School Start Time Awaits Governor’s Signature

On Friday, the legislature sent about 60 bills to Gov. Ron DeSantis, including a measure that would undo a 2023 law requiring middle and high school classes to start later in the morning. 

The law was slated to take effect in 2026, but school districts have been struggling with the logistics of complying with the later start time, which would require more buses, hard-to-find bus drivers, and other changes.

The requirement for middle schools to start later than 8 a.m. affected just 8% of Florida schools, with the current average middle school start time of 9:03 a.m. High schools, however, would be required to start no earlier than 8:30 a.m., although 65% of schools currently start before 8 a.m.

This year’s bill, which lawmakers passed unanimously, would allow districts to avoid the requirements if they submit reports to the Florida Department of Education. Gov. DeSantis had not yet signed the bill at press time.

Woman Fined $1.8M by ICE

A woman living in South Florida received a $1.8 million civil fine from ICE for failing to leave the country after receiving a removal order in 2005.

The 41-year-old mother of three is originally from Honduras. She entered the U.S. illegally through California. Two months later, after failing to appear at a scheduled immigration hearing, she was ordered to leave the country.

According to a notice sent May 9, ICE is now charging her $500 for every day she has remained in the U.S. since that order was issued. The total fine currently stands at $1,821,350. 

The woman’s attorney, Michelle Sanchez, said the fine is excessive and unfair, given that her client was not properly informed of the consequences.

Osceola County Pushes for Land Preservation

Residents in Osceola County, particularly ranchers, are pushing for continued agriculture and land preservation efforts amid the growth and construction of new housing.

Osceola County, one of the top beef cattle producing counties in the nation, has seen its population nearly double since 2010, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Officials project that the number of residents will continue to increase in the coming years.

The county has introduced several initiatives to preserve land spaces, including an urban growth boundary. County officials anticipate that federal, state, and local investments will help manage the influx of people.

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➤ Central Florida: Lake, Orange, and Flagler counties have lifted their bans on open burning after significant rain throughout Central Florida over the past two weeks. (More)

➤ Martin County: After days of negotiations, the school district and the sheriff’s office have agreed that school resource deputies will remain in the schools and that the school board will increase its contribution to about $5 million. (See Details)

➤ Flagler County: The Rotary Club installed 10 safety stations with lifesaving flotation rings on Flagler Beach as part of its Drown Zero Initiative. (More)

➤ Volusia County: A roofer connected to Busy Bee Roofing has been arrested and is facing charges for allegedly stealing tens of thousands of dollars from his customers. (See Photo)

➤ Jacksonville: The History Center presented its annual report on Endangered Historic Properties that have had preservation success, including the Jessie Ball duPont Center and the former Florida Casket Company building. (See List)

➤ Orlando: The country’s long-running Fringe Fest kicked off this past weekend and will run through May 26 at Loch Haven Park with shows, programs, and an art exhibit inside Orlando Shakes. (More)

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➤ Stoneman Douglas High School defeated Jupiter on Saturday to secure their fifth consecutive state championship in baseball—a Florida high school record. (More)

➤ Miami Marlins pitcher Cal Quantrill logged the first immaculate inning of the MLB season against the Rays on Sunday, striking out three batters with just nine pitches. (More)

➤ Orlando City beat Inter Miami 3-0 on Sunday night, extending their streak to 11 games without a loss. Inter Miami is trending in the opposite direction, now 0-2-1 in their last three matchups. (More)

➤ College sports are important in Florida, and the future of name, image, and likeness policies is important to college sports. Stay informed with NIL Wire. (Sign Up)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA | NCAAB | Soccer

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➤ Miami-based Burkhan World Investments signed three non-binding agreements worth $15 billion with partners in Saudi Arabia last week as part of the official Trump delegation at the USA-Saudi Strategic Investment Forum in Riyadh. (More)

➤ Beach House Fort Lauderdale has completed a multi-million dollar renovation of the former Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, including 375 redesigned suites, two new culinary venues, and a spa. (See Photos)

➤ Melbourne Main Street proposed revitalizing two properties near Crane Creek into a public gathering area anchored by a terraced amphitheater that could host events without shutting down streets. (More)

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Zillow’s Co-Founder Has a Big New Idea

Spencer Rascoff co-founded Zillow, scaling it into a $16B real estate giant. But everyday investors couldn’t invest until after the IPO, missing potential early gains.

“I wish we had done a round accessible to retail investors prior to Zillow’s IPO,” Spencer later said. 

Now he’s doing just that. Spencer has teamed up with Austin Allison, another Zillow exec, to launch Pacaso. Pacaso’s co-ownership marketplace is disrupting the $1.3T vacation home market. And unlike Zillow, you can invest in Pacaso as a private company.

With $110M+ in gross profits and rapid international expansion, Pacaso is scaling fast. Investors like Softbank, Maveron, and more are already on board. They even reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.

But you don’t have to wait. Join them as a Pacaso shareholder for just $2.80/share by 5/29.

➤ Retired Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman is considering a run to represent Florida in the U.S. Senate as a Democrat in next year’s race against Republican Ashley Moody. (More)

➤ A landmarked estate in Palm Beach with six bedrooms and 7,366 square feet of living space sold for $17.5 million. (See Photos)

➤ A video captured smoke coming from a 52-foot yacht in Miami Beach after it caught fire on Saturday. No injuries were reported. (See Video)

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What’s your favorite breakfast meat?

1. Bacon
2. Sausage
3. Ham
4. Other
5. I don’t eat meat

Monday’s Results:

Do you have a home office?

1. Yes: 62%
2. No: 38%

What city was picked instead of Tallahassee in 1838 as the site of Florida’s first Constitutional Convention?

Show me the answer