The morning edition

Florida's 5.29 million Social Security recipients get a 3.6% raise as storm-hit counties get tax relief

Thursday, October 15, 2026

Thursday, October 15, 2026

Good Morning! On Oct. 15, 1698, Andrés de Arriola sailed from Veracruz with soldiers to build a wooden fort on Pensacola Bay. Rough weather slowed the voyage, and he did not reach the bay until November. He found that Captain Juan Jordán de Reina had arrived days earlier.

In This Issue: a 3.6% Social Security raise for more than 5 million Floridians, more time on federal taxes for 27 storm-hit counties, Florida's first science standards rewrite since 2008 and mosquito crews from across the state joining the Tampa Bay dengue fight. Plus: Tampa General's new donor-lung machine, the appeals court ruling on kids' social media accounts, an Ocala mystery-box company's Shark Tank surge, why the Rays play an afternoon ALCS game and custom Halloween costumes for eight Jacksonville kids in wheelchairs.

Weather: North and Central Florida stay sunny Thursday after patchy morning fog around Jacksonville and Gainesville. Showers and storms are possible in Fort Myers, West Palm Beach and the Keys. (NWS)

Tropical: The Atlantic is quiet: NHC says “Tropical cyclone formation is not expected during the next 7 days.” Florida’s Isaias state of emergency covers 30 counties (Executive Order 26-212). (National Hurricane Center)

Rip Current Report: No beaches carry a high rip current risk Thursday. The risk is moderate on the Atlantic from Nassau through Martin and in Palm Beach, and on Gulf County’s south-facing beaches. It is low elsewhere, including Broward, Miami-Dade and the Gulf Coast from Escambia through Collier. (NWS)

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IRS Gives Isaias-Hit Floridians in 27 Counties Until Feb. 8 to File and Pay, as FEMA Household Aid Still Waits

The IRS says residents and businesses in 27 counties affected by Hurricane Isaias now have until Feb. 8, 2027, to file various federal individual and business tax returns and make tax payments. The 27 counties include Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Leon and Washington.

FEMA individual assistance for Isaias victims has not been approved. Santa Rosa County said the current federal declaration covers government response costs only. Escambia County estimated about $64 million in damage to county facilities and said it would meet with the state Wednesday to begin pursuing a major disaster declaration.

Social Security's 3.6% Raise Reaches More Than 5 Million Floridians

The Social Security Administration said Wednesday the cost-of-living adjustment will rise 3.6% beginning in 2027, or about $75 extra a month on average. In Florida the increase goes to more than 5.29 million retirees and older adults, more than one in five state residents. AARP Florida says those payments bring about $120.1 billion a year into the state's economy.

The maximum earnings subject to the payroll tax will rise to $192,300 in 2027 from $184,500. Some recipients say the raise isn't enough.

Florida Rewrites K-12 Science Standards for the First Time Since 2008, With a State Board Vote Due in December

Education Commissioner Henry Mack told the State Board of Education on Wednesday that the department wants science standards "grounded in the scientific method" and free of ideology. The board is expected to vote on the rewrite, the first update since 2008, in December.

Mack invited the public to a listening session on Oct. 27 at Lake Buena Vista High School. The National Center for Science Education opposes the proposed standards, and public commenters have called them vague on climate change and evolution, according to Orlando Sentinel reports cited by the Phoenix.

Mosquito Crews From Across Florida Join the Fight Against the Tampa Bay Dengue Outbreak

Mosquito control crews from Lee, Pasco, Manatee and Brevard counties and the Florida Department of Agriculture are helping Hillsborough County fight its dengue outbreak. Cases have been reported in 51 of Hillsborough's nearly 60 ZIP codes.

The state's latest report put Florida at about 300 cases, nearly 90% of them in Hillsborough, and officials expect the total to rise in Thursday's report. A Lee County mosquito control official said the help matters because infected people can carry the virus between counties even though the mosquitoes don't travel far.

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❖ Miami-Dade — Crews Hit Two Milestones on Miami's Signature Bridge Project: Miami: Crews on FDOT's I-395/SR 836/I-95 rebuild started an earth-retaining wall to carry westbound traffic from the MacArthur Causeway onto the new elevated I-395 Signature Bridge. Last weekend they also poured 590 cubic yards of concrete, about 2.4 million pounds, using some 60 trucks, for the new double-decked SR 836 just west of the Miami River.

❖ Tampa Bay — Tampa General Uses New Machine to Test Donor Lungs Before Transplant: Tampa: Tampa General Hospital is evaluating donor lungs on an XVIVO Lung Perfusion Machine, which checks 10 measures of lung performance before surgery, and has done three transplants with it. TGH has performed 62 lung transplants this year, breaking its 2010 record of 58.

❖ Orlando — Mills 50 Unveils Its First Five Historic Plaques: Orlando: The Mills 50 District unveiled its first five historic plaques at the Cameo Theatre on East Colonial Drive. They honor sites that shaped the district and will be installed in the coming weeks, the start of a planned self-guided walking tour.

❖ Jacksonville — Volunteers Clean Out Neglected 1908 Downtown Duplex: Jacksonville: Volunteers from the social media group Rootin4Jax cleared couches, beds and garbage from a neglected 118-year-old duplex at 411 North Liberty Street, built in 1908. They now want to know who owns it and why it was left to decline.

❖ Central Florida — 584 Acres of Polk Citrus Groves Head to Auction: Polk County: 584 acres of citrus groves and lakefront land along Scenic Highway 17 between Babson Park and Frostproof are going to auction in 27 parcels after the death of owner Emery Etter. Saunders Real Estate says growers, homebuilders and environmental groups are interested.

❖ Palm Beach — West Palm School Opens Playground Built for Kids With Autism: West Palm Beach: Connections Education Center of the Palm Beaches, at 1310 Old Congress Ave., opened a sensory-friendly playground designed for children on the autism spectrum. It includes railroad-crossing signs that help students practice real-world safety skills, and was funded by local philanthropist and volunteer Addy van Leeuwen.

❖ Gulf Coast — $50 Million Plant Will Turn Manatee Landfill Gas Into Fuel: Bradenton: Work has started on a $50 million renewable natural gas plant at the Lena Road Landfill that will capture gas from decomposing waste and sell it. The private partners, Johnson Controls and Nopetro Energy, are paying for it; the county supplied the land.

❖ North Florida — Food Bank Moves Nearly 350,000 Pounds of Aid After Isaias: Panama City: Feeding the Gulf Coast says it has distributed nearly 350,000 pounds of food and emergency supplies to Hurricane Isaias-hit communities in the Panhandle and South Alabama. Many families now face the cost of replacing spoiled food.

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❖ Appeals Court Says Florida Can Enforce Its Law Barring Social Media Accounts for Kids Under 14 — A unanimous three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Wednesday that Florida's 2024 law barring children under 14 from opening their own social media accounts is likely constitutional, throwing out a lower court's preliminary injunction, the News Service of Florida reports via WUSF. The law, HB 3, also requires parental permission for 15- and 16-year-olds. NetChoice, the tech trade group that challenged it, said it is "evaluating all of our options."

❖ Donalds Says Florida 'Has to Comply' With Federal Immigration Enforcement, Dismissing a Builder's Labor Concern — Asked at a Jacksonville business roundtable Tuesday about construction-worker shortages tied to immigration raids, Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds said that as governor he would "have to comply with federal law" and that "states don't set immigration policy," the Florida Phoenix reports. A Brennan Center attorney told the Phoenix there is no federal law requiring states to cooperate with immigration enforcement. That is a question of state law, she said. Florida already requires all 67 counties to sign 287(g) agreements.

❖ More Than Half a Million Floridians Have Already Voted by Mail — More than 500,000 ballots had been cast for the Nov. 3 general election as of Tuesday morning, according to the state Division of Elections, the News Service of Florida reports via Tallahassee Reports. That includes just over 226,000 from Democrats, nearly 190,000 from Republicans and nearly 98,000 from voters with no party affiliation. Another 1.77 million mail ballots are out. Early voting is mandated Oct. 24 to Oct. 31, and some counties open sooner.

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❖ Barnes & Noble Opens 12,000-Square-Foot Midtown Miami Store, Its 21st New Florida Location Since 2019 — Barnes & Noble opened a 12,000-square-foot store in Midtown Miami on Oct. 14, in the former West Elm space at 3201 N. Miami Ave., Miami New Times reports. It's the company's 21st Florida opening since it went private in 2019 and its fifth store in Miami-Dade.

❖ Canada's Fengate Buys Majority Stake in Tampa Bay's Clinical Research of West Florida — Canadian investment firm Fengate Private Equity has acquired a majority stake in Clinical Research of West Florida, which has run more than 1,000 clinical trials since 1995 from three sites in Tampa and Clearwater, TBBW reports. Terms weren't disclosed. The company plans to open more sites and hire clinical staff in markets beyond Southwest Florida.

❖ Ocala Mystery-Box Company Hits Nearly $1 Million in Sales in Two Weeks After Shark Tank Deal With MrBeast — Ocala-based Fundelivered, which sells unclaimed mail packages, returns and overstock goods in mystery boxes, reached almost $1 million in sales in the two weeks after its Shark Tank episode aired, Rebecca Dallman, one of the owners, told WCJB. On the show, Lori Greiner and MrBeast (Jimmy Donaldson) invested in the 35-employee company. It is on track for more than $12 million in sales this year.

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Rain Threat Moves Rays–Guardians ALCS Game 3 to 1 p.m. Thursday

Game 3 of the American League Championship Series in Cleveland will start at 1 p.m. Thursday, moved up five hours because of the threat of evening rain. It will be the earliest start for a League Championship Series game in the Eastern time zone since 1988, according to MLB Network. The series is tied 1-all. Right-hander Griffin Jax (8-10, 3.52 ERA) will make his first postseason start for the Rays. "It's a big honor, one that I've been looking forward to for a really long time now that I'm in the rotation," Jax said. Game 4 remains set for 6 p.m. Friday, though rain is forecast all day.

Jury Finds Tyreek Hill Liable on Two Battery Counts, Awards Estranged Wife $500,000

A Miami jury on Tuesday found Tyreek Hill liable for two counts of battery against his estranged wife, Lakeeta Vaccaro, and awarded her $500,000 in compensatory damages, but found him not liable on eight other claims and awarded no punitive damages. The civil verdicts stem from incidents in January 2024 and April 2025. Hill, 32, who played for the Chiefs and Dolphins, had mostly denied what he called "false allegations." It wasn't immediately clear what the verdict means for his NFL return; he is still recovering from a dislocated knee suffered in September 2025.

Gators QB Aaron Philo Could Miss Texas Game With Shoulder Injury

Florida could be without starting quarterback Aaron Philo for Saturday's game at No. 7 Texas. Philo has been limited in practice this week because of a shoulder injury, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. If he can't play, sophomore Tramell Jones would make his first career start. Philo has completed 70.5% of his passes for 1,341 yards with nine touchdowns and three interceptions for the Gators (4-2, 2-2 SEC).

Scoreboard

Wed Oct 14 — Inter Miami 2, NYCFC 0 FINAL

Wed Oct 14 — Orlando City 3, Toronto FC 3 FINAL (draw)

Schedule (all times ET)

Thu Oct 15: Rays at Guardians, ALCS Game 3, 1 p.m., TBS/truTV

Thu Oct 15: Kraken at Lightning, 7 p.m., The Spot

Thu Oct 15: Canucks at Panthers, 7 p.m., Scripps Sports

Fri Oct 16: Rays at Guardians, ALCS Game 4, 6 p.m., TBS/truTV

Sat Oct 17: Canucks at Lightning, 4 p.m., The Spot

Sat Oct 17: Kraken at Panthers, 6 p.m., Scripps Sports

Sat Oct 17: Inter Miami at Atlanta United, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV

Sat Oct 17: D.C. United at Orlando City, 7:30 p.m., Apple TV

Sat Oct 17: Rays at Guardians, ALCS Game 5, 8 p.m., TBS/truTV

Sun Oct 18: Texans at Jaguars (London), 9:30 a.m., NFL Network

Sun Oct 18: Steelers at Buccaneers, 1 p.m., CBS

More Scores: NFL | MLB | NHL | NCAAF | WNBA

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Florida regular averaged $4.20 a gallon Wednesday (AAA, as of 10/14/26), up about 8.5 cents from Tuesday (about $4.12) and up 1.3 cents from a week ago (about $4.19). That is about 13.3 cents under the national average of $4.33. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the most expensive metro at about $4.35, and Pensacola is the cheapest at $3.97.

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❖ Moana, a Butterfly and the Polar Express: Eight Jacksonville Kids in Wheelchairs Get Custom Costumes: Eight local kids in wheelchairs got Halloween costumes built just for them, including a Polar Express train with moving wheels and steam, Moana's boat with lights, music and Heihei the chicken, and a butterfly for 3-year-old Madison. The costumes came from a partnership between the nonprofit Center for Independent Living, design firm RS&H and local volunteers. "Halloween sometimes is difficult with children that are not mobile because you can't get to every door," said Madison's dad, Andy Warmijak.

❖ Jupiter Goodwill Employee Celebrates 19 Years on the Job: Jeffrey McFadden Jr. has worked at the Jupiter Goodwill for 19 years after going through Goodwill's transition school for job training. "I like to smile at others, uplift people and make other people smile," he said. At 6 feet 5, he also played center as a Special Olympics basketball athlete, winning multiple gold medals and Athlete of the Year honors in 2013.

❖ Flagler County Woman Helps Veterans Regain Independence With Service Dogs: Lauren Driscoll, who spent 27 years in EMS and whose husband is a disabled veteran, founded Old Glory Service Dogs and takes no paycheck for running it. Army veteran Kevin Steinmann said trainers first doubted his dog, Mando, would make the cut. Seven months later he says, "Most of us as vets, we feel like numbers, but I don't feel like one here. I feel like this is my family."

❖ New Port St. Lucie School Offers Specialized Education for Students With Autism: Treasure Coast School for Autism opened in August for prekindergarten through second grade, bringing academics, speech, occupational and physical therapy, and behavioral services under one roof. Third and fourth grades open next year, and the school hopes to add an adult center for people 22 and up. "Staff have just fallen in love. I mean, how can you not? These kids are incredible," said Executive Director Anne Eisenberg.

❖ Top Teens Help Jacksonville Seniors Get Smart With Their Smartphones: The Duval County Chapter of Top Ladies of Distinction and its Top Teens of America members held a two-hour workshop, "Getting the Most Out of Your Cell Phone," for about 15 seniors. The teens gave one-on-one help with iPhones and Androids, teaching the seniors to take and share photos and use social media.

❖ Clearwater Marine Aquarium Welcomes Two Rescued Manatees, Axle and Gilbert: Two rescued manatees arrived at Clearwater Marine Aquarium from ZooTampa: Axle, rescued near Venice with cold stress, and Gilbert, found as an underweight orphan calf with a low body temperature. The aquarium hopes to release both back into the wild in early 2027.

Today’s Quote

"Thursday is when the week finally learns everybody's name."

— original / Front Porch

Florida Almanac

Moon: Waxing crescent Thursday, Oct. 15 (about 23% illuminated). First quarter is Sunday, Oct. 18, and full moon is Monday, Oct. 26 (USNO).

Sunrise / Sunset: In Orlando on Thursday, sunrise is at 7:26 a.m. and sunset at 6:56 p.m. EDT, for about 11 hours, 30 minutes of daylight. Times vary across the state, and Pensacola is on Central time.

Gardening Notes: Lettuce is a good choice for a Florida winter garden, UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions says, and Florida is the third-largest lettuce producer in the U.S. Leaf types such as ‘Black-seeded Simpson’ and ‘Red Sails’ suit Florida’s mild climate best.

Coastal / Red Tide: FWC’s latest update (Oct. 9) found background to very low red tide levels along the Gulf Coast and none on the East Coast.

Florida by the Numbers

The Florida Park Service runs 175 state parks, trails and historic sites covering more than 815,000 acres and 101 miles of sandy white beach. It was the first state park system to win the national Gold Medal four times, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

Today’s Poll

Do you support Florida’s law barring children under 14 from opening social media accounts, now that a federal appeals court says it can be enforced?

Yesterday’s Results

Do you support Florida suing gaming and chat platforms like Roblox and Discord over the safety of children who use them?

Strongly support 26% · Somewhat support 26% · Oppose 26% · Not sure 22%