Early In-Person Voting Begins With Glitch

Election websites were temporarily down on Monday as the first day of presidential in-person early voting began in Florida.

The Tallahassee-based vendor, VR Systems, which manages web traffic, struggled to keep up with the traffic—similar to issues during the Aug. 20 primary.

As of Monday, 1,165,746 Floridians had already voted via vote-by-mail ballots, with Democrats outvoting Republicans by 71,096.

Florida residents can vote in any early voting location within the county where they are registered. A government-issued photo ID is required at the polls.

FEMA Opens More Disaster Recovery Centers

FEMA has opened Disaster Recovery Centers (DRC) in Indian River, Martin, and St. Lucie counties to aid victims of tornadoes caused by Hurricane Milton. See the full list of locations here.

The Martin County DRC is located at the Martin County Fairgrounds, Indian River’s at the Intergenerational Recreation Center, and St. Lucie’s at the Havert Fenn Center.

FEMA had previously opened DRCs in Citrus, Columbia, Gilchrist, Hillsborough, Madison, Manatee, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee, and Taylor counties, offering one-on-one assistance.

Residents of other affected counties, like Volusia, without a DRC, can apply for assistance at DisasterAssistance.gov.

Florida’s Tourism Expected to “Reshape”

Tourism experts predict that recent storms will reshape Florida’s tourism landscape, with small businesses in heavily affected areas struggling to reopen.

The exodus of small businesses from Florida’s Gulf Coast is likely to accelerate the region’s transition toward higher-end tourism and hospitality development, according to Peter Ricci, director of Florida Atlantic University’s Hospitality and Tourism Management program.

In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian in 2022, many small-scale hotel and resort operators in Fort Myers Beach chose to exit the market rather than face restoration challenges.

Only well-funded developers will have the financial means to rebuild and comply with costly modern building codes, said Ricci, resulting in a new upscale and expensive look and feel.

10/30 Is Your Last Chance to Invest in this $2T ‘Cinderella’ Opportunity

The $2 trillion global entertainment and media industry is undergoing a seismic shift. With the rise of augmented and virtual reality, Elf Labs is using their exclusive rights to the highest-grossing characters in history, like Cinderella and the Little Mermaid, to shape the future of entertainment. 

And you have less than 10 days to invest as they do it. 

Why Elf Labs? 

• Legendary IP: They own 100+ trademarks and 400+ international copyrights for legends like Cinderella, Snow White, Rapunzel, and the Little Mermaid.

• Major Retail Potential: Elf’s team has previously generated $6B in licensing transactions in major retailers like Walmart, Costco, Kohl’s, Macy’s, and more.

• Global Reach: They have a growing pipeline of merchandise deals around the world, from the US to Mexico and Europe.

They also have 12 technology patents for state-of-the-art compression technologies that they will use to create immersive virtual experiences with their character franchises. 

With the October 30th investment deadline quickly approaching, this is your final opportunity to own a piece of this next-gen tech and storytelling pioneer—invest in Elf Labs by 10/30.

➤ Tallahassee: Tensions have been rising between Gov. Ron DeSantis and his former ally Jeff Roe as they clash over a marijuana legalization initiative, which is now backed by former President Trump. (See Details)

➤ Meanwhile, DeSantis and Sen. Rick Scott, who is also a former Florida governor, are reportedly engaged in a quiet feud over each other’s handling of hurricanes, according to Tallahassee insiders. (More)

➤ Broward County: Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff is scheduled to attend Wednesday’s Get Out the Vote rally. Broward is the largest Democratic stronghold in the state. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the inaugural Becker Strong 5K, honoring a Broward County principal who passed away after a battle with cancer, is set for Nov. 2. (See Video)

➤ Punta Gorda: A woman reported missing by her family in Wisconsin during Hurricane Milton was found dead in her home on Thursday, along with the body of her boyfriend. (See Details)

➤ The Panhandle: The annual Peanut Butter Challenge jar collection for local food pantries continues, looking to beat last year’s total collection of 27,769 pounds of peanut butter from 44 Florida counties. (See Details)

➤ The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the Baltimore Ravens 41-31 on Monday Night Football. In the final minute of the game, top receiver Chris Godwin was hurt and had to be carted off the field with an injured ankle. (Watch Recap)

➤ Miami held its No. 6 spot in the AP Top 25 after a 52-45 win over Louisville, marking the Hurricanes’ first 7-0 start since 2017. (See Rankings)

➤ Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa is set to return from injured reserve and practiced Wednesday, but he must clear concussion protocol before playing in Week 8 against the Arizona Cardinals. (More)

➤ Diamond Sports Group announced Monday that its regional sports networks, including the Orlando Magic’s broadcaster, have rebranded as FanDuel Sports Network.  (More)

➤ Yesterday’s Results: NFL | NHL 

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Florida’s unemployment rate held for a sixth consecutive month, but a key state economist said on Friday that “it’s still too soon to tell” how a trio of hurricanes could affect the state’s jobless figures. (More)

➤ The city of Bradenton Beach reopened for business this week with no curfews or checkpoints. While some businesses are still recovering, locals say they’re seeking a return to “normalcy.” (More)

➤ Boca Raton-based telehealth company Reachlink is branching into artificial intelligence after providing mental health therapies to nearly 100,000 people per year since its launch in 2019. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

Time’s running out to get a piece of this legendary IP: Fairy Tale characters like Princesses dominate a huge portion of the $2T entertainment and merchandise industry. The IP for stories like Cinderella, Snow White, and other icons have generated $46B in revenue over the years. Today, Elf Labs owns rights to those same beloved characters, as well as the Little Mermaid, Rapunzel, Peter Pan, and more. With 100+ trademarks, 400+ international copyrights, and 12 tech patents, they’re inviting you to join them in redefining storytelling for a new generation. Invest in Elf Labs by 10/30 to get a piece of their portfolio.

^{This is a paid advertisement for Elf Labs’ Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at elflabs.com}

➤ Palm Beach County residents with family in Cuba are “very worried” as millions of Cubans await the return of power following a major grid failure just hours before Hurricane Oscar made landfall. (See Video)

➤ A family military burial flag belonging to a New Port Richey woman who lost most of her belongings in Hurricane Helene was specially cleaned and restored by The Pasco Patriots Association—much to her delight. (See Video)

➤ Sizable holes along Florida’s riverbanks are giving the shoreline a musty Swiss cheese appearance. According to experts, the holes are dug by an exotic and invasive armored sailfin catfish. (See Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Naturally soothe headaches in minutes. Slip into a deep state of pain-free relaxation with the Aculief Headache Relief Hat. The proven power of cold therapy combined with Aculief’s game-changing 360º compression will quickly and naturally relieve pain from all types of headaches.

Did you vote yesterday?

1. Yes
2. No

Monday’s Results:

Do you own a gun?

1. Yes: 63.8%
2. No: 36.2%

In which Florida city can you find the first building custom-designed to showcase the glassworks of artist Dale Chihuly?

Show me the answer