Good Morning! On this day in 1874, the Parisian-made lens of the St. Augustine lighthouse was lit for the first time. A giant first-order Fresnel lens that shines all night, it flashes every 30 seconds and is visible up to 24 miles out at sea.
Florida’s three largest ports—PortMiami, Port Canaveral, and Port Everglades—are some of the busiest in the world. As several new cruise ships from Disney, Celebrity, and other lines prepare for their maiden voyages, here’s a winter cruise guide.
Do you enjoy cruises? If so, what destination has been your favorite? Reply to share your recommendations with our crew.
Have you ever wondered how The Flyover began and why? How a kitchen-table idea grew from one cup of coffee to over 3 million daily readers? Well, today you’re in luck. Here’s the inside story of The Flyover and the people who make it happen, with a special message from our founder that answers it all. Read how it all began here.
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Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.
Bill Seeks New Teacher Oath
A bill filed Monday by Republican state Rep. Tom Fabricio would require teachers to take an oath to the Constitution and nonpartisanship before they start working in public schools.
The bill, HB 147, contains similar language to that used in oaths taken by lawyers, doctors, and public officials. It would require educators to pledge to “faithfully perform the duties of a classroom teacher in a professional, independent, objective, and nonpartisan manner.”
Last month, Education Commissioner Anastasios Kamoutsas sent a letter to school superintendents after Charlie Kirk was assassinated, calling out teachers’ social media conduct that he deemed “vile, sanctionable behavior.”
Chapter 876 of the Florida statutes requires state employees, including those serving on school boards and working for state or county school districts, to take an oath that they are citizens of Florida and support the U.S. and Florida constitutions.
SeaWorld Parent Company Sued for Hidden Fees
A Virginia man is suing the Orlando-based company that runs SeaWorld and Busch Gardens parks for adding hidden fees to theme park tickets.
The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court’s Orlando division and seeks class-action status. Attorneys for Matthew Beeman accused United Parks and Resorts of breaking Virginia’s transparent pricing law with “bait and switch” tactics that trick customers into paying more.
“Defendant conceals its mandatory fees until after consumers have invested substantial time selecting tickets and have committed to purchasing based on the incomplete, deceptively low advertised price,” the lawsuit reads.
United faces a similar lawsuit filed last year when a woman in Osceola County sued the company over a 5% fee added to items that she bought while visiting SeaWorld Orlando. The lawsuit is still pending and is set for trial in September 2026.
Missing WWII Pilot Buried in Hastings
The remains of Lt. J.G. Ralph Cornelius DuPont were brought home and laid to rest with full military honors at Pellicer Creek Cemetery in Hastings, 81 years after his plane was shot down over what is now Taiwan.
DuPont was a U.S. Navy pilot from Jacksonville who served in Fighter Squadron 18, based on the USS Intrepid. On Oct. 12, 1944, his F6F-5 Hellcat joined an attack against Japanese forces near the Taien Airfield on Formosa and was shot down.
DuPont was listed as missing in action in a newspaper story printed Nov. 23, 1944, saying that the young man “won his wings” in 1943 at the air base in Pensacola.
On June 10, 2025, through laboratory analysis and “total circumstantial evidence,” Dupont’s remains were confirmed to have been buried in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific, also known as the Punchbowl, in Honolulu.
✝ These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
➤ Tallahassee: On Tuesday, a candlelight vigil was held at the Florida Capitol to honor Charlie Kirk on the National Day of Remembrance. President Trump posthumously awarded Kirk the Medal of Freedom at a White House ceremony on what would have been his 32nd birthday. (More)
➤ Statewide: State lawmakers are considering a bill that would give residents who owned their homes before Sept. 30, 2024, a $1,000 property tax rebate over the next five years. The current taxable value of the home cannot exceed $450,000. (See Video)
➤ Lee County: Commissioner Mike Greenwell will be honored Saturday with a Celebration of Life at JetBlue Park. Greenwell, who died on Oct. 9 at the age of 62, was a former Boston Red Sox player and business owner. (See Photo)
➤ Leon County: Donna Adelson, the matriarch of a wealthy South Florida family, was the fifth person convicted in the 2014 murder-for-hire of her former son-in-law, a Florida State University law professor. (More)
➤ Hernando County: The school district is the first to participate in the state’s voluntary chaplain program, allowing Rev. Jack Martin, a retired Pentecostal pastor, to be a volunteer religious figure available to students. (More)
➤ Volusia County: Mindy Clifton, who spent decades working for the county’s Division of Corrections, was one of 16 people killed in a blast at a Tennessee explosive plant last week. (See Video)
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➤ The Florida Gators are ranked No. 3 in the AP’s first preseason men’s college basketball poll, trailing only Purdue and Houston. (See Full Poll)
➤ The Tampa Bay Lightning will reopen an outdoor ball hockey rink in Pinellas Park thanks to a $100,000 grant by the team’s charitable foundation. (More)
➤UCF football secured an in-state commitment from three-star quarterback Logan Flaherty this week, who chose the Knights over Florida State and Florida. (More)
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➤ Florida lawmakers are crafting a bipartisan bill to address the state’s shortage of social workers by making it easier for out-of-state professionals to work in the state by adopting a licensure compact that 31 states have already adopted. (More)
➤ Miami-based Urbint, specializing in AI-driven risk management storm response, was acquired by Itron, a smart energy and water solutions firm, for $325 million. (More)
➤ Daiso, the popular Japanese retailer known for a variety of affordable products, opened its third Florida location at Countryside Centre in Clearwater. (More)
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Dr. John Lakey discovered a morning trick that supports a powerful fat-burning hormone, inspired by a friend’s transformation. A study showed 297 volunteers lost 24 pounds in eight weeks without changing diet or exercise.
✝ These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
➤ Eight-time Grammy Award winner Gloria Estefan was honored by having 13th Street in Miami Beach renamed Gloria Estefan Way. Known as the Queen of Latin Pop, she is a South Florida icon. (See Video)
➤ Meanwhile, a street naming was held for rapper Trick Daddy in Miami-Dade County. The new sign was unveiled in front of the Gould’s Community Center, with the street now known as Maurice Trick Daddy Young Street. (See Video)
➤ When human bones are found in South Florida, Dr. Heather Walsh-Haney and her students often get a call. The forensic anthropologist and Florida Gulf Coast University professor is often asked to investigate the mysteries of Florida’s dead. (More)
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Do you think the public school teacher oath needs to be updated?
Bill Seeks New Teacher Oath
