Florida sued over effort to block abortion rights ad.
The fate of Florida’s abortion-rights amendment is being fought out in the courts. Floridians Protecting Freedom, the measure’s sponsor, claims the DeSantis administration violated the First Amendment by threatening to prosecute TV stations if they didn’t stop airing a political ad supporting the abortion rights ballot initiative. The group filed a federal lawsuit yesterday, seeking a temporary restraining order to stop the state from taking further actions. And now anti-abortion activists have filed a lawsuit asking a state trial judge to either strip the abortion-rights amendment from the ballot or nullify the result if it passes.
NASA orders more SpaceX flights, delays Starliner flights.
NASA has officially given SpaceX the next two crewed missions to the International Space Station, while delaying Boeing’s next Starliner crewed flight. SpaceX will fly astronauts to the ISS twice in 2025. Boeing’s Starliner may fly again, but it has yet to be certified by NASA for human spaceflight.
Boeing and SpaceX were both awarded contracts for flying crew to the ISS back in 2016. SpaceX developed its Crew Dragon spacecraft with $2.6 billion of NASA funding. Boeing’s contract was $4.6 billion. SpaceX has flown humans on Crew Dragon 15 times since contract award. Boeing, just once. And the clock is ticking for the space station. It’s due to be decommissioned in 2030.
Hurricane Milton death toll rises to 25 in Florida.
The death toll from Hurricane Milton in Florida inched up again this week. Another death was announced in Charlotte County after a man died from smoke inhalation after a golf cart lithium battery exploded from storm surge flooding. That brought to 25 the number of lives lost in Florida, including one death in Brevard County. An Indian Harbour Beach woman was found dead on her oceanfront condo balcony the night of the storm. The county with the highest death toll from Milton was not on Florida’s Gulf Coast, but just to our south in St Lucie County, with 7 lives lost.
Milton visited the Melbourne Civic Theatre.
Hurricane Milton left the Melbourne Civic Theatre in Brevard County with extensive damage. The hurricane broke a pipe in the roof, causing damage throughout the building, including the lighting booth and restrooms. The theater is accepting donations to aid in the repair efforts, and a volunteer cleanup is set for this Saturday at Melbourne Civic Theatre.
Parking at Orlando airport to increase.
Drivers should have a easier time finding parking at Orlando airport in the future. The airport plans on shifting all rental car operations to a new facility, freeing up 4,500 spaces for the public. No word on when the move will happen.
HealthFirst expands Medicare Advantage plans.
Brevard-based Health First Health Plans is expanding its Medicare Advantage plans to more counties in Florida. In 2025, Health First will be signing up members in Lake, Orange, and Seminole counties. Health First was established in Brevard nearly 30 years ago.
Disney offers new line-cutting option.
Disney is rolling out a new way to skip the long lines at its theme parks — but it comes with a hefty price tag. The theme park giant has introduced the Lightning Lane Premier Pass, allowing you to bypass lines and access attractions without needing to schedule your entry in advance. But there’s a catch: You have to be staying at a Disney Resort Hotel, and pay from $129 to $450 extra for the pass.
