Prelim budget deal reached in Tallahassee.
Legislative leaders in Florida say they’ve reached a budget deal that includes nearly $2 billion in tax relief. The agreement paves the way for lawmakers to negotiate full spending details this week. A final vote on the Florida budget is expected by June 16, just in time for the July fiscal deadline.
Proposed federal budget would slash NASA spending.
The Trump administration released its requested 2026 budget last Friday, and it wasn’t kind to NASA. It would slash the space agency’s funding by 24% and its workforce by nearly one third. A number of high-profile missions would get the axe, including the New Horizons Pluto probe, Mars Sample Return mission, and Juno Jupiter orbiter. There’s one growth area in the proposed funding: Mars-related missions. The budget request represents the biggest single-year cut to NASA funding in history. The Planetary Society calls the budget cuts “an extinction-level event” for NASA’s science missions.
Jared Isaacman has been unexpectedly removed as President Trump's nominee for NASA Administrator. Isaacman had previously received favorable Senate committee votes and was awaiting a final confirmation vote. No official reason was given for the removal, but it might be because Isaacman had donated to Democratic candidates in the past, or his relationship to Elon Musk. In a statement over the weekend, Isaacman tweeted he has “gained a much deeper understanding of the complexities of government.”
In other space news, SpaceX will attempt once again to launch the next batch of Starlink internet satellites early tomorrow morning. The launch was scrubbed this morning. The launch window now opens at 12:42AM Tuesday.
Florida cucumbers sicken cruise ship passengers.
A salmonella outbreak has been traced to cucumbers grown in Florida. At least 45 people in 18 states have been sickened, including passengers on six cruises ships leaving from Florida ports. The cucumbers from Bedner Growers of Boynton Beach were distributed to cruises ships, grocery stores, hospitals, and restaurants.
Murdered priest suspected of abusing his murderer.
Brevard County priest Father Robert Hoeffner was murdered in his Palm Bay home in 2024. Attorneys now say that Hoeffner sexually abused his killer, Brandon Kapas, along with his classmate, Shawn Teuber. Teuber is now suing the diocese and claims Hoeffner used the confession booth to coerce him into sexual acts. The lawsuit seeks at least $25 million in damages from the Catholic Church. Hoeffner served for nearly two decades as a priest at St. Joseph’s in Palm Bay.
New UF president’s pay tied to political agenda.
The University of Florida’s tentative $3 million-a-year offer for President-elect Santa Ono includes an unusual clause. His job performance, and potentially his pay, will be evaluated by how closely he adheres to Florida DOGE, and to how effectively he combats DEI initiatives at the school.
Florida home insurance premiums go higher.
The upward rise in homeowner insurance premiums in Florida continued during the first quarter of this year. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation reports the average premium for a single family home increased to $3,658. Since the enactment of insurance reforms in 2022, an effort to combat a rise in costs, average premiums have increased over 30%.
