The morning edition

Brightline resumes Orlando–West Palm Beach trains, Universal plans a coaster, and a baby zebra arrives

Friday, November 6, 2026

Friday, November 6, 2026

Good Morning! On Nov. 6, 1900, Florida voters added the red diagonal bars to the state flag still flying today, approving the change 5,088 to 3,819. Until then, the banner was a plain white field with the state seal, and former Gov. Francis P. Fleming thought it looked too much like a flag of surrender when it hung still. The basic layout has held ever since; only the seal was redrawn, in 1985.

In This Issue: Brightline restores Orlando–West Palm Beach trains after Brevard flood repairs, Universal confirms a new indoor coaster for Epic Universe's Dark Universe, Orlando opens the world's largest Build-A-Bear, and Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge welcomes a baby zebra.

Weather: A weak cold front slides southeast across Florida on Friday, with warmer-than-normal highs mostly in the low to mid 80s (upper 70s in Pensacola) after morning fog in North and Central Florida. Isolated showers are possible ahead of the front, mainly near and north of Orlando and toward the Volusia–Brevard coast. River Flood Warnings continue on the St. Johns near Cocoa (moderate now, major forecast this weekend), above Lake Harney, at Astor, Sanford and DeLand, and on the Peace River at Arcadia (major) and Horse Creek. Minor coastal flooding is possible at high tide along Southeast Florida beaches through Friday evening. Never drive into flooded roads. (NWS)

Tropical: The National Hurricane Center is watching a gale-force, non-tropical low a few hundred miles south of Bermuda that could pick up some subtropical traits as it drifts slowly east over the open Atlantic before upper winds turn unfavorable late this weekend. NHC gives it a low, 30% chance of development in 48 hours and a medium, 40% chance over seven days; it is heading away from Florida. Hurricane season ends Nov. 30. (National Hurricane Center)

Rip Current Report: The rip current risk is HIGH Friday from Volusia County through Martin County, with surf around 3 to 4 feet, and moderate from Nassau through St. Johns, in Palm Beach County, and on Panhandle beaches in Walton, Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties. It is low in Broward and Miami-Dade, from Pensacola through Okaloosa, and along the Gulf coast from Levy County to Collier County. (NWS)

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UPDATE: Sheriff Says Citibank Campus Gunman Targeted the Company Over a $2,500 Debt

Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said Thursday that Jacob Pearson, 35, of Orlando, targeted Citibank's suburban Tampa campus because he was angry over a roughly $2,500 debt collection, and that about three hours before Wednesday's attack Pearson called a Citibank-affiliated attorney and demanded a court hearing over unpaid credit-card debt be canceled. Orange County court records show Citibank sued Pearson on Oct. 23 for $2,556.40 and issued a summons for a Feb. 15 hearing.

Chronister said Pearson had "zero connection" to the victim, 41-year-old Citibank HR employee Leanne Selman; about 3,200 people were on the campus, and an armed Citibank security executive stopped Pearson after he fired. Deputies were already looking for him after the attorney reported the threat.

UPDATE: NTSB Recovers Part of a Learjet Engine and Asks the Public to Report Debris

The National Transportation Safety Board said excavation at the Greenacres Learjet site recovered a portion of one engine, and that debris has been found away from the impact area, including on roofs of nearby homes and buildings. All recovered wreckage will be taken to a secure location for further examination.

Investigators ask anyone who finds suspected wreckage to email witness@ntsb.gov (with a photo if possible) and not to move, alter or dispose of it; WPBF reported a twisted metal piece that damaged a West Palm Beach triplex roof.

UPDATE: St. Johns River Flooding Sends Seminole Residents to Sandbag Sites as Major Flood Stage Nears

Families along the St. Johns near Lake Harney are sandbagging as the river sits at moderate flood stage near Geneva, up more than two feet since this week's Brevard rains. Dan and Brenda Watts collected 20 pre-filled sandbags after the river reached their Lake Harney Circle backyard; they said levels were about two-and-a-half feet below Ian's record, though water is expected to keep rising for several days.

The river is forecast to approach major flood stage early next week. Seminole County opened sandbag pickup sites in Sanford and Geneva, open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

UPDATE: Brightline Resumes Orlando–West Palm Beach Service After Brevard Flood Repairs

Brightline restored passenger service between Orlando and West Palm Beach on Thursday after suspending that segment Monday when high water in Brevard County hit the route; FECR inspections cleared tracks, signals and crossings after repairs. Some Brevard communities received as much as two feet of rain this week, FOX 35 reported, citing officials.

West Palm Beach–Miami service was never stopped. Customers should check the Brightline app and site for schedules; affected riders are being contacted about options.

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❖ Miami-Dade — Magic City Advances First Homes: Miami: Developers of the Magic City Innovation District say they intend to break ground in the second quarter of 2027 on the project's first residential building, advancing an 8.5 million-square-foot plan that Miami approved years earlier for about 2,630 homes. The team has also started permitting for a two-tower apartment complex of 553 units on Parcels 13 and 15 that could break ground as early as 2028.

❖ Tampa Bay — TPA Rideshare Pickup Fee Rising Dec. 1: Tampa: Tampa International Airport is advancing agreements that would raise the rideshare pickup fee 30%, from $5 to $6.50 per trip starting Dec. 1, the first change since 2019, with Uber and Lyft deciding whether to pass the $1.50 on to passengers. The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority set the pacts for consideration Thursday, with minimum annual guarantees of about $996,448 from Uber and $717,767 from Lyft through September 2029.

❖ Orlando — Indoor Coaster Coming to Dark Universe: Orlando: Universal Orlando said Thursday that a new indoor roller coaster is coming to Dark Universe at Epic Universe, with construction already underway and a storyline drawn from the Universal Monsters franchise. The ride will be the land's third major attraction after Monsters Unchained and Curse of the Werewolf; no opening year was announced beyond "the years ahead."

❖ Jacksonville / St. Johns — DRIFTERS Bike Share Launches: St. Augustine: A city-supported DRIFTERS City Bike Share is launching this week with 90 custom-made bicycles that riders unlock from more than 170 docking stations through a mobile app. Founder Ian Guthrie, a longtime St. Augustine resident, said the program is built to steer riders toward local businesses they would otherwise drive past.

❖ Broward — Medical Office Building Tops Out at Broward Health North: Deerfield Beach: Construction has topped out on a six-story, 127,033-square-foot medical office building at Broward Health North, the system's first such building in nearly three decades, with 75 exam rooms planned for cardiovascular, neuroscience and orthopedic clinics. Prefabricated exterior panels come next as the project moves toward opening; CEO Shane Strum called it a generational investment in specialty care for northern Broward.

❖ Palm Beach — Pastis Opens at the Nora Hotel: West Palm Beach: Pastis, the Keith McNally French brasserie that began in New York's Meatpacking District and later opened in Miami's Wynwood, has opened its fifth location as the signature restaurant inside the newly opened 201-room Nora Hotel. The menu sticks to brasserie classics such as French onion soup, escargots, mussels and steak frites after an October soft opening.

❖ Gulf Coast — Manatee's First Whole Foods Opens: Bradenton / Lakewood Ranch area: Whole Foods Market opened a 42,000-square-foot store at The Marketplace at Heritage Harbour, the first in Manatee County and the chain's 40th in Florida, stocking more than 450 Florida-sourced items plus full-service meat, seafood and cheese counters. The first 300 customers received tote bags as aisles filled within minutes of opening, the Observer reported.

❖ North Florida — Wildlife Corridor Trailhead Coming to St. Marks: St. Marks: The city of St. Marks is partnering with the Trust for Public Land, Florida Trail Association, U.S. Forest Service, Disney Conservation Fund and St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge on a new Florida Wildlife Corridor trailhead behind City Hall along the Florida National Scenic Trail and the Tallahassee–St. Marks Historic Railroad Trail. Corridor Foundation director Sean Amidon said St. Marks is one of 19 gateway communities meant to pull trail users into local shops.

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❖ CAIR Florida Indefinitely Suspends Operations After Court Leaves Terror Designation in Place — CAIR Florida posted notices at its Tampa offices and said Thursday it has indefinitely suspended operations in the state after U.S. District Judge Allen C. Winsor denied an emergency request to block the state's domestic-terrorist designation under HB 1471. The designation took effect Nov. 5 while CAIR's broader challenge, with the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center, continues; the judge did bar prosecutors from using the law against CAIR for providing legal services. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General James Uthmeier welcomed the ruling; CAIR calls the designation baseless and says it is appealing.

❖ Incoming House Speaker Recreates Public Integrity Committee — House Speaker-designate Samuel Garrison of Fleming Island told members Thursday he is restoring a standing Public Integrity Committee to examine public corruption, lobbying, financial disclosure and conflicts of interest, and creating standing Policy & Strategy and Advanced Technology & Digital Security panels. Garrison did not name chairs or members in the memo. The Public Integrity panel echoes the Public Integrity & Elections Committee used under former Speaker Chris Sprowls; standing committees can introduce legislation.

❖ UPDATE: Florida Completes Record-Tying 19th Capital Sentence of 2026 — Florida carried out its record-tying 19th capital sentence of 2026 on Thursday when Jesse Guardado, 64, received a three-drug injection at Florida State Prison in Starke; the process concluded at 6:13 p.m. ET, CBS Miami and the Associated Press report. Guardado had pleaded guilty in a 2004 Walton County case involving a 75-year-old woman. Indiana and Alabama also carried out capital sentences the same day.

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❖ Nutrien Will Close Its White Springs Phosphate Plant in Mid-2027, Affecting About 500 Jobs — White Springs / Hamilton County: Nutrien said its White Springs phosphate facility will stop operating in the second quarter of 2027 and will prioritize its Aurora, North Carolina plant instead. A company official told WCJB the site employs about 500 people; all will remain through a June 1, 2027, shutdown date, and some may stay afterward for site work. The company cited the mine nearing the end of its economically recoverable reserve life and higher operating costs; White Springs accounted for about 20% of Nutrien's phosphate sales and 28% of that segment's cost of goods sold in 2026, and the closure is expected to cut expenses by about $50 million. Rep. Jason Shoaf said Nutrien will commit $8 million to community investment, employee support and economic development.

❖ CardVault by Tom Brady Plans Its First Florida Store at Orlando's ICON Park — Orlando: CardVault by Tom Brady plans to open its first Florida location at ICON Park in mid-November at 8371 International Drive, Unit 90, the company said. The shop will be the retailer's 21st nationwide and will sell trading cards, sealed boxes, packs and collectibles from brands including Topps, Panini, Upper Deck and Pokémon, with on-site grading submissions through PSA, Beckett and SGC and a vault of signed memorabilia. Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson and partner Jordan Edwards, both Orlando residents, are teaming up on the store; a second Woodson/Edwards location is planned for early 2027 at Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio. An exact opening date and grand-opening details have not been announced. Brady became a co-owner in February 2025.

❖ Target to Anchor New Creekside Marketplace at Daniels Parkway and SR-82 in Lee County — Lee County: Target will anchor the new Creekside Marketplace, with a medical office building, at Daniels Parkway and State Road 82 in eastern Lee County. Sembler Company said it is also planning Gateway Marketplace across the area for a Publix and Home Depot, and that the Creekside project design includes a new traffic light. Sembler's website lists a late-2027 opening for the shopping center. The story quotes nearby residents and a food-truck operator on the need for local retail between Lehigh Acres and Fort Myers; it does not report acreage, investment or job counts.

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No. 25 Florida to start Tramell Jones at QB against Oklahoma in the Swamp

Tramell Jones Jr. will make his second career start Saturday night when the Gators (5-3, 3-3 SEC) host Oklahoma (4-4, 2-3), a person familiar with the decision told the AP on condition of anonymity because Florida has not announced a starter. CBS Sports first reported the switch from Aaron Philo. Jones got most of the first-team reps this week. Coach Jon Sumrall declined to name a starter Monday but said he had "a plan that is already kind of in motion and in place." Sumrall benched Philo after two interceptions in last Saturday's 27-8 loss to Georgia; Jones also turned the ball over after entering. "I don't know if Tom Brady was our quarterback on Saturday if it would have helped us," Sumrall said of the porous line. Jones is 70.8% for 579 yards with four touchdowns and three interceptions and won his only prior start at Texas.

No. 1 WR recruit Brysen Wright commits to Miami and reclassifies to 2027

Mandarin High (Jacksonville) five-star receiver Brysen Wright committed to the Hurricanes on Thursday, choosing Miami over Florida and Texas. Per 247Sports, Wright ranked No. 3 nationally, No. 1 among wide receivers and No. 1 in Florida in the 2028 class. The 6-foot-3.5, 215-pounder is reclassifying to 2027 and is set to be on campus in January, Local 10 cites The Athletic's Manny Navarro. As a sophomore he had 46 catches for 983 yards and 10 touchdowns (MaxPreps Sophomore All-American) plus 55 tackles and five interceptions on defense.

Klay Thompson's last-second OT three lifts Heat past Clippers after a 20-point hole

Klay Thompson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with one second left in overtime as Miami erased a 20-point deficit for a 117-116 win at the Clippers on Wednesday night. Bam Adebayo had season highs of 35 points and 10 rebounds; Thompson scored 30 on eight threes; Giannis Antetokounmpo had 27 points, 14 rebounds and six assists. "I felt like I had so much space," Thompson said of the corner look off an Adebayo screen. Miami improved to 3-5 after an 0-4 start.

Scoreboard

NHL: Lightning 4, Blackhawks 1 — Final

NFL: Jaguars 33, Ravens 10 — Final

NBA: Suns 117, Magic 104 — Final

NBA: Warriors 120, Heat 100 — Final

Schedule (all times ET)

Fri Nov 6 — NCAAF: USF at East Carolina, 7:30pm ET, ESPN2

Sat Nov 7 — NCAAF: FSU at Boston College, 12pm ET, ACC Network

Sat Nov 7 — NHL: Panthers at Capitals, 12:30pm ET, Scripps Sports

Sat Nov 7 — NCAAF: UCF at Kansas, 3:45pm ET, ESPN2

Sat Nov 7 — NCAAF: Missouri State at FIU, 4pm ET, ESPN+

Sat Nov 7 — MLS: Charlotte FC at Inter Miami, 4pm ET, Apple TV

Sat Nov 7 — MLS: New England at Orlando City, 4pm ET, Apple TV

Sat Nov 7 — NCAAF: No. 1 Miami at No. 11 Notre Dame, 7:30pm ET, NBC

Sat Nov 7 — NCAAF: Oklahoma at No. 25 Florida, 7:45pm ET, SEC Network

Sat Nov 7 — NHL: Lightning at Wild, 8pm ET, The Spot

Sun Nov 8 — NFL: Lions at Dolphins, 1pm ET, Fox

Sun Nov 8 — NHL: Panthers at Bruins, 1pm ET, NHL Network

Sun Nov 8 — NASCAR: Cup Series Championship at Homestead-Miami, 3pm ET, NBC

Sun Nov 8 — NHL: Lightning at Jets, 7pm ET, The Spot

Sun Nov 8 — NFL: Bucs at Bears, 8:20pm ET, NBC

More Scores: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAF

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Florida's average for regular is $3.83 a gallon, AAA says, down about a penny from yesterday ($3.84) and about 13 cents below a week ago ($3.96). That's about 27 cents under the national average of $4.10. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the most expensive metro at about $3.99; Pensacola is the cheapest at about $3.60.

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❖ Anna Maria Neighbors Rescue a Wedding Four Days Out: Four days before their Oct. 10 wedding, Ken and Deni Schimpf learned the short-term rental they had booked on Anna Maria Island was not zoned for weddings, with guests already flying in from as far as Alaska. West Manatee Fire Rescue, the city of Anna Maria, the Manatee County Sheriff's Office and CrossPointe Fellowship church scrambled a beach ceremony at the Willow Avenue beach access instead. Mayor Mark Short said the city accelerated its special-event permit in less than 48 hours, and on Oct. 10 the couple exchanged vows overlooking the Gulf.

❖ World's Largest Build-A-Bear Opens at Orlando's ICON Park: Build-A-Bear Workshop opened its largest store in the world Thursday at ICON Park on International Drive, a three-story, 30,000-plus-square-foot destination with the classic Heart Ceremony plus a first-of-its-kind design studio. Guests can also visit a scent bar, a "Hear Me" voice station and an on-site bakeshop that opens onto a terrace overlooking the Orlando Eye. ICON Park CEO Chris Jaskiewicz said the brand chose Orlando because it is "the number one destination for families."

❖ Ocala's "Happy Hookers" Have Made 168 Afghans and Counting for Veterans: The On Top of the World Happy Hookers, an Ocala retirement-community crafting group, have delivered 168 handmade afghans and 36 quilts to the Bay Pines VA Healthcare System in St. Petersburg since a single request for 20 lap blankets a year ago. They have also knitted 161 red, white and blue caps for VA patients, and member Elaine Fitzpatrick has crocheted 645 miniature plush creatures for veterans to share with visiting grandchildren. Locally the group has donated more than 300 afghans to Hospice of Marion County and the Bears and Blankets program, and it recently topped 2,000 warm hats for area agencies.

❖ Two Maclay Cheerleaders Are Bound for the 100th Macy's Parade: Chloe Kerr and Chanley Marks of Maclay School's varsity cheerleading squad were selected after February auditions to join Spirit of America for the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City. About 1,000 cheerleaders and dancers ages 14 to 18 from across the country will take part, and the Maclay pair will spend a week of rehearsals and sightseeing before performing in two NBC telecasts. Marks, who usually watches the parade from her father's New York office each Thanksgiving, said she is grateful she will finally see it from the inside.

❖ Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Welcomes a Baby Zebra: A female zebra foal was born recently at Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge to mom Aziza and has joined the herd on the hotel's Arusha savanna. Disney's Animals, Science and Environment shared photos of the pair but has not yet announced a name for the foal. The zebra follows other recent arrivals at the resort, including three nyala calves and an albino wallaby joey named Quartz at Animal Kingdom.

❖ $10,000 Grant Puts 100 South Palm Beach Kids in Free Swim Lessons: A $10,000 Florida Blue Foundation grant will fund free swim lessons for 100 children through the YMCA of South Palm Beach County, including kids from low- to moderate-income families and children with special needs. The YMCA plans 800 lessons, with each child getting at least eight 30-minute sessions that start with survival skills from the Safety Around Water curriculum. Senior branch executive director Bryan Hunt said every child in South Florida should have the chance to learn how to swim and stay safe around water.

Today’s Quote

"Somebody on every street lights the fire pit at 68 degrees, and nobody says a word, because we've all been waiting since April."

— original / Front Porch

Florida Almanac

Moon: Waning crescent, about 7% lit, five days past last quarter; the new moon arrives Nov. 9.

Sunrise / Sunset: Orlando: sunrise 6:41 a.m., sunset 5:37 p.m. EST, 10h 56m of daylight. Times are Eastern Standard (Pensacola and the western Panhandle are on Central time); times vary across the state.

Gardening Notes: Parsley is a fall-and-winter herb in Florida, UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions says: give it a little afternoon shade, soak the seeds overnight (they can take 7 to 12 days to sprout), sow them shallowly and thin seedlings to about 6 inches apart. Flat-leaf (Italian) parsley has the strongest flavor; curly leaf is a pretty garnish, and both are host plants for black swallowtail caterpillars.

Coastal / Red Tide: FWC's latest report (Oct. 30) finds red tide only in Northwest Florida, at bloom levels in six samples from Bay and Gulf counties; none was seen in Southwest Florida or on the East Coast. The Nov. 6 update had not posted as of filing.

Florida by the Numbers

104,008: physicians licensed to practice in Florida, according to the Florida Department of Health's 2026 Physician Workforce Annual Report (Nov. 1). Of those, 58,172 renewed in the latest two-year cycle, answered the physician survey and said they provide direct patient care.