Service crews worked to stop it from spreading. (See Details)
➤ Tallahassee: Two men face dozens of charges after Friday’s gambling busts at businesses on South Magnolia Drive and Apalachee Parkway, where officers seized more than 130 slot machines and over $18,000. Patrick Brown, arrested on a similar charge in October, had his bond revoked. (See Details)
➤ Kissimmee: The Kissimmee Police Department is reviewing a Major Crimes detective’s TikTok videos for potential policy violations after she promoted products, including a deodorant spray, while in uniform and displaying her badge. (See Details)
➤ Citrus County: Animal-control officers from the sheriff’s office hiked into a forest with a stretcher and water last week to rescue a large dog that collapsed from heat exhaustion during a walk with its owner, then carried it out to safety. (See Photos)
➤ Mahlique Booth, 28, faces robbery and criminal mischief charges after allegedly posing as a customer at a University Square Mall jewelry store, assaulting the owner, and fleeing with about $50,000 in jewelry before a multiagency chase ended in St. Petersburg. (More)
➤ Walton County: A crowd lined Inlet Beach last week as the Gulfarium CARE Center released loggerheads Carlos and Kora and a green turtle, Gordon, back into the Gulf, all treated for fishing-hook injuries. (Read Story)
➤ Doral: Paola Ramos of Doral spent three days fearing the worst before her 54-year-old mother was pulled alive from a collapsed building in Venezuela, days after twin earthquakes there. The 6-year-old boy her mother had been caring for did not survive. (Read Story)
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➤ Tampa Bay Rays slugger Yandy Diaz left the team’s win over the Diamondbacks with a shoulder strain and is now considered day-to-day. He’s currently among the American League leaders with a .336 batting average or better. (More)
➤ Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said he and Tampa Bay are working on a contract extension but are still looking for the right price. “I would love to be there,” he said. “Now it’s a matter of finding that middle ground.” (More)
➤ Former FSU catcher Hunter Carns committed to transfer to Georgia this week. (More)
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➤ Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier issued a subpoena to CVS Health and its pharmacy-benefit manager, Caremark, demanding records by July 28 to probe whether the company steers patients to its own roughly 800 Florida pharmacies over independents. CVS said it will cooperate and blamed drugmakers for high prices. (See Details)
➤ Murray Bros. Caddyshack, the themed restaurant at St. Johns County’s World Golf Village, closed Saturday after 25 years. The 8,000-square-foot eatery was the complex’s longest-tenured tenant and had signed a 10-year lease extension two years ago. (See Details)
➤ ExtraMile, the Chevron-affiliated convenience-store chain, opened its first Florida store about 10 miles west of downtown Gainesville, its 18th state. The company says more Florida locations are in the works. (See Details)
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You don’t have to navigate the complexities of planning for healthcare costs in retirement alone. Thinking about your health and wealth can feel overwhelming, but building a strong foundation today gives you peace of mind for tomorrow.
Research suggests the average couple can expect to spend more than $670,000 on insurance premiums and out-of-pocket healthcare costs in retirement.* We want to help you determine if your portfolio is positioned to handle these expenses, so we’re offering How to Plan for Healthcare Costs in Retirement, one of our top planning guides, at no cost.
Source: HealthView Services, as of 11/07/2025.
➤ The Florida Highway Patrol is chasing a fourth straight “Best Looking Cruiser” title. The year’s entry is a photo of a black-and-tan Mustang shot before Tampa’s Sunshine Skyway Bridge, lit for America’s 250th anniversary. (See Photo)
➤ Orlando leaders cracked open a capsule the Kiwanis Club buried at Lake Eola Park in 1976, sealed for the nation’s Bicentennial and unsealed now for America’s 250th. Inside were newspapers, photos, and keepsakes. (See Details)
➤ Alexandra de Roos, a 23-year-old Winter Haven native and University of South Florida science major, was crowned Miss Florida 2026 on Saturday in Lakeland. The classically trained ballet dancer and brain-injury awareness advocate will represent the state at Miss America in West Palm Beach this fall. (See Details)
➤ Level99, a two-story arcade for grown-ups, opened Monday at Disney Springs, packing 63 life-sized games, from an axe-dodging balance beam to a space-themed take on Twister, into the space that once held DisneyQuest and the short-lived NBA Experience. (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:
➤ Americans chase 10,000 steps a day, but a major new study says how you walk matters far more. (Hear Details)
➤ A coalition that owns nearly 400 local newspapers has accused OpenAI and Microsoft of copying their reporting to train AI systems. (Hear Episode)
➤ President Trump declared the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool “in full use” and blamed radical left vandals for the pool’s recent problems. (Listen Now)
Have you ever been present for the opening of a time capsule?
DeSantis Signs His Final State Budget
