The morning edition

The SS United States now rests upright on the Gulf floor off Destin as the world's largest artificial reef

Friday, November 13, 2026

Friday, November 13, 2026

Good Morning! On Nov. 13, 1876, Cary Augustus Hardee was born in Taylor County. A schoolteacher who later practiced law in Live Oak and served as speaker of the Florida House, he was Florida's 23rd governor from 1921 to 1925; Hardee County is named for him.

In This Issue: The SS United States now rests upright on the Gulf floor off Destin as the world's largest artificial reef, and Florida may spend $20.5 million on the tip of Clearwater Beach Island to shield Caladesi Island State Park.

Weather: Friday and the weekend bring the coolest air of the fall so far, with plenty of sun, highs in the 60s north to around 80 in the Keys, and a chance of frost in parts of North Florida. NOAA's Climate Prediction Center said Thursday a strong-to-very strong El Niño is likely through January–March (greater than a 79% chance). The St. Johns River near Cocoa remains at major flood and is forecast to reach 17.2 feet this weekend; moderate flooding continues above Lake Harney. Never drive into flooded roads. (NWS)

Tropical: The National Hurricane Center does not expect any tropical cyclones to form in the Atlantic, Caribbean or Gulf over the next seven days. Hurricane season ends Nov. 30. (National Hurricane Center)

Rip Current Report: The rip current risk is high Friday on Pinellas, Hillsborough, Manatee and Sarasota County beaches, and on Gulf County state park beaches. The risk is moderate on Volusia through Martin County beaches, with surf of 2 to 3 feet, on Walton, Bay and Franklin County beaches, on Gulf County's west-facing and south-facing beaches, and in Collier, Charlotte and Lee counties. The risk is low from Nassau through St. Johns, in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade, from Pensacola through Okaloosa, and from Levy County to Pasco County. (NWS)

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UPDATE: SS United States Sinks Hours Behind Schedule and Lands Upright as the World's Largest Artificial Reef

Okaloosa County officials say the SS United States is now resting on the sea floor off Destin: county public information officer Nick Tomecek said crews did not begin opening more than a dozen valves to let seawater in until about three hours later than the ship had been expected to start going down, after first filling some extra large tanks, and that trapped air slowed the descent so it took about five hours for the liner to go completely under. Tomecek said a remotely operated vehicle and side-scan sonar showed moments afterward that the ship was upright, about 180 feet deep and nearly at the exact coordinates crews were aiming for, about 22 nautical miles southwest of Destin–Fort Walton Beach.

Get The Coast published what it called the first underwater photo, taken Thursday by diver Rustin Cassway of RV Explorer, showing diver Will Hinton alongside the stern with the lettering "United" and "New York" still visible; sonar readings taken shortly after the sinking found the top of the 990-foot liner about 50 feet below the surface, consistent with a ship resting upright, and county natural resources chief Alex Fogg has said the upper decks would sit about 50 to 55 feet down, within reach of divers of all skill levels.

Florida May Spend $20.5 Million to Buy the Tip of Clearwater Beach Island and Buffer Caladesi Island State Park

The governor and Cabinet are being asked at their Nov. 17 meeting to spend $20.5 million in Florida Forever money on 30 acres at the northern end of Clearwater Beach Island; state trustees' staff say the purchase would increase public access at Caladesi Island State Park and strengthen a network of nearly 18 miles of protected barrier islands in the Pinellas County Aquatic Preserve, including Caladesi, Honeymoon Island and Anclote Key, protecting beach dune, coastal grassland and mangrove habitat increasingly threatened by development. The parcel includes a 3,434-square-foot house built in 1987, which the staff report says is non-conservation land acquired solely to make the deal possible.

The same agenda carries about $220 million to limit future development on just over 55,000 acres of farmland across the state, including a $10.9 million Florida Forever easement on 4,700 acres of Pace Lake Ranch that would close a gap in conservation lands from southern Alachua County east to the Ocala National Forest, and a $77.75 million easement on 19,312 acres of Osceola Prairie cattle and farm land in the Kissimmee River Basin, with the U.S. Department of Defense expected to cover $15 million because the Avon Park Air Force Range is less than a mile away.

Florida TaxWatch Raises Its 10-Year Forecast, Now Seeing Unemployment Peak This Year

Florida TaxWatch's new forecast, released Thursday, projects Florida's real gross domestic product will grow an average of more than 3.4% a year through 2036, nearly half a percentage point higher than its previous estimate; president and CEO Jeff Kottkamp credited reduced uncertainty over federal tariffs and stronger-than-expected consumer spending, saying, "While Florida is not out of the woods yet, peak uncertainty seems to be behind us." The report names artificial intelligence as the main driver of stronger long-term growth, with productivity gains expected to accelerate output beginning in 2028, though it does not account for potential job losses from the technology.

The report now projects unemployment will peak this year at 4.51%, nearly 0.3 percentage points lower than previously feared, before falling to 4.07% by 2036, with employed Floridians growing from 11.17 million to 12.17 million; it expects annual visitors to rise nearly 28%, from 143.4 million in 2026 to 183.3 million in 2036, and about 2.5 million more residents by 2036 even as average daily net migration slows from 895 people to 680, while warning that energy prices remain a risk for tourism.

Regulators Press a Contractor for Answers on a Rock-Mine Reservoir Next to the Everglades Reservoir

A Tennessee-based contractor, Phillips Heavy, wants to mine several million tons of rock over 34 years on U.S. Sugar and Florida Crystals land south of Lake Okeechobee and then turn the pit into a water reservoir it calls the Southland Water Resource Project; neither the Army Corps of Engineers nor the South Florida Water Management District asked for it, it is not part of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, and state and federal officials worry blasting, pumping and mining could threaten the neighboring $4 billion Everglades Agricultural Area Reservoir.

The water management district has asked since April 2025 how Phillips would blast the limestone without harming that reservoir, and the company has missed three deadlines, with the latest set for Dec. 1; a September permit application seeks to pump 45.36 million gallons a day through 2039 and lower local water levels by as much as 10 feet, and district board members have asserted the right to hold a public vote on it, even though the project has already won approvals from Palm Beach County and the state Department of Environmental Protection.

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❖ Miami-Dade — The Underline's 10-Mile Urban Trail Is Finished From Brickell to Dadeland: Miami: The Underline's 10-mile Kenneth C. Griffin Urban Trail beneath Metrorail is now complete from Brickell to Dadeland, ending a 12-year, roughly $150 million build that founder Meg Daly started, WSVN reports. Miami-Dade Mayor Daniella Levine Cava joined Thursday's ribbon-cutting for the finished linear park.

❖ Tampa Bay — Scientology Affiliate Agrees to Buy Tampa TV Station WFTT for $30 Million: Tampa: Sunset Boulevard Broadcasting, an affiliate of the Church of Scientology, has signed a deal to buy WFTT-TV channel 62 from Entravision for $30 million, Tampa Bay Business & Wealth reports. The Nov. 3 agreement still needs FCC approval and is expected to close by early 2027.

❖ Orlando — 77-Acre “Ovation Orlando” Entertainment District Near Disney Plans 2027 Groundbreaking: Osceola County: Ovation Orlando, a 650,000-square-foot music-themed entertainment and retail district with a 350-room hotel and convention center, is planned for 77 acres of the unused Orlando Sun Resort site less than a mile from Walt Disney World, Orlando Weekly reports. Groundbreaking is set for early 2027 on three districts called The Garden, The Gallery and The Vibe.

❖ Jacksonville — Alaska Airlines Becomes JAX's 11th Carrier With Daily Seattle Nonstops: Jacksonville: Alaska Airlines will start a daily nonstop between Jacksonville International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma on June 24, 2027, using Boeing 737s, making it the airport's 11th airline, Jacksonville Today reports. Flights will leave Jacksonville at 6:38 p.m. and reach Seattle at 9:40 p.m. Pacific time.

❖ Broward — $1 Billion Plan Would Remake Pembroke Pines' Grand Palms: Pembroke Pines: Developers have filed a roughly $1 billion plan to redevelop Grand Palms, a community of more than 1,100 homes, with hotel upgrades, villas and 292 high-rise units, Local 10 reports. The proposal is at the application stage with the city, and Vice Mayor Mike Hernández commented on it to the station.

❖ Treasure Coast — Skyborne Seeks an FAA Aircraft-Maintenance Academy at Vero Beach Airport: Vero Beach: Skyborne Airline Academy, which leases 10 acres at Vero Beach Regional Airport, has applied to open an FAA-certified aviation maintenance academy there, with FAA resources expected in the first half of 2027, Vero News reports. Airport Commission Chair Arthur Hodge backs the plan.

❖ Gulf Coast — Collier Children's Advocacy Center Reopens Under One Roof, Four Years After Ian: Collier County: The Collier Children's Advocacy Center has opened a new building off Immokalee Road with therapy rooms, a medical office and interview space, four years after Hurricane Ian flooded its old facility in 2022, Gulf Coast News reports. CEO Jackie Stephens said the staff is back together in one place.

❖ North Florida — Pensacola Breaks Ground on Its First Community Land Trust Homes: Pensacola: Pensacola Habitat for Humanity and the city have broken ground on Legacy at Malcolm Yonge, nine affordable homes that form Pensacola's first multi-unit community land trust, Rick's Blog reports. Mayor D.C. Reeves said the homes will stay affordable for 100 years.

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❖ UPDATE: McDow Wins House District 33 by 286 Votes, Giving Democrats 50 Seats — Democrat Dan McDow won Florida House District 33 in Brevard County by 286 votes over Republican incumbent Monique Miller after a machine recount finalized this week, and Democrats now hold 50 of the chamber's 120 seats, ending the Republican supermajority. The Brevard County Canvassing Board is scheduled to certify the election results Friday.

❖ Palm Beach County Accepts $6.25 Million More for Trump Airport Renaming and Security Upgrades — Palm Beach County officials have accepted an additional $6.25 million in state funds for rebranding and security improvements tied to the renaming of President Donald J. Trump International Airport, after earlier receiving $2.75 million from the Florida Department of Transportation. The Florida Department of Commerce provided a $2.75 million rebranding grant and the Transportation Department is providing $3.5 million for security improvements; airport officials had estimated the renaming would cost about $5.5 million, and County Administrator Joseph Abruzzo said the state conducted the name change and the county is asking for the funds to meet what the state decided.

❖ Florida House and Senate Will Hold Organizational Sessions on Nov. 17 — Florida lawmakers will gather in Tallahassee on Nov. 17 for organizational sessions, with the Senate convening at 10 a.m. and the House at 11 a.m. at the Capitol. Sen. Jim Boyd is designated to become Senate president and Rep. Sam Garrison House speaker; the 2027 regular session is scheduled to begin March 2 and last 60 days, ending April 30.

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❖ Amazon Opens Daytona Beach Same-Day Facility, Adding 100+ Jobs at $20 an Hour — Amazon has opened a new same-day delivery facility in Daytona Beach, adding more than 100 full-time jobs with starting pay of $20 an hour plus benefits. The smaller site handles fulfillment, sorting and delivery under one roof. Eligible orders can arrive in about five hours, and Prime members can pay an extra fee for delivery in a one- to three-hour window; the report does not say how much the fee is. The location is Amazon's sixth facility in Volusia County. The opening comes as the company says it is hiring more than 2,000 workers across Central Florida for the holiday season. Keith Norden of Team Volusia Economic Development Corporation said the county is pleased with the employment opportunities.

❖ Downtown St. Petersburg's Jannus Live Building Listed for $11.5 Million — The downtown St. Petersburg building that houses Jannus Live is listed for $11.5 million. Jannus Landing Retail Building LLC listed the two-story, 10,500-square-foot property at 200 1st Avenue N. The outdoor courtyard venue, open since 1984 and originally called Jannus Landing, holds about 2,000 people for standing-room shows. A listing summary describes plans to move Jannus Live to the roof as a rooftop bar and music venue with a projected capacity of 500 to 800, keep the Landing Balcony Bar and Pelican Pub, and add a dueling piano bar, comedy club and Sunday gospel brunch on the second floor. The listing does not say what would happen to the ground-level courtyard, and it is not clear whether those changes are already underway or only proposed. Knight Global Entertainment has owned the venue since 2010.

❖ Port St. Lucie to Break Ground Dec. 12 on a 6,000-Seat Soccer Stadium — Port St. Lucie Sports Club said Thursday that it will break ground Saturday, Dec. 12, on a 6,000-seat soccer stadium at Walton & One, on about six acres. The club is preparing to compete in USL League One in 2027. The development group will fully fund construction and has an agreement with the City of Port St. Lucie to use the land. Founder and CEO Gustavo Suárez said the project is meant to be a year-round gathering place, not just a soccer venue. The groundbreaking is scheduled for noon Dec. 12, with a public celebration at 1:30 p.m. featuring food trucks, entertainment and activities.

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Florida Goes Back to Aaron Philo at Quarterback for No. 11 Kentucky

Florida is set to switch back to Aaron Philo as its starting quarterback for Saturday’s game at No. 11 Kentucky, a source confirmed to ESPN on Thursday. The Gators have alternated in recent weeks between Philo and Tramell Jones Jr., who replaced Philo for a loss to Georgia on Oct. 31 and started in last week’s home loss to Oklahoma. Jones also started in Florida’s signature win Oct. 17 at Texas but completed 10 of 22 passes with two interceptions in the 23-7 loss to Oklahoma. Philo, a transfer from Georgia Tech who moved with offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner to Florida, started the Gators’ first six games before missing time with a shoulder injury, leading to Jones’ start against the Longhorns. Philo has completed 70.5% of his passes for 1,367 yards with nine touchdowns and five interceptions this season. He backed up Haynes King at Georgia Tech in 2024 and 2025. CBS and 247 Sports first reported the switch back to Philo.

O’Reilly Gets an Assist in His NHL Debut as the Lightning Beat Buffalo 8-3

Sam O’Reilly recorded an assist on the game-winning goal in his NHL debut Wednesday, when the Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Buffalo Sabres 8-3. The 20-year-old forward, recalled Tuesday from the AHL’s Syracuse Crunch, played alongside Jake Guentzel and Yanni Gourde and earned a secondary assist on Gourde’s 4-0 goal late in the second period, the first point of O’Reilly’s NHL career. He started the game and took the opening faceoff. Coach Jon Cooper said O’Reilly “did everything, and it was great,” and that “you only get one chance to play in your first game, and he gets a point in it.” O’Reilly became the 22nd player in franchise history to record a point in his NHL debut and the third Lightning player in the last decade to finish a debut with an assist, joining Max Groshev last season and Anthony Cirelli in 2018. He is the fifth-youngest player in franchise history to earn a point in his NHL debut. He played 12:56, won three faceoffs, added two hits and a blocked shot, and finished plus-2. About 50 family members and friends, including his mother, were at KeyBank Center. “Pretty crazy,” O’Reilly said. “Just taking it all in today and trying to be where my feet are.”

Mensah Faces His Former Team as No. 5 Miami Hosts Duke

Miami quarterback Darian Mensah will face Duke for the second time this year Saturday, this time with the Hurricanes, after the Blue Devils sued him in January over his plan to enter the transfer portal following last season’s ACC championship. The sides settled, and he moved on to Miami. “I try to just approach it like every other game,” Mensah said. “Obviously, it’s going to be a little bit weird playing my old team.” No. 5 Miami (8-1, 6-0 ACC, No. 7 CFP) is coming off its first loss of the season at Notre Dame, a defeat that cost the Hurricanes the nation’s No. 1 ranking, and star wide receiver Malachi Toney remains out while recovering from ankle surgery. Duke (7-2, 4-2) needs a win to keep realistic hopes of back-to-back ACC titles alive. The Hurricanes enter the week with the No. 1 scoring offense in the country; the Blue Devils have the No. 1 scoring defense in the ACC and have not given up a touchdown in their last 182 defensive snaps, spanning 32 possessions. Duke running back Nate Sheppard has 1,189 rushing yards and 17 rushing touchdowns. It is also Miami’s homecoming, with Duke coach Manny Diaz — fired by the Hurricanes in 2021 and replaced by Mario Cristobal — returning to his former home field. Cooper Barkate, Duke’s top receiver in 2025, also joined Mensah in Miami this season. The Hurricanes are assured of a trip to Charlotte on Dec. 5 for the ACC title game by going at least 2-1 in their final three ACC games.

Scoreboard

Tampa Bay Lightning 3, Columbus Blue Jackets 1 — FINAL

Florida Panthers 5, Detroit Red Wings 4 — FINAL

Schedule (all times ET)

Fri Nov 13 — North Alabama at Miami (men’s basketball), 5pm EST — ACC Network

Fri Nov 13 — Florida State at Pittsburgh, 7pm EST — ESPN

Fri Nov 13 — Merrimack at Florida (men’s basketball), 7pm EST — SEC Network

Sat Nov 14 — Duke at Miami, 12pm EST — ABC

Sat Nov 14 — Arizona State at UCF, 3:30pm EST — ESPN2

Sat Nov 14 — Florida at Kentucky, 6:15pm EST — ESPN

Sat Nov 14 — Panthers at Blues, 7pm EST — Scripps Sports

Sat Nov 14 — Red Wings at Lightning, 7pm EST — ESPN+

Sat Nov 14 — Pistons at Heat, 8pm EST — NBA TV

Sun Nov 15 — Dolphins at Colts, 1pm EST — CBS

Sun Nov 15 — Jaguars at Titans, 1pm EST — Fox

Sun Nov 15 — Panthers at Stars, 8pm EST — NHL Net

More Scores: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAF

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Florida's average for regular is $3.71 a gallon, AAA says, a four-month low, down about 3 cents from yesterday ($3.74) and about 12 cents below a week ago ($3.83). That's about 19 cents under the national average of $3.91. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the most expensive metro at about $3.90; Pensacola is the cheapest at about $3.40.

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❖ Babcock High Students Build 85 Prosthetic Legs for the Amputee Soccer World Cup: Students at Babcock High School in Babcock Ranch built 85 prosthetic legs in about two and a half months, and four of them were set to leave Thursday, Nov. 12, for San Juan de los Lagos, Mexico, where they will work the sidelines of the Amputee Soccer World Cup fitting local amputees and athletes. STEM teacher Brian Copes, who began making prosthetics with students in Alabama and brought the project with him this summer, says his classes usually produce about 100 legs in a full year. Junior Redding Rodecap says the work has steered him from aerospace toward biomechanical engineering; the students return Nov. 23.

❖ Key West's Justin Kawaler, a World War II B-29 Pilot, Turns 105: Key West resident Justin Kawaler turned 105 on Nov. 1, and Key West Mayor Sam Kaufman marked the day with a proclamation honoring his "extraordinary milestone and incredible life." Kawaler was 20 and on a movie date in Brooklyn when Pearl Harbor was bombed; he told his girlfriend he was going to fly, joined the Army and eventually flew B-29 bombers as a dual-rated flight engineer and pilot and trained new pilots. After the war he built his family's furniture business into several stores, and his family foundation now supports groups in New York and Key West, including College of the Florida Keys scholarships he and his wife, Eileen, fund.

❖ New Smyrna Beach Runner Takes On 7 Marathons, 7 Continents, 7 Days for a Mentoring Nonprofit: New Smyrna Beach ultrarunner Casey Sparks, 39, has never left the United States, and his first trip abroad starts with a marathon in Antarctica on Nov. 15, the first leg of The Great World Race: seven marathons on seven continents in seven days, more than 183 miles, finishing in Miami on Nov. 21. He hopes to raise $100,000 for No Longer Fatherless, a Port Orange nonprofit that matches boys and young men in Volusia and Flagler counties with volunteer mentors and has more than 44 boys on its waitlist. The trip also marks four years of sobriety for Sparks, a father of two, who calls it "almost like a full-circle moment."

❖ Miami Gardens Police Pull Drivers Over to Hand Out Turkeys: Drivers in Miami Gardens who saw flashing lights Thursday morning got a turkey instead of a ticket: Miami Gardens Police officers made traffic stops to hand out Thanksgiving turkeys, in the department's sixth year of the giveaway. Walmart donated the turkeys, and Chief Delma Noel-Pratt said the aim is to help families put food on the table and build trust between officers and the community. One surprised driver said he would donate his turkey to someone else.

❖ Tampa's Sligh Middle Opens an Esports and Broadcast Arena With Titus O'Neil's Help: Sligh Magnet Middle School in Tampa unveiled an esports and broadcasting arena this week that school leaders call the first of its kind in Florida, with dozens of gaming stations, a 22-foot by 8-foot wall of screens and broadcast gear so students can work in front of and behind the camera. Former pro wrestler Thaddeus Bullard, known to fans as Titus O'Neil, helped fund and organize it and says about $3 million will have been invested once it is finished; he hopes it will someday host state and national tournaments. Seventh grader Logan Johnson says he is "super grateful" to play there as a student ambassador.

❖ Jim Orloff, 100, Takes the Controls Again on Veterans Day: Jim Orloff, a 100-year-old retired World War II U.S. Navy commander and fighter pilot, took off from North Palm Beach County Airport with his daughter on Veterans Day and took control of the plane in the air, just as he did in the service. Before the flight he recalled flying "thousands and thousands of miles of water," through clouds, rain and lightning. The flight was organized by retired U.S. Coast Guard Cmdr. Phil Perry and Aamro Aviation.

Today’s Quote

“In Florida, Friday begins when the first person home leaves the back door open, because somebody else is right behind.”

— original / Front Porch

Florida Almanac

Moon: Waxing crescent, 17% lit.

Sunrise / Sunset: Orlando sunrise 6:47 a.m., sunset 5:33 p.m. EST, 10h 46m of daylight. Times are Eastern Standard (Pensacola and the western Panhandle are on Central time); times vary across the state.

Gardening Notes: Irish and russet potatoes are an easy cool-season crop in Florida, UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions says: good choices include ‘Yukon Gold,’ ‘Red Pontiac’ and the russet ‘Norkotah.’ Use seed potatoes (not grocery-store ones, which are treated to prevent sprouting), cut them so each piece has at least one eye, and let them dry a few days. Plant them in South Florida from October to January, and in January or February farther north, in a six-inch trench in full sun; they're ready in about three months.

Coastal / Red Tide: FWC's Nov. 6 report finds red tide at bloom levels in six samples from Gulf County, with lower levels elsewhere in Northwest Florida and a single background sample in Pinellas County; none on the East Coast. The Friday, Nov. 13 update had not posted as of filing.

Florida by the Numbers

163: Florida schools in the 2026-29 cohort of Purple Star Schools of Distinction, according to the Florida Department of Education. The three-year designation, announced Nov. 11, recognizes schools that support military-connected students.