DeSantis offers Florida’s State Guard to California.
After the Trump administration sent Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles, Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed adding another group to the mix: the Florida State Guard. California Gov. Gavin Newsom, however, declined DeSantis’ offer. The Florida State Guard, which faced controversy for its militaristic training, was revived not just for emergencies, but also aiding law enforcement with riots and illegal immigration.
Florida has not seen any major ICE protests like the ones in Los Angeles, but this weekend free speech protests are planned in Brevard. Protestors will gather in Cocoa at the intersection of SR 520 and US1, and in Palm Bay at the corner of Babcock and Palm Bay Road.
Upcoming rocket launches.
SpaceX will launch a batch of broadband satellites for the ever-expanding Starlink constellation on Friday. The launch window extends from 7:45AM to 12:16PM.
The launch of private astronauts to the space station has been indefinitely delayed by NASA. An investigation into a leak on the ISS is the reason. The leak in the Russian module began back in 2019, but hasn’t been resolved.
ULA will conduct the delayed Kuiper mission on Monday. An Atlas V rocket will carry Amazon’s broadband satellites to orbit at 1:25PM Monday.
Illegal racing on I-95 leads to crash.
The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating a suspected street racing incident that led to a crash on I-95 in Brevard County. The racing was spotted near Exit 191 in Viera and ended with a crash near State Road 520 in Cocoa. The three occupants fled the vehicle on foot. The Brevard County Sheriff’s Office responded with patrol deputies, K-9 units, and an aviation team to assist Florida Highway Patrol.
Florida Tech joins with Space Force to offer graduate degrees.
Florida Tech will start offering master's degree programs this fall behind the gates at Patrick Space Force Base for military and civilian personnel. This marks a return to Florida Tech's roots, as it was initially founded to provide education for missile technicians at Cape Canaveral. Florida Tech President John Nicklow points out that the university was founded the same year as NASA, 1958. Four degree programs will be offered in an in-person and online hybrid approach.
Silver Airways calls it quits.
South Florida-based Silver Airways has shut down, stranding passengers around the state. The company ceased operations after a proposed bid to sell the Fort Lauderdale-based airline out of bankruptcy fell through. The decision by Silver Airways left passengers stranded at five Florida airports and 11 locations in the Bahamas and the Caribbean. If you have an unused ticket, the airline says don’t call us, contact your credit card company.
Flags flew at half-staff today.
Here’s why flags flew at half-staff today across Florida. They flags were lowered as a "mark of respect" for those who died or were affected by the Pulse Nightclub shooting in Orlando. Forty-nine people were killed and 53 were wounded on June 12, 2016.
