Good Morning! On this day in 1998, Disney’s Animal Kingdom opened on Earth Day at Walt Disney World in Orlando. A team of Imagineers traveled over 500,000 miles to perfect the look of life in the wild.
Today marks the 56th anniversary of Earth Day, with a 2026 theme of Our Power, Our Planet. Over 1 billion people worldwide are expected to participate in cleanups, education, and advocacy to mark the occasion.
Today’s sponsor, BiOptimizers, is tackling one of the most overlooked causes of digestive discomfort: declining enzyme levels with MassZymes, a powerful formula designed to help your body fully break down food and eliminate bloating, gas, and that sluggish post-meal feeling.
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Wildfires Erupt, Canceling Amtrak Service
Wildfire activity is rapidly spreading across Florida as drought conditions intensify, with a significant impact on train travel this week.
Amtrak train service in the state was disrupted on Monday and Tuesday due to a wildfire in the northeast, prompting evacuations. In Alachua County, a state of emergency has been declared.
The auto train service between Sanford and Lorton, Virginia, was canceled for Monday as a wildfire along the eastern border of Putnam and Clay counties merged into what is being called the Railroad Fire.
Spanning about 4,000 acres as of Tuesday, the Railroad Fire stranded more than 200 passengers for over 24 hours on Amtrak’s Silver Meteor route, which runs between Miami and New York, after the train was forced back to Miami.
One of the Silver Meteor routes began and ended in Jacksonville instead of South Florida on Monday, and one of its two daily train trips was canceled for Tuesday. The Floridian route, running from Miami to Chicago via Washington, started and ended in Savannah, Georgia, and one of its two train trips was canceled for Tuesday.
Law Signed to Build Flying Taxi Vertiports
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill Monday to boost state development of vertiports, funding the infrastructure and necessary facilities for electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft as of July 1.
Under the new law, the state could fully fund the cost of building public vertiports for electric flying taxis if federal money isn’t available. When federal support is involved, the state can contribute up to 80% of the non-federal share.
Private developers can collaborate with the state to establish these new infrastructures, similar to existing partnerships for toll roads and airports.
The measure is part of the state’s push to make air taxis widely used in Florida. The Florida Department of Transportation has already rolled out plans to allow up to 1.4 million air taxi passenger trips in 2027.
Cherfilus-McCormick Resigns from Congress
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from the U.S. House moments before a hearing by the bipartisan Ethics Committee, which last month found her guilty of campaign finance violations, was set to issue a punishment.
Explaining her decision in an extended social media statement on Tuesday, the Democrat wrote, “Rather than play these political games, I choose to step away so that I can devote my time to fighting for my neighbors in Florida’s 20th district.”
The announcement came after fellow Floridian Rep. Greg Steube, R-District 17, pledged to file a motion to expel Cherfilus-McCormick later this week.
Cherfilus-McCormick is facing federal criminal charges related to funneling $5 million in pandemic relief funds from her family’s healthcare company to her 2021 congressional campaign.
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➤ Lake Okeechobee: Officials warned boaters to check current conditions and access before heading out, as they have closed four boat locks and limited access to a fifth as lake levels have dropped to dangerously low levels. (More)
➤ Orange County: Commissioners announced on Monday that the county has eliminated $43 million in medical debt for qualified residents through a partnership with third-party vendor Undue Medical Debt. (See Details)
➤ Cape Canaveral: Blue Origin’s latest mission failed to reach its target, sending the BlueBird satellite into an orbit that is too low to work. The reusable booster did successfully land after the failed mission. (More)
➤ Manatee County: Schools saw about 300 new students this year, spurring the district to build new schools, including Veterans Elementary, Rye Ranch Elementary, and a new high school in Lakewood Ranch, set to open in 2027. (More)
➤ Volusia County: As of Monday, AI metal detectors are being used at DeLand High School, the last of the county’s 10 high schools to implement the new technology on school grounds. (More)
➤ Miami: American Airlines announced that tickets for flights between the Magic City and Caracas are now available for the first time since 2019, marking a significant step in the normalization of U.S.-Venezuela relations. (More)
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➤ The Orlando Magic play Game 2 of their first-round playoff series tonight. They defeated the Pistons 112-101 in Game 1 on Sunday. (More)
➤ Projected No. 1 NFL draft pick Fernando Mendoza will not attend Thursday’s draft in Pittsburgh, choosing to share the experience at home in South Florida with his mother, who has multiple sclerosis. (More)
➤ Florida State was ranked No. 8 and Florida No. 22 in this week’s USA Today baseball coaches poll. (See Poll)
➤ Tired of looking tired? The easy-to-use Renewa Eyelift solution helps reduce the appearance of droopy eyelids, fine lines, and puffiness in minutes—no surgery needed. Designed for quick, natural-looking results, it helps you achieve a more youthful, refreshed look so you can feel confident every day. (Shop Now)
➤ Amazon and Winn-Dixie are providing same-day delivery to the majority of households across the state. The partnership, which launched in late 2025 in select markets, signals demand for online grocery options tied to familiar local brands. (More)
➤ Orlando-based Red Lobster is offering its Endless Shrimp promotion for the first time since the all-you-can-eat deal pushed the seafood chain into bankruptcy in 2024. Priced at $25, the return includes five dishes, with a new Marry Me Shrimp. (More)
➤ Boca Raton, in partnership with the state, will provide over $5 million in incentives to D-Wave Quantum, a California company relocating its headquarters to the city by year’s end, with a promise to create at least 100 jobs. (More)
➤ Meanwhile, Florida Atlantic University pledged in January to buy one of D-Wave Quantum’s computers for $20 million, which would make it the first university in Florida to “publicly host a large, dedicated quantum computer on-site.” (More)
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➤ SpaceX launched a U.S. government GPS satellite on Tuesday from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, named after actress Hedy Lamarr, an inventor who helped establish wireless communication, including Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and GPS. (See Launch)
➤ Siesta Key Beach in Sarasota was ranked the No. 1 beach by U.S. News & World Report in its 2026 Best Beaches in the U.S. rankings, while Anna Maria Island ranked No. 3. Four additional Florida beaches made the top 15. (See List)
➤ New Pub Subs are coming to Florida Publix stores, including three new brisket subs and one new brisket sandwich. (More)
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