Race to Florida legislature’s adjournment.
Florida lawmakers have tweaked condo safety laws as the legislature approaches adjournment. The laws were passed after the Surfside condo collapse, but some condo associations are finding the laws expensive to comply with. The Florida Legislature on Wednesday signed off on proposed changes that will extend deadlines to comply by one year, and allow for a temporary pause in reserve funding for two years. The bill now goes to Gov. DeSantis for his signature.
The Florida Senate approved a bill protecting state parks from development. But it’s not a done deal yet. The bill was inspired by last years attempt to building golf courses and hotels in state parks. The legislation now needs final approval in the Florida House. The bill’s sponsor assures lawmakers that there are no “weasel” words in the proposed legislation that would undermine the ban.
In other legislative news, the lawmakers in Tallahassee said they could not find a way to provide relief for high homeowners insurance premiums. But they did have time to pass a law renaming the Gulf of Mexico.
Make it rain.
The number of wildfires across Florida jumped to 107 this morning. Extremely dry conditions, especially along the peninsula, brought the mean statewide drought index to 482. The National Weather Service in Brevard hopes we’ll see some rainfall this weekend.
Rocket launch tonight.
SpaceX has scheduled another rocket launch for this evening. The four hour launch window opens at 9:51PM. This will be the 18th flight for the first stage booster. It will fly a trajectory toward the southeast. Following stage separation, the first stage will land on the Just Read the Instructions droneship, which will be stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
Jared Isaacman’s nomination to be NASA administrator progresses.
NASA could soon have its new leader after a committee Wednesday advanced President Trump’s nomination of billionaire Jared Isaacman to get a confirmation vote by the full Senate. The bipartisan support came after Isaacman told a Senate committee that the Artemis missions to the moon would remain a priority despite Trump and Elon Musk’s pushes to refocus on Mars. During the hearing, he testified he wouldn’t call Musk a close friend, and that he was simply a customer. He personally funded two missions to space flying on SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
MRC hits mangrove milestone.
The shoreline restoration team at the Marine Resources Council hit a milestone in April. They planted more mangroves along the Indian River Lagoon in the first quarter of 2025 than in all of 2024 or 2023. The mangroves were installed as part of the living shoreline project. The MRC, Brevard Zoo, ORCA, and the Florida Oceanographic Society are working to reverse an 80 year decline in the number of mangroves in the lagoon. Mangroves stabilize shorelines and are nurseries for fish and other marine life.
Canova is Florida’s top dog beach.
Brevard County's Canova Beach ranks as the best dog beach in Florida and fourth best in the U.S. That ranking comes from , HomeToGo's 2025 report. Canova Beach offers amenities like rinse stations, pet waste bins, and shady picnic tables. Dogs are allowed on Canova Beach from dawn to dusk and must be leashed.
