The morning edition

Florida AG unveils anti-spam bill. Hillsborough dengue hits 134. Tampa flood vote.

Friday, September 18, 2026

Friday, September 18, 2026

Good Morning! On September 18, 1926, a Category 4 hurricane made landfall near Palmetto Bay, about 10 miles south of downtown Miami, with hurricane-force winds from the Upper Keys into southern Palm Beach County. The eye passed over downtown Miami around 6:30 a.m.; for about 35 minutes the streets filled with people who thought the storm was over — then the far worse backside returned, with a storm surge that pushed Atlantic water across Miami Beach and several blocks into the mainland. Red Cross counts listed 372 dead and more than 6,000 injured; damages were estimated at about $105 million in 1926 dollars. Weather Bureau Officer-in-Charge Richard Gray had only been able to hoist hurricane warnings late the night before. A century later, the National Weather Service still marks that Friday as a turning point in how Florida learns to listen when the wind goes quiet in the middle of a hurricane. (NWS Miami)

In This Issue: Florida’s AG unveils an anti-spam bill, Hillsborough dengue cases hit 134, and Tampa’s $100M South Howard flood vote.

Weather: Hot Friday under a northeast breeze. Panhandle stays sunny and dry (Tallahassee sunny ~93; Pensacola sunny ~91). Northeast and north-central mostly sunny with little storm risk (Jacksonville mostly sunny after a slight shower chance ~15%; Gainesville mostly sunny ~90). Central Florida sees afternoon shower/storm chances (Orlando chance storms ~32%; Tampa mostly sunny then isolated storms ~24%; Daytona Beach chance storms ~35%). Southwest and Southeast keep higher storm chances — Fort Myers scattered storms (~44%), Miami storms likely (~60%), West Palm Beach storms likely (~65%), Keys storms likely (~70%). Heat index still near the upper 90s to around 100 along the SE and SW coasts where storms hold off.

Tropical: No Florida tropical watches or warnings (National Hurricane Center). Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook (800 PM EDT Thu Sep 17): showers and thunderstorms with a low (AL98) a few hundred miles east of Bermuda remain disorganized. Formation chance low (20%) in 48 hours and low (20%) in 7 days while it moves slowly westward over the subtropical Atlantic; not a Florida land threat. No Atlantic tropical cyclones at this time.

Rip Current Report: High rip-current risk Friday for East-Central / Treasure Coast Atlantic including Volusia–Brevard–Indian River–St. Lucie–Martin (NWS MLB SRF — High Fri), Palm Beach Atlantic (NWS MFL SRF High through Friday), and eastern Panhandle Gulf including South Walton / Panama City Beach and Coastal Franklin / Apalachicola south-facing beaches (NWS TAE SRF High Fri). Moderate Friday for Northeast Florida Atlantic (Nassau–Duval–Flagler–St. Johns; NWS JAX SRF — High ends ~5 a.m. Fri, then Moderate), and Pensacola–Destin / Escambia–Santa Rosa–Okaloosa coastal (NWS MOB SRF Moderate Fri after High ends Thu evening CDT). Low for Miami-Dade and Broward Atlantic Friday (NWS MFL) and for west-central / SW Gulf including Nature Coast through Tampa Bay, Sarasota, Fort Myers Beach, and Naples (NWS TBW / MFL Collier). Swim near a lifeguard; heed beach flags.

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Florida AG Unveils Anti-Spam Bill Targeting Scam Calls, Texts, and AI Voices

Attorney General James Uthmeier on Thursday in Pembroke Pines outlined a proposed “Florida Anti-Spam Communications Act” that would treat impersonating an official, spoofing a phone number, using an undisclosed AI voice to obtain money, or sending fake warrants by text or email as communications fraud, elevate large-volume or high-loss cases to more serious felonies with mandatory prison time, and make owning or importing phone or SIM-card farms a felony with equipment treated as contraband. (ClickOrlando)

The proposal would require communications providers to authenticate caller ID, answer traceback requests, and cut off identified unlawful campaigns after written notice; tighten telemarketing consent so a STOP request must be honored within days rather than weeks; let the Department of Legal Affairs investigate spam independently and seek injunctions, restitution, and civil penalties; and fund a statewide education campaign aimed at older Floridians — Uthmeier’s office said no bill had been formally filed as of Thursday. (News4Jax)

Hillsborough Dengue Hits 134 as Florida Local Cases Reach 152

The Florida Department of Health’s Thursday update put locally acquired dengue at 152 statewide for 2026, including 134 in Hillsborough County (120 DENV-2 and 14 unknown serotype), with smaller counts in Miami-Dade (7), Pinellas (7), Pasco (2), Orange (1), and Palm Beach (1), plus 186 travel-associated cases mostly linked to Cuba. (OutbreakNewsToday)

OutbreakNewsToday reported 41 new locally acquired dengue cases in the past week — 39 in Hillsborough and 2 in Pinellas — and said health officials also logged the state’s first locally acquired chikungunya case of the year in Miami-Dade; onset timing for the dengue cluster spans July (21), August (124), and September (7). (OutbreakNewsToday)

Tampa Council Votes 4–3 to Advance $100M South Howard Flood Project

Tampa City Council voted 4–3 Thursday to move ahead with the South Howard Flood Relief Project after about 18 months of planning, locking a maximum construction cost of nearly $93 million (about $100 million including design) to replace a century-old drainage system under South Howard Avenue that city staff say has driven decades of flooding in Parkland Estates and Palma Ceia Pines — about 300 homes in those neighborhoods were damaged or destroyed in the 2024 hurricane season. (FOX13)

Supporters including Council members Charlie Miranda, Lynn Hurtak, Luis Viera, and Chair Alan Clendenin said the city cannot keep abandoning flooded neighborhoods; opponents including Councilman Bill Carlson and South Howard business owners warned multi-year section closures through 2030 could shutter shops and risk more than 1,000 jobs, with construction expected to begin after Gasparilla. (FOX13)

Couple Sues Jacksonville Fertility Clinic After DNA Shows Wrong Sperm Used

Natalie and Joshua Strong of Panama City Beach filed suit in Duval County Circuit Court against Brown Fertility Associates, its founder, and unnamed staff, alleging medical negligence and conversion of genetic material after a certified DNA test showed 0% probability that Joshua is the biological father of their daughter born June 5, 2025 — the lawsuit says the clinic used Joshua’s surgically retrieved sperm after a vasectomy to create seven embryos in March 2024 and falsely told the couple all seven were their combined DNA. (News4Jax)

The complaint says newborn blood typing raised the first red flag (baby B-positive with two negative-type parents), that four vials of cryopreserved sperm and three remaining embryos are unaccounted for in clinic answers, and that a November 2025 records request and January 2026 notice of intent produced no substantive response; the Strongs seek more than $50,000 in damages plus a court order accounting for the sperm and embryos, while saying their 15-month-old daughter is thriving. (News4Jax)

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❖ Miami-Dade: Vizcaya Late: Everyone’s Quince is Friday Sep 18, 6:30–9:30 p.m., at Vizcaya Museum & Gardens (3251 S. Miami Ave.) — Hispanic Heritage Month after-hours with DJ + live percussion, beginner salsa with Salsa Z founder Elisa Baena, drop-in art, themed food/drinks for purchase, and complimentary cake while supplies last; activities included with general admission, rain or shine. (Miami and Beaches)

❖ Tampa Bay: Movida 2026: A Movement, Not A Moment is Saturday Sep 19, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., at 1705 N 16th St., Historic Ybor — free multigenerational Latinx celebration with art exhibition, live performances, vendor market, curated panel, and family activities; pre-registration required. (City of Tampa)

❖ Orlando: Orlando Chinese Association Mid-Autumn Festival Garden Party is Saturday Sep 19, 11 a.m.–5 p.m., at Bill Fredrick Park pavilions 1–2 (3410 S. Hiawassee Rd.) — live performances, mooncake tastings, lantern riddles, and more. (City of Orlando)

❖ Jacksonville: Riverside Arts Market is Saturday Sep 19, 10 a.m.–3 p.m., at 715 Riverside Ave. — local art, shopping, food, and live music. (DTJax)

❖ Broward: Broward Attractions & Museums Month (BAMM) continues through Sep 30 — buy one regular adult admission, get a second of equal or lesser value free at Museum of Discovery and Science (401 SW Second St.) and 14 other paid venues, with 8 additional Broward museums offering free admission; mention “BAMM” at the box office. (MODS)

❖ Palm Beach: Ultracon of South Florida runs Friday–Sunday Sep 18–20 at Shiner Law Group Expo Center (9067 Southern Blvd., West Palm Beach) — comics, anime, wrestling, movies, TV, and cosplay with guests including Mick Foley, Theo Rossi, Noah Hathaway, Candi Milo, and others; hours Fri 4–8 p.m., Sat 10 a.m.–6 p.m., Sun 10 a.m.–5 p.m.; parking free; children 10 and under free. (Florida Geek Scene)

❖ Gulf Coast: Audubon Florida’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary offers community free admission Saturday Sep 19 (open 8 a.m.; last admission 1 p.m.) at 375 Sanctuary Road West, Naples — 2.25-mile boardwalk through old-growth bald cypress, plus bird talk, bingo, community weaving, and children’s wildlife art; Florida residents half-price all September with ID. (WGCU)

❖ North Florida: 5th Annual Food Truck Challenge & Craft Show is Saturday Sep 19, 10 a.m.–4 p.m., at Tallahassee Automobile Museum (6800 Mahan Dr.) — free family day with local vendors, food trucks, live music, and kids’ activities. (Fun4TallyKids)

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❖ Miami: Democratic attorney general nominee José Javier Rodríguez on Thursday in Miami called for a “full investigation” of the closed Everglades detention site known as Alligator Alcatraz after a DHS Office of Inspector General report said 79 detainees were locked in outdoor metal enclosures of roughly 16–18 square feet for up to two hours as “calming areas,” and he tied the facility’s no-bid contracts to incumbent AG James Uthmeier’s circle while the DeSantis administration defended the practice as meeting federal standards for violent detainees. (WLRN)

❖ Statewide: In the governor’s race, Democrat David Jolly is pitching a state catastrophic fund that would pull hurricane/wind coverage out of the private market and, he says, cut homeowners’ premiums 60–70%, while Republican Byron Donalds’ campaign ads claim the idea means a $1,000 “hurricane tax,” citing an FSU study of a different 2024–25 Citizens wind-coverage proposal; Jolly called the tax claim “all lies,” and Donalds this week rolled out a “Bring Down the Bill” package focused on Cat Fund surcharge reform, lawsuit limits, My Safe Florida grants, an insurer scorecard, and further Citizens depopulation. (WLRN)

❖ Statewide: Local10’s Thursday race feature framed incumbent Republican AG James Uthmeier — appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis and seeking his first election — against Democrat José Javier Rodríguez as voters weigh a Hope Florida grand-jury finding that $10 million in taxpayer dollars was misappropriated through the Hope Florida Foundation to PACs including Keep Florida Clean (chaired by Uthmeier), with “insufficient evidence to charge anyone criminally” but ethics questions unresolved; Rodríguez pitched “crime, cost, corruption” consumer protection while Uthmeier pointed to lawyers who signed off and to child-exploitation and AI/social-media enforcement. (Local10)

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❖ Ocala: Specialty building-materials distributor ECMD is opening a 135,000-square-foot distribution center for mouldings, stair systems, and related products on Northwest 44th Avenue in Ocala — its first Florida facility — and a company release said the site will create about 20 jobs with full operations expected later this month. (WCJB)

❖ Winter Park: Orlando-founded fintech Worth AI, headquartered in Winter Park, is expanding regional operations with 30 high-impact technology jobs averaging $190,000 annually after a $30 million Series A and the launch of its Decision Intelligence platform that uses data from more than 350 million verified small- and medium-business profiles; the Orlando Economic Partnership assisted with financing and training connections. (Orlando Economic Partnership)

❖ Jacksonville: Family-owned Berman Brothers — scrap-metal recycling and metal distribution under one roof, started after World War II by Milton and Harry Berman — recently acquired longtime neighbor Ruben Ironworks and now supports about 70 families under owner-president Rochelle Stoddard, who says newer technology is next to handle more volume while keeping a “human touch” against larger competitors. (News4Jax)

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Rays Rout Athletics 10–1, Clinch at Least a Wild Card, Open Five-Game AL East Lead

Drew Rasmussen worked five scoreless innings and Chandler Simpson’s go-ahead two-run single highlighted a six-run fourth as the AL-best Tampa Bay Rays (93–59) beat the Athletics 10–1 on Thursday in St. Petersburg, completing a three-game sweep (their 16th series sweep, most by a team since the 2022 Dodgers), extending a six-game winning streak, opening a five-game AL East lead, and assuring no worse than a wild-card berth with 10 games left including four next week at the Yankees. (CBS Sports)

Sandy Alcantara Earns First Career Save After Bullpen Rescue for Marlins

Miami Marlins ace Sandy Alcantara — already past 200 innings this season — came out of the bullpen Wednesday night in Phoenix on one day of rest after a 101-pitch outing and closed a 4–3 win over Arizona with a scoreless ninth for his first major-league save, his first relief appearance since 2017 with St. Louis; manager Clayton McCullough said Alcantara volunteered in the sixth and still starts Sunday in San Diego as scheduled while Miami (76–77) trails San Diego by 7½ games for the final NL wild card with nine to play. (News4Jax)

Mayfield Faces Former Browns as Both 0–1 Clubs Meet in Bucs’ Home Opener

Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (0–1 after a 33–27 loss at Cincinnati) host the Cleveland Browns (0–1 after a 34–10 loss at Jacksonville) Sunday at 1 p.m. ET on CBS at Raymond James Stadium — Mayfield’s first home game against the franchise that drafted him No. 1 in 2018 and later traded him after acquiring Deshaun Watson, who gets his second Cleveland start with Shedeur Sanders still in reserve; Mayfield was 23-of-28 for 216 yards with a rushing TD but three lost fumbles in Week 1, and teammates say the focus is flipping the 24-hour rule into a home-opener rebound. (CBS Sports)

Bucs Week 2 Injury Notes Ahead of Browns Home Opener

Tampa Bay’s Week 2 notes ahead of Sunday’s home opener vs. Cleveland flagged Killebrew in concussion protocol, Parrish limited with a back issue, and Trotter’s Week 1 pick-six debut as the Buccaneers (0–1) host the Browns (0–1) Sunday at 1 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium (Buccaneers.com). (Buccaneers.com)

Scoreboard

MLB: Rays 10, Athletics 1 — FINAL Thu Sep 17 — Tropicana Field (CBS Sports)

Schedule

Rays 10, Athletics 1 — Thursday, Tropicana Field.

Buccaneers vs. Browns — Sunday, Sep 20, 1 p.m. ET, Raymond James Stadium, CBS.

Florida at Auburn — Saturday, Sep 19, 7 p.m. ET, Jordan-Hare Stadium (SEC opener; both 2–0).

Rays vs. Red Sox — Friday home after Thursday’s sweep.

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Florida regular averaged $4.2986 a gallon Thursday (AAA as of 9/17/26) — up about 10.0 cents from Wednesday ($4.1987) and up about 15.0 cents from a week ago ($4.1490), and still about 14 cents under the national $4.4386. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the most expensive named metro at $4.4403; Crestview–Fort Walton Beach and Panama City tie as cheapest at $4.0616 (Pensacola $4.0632; Tallahassee $4.0944). (AAA)

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❖ Sarasota: Body-camera video shows Sarasota police officers Brendan Cook and Krista Gagnon pounding on doors at the Cadillac Motel in the 4000 block of North Tamiami Trail just before 7 a.m. Saturday as flames engulfed a room and spread into the attic of the seven-unit motel; they evacuated a man who was slow to leave, one person was taken to Sarasota Memorial with non-life-threatening injuries, and the State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause. (FOX13)

❖ Volusia: Volusia County Beach Safety lifeguards rescued a baby sea-turtle hatchling that washed back onto the beach and took it to the Marine Science Center in Ponce Inlet for evaluation; officials say record nesting has meant more hatchlings and more “washbacks” when waves or currents push exhausted turtles ashore, and beachgoers should leave distressed hatchlings alone and notify a lifeguard or call the center at 386-304-5545. (WFTV)

❖ Winter Park: Puppy Rescue Flights, a Winter Park nonprofit founded in 2010 by pilot Michael Young, has flown more than 12,000 dogs, puppies, cats, and kittens from overcrowded Alabama shelters to Florida adoption partners (Orlando, Winter Park, Winter Garden, Oviedo, Sanford, Tampa, Lakeland, Palm Harbor, West Palm Beach), moving about 1,100 animals in 2025 (~35/month) on flights that typically carry 15–20 animals — “Leave no pup behind,” Young says. (WFTV)

❖ Jacksonville: News4JAX’s Paws-itively JAX segment on Thursday highlighted Pilots to the Rescue flying 21 at-risk dogs and 8 cats from Jacksonville toward Bridgeport, Connecticut, with ground transport onward to New Hampshire placement partners — volunteer pilots and aircraft moving shelter animals toward higher-adoption regions. (News4Jax)

❖ Manatee: Manatee County EMS is giving West Manatee Fire Rescue access to its all-terrain vehicle so crews can reach hikers, cyclists, and water-sports visitors across the nearly 700-acre Robinson Preserve and its ~30 miles of trails without waiting on park-ranger equipment — Fire Marshal Rodney Kwiatkowski and EMS Chief Sean Dwyer said seconds matter on snake bites and environmental emergencies in terrain ambulances cannot enter. (MySuncoast)

Today’s Quote

❖ Destin: WFLA reported Destin firefighters from Ladder 9 helped veterinarians at Emergency Veterinary Clinic Destin remove an object tightly wrapped around a dog's paw that left the animal in extreme pain and unable to walk, using a small drill during the emergency procedure (clinic at 247 Main St., Destin). (WFLA)

“There is a crack in everything, that's how the light gets in.”

— Leonard Cohen

Florida Almanac

Moon: First Quarter (exact 4:44 p.m. ET Fri Sep 18); about 50% illuminated at the phase moment (morning illumination nearer ~42%, Almanac / Orlando). Next Full Moon (Harvest Moon): Sat Sep 26 (12:50 p.m. ET).

Sunrise / sunset (Friday Sep 18; Orlando, EDT — times vary across the state; most of Florida is Eastern; Pensacola is Central): 7:12 a.m. / 7:27 p.m.

Gardening: Mid-to-late September remains a strong window for cool-season starts (broccoli, kale, carrots, lettuce, collards, cabbage) by region. Central and South Florida can prep strawberry beds for late-September set dates; North Florida strawberries usually wait until October. Warm herbs (basil, mint, rosemary) still go in. Check local fertilizer blackouts through September. (UF/IFAS Vegetable Gardening Guide / regional calendars)

Coastal note: FWC written statewide red-tide status dated September 11, 2026 (next written report due Fri Sep 18 — not yet posted at filing). Sep 11 update: Karenia brevis was not observed in samples collected statewide over the past week; no red-tide–related fish kills or respiratory irritation reported. Prior Northeast Florida bloom samples were Karenia papilionacea (not K. brevis). Pair beach plans with the rip-current map in the weather strip. (FWC red tide)

Florida by the Numbers

Florida recorded 109 space launches in 2025 from its active launch sites, according to the Florida Department of Transportation’s Transportation Fast Facts (updated February 2026). (FDOT)