The morning edition

Rays open the ALDS at the Trop vs. the Yankees: Rasmussen vs. Cole.

Saturday, October 3, 2026

Saturday, October 3, 2026

Good Morning! Florida A&M University was founded on this day in 1887 as the State Normal College for Colored Students. It began classes in Tallahassee with 15 students and two instructors, led by first president Thomas DeSaille Tucker of Pensacola. Under the Second Morrill Act the school became Florida's land-grant college for African Americans.

In This Issue: Florida's dengue outbreak, now the largest in the continental U.S. in decades, ex-congressman David Rivera sentenced to 10 years for secret Venezuela lobbying, and a jury's acquittal of the fired Okaloosa deputy in the killing of Airman Roger Fortson.

Weather: Showers and thunderstorms are likely statewide Saturday, with the best chances inland and across the Panhandle. Highs are mostly mid-80s to near 90°, with lows in the low 70s to low 80s. (NWS)

Tropical: No Florida tropical watches or warnings. NHC’s 8 p.m. Friday outlook says the remnants of Fay, several hundred miles southeast of Bermuda, are becoming less organized, with near 0% chance of further development and no threat to Florida. (National Hurricane Center)

Rip Current Report: High rip current risk Saturday along the Panhandle from Walton through Franklin and on the Atlantic from Volusia through Miami-Dade. The risk is moderate from Nassau through Flagler and low on the Gulf coast from Levy to Collier. (NWS)

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Florida's Dengue Outbreak Is Now the Largest in the Continental U.S. in Decades

State health figures show more than 250 locally acquired dengue cases so far this year — already past Florida's modern high of just under 200 in 2023 and on track to top Hawaii's 2015–16 outbreak of 264. The vast majority are in Hillsborough County, and officials there and in surrounding counties have declared local emergencies; one elderly Tampa woman died Sept. 4.

Workers in the Tampa area are spraying day and night to tamp down disease-transmitting mosquitoes. Florida has not invited CDC field investigators on site; the agency says it has provided about $800,000 in aid. Locally acquired cases (252) outpaced travel-associated ones (245) as of last week.

Ex-Congressman David Rivera Sentenced to 10 Years for Secret Venezuela Lobbying

Former Miami Republican congressman David Rivera, 61, was sentenced Friday in federal court in Miami to 10 years for secretly acting as an unregistered agent of Nicolás Maduro's government and related money-laundering counts tied to a $50 million consulting contract with a PDVSA affiliate.

Judge Melissa Damian rejected claims the work was purely commercial, saying there was "no dispute this money came from the Maduro regime." Jurors convicted Rivera and associate Esther Nuhfer in May; Rivera plans to appeal and has sought a presidential pardon. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified at trial that he felt betrayed.

Jury Acquits Fired Okaloosa Deputy in Killing of Airman Roger Fortson

An Okaloosa County jury on Thursday found former sheriff's deputy Eddie Duran not guilty of manslaughter with a firearm in the May 2024 shooting death of U.S. Air Force Senior Airman Roger Fortson, 23, at Fortson's Fort Walton Beach apartment.

Bodycam showed Fortson answering the door with a gun after a call about a reported disturbance; Duran fired five times. The sheriff's office later fired Duran after an internal probe found the force "not objectively reasonable." The State Attorney's Office said it accepts the verdict; Fortson's family filed a federal civil suit in May 2025.

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❖ Miami-Dade — Knaus Berry Farm caps cinnamon rolls as it opens two months early for 70th season: The south Miami-Dade farm stand opens its 2026-27 season Oct. 13, two months earlier than last year, and will limit in-line buyers to four dozen of its famous cinnamon rolls while adding a fourth register, QR-code ordering and car-pickup advance orders. U-Pick strawberry picking returns in December for the first time since the farm's move, with 25,000 plants going in alongside Accursio Farms.

❖ Tampa Bay — USF lands $8.5 million NOAA grant to keep mapping Tampa Bay's seafloor: USF's College of Marine Science won five more years of NOAA funding for its Center for Ocean Mapping and Innovative Technologies, which uses tools including an autonomous shallow-water robot to chart the bay bottom for shipping safety and storm-surge forecasting. Director Steven Murawski noted that 40 percent of Florida's gas comes through the Port of Tampa.

❖ Broward — First class graduates from Goodwill South Florida’s free solar-installation program: Twelve students finished Goodwill South Florida’s new four-week, no-cost solar installation training Friday in Fort Lauderdale — the program’s first cohort — leaving with industry credentials and a guaranteed job interview for entry-level solar work.

❖ Jacksonville — Developer unveils 30-story Hard Rock Hotel plan for vacant Jacksonville riverfront lot: Florida Innovation Capital showed a first look Thursday at a proposed Hard Rock tower at 500 East Bay St., with 350 hotel rooms, 152 branded residences, restaurants, retail and live-music venues. The team said there would be no casino. A nearby Berkman Plaza resident raised concerns about the building's height and river views.

❖ Gulf Coast — Celebration Park reopens in East Naples after September renovations: The East Naples waterfront hangout — food trucks, live music and boat access on Haldeman Creek — reopened Oct. 1 after a month closed for renovations (new tables, chairs, truck décor and drink menu). A free block party marked the reopening, and the park is back as a regular gathering spot off Bayshore Drive and Becca Avenue.

❖ North Florida — LeMoyne dedicates African-American Tribute Garden honoring Tallahassee's Black history: The LeMoyne Center for the Visual Arts in Tallahassee dedicated its new African-American Tribute Garden Oct. 1, with artwork telling the stories of local Black residents such as the late Keith Neyland, one of the first Black students at Florida High. Dozens of friends and family members attended, and some shared their own histories.

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❖ Chambers of Commerce pile on against Amendment 3 — A Vote No on 3 release lists nearly a dozen chambers — including Greater Fort Lauderdale, Miramar–Pembroke Pines, Tampa Bay, Jacksonville Civic Council, Orlando Economic Partnership and Sarasota — opposing the November homestead-exemption expansion, arguing it cuts local revenue without a replacement for fire, roads and other services. Florida Realtors' Vote Yes committee says families need the property-tax relief.

❖ Cook shifts governor’s race toward Jolly, moving it to Lean Republican — Cook moved Florida's governor's race to Lean Republican, citing the national environment for Democrats even as Byron Donalds retains a large cash edge over David Jolly. Sabato and Inside Elections already had Lean R; Decision Desk HQ calls it a toss-up.

❖ Miami federal judge tosses noncitizen-voting charge, citing congressional overreach — U.S. District Judge David Leibowitz dismissed a federal illegal-voting case against Chelsea Michelle Ann Cox, ruling Congress lacked authority to set voter eligibility that the Constitution reserves to the states. The 31-page opinion ends that prosecution for now but leaves Florida's citizenship requirement intact; other courts need not follow it.

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❖ Three Central Florida companies notify mass layoffs — AssistRX plans to cut about 86 Sand Lake Road jobs (mostly pharmacists and techs), with up to 137 more possible in the new year; Hancock Whitney will lay off 52 at its site off Orange Avenue in a restructuring after acquiring One Florida Bank; Amentum is cutting about 70 Kennedy Space Center roles as NASA insources work. All three filed layoff notices with the state within the past week.

❖ State OKs average 12.8% cut for more than 120,000 renters-insurance policies — Insurance Commissioner Mike Yaworsky approved an average 12.8% rate decrease for American Modern Home Insurance Company rental policies covering about 121,898 Florida policies, effective Oct. 11 for new business and renewals. More than 30 counties see average cuts of 13.1–13.9%, with heavy concentration in Orange and Broward.

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Barkov exits injured as Panthers fall in OT at San Jose

Captain Aleksander Barkov left in the second period of Thursday’s 4-3 overtime loss to the Sharks after going down awkwardly while battling for the puck in the right corner — his second game back after missing all of 2025–26 with a right knee injury that required ACL and MCL surgery. Coach Paul Maurice said the new issue is “not related” to last year’s injury and that Barkov would be looked at Friday. Eetu Luostarinen scored twice and Matthew Tkachuk tied it before Luca Cagnoni’s OT winner.

Rays open ALDS at Trop vs. Yankees — Rasmussen vs. Cole

AL East–champion Tampa Bay (98-64) hosts New York in Saturday’s Division Series Game 1 at Tropicana Field (6:30 p.m. ET, TBS/truTV), with Drew Rasmussen (16-5, 2.67 ERA; 5-2, 1.81 ERA career vs. Yankees) opposite Gerrit Cole. The Rays removed upper-deck tarps for a sellout. The Yankees had not decided Friday whether Aaron Judge, sidelined since Sept. 16 with a calf injury, will make the ALDS roster due Saturday morning.

No. 4 Miami takes 4-0 start to Clemson for ACC first-place showdown

The Hurricanes (4-0, 2-0 ACC) visit Clemson (3-1, 2-0) Saturday at 7:30 p.m. ET on ABC in a matchup of the ACC's only teams at 2-0 with multiple league games played. Clemson's defense has steadied after a 51-point opener at LSU, holding its last three opponents to about 12 points a game.

Scoreboard

Thu Oct 1 — Sharks 4, Panthers 3 (OT) FINAL. No Florida NFL, MLB or NHL games Friday.

Schedule (all times ET)

Sat Oct 3: UCF at Houston, noon, ESPN2

Sat Oct 3: Florida at Missouri, 3:30 p.m., ABC

Sat Oct 3: Virginia at Florida State, 3:30 p.m., ESPN2

Sat Oct 3: Texas Southern at FAU, 6 p.m., ESPN+

Sat Oct 3: ALDS Game 1, Yankees at Rays, 6:30 p.m., TBS/truTV

Sat Oct 3: Capitals at Lightning, 7 p.m., The Spot/ESPN+

Sat Oct 3: Miami at Clemson, 7:30 p.m., ABC

Sat Oct 3: Temple at USF, 7:30 p.m., ESPNU

Sun Oct 4: Jaguars at Bengals, 1 p.m., CBS

Sun Oct 4: Packers at Buccaneers, 1 p.m., FOX

Sun Oct 4: Dolphins at Vikings, 4:05 p.m., FOX

Sun Oct 4: Panthers at Ducks, 8 p.m., Scripps Sports

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

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Florida regular averaged $4.149 a gallon Friday (AAA, as of 10/2/26). That is down about 4.7 cents from Thursday ($4.196) and 27.4 cents from a week ago ($4.423), and roughly 24.7 cents under the national average of $4.396. West Palm Beach–Boca Raton is the most expensive metro at $4.328 (Gainesville $4.277). Panama City is the cheapest at $3.948 (Pensacola $3.949).

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❖ Mount Dora teacher’s wish-list food drive now feeds 77 schools: Third-grade teacher Meagan DeWitz launched Squirrel Around the World with an Amazon wish list for shelf-stable food; in less than a year the nonprofit grew from one Title I school to 77 Central Florida schools and organizations, shipping non-perishables that can be eaten straight from the package. Her biggest ask now: warehouse space.

❖ Punta Gorda Marine Volunteers pull senior dog Midnight from a canal: Punta Gorda Police Marine Volunteers Mark Williams and Cheri Marx were on patrol Wednesday when they helped rescue Midnight, a senior dog that had fallen into a canal and could not get out. The dog is doing well; the department thanked its volunteer boat crews.

❖ Blind mini horse Tucker and once-starved Oakley get second chances in Tampa Bay: Rescue Pets of Florida is raising funds for a safe enclosure for Tucker, a 24-year-old blind miniature horse living out his senior years, while 2-year-old retriever mix Oakley — once starved nearly to death — is healthy, goofy and ready for a forever home after rehab.

❖ Two vets' flea-market finds grew into Naples' volunteer-run Veterans History Museum: What began in 2006 with two veterans buying military memorabilia at flea markets and yard sales — first displayed on two picnic tables at Naples Airport — is now a free, all-volunteer museum with artifacts from every American conflict, including a tank that had to be moved when the museum relocated in 2025. President David Hinds, a Marine wounded three times in Vietnam, says the goal is making sure young visitors remember the history behind the glass.

❖ Lee County teen's "partner speed painting" pairs students with Shell Point seniors: Canterbury School senior Leena Abuoqab started H.Art — "Healing Through Art" — to bring students and residents of Shell Point Senior Living together over canvases. She tells hesitant seniors the point isn't a masterpiece but the conversation, and says the pairs keep discovering how much they have in common.

Today’s Quote

"Saturday on a Florida porch is coffee that cools while you watch the light do what it came to do."

— original / Front Porch

Florida Almanac

Moon: Last quarter (third quarter) Saturday, Oct. 3, at 9:25 a.m. EDT (USNO).

Sunrise / Sunset: In Orlando on Saturday, sunrise is at 7:20 a.m. and sunset at 7:09 p.m. EDT, for about 11 hours, 49 minutes of daylight. Times vary across the state, and Pensacola is on Central time.

Gardening Notes: UF/IFAS's North Florida Gardening Calendar says October is time for bulbing onions and cool-season salad crops such as arugula, lettuce and spinach, plus broccoli, cabbage, kale and other cool-season vegetables. Dill, fennel, oregano and sage are good herb picks.

Coastal / Red Tide: FWC's Oct. 2 statewide update found background to very low Karenia brevis in Gulf County, background levels in Sarasota County, and none on the East Coast. No red-tide fish kills or respiratory irritation were reported that week.

Florida by the Numbers

Florida has 825 miles of sandy coastline fronting the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of America and the Straits of Florida, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Beaches Programs.

Today’s Poll

Do you support expanding aerial mosquito spraying to more Florida counties during dengue outbreaks?

Yesterday’s Results

An NTSB preliminary report says the Amazon cargo jet that overran a Miami International Airport runway on Sept. 6 struck a van carrying airport cleaning workers, killing five. Do you support stricter limits on vehicles and workers near the ends of active runways at Florida airports?

Strongly support 25% · Somewhat support 12% · Oppose 25% · Not sure 38%