The morning edition

Board of Governors bars undocumented students from Florida’s 12 universities. Moody pushes Space Academy to Space Coast.

Friday, September 4, 2026

Friday, September 4, 2026

Good Morning! On September 4, 1835, wreckers found the schooner Pee Dee inside the Florida Reef — full of water, masts hanging overboard. One man who had gone five days without food or water was still aboard; 11 others were missing. The wreckers towed her into Newfound Harbor to pump her out and salvage what cargo they could.

In This Issue: Florida’s Board of Governors bars undocumented students from the state’s 12 public universities, lawmakers ask Trump to site a U.S. Space Academy on the Space Coast, and DeSantis endorses Byron Donalds for governor.

Weather: Hot, humid Friday with scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms statewide. Highest coverage inland north and central (Gainesville–Tallahassee–Jacksonville ~70–75%; Orlando ~60%); Tampa–Fort Myers–Miami ~50%; Key West lower (~35%). Highs upper 80s to low 90s (Orlando ~93). Brief downpours, lightning, and gusty winds possible.

Tropical: No Florida tropical watches or warnings (National Hurricane Center). Atlantic Tropical Weather Outlook (Thu Sep 3): tropical cyclone formation is not expected in the North Atlantic, Caribbean Sea, or Gulf of America during the next 7 days.

Rip Current Report: Moderate rip-current risk Friday for Northeast Florida Atlantic beaches (NWS JAX) and the Space Coast / Volusia Atlantic (NWS MLB), and for eastern Panhandle / Big Bend Gulf beaches (NWS TAE). Low for Palm Beach / Broward / Miami-Dade (NWS MFL), west-central and SW Gulf including Tampa Bay through Fort Myers (NWS TBW), and Pensacola–Destin (NWS MOB). Swim near a lifeguard; heed beach flags.

Receive Front Porch Florida Free Each Morning · Send to a Friend

Board of Governors Bars Undocumented Students From State Universities

Florida’s State University System Board of Governors voted unanimously Thursday to ban undocumented students from the state’s 12 public universities, amending General Admissions so that anyone “present in the United States unlawfully” is ineligible for initial enrollment beginning with the 2027–28 academic year. The panel, meeting in Fort Myers, passed the change on the consent agenda with no board debate after a short public-comment period; current enrollees are not affected, and the system does not presently track how many students lack lawful status.

Lt. Gov. Jay Collins called the rule “common sense,” saying public universities are “for students who are here legally”; the Florida Education Association and United Faculty of Florida warned it will shrink opportunity, noting roughly 8,000 undocumented students finish Florida high schools each year. Thursday’s university ban follows the State Board of Education’s June bar on undocumented enrollment at state colleges and GED programs; Florida joins Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina in adopting such a university-level restriction.

Florida Lawmakers Push Trump to Site U.S. Space Academy on Space Coast

U.S. Sen. Ashley Moody and Rep. Mike Haridopolos led Florida’s congressional delegation in a letter Thursday urging President Donald Trump and NASA to locate the new United States Space Academy in Florida, framing the Space Coast as “America’s launchpad” for training Space Force, NASA, and commercial space talent. Moody said she will introduce legislation when the Senate returns; Haridopolos cited the state’s launch infrastructure and workforce, noting Space Coast launches have risen more than 500% since 2016.

The letter was also signed by Sen. Rick Scott and a bipartisan slate of Florida House members. Trump created the academy by executive order last week and named a presidential commission to advise on location and design within about 120 days; Moody is separately pushing the CAPE Canaveral Act to move NASA headquarters to the Space Coast.

DeSantis Endorses Donalds for Governor Despite Past Tensions

Gov. Ron DeSantis backed the full Republican statewide slate — including gubernatorial nominee U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds — at a Florida GOP Leadership Forum in Tampa, telling the room he is “endorsing the slate here tonight” after candidates answered questions. Also on stage: Attorney General James Uthmeier, CFO Blaise Ingoglia, and Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson.

The endorsement lands despite earlier friction over a 2023 African American history standard and later comments questioning Donalds’ role in prior GOP wins. Donalds welcomed the support and said his mission is to “build on the success of Ron DeSantis”; he faces Democrat David Jolly in November.

Orange County Judge Diana Tennis Resigns Ahead of Suspension

Ninth Circuit Judge Diana Tennis, who has served Orange and Osceola counties since 2015, resigned effective Friday rather than face Florida Supreme Court–ordered suspension and fine after the Judicial Qualifications Commission found she made more than 900 political contributions totaling about $29,000 to Democratic candidates and groups between 2016 and 2021, in violation of the Code of Judicial Conduct. Tennis had agreed to a public reprimand; the high court rejected that deal in June and later said suspension plus a fine were required.

Her term was set to end in January 2027 and she was not seeking reelection; attorney Warren Lindsey said Tennis “diligently served the Central Florida community with distinction.” Florida Politics confirmed the last day with Ninth Circuit court services.

Receive Front Porch Florida Free Each Morning · Send to a Friend

➤ Miami-Dade: On day one, Miami-Dade Schools Superintendent Rafael Villalobos paused the district’s review of 27 under-enrolled campuses (12 “reassessed” / 15 “under review”), delaying community outreach that had been set for September; he told the School Board Committee he wants a clearer roadmap and aims to restart the second week of October and still finish by December. Enrollment is down roughly 15,000–19,000 students year-over-year; Kendale Elementary parents welcomed the pause.

➤ St. Petersburg / Tampa Bay: St. Pete staff recommended $40.85 million in HUD CDBG–Disaster Recovery funds for six affordable rental projects that would add or preserve about 645 apartments; City Council is set to finalize awards Sept. 17. Largest slice: $15 million to JR Tower (150 units at 1850 Central Ave.); also Hartford & Saratoga (109), Trailside Estates II (94 seniors), Skyway Flats (176), Portland Apartments renovation (68), Residences at 1663 (60 / mixed-use). City has $48M of its storm allocation set aside for affordable rental.

➤ Clermont–Lake County / Orlando: Lake County commissioners approved rezoning for Panther Run — 2,241+ acres in Wellness Way near Clermont — clearing an early path for up to 2,624 homes, 1M+ sq ft commercial/employment, trails/parks/wetlands (~72.5% open space claimed), CR 455 extension, and a 50-acre school-board site for a ~$214 million high school plus 8 acres for fire/sheriff (2030 targets). Construction eyed as early as 2027; first homeowners possibly Q3 2028.

➤ Jacksonville: Gateway Jax seeks first-round DDRB conceptual design approval Sept. 10 for Riverfront Plaza Hotel & Residences — a 20-floor hotel/residential tower on the 1.26-acre northeast pad of the former Jacksonville Landing / Riverfront Plaza park (residential to floor 9, hotel to 19, sky terrace); staff recommended approval with conditions. Phase 1 park ($38M) done late 2025; Phase 2 ($46M) underway.

➤ Oakland Park / Broward: Habitat for Humanity of Broward broke ground Thursday on Moss Estates — 10 three-bedroom homes for selected families (sweat equity) named for donors Bob and Sandra Moss; all-women volunteer build starts October; completion targeted in about a year. Publix Super Markets Charities among supporters.

➤ Palm Beach County: Palm Beach County is weighing privatizing the 111-acre Jim Brandon Equestrian Center (Forest Hill Blvd. across from Okeeheelee; Palm Beach Posse operator since 2005) amid a ~$750,000/yr county cost and budget pressure from possible homestead/property-tax changes; riders packed chambers urging it stay public. Final budget hearing Sept. 15.

➤ Bradenton–Anna Maria / Gulf Coast: Gulf Islands Ferry added a third stop at South Coquina Boat Ramp (across from Coquina Beach) starting Sept. 2 — Bradenton Riverwalk → Bridge Street → Coquina (~20 min Bridge-to-Coquina); Wed–Sun. 2025 ridership ~55,000 (~23,000 cars off roads); through August 2026 ~45,000 already. Tourist-development-tax funded.

➤ Perdido / Pensacola–Panhandle: Escambia County held the grand reopening Thursday Sept. 3 for renovated Perdido Kids Park at 10004 Gulf Beach Highway — new durable playground gear, ADA-accessible amenities, fencing; parking lot resurfaced and restrooms refurbished; ~$800K–$900K upgrade (part of ~$1.39M Local Option Sales Tax park package). District 2 Commissioner Mike Kohler.

Receive Front Porch Florida Free Each Morning · Send to a Friend

Palm Beach County commissioners voted 7–0 Thursday to pause new automated license-plate-reader permits on county roads and demand sheriff answers on data retention after FDOT’s state-road Flock crackdown; PBSO operates 83 readers, and Commissioner Joel Flores said the cameras photograph “everyone who drives past them” — a county-level pause distinct from a full municipal suspend and the Monday FDOT memo.

U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds held a “Defending the Florida Dream” Q&A Wednesday in Delray Beach (Dr. André Fladell Civic Center, 62 days to Nov. 3), mixing “common sense vs. crazy,” insurance/PIP/condo assessment talk, a local-control line on data centers, and a post-event Hope Florida “two independent investigations” / no-reopen stance — campaign color beyond the Tampa endorsement that sits in Top.

A ClickOrlando process piece traces how Rep. Alex Andrade’s 2025 Hope Florida / Centene $10M hearings fed Leon County State Attorney Jack Campbell’s grand jury (filed Jan. 28; later leaked to CBS Miami’s Jim DeFede), walking through how the Hope Florida investigation began and why a grand jury report may have been leaked.

Receive Front Porch Florida Free Each Morning · Send to a Friend

Duke Energy Florida on Thursday filed with the Florida Public Service Commission seeking lower January 2027 bills vs. December 2026 — about $0.71 less for a typical residential customer using 1,000 kWh/month, with commercial/industrial cuts ranging 0.8%–3.6% depending on class. State president Melissa Seixas tied the ask to falling fuel costs plus a tax strategy that avoids a previously set 2% base-rate increase and accelerates $50 million in customer savings next year; approval still required.

Florida Power & Light on Thursday opened a new online Assistance Center linking customers to bill extensions, federal aid, county-specific resources, and FPL Saving Steps — a program that gives eligible households energy-saving advice plus a chance to earn a $200 credit on a future bill. Spokesperson Francine Freitas framed it as tools for ongoing bill management, not one-month relief. (WGCU notes FPL is a financial supporter.)

McGraw Hill said Thursday the Florida Department of Education approved its full submitted K–12 math portfolio through the state instructional-materials adoption process, opening selection for all 67 districts serving about 3 million students. Approved lines include Florida Math K–5 and 6–8, Florida Math Accelerated 6–7, Algebra 1/Honors, Geometry/Honors, Algebra 2/Honors, and Precalculus Honors (print + digital).

Redfin reported luxury sale prices up 18% year-over-year in Miami and 15.4% in Tampa for the three months ending July 2026 — the fastest among the 50 largest U.S. metros — while U.S. luxury rose 5.3%; West Palm Beach luxury sales jumped 43.9% year-over-year; Miami active listings fell 18.1% and Tampa 16.1%.

Brazil-based Eucatex is leasing about 109,000 square feet at Eastport Exchange in North Jacksonville (Newlogus operating), with a city permit for a 99,181-square-foot build-out at 10135 Inlight Way; CEO Pedro Furlanetto targets a phased start in the fourth quarter of 2026.

Receive Front Porch Florida Free Each Morning · Send to a Friend

Royals Beat Marlins 7–3 Thursday at Kauffman

The Kansas City Royals beat the Miami Marlins 7–3 Thursday night at Kauffman Stadium.

Magic Set Four-Game Preseason Opening Oct. 7 at Memphis

The Orlando Magic announced a four-game 2026 preseason: Oct. 7 at Memphis (8 p.m.), Oct. 11 at Cleveland (7 p.m.), then home at Kia Center vs. Cleveland Oct. 13 and vs. Miami Heat Oct. 16 (both 7 p.m.). Training camp opens Sept. 29 at AdventHealth Training Center; single-game preseason tickets are on sale via the club.

Heat’s Nick Richards Eyes Opening-Night Guarantee

Center Nick Richards, on a one-year non-guaranteed Heat deal, said he will “prove myself” after many teams passed; his about $3.1 million salary becomes fully guaranteed if he is on the roster opening night (Heat open vs. Minnesota Oct. 21). Richards (28) has 114 career starts and last season averaged 5.8 points and 5.1 rebounds in 48 games; Miami wanted backup-center depth behind Bam Adebayo.

Scoreboard

Royals 7, Marlins 3 (FINAL)

Schedule

Rays at Texas Rangers — remaining series games (check club / ESPN for Fri first pitch)

Marlins host Chicago Cubs — Fri Sep 4 start of homestand (check club for first pitch)

Florida State hosts No. 19 SMU — Monday, Sep 7, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN (Doak Campbell)

Orlando Pride vs. Houston Dash — Sunday, Sep 6 (club)

Buccaneers at Cincinnati Bengals — Sunday, Sep 13

Jaguars home vs. Browns — Sunday, Sep 13 (confirm time on club site)

Receive Front Porch Florida Free Each Morning · Send to a Friend

Florida regular averaged $3.9813 a gallon Thursday (AAA) — up less than a cent from Wednesday ($3.9755) and up about 2 cents from a week ago ($3.9605), and still about 16 cents under the national $4.1436. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the dearest named metro at $4.1139; Tallahassee is cheapest at $3.8800 (Panama City $3.8916; Pensacola $3.9054).

Receive Front Porch Florida Free Each Morning · Send to a Friend

Village On The Isle’s resident-funded Education Grants program is putting Venice native Kaela Coye through her University of South Florida Speech-Language Pathology graduate degree debt-free; employees can receive up to $7,000/year after 6–12 months’ service, and the community has awarded $35,000 in scholarships in 2026 alone (Jim Handrich chairs the resident review committee). Coye started as a VOTI server in 2019 while at Venice High and is entering her second grad year focused on stuttering care rooted in self-acceptance.

Mount Dora cut the ribbon Monday on the Nathaniel Bell Community Resource & Recreation Center at 1010 Lincoln Avenue — 31,100 square feet with an indoor basketball court, tech lab, teaching kitchen, classrooms, meeting rooms, and child-watch — with free memberships for everyone (adults register youth). Tours/registration 2–6 p.m. through Fri Sep 4; soft opening Sep 8–11; grand opening 10 a.m.–1 p.m. Sat Sep 12. Named for former council member / educator Nathaniel Bell (elected 1978).

Nourish Miami recovers restaurant leftovers and turns Greater Bethel AME Church in Overtown into a Friday breakfast hub, reaching about 1,500 people a week with individual meals and distributing about 200 grocery bags a week across Overtown, Allapattah, Brownsville, Little Haiti, and Liberty City. Co-founders Adam Snitzer and John Barker frame the mission as sharing Miami hospitality-industry abundance with neighbors facing food insecurity.

Joke of the Day

A Florida school pickup line is not traffic. It is Formula 1 with car seats.

Florida Almanac

Moon: Third Quarter (Last Quarter) Fri Sep 4 (~3:51 a.m. EDT); about 48–49% illuminated Friday. Next New Moon: Thu Sep 10.

Sunrise / sunset (Friday Sep 4; Orlando, EDT): 7:05 a.m. / 7:43 p.m. (times vary across the state; Pensacola is Central).

Gardening: Early September is prime 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)

Coastal note: FWC written statewide red-tide status was last dated August 28, 2026 (next written report due Fri Sep 4). Aug 28 correction: Northeast Florida bloom samples were Karenia papilionacea, not K. brevis. Pair beach plans with the rip-current map above. (FWC red tide)

Florida by the Numbers

Florida had 1,027,742 registered vessels in 2025 across all counties (dealer, pleasure, and commercial classes combined), per Florida DHSMV / FLHSMV Alphabetical Vessel Statistics by County. (FLHSMV PDF)