Sunday, August 16, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1958, Angela Bassett was born in New York. She grew up in St. Petersburg public housing, and went from Boca Ciega High to Yale to two Oscar nominations.

A Sarasota teen found an unexpected heart defect through a mandatory electrocardiogram screening required by the Second Chance Act, named for Chance Gainer, who died of cardiac arrest during a 2024 football game. Surgery is set for October.

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla shared what scientists said about when you should actually be eating dinner. Scientists say your dinnertime could be shaping your blood sugar, your cravings, and even your heart health, and the growing field of chrononutrition finds that eating at the wrong hour can throw off the body's internal clock. Poorer blood sugar control. Stronger cravings the next day. Even a higher risk of heart disease. Ayla explained what dinnertime is actually right for you, so before you plan tonight's meal, find out whether your schedule is working for you or against you. Tune in here!

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Uthmeier Rewrites Amendment 3

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has rewritten the ballot summary for Amendment 3, the November property tax measure, after a judge ruled the Legislature's version defective.

Leon County Circuit Judge David Frank called the original wording "clearly and conclusively defective" and said its title read like a political slogan. The new version drops the slogan and the claim that the amendment would ensure funding for core services.

The amendment itself is unchanged. It would raise the homestead exemption for non-school taxes to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028, and lower the annual assessment cap on non-homestead property from 10% to 5%.

Uthmeier said state law lets him revise only the summary and title, and faulted lawmakers for cutting sheriffs out of the process. Jackson Peel of Save Our Services, a plaintiff in the case, calls it a "scam and tax shift."

It needs 60% approval Nov. 3.

Lock Maker Challenges State Classroom Rule

A door-lock manufacturer is challenging a Florida Department of Education rule that it says undercuts a 2025 law letting classrooms install emergency barricade locks.

The department pushed to repeal that statute in the 2026 session, failed, and wrote implementing rules that Board of Education Chair Ryan Petty conceded were "onerous."

The rule would require every first responder who might answer a call at the school—police, fire, EMS, and armed guardians—to carry a key to the classroom door. Schools would also need semester training and fire-code sign-off.

NIGHTLOCK co-owner Jack Taylor says handing master keys to hundreds of responders creates its own security risk, and that classroom doors must be unlocked in an attack anyway. Petty says the barricades could slow responders reaching the wounded.

A virtual hearing is set for Aug. 21. The department declined to comment but agreed to pay outside counsel up to $150,000.

Miami Orders Halt to Brickell Rentals

Miami has ordered a 43-story Brickell condo tower to shut down what the city says are more than 300 illegal short-term rentals.

The Club at Brickell Bay, at 1200 Brickell Bay Drive, was approved in 2011 for 30 vacation rental units. A city investigation found more than 300 listed among its 643 units.

Assistant City Manager Barbie Hernandez wrote that the operation creates a life-safety problem because the building isn't approved for hotel-level fire and disability requirements. The letter orders the rentals to stop immediately and warns of revoked certificates and legal action.

Residents have complained for years about lobby crowds, elevator lines, and damage. Christina Lardon, who has owned there since 2008, told 7News owners have enclosed dining rooms to add unpermitted bedrooms.

Building management declined to comment. The city gave staff 10 days to respond to the letter, delivered Tuesday.

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➤ Statewide: Gov. Ron DeSantis said the Florida House "needs to take a mulligan" and backed gubernatorial candidate Paul Renner's call for a special session. Both want the House to revive Senate-passed bills on vaccine exemptions, ivermectin access, and an AI bill of rights. (More)

➤ Pensacola: The City Council took no action Thursday on a first reading of Mayor DC Reeves' proposed curfew for anyone 17 and under, introduced after the deadly July 4 mass shooting downtown. Police backed it; council members questioned the age cutoff and the exemptions. (More)

➤ Lake County: A small plane crashed and burned Friday morning in a rural stretch south of Groveland. Both people aboard were hurt, officials said. (See Photo)

➤ Palm Beach County: Big Dog Ranch Rescue took in 155 beagles from a shuttered Wisconsin breeding and testing facility, closing out a relocation of more than 2,000 dogs. The rescue says they'll get surgeries, vaccinations, and homes. (See Video)

➤ First Coast: Carefree Boat Club members say the company's boats were lifted out of marinas in Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Fernandina Beach, and St. Augustine this week. Members are concerned about accessing the amenities they're paying for. (More)

➤ Sarasota: A mandatory electrocardiogram screening under Florida's Second Chance Act caught a congenital heart defect in Cameron Crider, a 15-year-old athlete. “I didn’t know what it was. I just wanted to know how to fix it,” Cameron said. (Read Story)

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➤ The Miami Dolphins opened the preseason with a 20-7 loss to the Washington Commanders after De’Von Achane finished a 93-yard opening drive with Miami’s lone touchdown. (More)

➤ Undrafted Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookies Jalon Daniels and Ayden Garnes sparked a 24-16 preseason victory over the New York Jets, with Daniels leading two second-half touchdown drives and Garnes returning an interception 47 yards for a score. (More)

➤ Miami Dolphins consultant and ESPN analyst Troy Aikman must participate in Monday Night Football production meetings remotely and is barred from team practices and practice facilities because of his role with the club. (More)

➤ Miami Hurricanes running back Jordan Lyle faces a felony fleeing-and-eluding charge and a misdemeanor reckless-driving charge tied to a July 10 incident in Sunrise. (More)

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➤ Walt Disney World cast members collected more than 155,000 school supplies this summer for A Gift For Teaching, which stocks classrooms in Orange, Osceola, Lake, Seminole, and Polk counties. The annual drive has now topped 1 million supplies over a decade. (See Photo)

➤ NASA will open the Shuttle Landing Facility at Kennedy Space Center to the public Nov. 7 and 8 for MAX POWER, a two-day aerospace expo and airshow marking the country's 250th anniversary. (See Details)

➤ The Museum of Art and Design at Miami Dade College opened nos encontramos at the Freedom Tower, an exhibit of work Cuban dissident artist Luis Manuel Otero Alcántara made in prison. He was freed July 7 and flown to Miami on humanitarian parole. (Read Story)

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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, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ College costs outpaced wages and left families scrambling to cover the bill. (Hear More)

➤ Teen trouble prompted one New Jersey town to tighten its summer rules. (Listen Now)

➤ A Supreme Court justice said conservatives faced an unexpected barrier on college campuses. (Podcast Available)

After seeing it struggling to get back into the water last year, several beachgoers worked together to help a stranded shark get back into the swim of things. Brave or foolish, they got the job done.