The morning edition

Dengue cases hit 524, El Niño favors a wetter Florida winter, and United adds JAX to San Francisco

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Saturday, November 7, 2026

Good Morning! On Nov. 7, 1814, Maj. Gen. Andrew Jackson marched about 3,000–4,000 troops into Pensacola, then Spanish Florida, and forced Spanish Gov. Mateo González Manrique to surrender Fort San Miguel. The British, who had been using the harbor against U.S. Gulf ports, withdrew and blew up Fort San Carlos before sailing away. Jackson soon left for Mobile and New Orleans, leaving the town back in Spanish hands.

In This Issue: Florida's locally acquired dengue total hits 524, a strong El Niño tilts the state toward a wetter winter, United adds year-round JAX–San Francisco nonstops, and Estero's Natasha Agarwal wins a Diana Award for BelieveNBooks.

Weather: A weak cold front finishes crossing Florida on Saturday, ushering in drier air and slightly cooler highs — mostly upper 70s to low 80s statewide, with Pensacola in the low 70s and Fort Myers and Miami near 84°. Rain chances stay low behind the front. 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, 16.2 feet Friday evening). Minor coastal flooding remains possible at high tide along Southeast Florida beaches. Never drive into flooded roads. (NWS)

Tropical: The National Hurricane Center is watching a non-tropical low several hundred miles south of Bermuda that could pick up some subtropical traits through Saturday before upper winds strengthen Sunday. NHC gives it a low, 10% chance of development in both 48 hours and seven days; it is forecast to move east over the open Atlantic and stay away from Florida. Hurricane season ends Nov. 30. (National Hurricane Center)

Rip Current Report: The rip current risk is HIGH Saturday from Volusia County through Martin County, with surf around 3 to 5 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: Father of Learjet Co-Pilot Says Final Radio Calls Showed She's Tough

Allan Filgueiras, father of 20-year-old Greenacres Learjet co-pilot Nathalia Gadelha Filgueiras and himself a pilot, said Friday he has listened “many times” to her final radio transmissions with air traffic control, searching for answers and finding pride in how she handled the crisis — “wow, she’s tough.” In the recordings she first calmly reported ice and turbulence, then called mayday as the jet fell into an overspeed descent; attorney Stuart Grossman said the news conference was meant to preserve her reputation amid online criticism of her experience, noting she had more than 1,300 flight hours and was “perfectly qualified,” with no lawsuit planned while the NTSB investigation continues.

Filgueiras said flying was her “happiest moment” and that she showed him “what it is to be a hero” by fighting to the last minute; NBC 6 reported he spoke in Coral Gables surrounded by cockpit photos of father and daughter, and that captain Jeff Gregory was at the controls as the plane fell.

UPDATE: Florida Dengue Cases Reach 524 as Hillsborough's Weekly Rise Slows

Florida’s locally acquired dengue total rose to 524 cases as of Oct. 31 after 39 new infections in the Oct. 25–31 week — up from 485 on Oct. 24 — still the largest continental-U.S. outbreak in decades (199 Florida cases in 2023; 62 in 2025), with Hillsborough at 407 of the statewide total and Pinellas at 80.

Hillsborough added 22 cases that week, its lowest weekly increase since mid-August and the first under 25 since a local emergency was declared Sept. 24; Hillsborough and Pinellas accounted for nearly all of the 39 new infections (three in Miami-Dade, one in Orange), while WINK noted advisories in 11 counties and alerts in nine, including Hillsborough, Pinellas and Miami-Dade.

UPDATE: St. Johns Near Cocoa Forecast to Hit Major Flood Stage, Rivaling Tropical Storm Fay

National Weather Service Melbourne told ClickOrlando on Friday the St. Johns River near Cocoa is expected to crest about 17.1 feet around Tuesday or Wednesday (Nov. 10–11), above the 17-foot major-flood threshold and within about 0.01 foot of the 17.11-foot Tropical Storm Fay crest in 2008 — without a named tropical system — after southern Brevard runoff (Malabar ~24.69 inches; Palm Bay ~22) keeps draining north; the gauge was already near 16.9 feet Friday morning.

NWS Melbourne meteorologist Jessie Schaper told WUSF that major cities along the St. Johns basin, including Jacksonville, could see river flooding for several weeks as water from the 1-in-1,000-year flash-flood event keeps moving north, even though the rain has stopped.

Strong El Niño Tilts Florida Toward a Wetter, Stormier Winter and Dry Season

WPTV, citing National Weather Service Miami’s dry-season outlook, says a very strong El Niño — potentially matching or exceeding the historic 1997–98 event — is expected to push the subtropical jet farther south and raise odds of above-normal dry-season rainfall plus higher flood and severe-weather risk across South Florida, with near-average temperatures more likely than deep freezes.

Gulf Coast News reported Tampa Bay warning coordination meteorologist Jen Hubbard saying the pattern favors more energy for squall lines with cold fronts and Gulf lows, similar to winters of 1983, 1998 and 2016 on the Panhandle, and that added rain could help ease drought stress on aquifers and wells — with no two El Niño winters identical.

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❖ Miami-Dade — Hilton Restoring Collins Park Hotel Block: Miami Beach: Hilton said the long-vacant Collins Park Hotel buildings at 2000 Park Ave. will reopen in early 2027 as the 289-room Hilton Miami Beach, restoring and connecting five Art Deco and Miami Modern buildings from 1938–1953 near the Convention Center. The project keeps each building's architecture, including Henry Hohauser's 1939 Collins Park Hotel, and plans courtyard and rooftop pools plus restaurant and café space.

❖ Tampa Bay — PIE Eyes $60M Garage, Bigger Terminal: St. Petersburg / Clearwater: St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport director Mark Sprague said PIE will build an about $60 million garage with more than 2,000 spaces next to the terminal, with construction expected to start in January 2027 and finish by spring 2028. The airport is also exploring a terminal that can handle 4.5 to 5 million passengers after serving about 2.8 million today, with a first-phase ~40,000-square-foot expansion and four jet bridges once drawings are done.

❖ Orlando — Lake Monroe Crest Threatens Sanford Roads: Sanford: Sanford Fire said Lake Monroe is expected to crest at 6.20 feet on Wednesday, Nov. 11, after rising from 4.8 feet Monday to 5.22 feet, with portions of Seminole Boulevard at risk of flooding. Fire Chief McNeil said crews are watching road conditions and urged drivers to avoid flooded roadways.

❖ Jacksonville — Baptist South Adding Advanced Heart Unit: Jacksonville: Baptist Health is expanding advanced cardiovascular services at Baptist Medical Center South with a dedicated heart unit for specialized heart surgery and minimally invasive electrophysiology and structural heart procedures, aimed at southern Duval and northern St. Johns patients. Construction is underway in unused space and will include four operating rooms (two cardiovascular, one structural heart, one electrophysiology) plus room for a fifth later, with patients expected in fall 2027.

❖ Broward — Sewage Spills Hit Fort Lauderdale Neighborhoods: Fort Lauderdale: Raw sewage spilled from manholes Friday as the citywide sewer system struggled to recover from weeks of flooding and king tides, with warning signs posted from Coral Ridge to south of Las Olas and tanker trucks hauling sewage between neighborhoods. Anthony's Clam House closed its dining room over nonworking restrooms while still selling takeout; the city said it hoped conditions would normalize by Monday.

❖ Palm Beach — Boca Starts Jeffery Street Rail Crossing: Boca Raton: The city broke ground on the Jeffery Street Railroad-Highway Grade Crossing just east of NW 2nd Avenue where Clint Moore ends, replacing the former NW 28th Street crossing and reconnecting northeast Boca across the FEC corridor. A $2 million Congressional Community Project Funding award helps pay for the work with Florida East Coast Railway and FDOT; officials say first responders and drivers should see better east-west access, including to North Park still under construction.

❖ Gulf Coast — SMH Breaks Ground on Venice Rehab Pavilion: Venice: Sarasota Memorial Health Care leaders and hospital board members broke ground Friday morning on an $82.5 million rehabilitation pavilion at the SMH-Venice campus, expanding access to advanced medical care in the growing south Sarasota County region. The new pavilion is expected to open in summer 2028.

❖ North Florida — Myrtle Grove Fire Station 11 Breaks Ground: Escambia County: Officials broke ground Friday on a new about 12,780-square-foot Myrtle Grove Fire Station 11 designed for 10 emergency responders, with three 75-foot apparatus bays, bunk rooms, a commercial kitchen and standby power, funded by the voter-approved Local Option Sales Tax. Construction starts this month with completion targeted for fall 2027; the old station is out of service and crews are temporarily working from Osceola Fire Station.

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❖ Southern District of Florida U.S. Attorney Jason Reding Quiñones Resigns — Jason Reding Quiñones, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida, submitted his resignation effective Friday, Attorney General Todd Blanche announced. Blanche thanked Quiñones for work that included the indictment of former Cuban leader Raúl Castro; Quiñones, a Miami native and former Miami-Dade trial judge nominated by President Donald Trump in 2025, confirmed the move in his own post and did not state a reason. Florida's Voice reported First Assistant U.S. Attorney Yara Klukas is expected to serve in an acting capacity.

❖ Trump Replaces Florida Operative Susie Wiles With Stephen Miller as White House Chief of Staff — President Donald Trump said Friday that Stephen Miller is replacing Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff, with Miller — previously deputy chief of staff for policy — set to take over Monday and Wiles continuing on his political operation. Wiles, a longtime Florida political operative who ran Rick Scott's 2010 governor race and Ron DeSantis's 2018 campaign and was the first woman to hold the post, resigned Thursday night per AP sources; Trump said the move was "just time," not because of Tuesday's midterms. Wiles called serving in the White House the honor of a lifetime and said her commitment to the president and the mission will not change.

❖ UPDATE: Florida House Democrats Firm Seat Gains That Broke the GOP Supermajority — House Democrats flipped at least 16 Republican-held seats, with a 17th pending a recount, while losing only one Democratic-held district, House Democratic Leader-Designate Christine Hunschofsky said at a Thursday press conference. If the recount goes their way, the chamber would stand 70 Republicans to 50 Democrats, House Democrats' largest caucus since 1996; without two-thirds, the GOP majority can no longer override vetoes or suspend certain rules on its own.

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❖ United Airlines to Fly Year-Round Nonstop Between Jacksonville and San Francisco — Jacksonville: United Airlines will launch year-round nonstop service between Jacksonville International Airport and San Francisco International Airport on March 29, 2027, the Jacksonville Aviation Authority announced. Flights are planned Mondays and Fridays on a Boeing 737-800, departing JAX around 5:45 p.m. and SFO around 8:15 a.m. JAA CEO Mark VanLoh said the Bay Area had been one of Jacksonville's largest unserved markets and that the route unlocks one-stop Pacific connections through United's San Francisco hub, including Sydney, Singapore, Hawaii, Hong Kong and Manila. United already flies nonstop from JAX to Chicago, Denver, Houston, Newark and Washington Dulles; tickets are on sale.

❖ Boca Raton's Mizner Park Sold Back to Original Developer CP Group and Partners — Boca Raton: Mizner Park, the downtown retail, office and residential complex at 327 Plaza Real, was sold by Brookfield Properties to CP Group — its original 1991–1999 developer — and The Georgetown Company, with ACRE and StepStone also in the deal. The 838,840-square-foot property includes about 268,391 square feet of office, 276,461 of retail and 293,988 of residential space across 272 rental units; it opened Jan. 11, 1991, on the former Boca Raton Mall site. New ownership plans capital improvements to facades, landscaping, wayfinding, office commons and multifamily amenities, with ACRE overseeing apartment renovations. The sale price was not disclosed.

❖ Bartow's Maxwell Aircraft Unveils Hybrid-Electric Amphibious Cargo Plane — Bartow: Maxwell Aircraft unveiled its patent-pending M1 Hybrid, a hybrid-electric amphibious airplane designed to carry 2,000 pounds of cargo more than 1,000 nautical miles, with flight testing planned for 2027. The cargo version is meant to operate from land or water and has a five-foot freight door; the company says the first carbon-fiber and Kevlar Gweduck-based airframes are headed for final assembly. The hybrid concept would deliver as much as 1,500 horsepower for takeoff and climb, then rely mainly on two Jet A engines producing about 300 horsepower combined in cruise. Maxwell has not named launch customers, pricing or investment; advertised payload and range remain design targets.

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Ex-NFL star Antonio Brown gets probation in Miami shooting plea

Former Buccaneers receiver Antonio Brown pleaded guilty Friday in Miami-Dade court to aggravated assault with a firearm stemming from a May 2025 shooting outside a celebrity boxing match, and Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez sentenced him to three years of probation. Prosecutors reduced an attempted second-degree murder charge after the victim declined to cooperate and the state said it could not prove the shooting was intentional; one shot grazed the man's neck, authorities alleged. Brown, 38, must attend weekly counseling, undergo a psychological evaluation, have no contact with the victim and not possess a firearm. His attorney, Mark Eiglarsh, said Brown had faced up to 30 years with a 20-year minimum mandatory: "Probation was too good to turn down." Outside court Brown thanked God and said he wanted to "get back to life" and his family. The plea lets him avoid prison and a criminal conviction.

Jaguars thrash depleted Ravens 33-10, take command of AFC South

Trevor Lawrence threw for 242 yards and a touchdown as Jacksonville beat Baltimore 33-10 on Thursday night for its fifth win in six games. The Jaguars (6-2) hold a 3½-game lead in the AFC South. Baltimore (4-5), missing Lamar Jackson and Tyler Huntley on injured reserve, started rookie Joe Fagnano, who threw for 60 yards with two second-half interceptions; the Ravens have lost four straight. Jacksonville opened with a 1-yard Bhayshul Tuten touchdown run, and Lawrence hit Parker Washington for a 50-yard score late in the first half for a 17-3 lead. Chris Rodriguez Jr. added a 2-yard touchdown after a kick-return fumble.

Charlie Woods celebrates FSU commitment as Benjamin School honors 13 signees

Thirteen Benjamin School athletes were honored Friday in Palm Beach Gardens for college commitments across soccer, lacrosse, golf, swimming, track and tennis. State-champion golfer Charlie Woods, who will play at Florida State, celebrated with family including his father, Tiger Woods, who wore a Seminoles shirt. Charlie is aiming for a third state title with the Buccaneers later this month. Teammates Jack Kelleher (Yale lacrosse), Phoebe Apple (Georgia soccer) and Rachel Nussbaum (Johns Hopkins swimming) were among those celebrated.

Schedule (all times ET)

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 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

Sat Nov 7 — NBA: Magic at Warriors, 8:30pm ET

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, 6pm ET, The Spot

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

Sun Nov 8 — NBA: Heat at Kings, 9pm ET

More Scores: NFL | NBA | NHL | NCAAF

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Florida's average for regular is $3.84 a gallon, AAA says, essentially unchanged from yesterday ($3.83) and about 8 cents below a week ago ($3.92). That's about 23 cents under the national average of $4.07. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the most expensive metro at about $4.01; Panama City is the cheapest at about $3.57.

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❖ Gainesville's Doggie Day Out Helps Shelter Dogs — and Helped Puppy Honey Get Adopted: Honey, a 9-month-old puppy at the Humane Society of North Central Florida, spent Oct. 30 lounging on a couch with University of Florida students Lily Damron and Alexis Graves through the shelter’s Doggie Day Out program and was adopted less than 24 hours later. Development director Franziska Raeber said the program now draws three to five volunteers a day after the shelter shortened its application to a short form usually approved within 24 hours, and the shelter has logged more than 700 Doggie Days Out this year — running out of available dogs Friday and turning volunteers away.

❖ Estero's Natasha Agarwal Wins a Diana Award for BelieveNBooks: Nineteen-year-old Natasha Agarwal of Estero, a University of Pennsylvania sophomore and Canterbury School graduate, is among about 190 young people worldwide named to the Diana Award, which honors youth who start projects helping people in need. She founded BelieveNBooks in April 2021 and has since collected and distributed more than 275,000 books to communities from Florida and Appalachia to Africa, with her first drive going to the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee. Agarwal said the award carries no cash grant but can open doors for fundraising and collaboration.

❖ Upper Keys Senior Ricardo Gomez Turns a Meal Site Into a Garden: At 71, Ricardo Gomez has spent the past three weeks planting oregano, parsley, cilantro, onions and potatoes — and trying oranges — at Monroe County’s senior meal site at Plantation Key Community Center on High Point Road. A regular at the site for 17 months after decades as a commercial fisherman and kitchen worker, Gomez tends the beds most mornings from about 8 a.m. and calls the work therapy that gives him something to look forward to every day. The center still serves nutritious meals Monday through Friday at 11:30 a.m.

❖ Naples Foundation Awards $25,000 to Three Collier Nonprofits: The Wilson & Johnson Private Foundation's first 2026 quarterly grant cycle sent $25,000 to three Collier County nonprofits: $5,000 to Empowerment Farm for agricultural STEM education, $10,000 to Fun Time Early Childhood Academy for tuition assistance, and $10,000 to the Shelter for Abused Women & Children for trauma-informed child care.

❖ Two Alachua County Teachers Named Gator Bowl Most Valuable Teachers: Newberry High math teacher Robert Moramarco and Howard Bishop Middle music and band teacher Amy Beres received surprise TaxSlayer Gator Bowl Most Valuable Teacher visits this week and will each get $1,000 for classroom use plus on-field recognition at the Dec. 30 Gator Bowl at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. They are among 16 honorees from Alachua, Clay, Duval, Nassau and St. Johns counties selected from nominations by students, families and colleagues. Moramarco, a Gator Bowl fan since moving to Gainesville in 1989, said he will use the award to keep helping students in the classroom.

❖ Bay County Fifth Graders Reel In Lessons at School Fishing Day: Fifth graders at A. Gary Walsingham Academy in Panama City traded classrooms for the school ponds in the first “Reel Learning the Wahoo Way” fishing event of the year, practicing casts and using math to measure their catches. Principal Brandy Kemp said the outdoor day teaches patience and encouragement as much as academics, and parent volunteers help with tasks such as baiting hooks. Fifth grader Liam Martinez said the volunteers are “helping you all the time.”

Today’s Quote

"Saturday in Florida is when the to-do list loses to the weather, and the weather usually wins."

— original / Front Porch

Florida Almanac

Moon: Waning crescent, about 3% lit, six days past last quarter; the new moon arrives Nov. 9.

Sunrise / Sunset: Orlando: sunrise 6:42 a.m., sunset 5:36 p.m. EST, 10h 54m of daylight. Times are Eastern Standard (Pensacola and the western Panhandle are on Central time); times vary across the state.

Gardening Notes: Cilantro is a fall-and-winter herb in Florida, UF/IFAS Gardening Solutions says: it bolts quickly once days get long and warm, so grow it now. Start from seed or transplants, space plants about 8 inches apart, and sow a few seeds every few weeks for a steady supply; give it full sun to part shade and rich, well-drained soil. Harvest leaves once plants reach about 6 inches tall; the same plant later yields coriander seed.

Coastal / Red Tide: FWC's Nov. 6 report finds red tide mainly in Northwest Florida, at bloom levels in six samples from Gulf County, with fish kills and breathing irritation reported there; Southwest Florida had only a background sample in Pinellas County, and none was seen on the East Coast. Next update: Friday, Nov. 13.