Rabu, 22 Juli 2026

Bertha Slides West, Messi to Miss All-Star Game, and the Happiest City

Wednesday, July 22, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1964, developers sold the first 536 home lots for a brand-new city carved from drained Broward County swampland. That swamp became Coral Springs—now home to more than 120,000 people.

The Et Cetera section at the bottom of this email reveals the happiest city in Florida, according to one new ranking. That made us curious: What's the happiest place you've ever lived? Hit reply to tell us where and what made it so copacetic.

No state has more riding on this winter's forecast than Florida. Experts now put the odds at 81% that El Niño reaches "very strong" status by winter, potentially one of the largest on record, and government weather data shows Florida's risk profile transforms when that happens. In today's episode of The Flyover Podcast, Ayla breaks down the five ways forecasters say this El Niño will shape the months ahead. So what happens to Florida when a super El Niño peaks? Tune in here!

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Bertha Slides West

Tropical Storm Bertha, the season's second named storm, formed south of the Panhandle Monday night and is now crawling west along the northern Gulf, keeping Florida on its rainy eastern side.

State emergency managers say rain is the main threat, with 2 to 6 inches expected near the Gulf Coast and the Panhandle, and more where bands stall. Flash flooding remains possible along the coast through Friday, and the Big Bend could see an isolated tornado.

The surf is the other danger. Panama City Beach beach safety officials warn of life-threatening rip currents, and forecasters say storm surge of up to 4 feet is possible in some places.

The state has staged five semi-trucks in Central Florida but has not activated its Emergency Operations Center. Forecasters expect Bertha to weaken as it pushes toward Louisiana and Texas through the week.

HOA Officer Charged after Ramming Van

The vice president of a Leesburg homeowners association faces five counts of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon after deputies say he chased down a work van carrying five people and rammed it with his pickup.

A window company canvasser was offering estimates on June 29 inside The Plantation at Leesburg, a 55-and-up community, when a resident told him to leave. The worker complied and called his crew for a pickup, but Gerald Tucker, 71, allegedly chased the van in his Ford F-150 and cornered it in a cul-de-sac.

Tucker told deputies the crew wasn't allowed to solicit in the neighborhood, and he wanted to speak with the driver. One worker said the van crumpled against his arm, injuring him. All five gave sworn statements seeking prosecution.

Tucker was released on a $10,000 bond. The HOA's president says the board stands behind him, calling his actions a response to unauthorized solicitors on private property.

Gator Traps Palm Bay Family

A Palm Bay family spent the early hours of Friday morning stuck inside their own home while a 7-foot-6-inch alligator hissed, growled, and thumped its tail against the front door.

Sierra Wynn says a security camera on her garage pinged her phone just before 4 a.m. The footage showed the gator crawling out of the grass and walking straight to her door on Malabar Road.

"I thought at one point he was gonna come through the window," Wynn said. The family watched from inside as Palm Bay police and a Florida Fish and Wildlife trapper wrangled the reptile off the porch.

Wynn credited the alert with heading off a much worse morning. She said she would have walked right into the gator when opening the garage to let her dog out.

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➤ Miami: The tugboat captain charged in last July's Biscayne Bay barge crash that killed three girls from a Miami Yacht Club sailing camp pleaded guilty Tuesday to seaman's manslaughter. Prosecutors said Yusiel Lopez Insua, 46, was pushing a barge with an obstructed view and no adequate lookout system. (More)

➤ Apopka: Orange County will install an automated speed camera near Rock Springs Elementary School after a traffic study confirmed dangerous speeding along Rock Springs Road. (More)

➤ Sunny Isles Beach commissioners approved an ordinance requiring e-bike riders to be 16 or older and carry a government-issued ID, and banning the bikes from sidewalks. Violations bring a $250 fine, rising to $500 for repeat offenses. Ticketing begins Aug. 16. (More)

➤ Bradenton: Manatee County deputies shut down an alleged illegal gambling operation at a storefront, seizing more than $23,000 in cash, 34 gambling machines, and 89 computer towers loaded with gambling software. It's the second time deputies have shut down gambling at the location. (Details)

➤ Kissimmee: The Osceola County Sheriff's Office has recommended a felony culpable negligence charge against a Georgia mother whose 2-year-old son was shot and killed July 12 by his 4-year-old cousin, who found her unsecured handgun in the family's vehicle outside a Kissimmee vacation rental. (More)

➤ Statewide: The FDA issued a final rule on July 17, lowering the minimum sugar standard for pasteurized orange juice from 10.5 to 10 degrees Brix, the first change since 1963. Supporters say the move lets Florida growers sell more fruit domestically instead of relying on sweeter imported juice. (Details)

➤ Cape Canaveral: Blue Origin moved its 2-million-pound launch table into its integration facility for inspection as it rebuilds Launch Complex 36, heavily damaged when a New Glenn rocket exploded during a May test fire. Work on the company's Blue Moon lunar lander continues. (More)

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➤ Inter Miami will be without Lionel Messi and Rodrigo De Paul for at least their next two MLS games after both played all eight of Argentina's World Cup matches. Both will also skip the MLS All-Star Game on July 29. (More)

➤ Florida Gulf Coast University introduced Brian Barrio as its new athletic director this week. Barrio, who set fundraising records at UMBC, said his first priority is finding the resources to keep FGCU competitive in the era of NIL and revenue sharing. (More)

➤ Florida Panthers equipment manager Teddy Richards was suspended from all team activities after being arrested last week in Coral Springs on charges of domestic battery. A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers, Richards also served as Team USA's equipment manager at the 2026 Olympics. (More)

➤ Marlins All-Star right-hander Max Meyer landed on the 15-day injured list with a neck strain after lasting just three innings in Saturday's start. He’s seeing a specialist in Los Angeles this week. (More)

➤ Godby wide receiver Jamarin Simmons signed an NIL deal with Nike, one of just 11 high school players nationwide on the brand's roster. The five-star Clemson commit holds offers from more than two dozen Division I programs. (Details)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | WNBA

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➤ Strategic Property Partners filed plans with the City of Tampa for a roughly 400-foot residential tower at Water Street and Cumberland Avenue, with 452 residences above 37,000 square feet of retail. Groundbreaking is expected in spring 2027, with completion in late 2029. (Details)

➤ Cracker Barrel sold Maple Street Biscuit Co., the Jacksonville-founded breakfast chain it bought for $36 million in 2019, to Biscuit Belly. The sale covers 35 of Maple Street's 51 locations, which will convert to the Biscuit Belly brand; the other 16 will close. (More)

➤ NASA canceled its $73 million commercial moon lander mission with contractor Draper after years of delays pushed the projected launch to 2030 or later. The agency has already paid about $43 million it says it cannot recover. (More)

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➤ Cape Coral is Florida's happiest city and No. 41 nationally in WalletHub's 2026 ranking, which weighs depression rates, leisure time, and income growth. Jacksonville landed last among the state's big cities at No. 125. (See List)

➤ Homebuyers are flocking to Mirada, a Pasco County community built around a 15-acre Crystal Lagoon, now the largest swimming pool in America. Townhomes start at $250,000 and single-family homes at $385,000. The development is 75% occupied. (See Photos)

➤ The American flamingo is now the official bird of Miami-Dade County. Commissioners approved the designation Tuesday, celebrating a species that has been drifting back into South Florida since Hurricane Idalia blew a flock ashore in 2023. (More)

➤ University of Florida archaeology students unearthed a rare, fully intact pot made by the Potano-Timucua people roughly 400 years ago at the Mission San Francisco de Potano site near Gainesville. Complete vessels almost never survive the centuries. (See Photo)

➤ A 450-pound sea turtle found in distress seven miles south of Sugarloaf Key is recovering after a Coast Guard crew from Key West hauled it ashore Sunday. Veterinarians at The Turtle Hospital in Marathon are handling its rehab. (See Photos)

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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. Clicking the links will take you directly to these stories:

➤ Forecasters warn a record-strength El Niño could decide whether your state floods or dries out. (Hear Details)

➤ Mass shootings swept through eight states last weekend, leaving dozens of victims as investigators continue to search for suspects. (Hear Episode)

➤ The Secret Service officer who took a bullet stopping a gunman at the White House Correspondents' Dinner is being honored. (Listen Now)