Palm Bay city council asks DeSantis to suspend Langevin.
After Palm Bay Councilman Chandler Langevin received criticisms over comments he made about Indian migration to the U.S., the city council last night voted to send a letter to Gov. Ron DeSantis requesting Langevin’s suspension. In a 4-1 vote the Palm Bay city council will also request an investigation from the Florida Commission of Ethics. Langevin has since walked back some of his comments. He now says he was not necessarily speaking about Indian-Americans, but rather visa holders and migrants. Langevin has been terminated from his job with Smith Surveying and removed from the board of directors of Odyssey Charter Schools.
Florida leads the nation in book bans.
Yesterday we reported that the number of books banned in Florida schools was down this year. But today we can tell you that Florida still leads the nation in books pulled from school shelves. PEN America says Florida saw over 2,300 instances of book banning in the 2024-25 school year. Texas and Tennessee came in second and third nationally.
DeSantis pushes for property tax reduction.
Gov. Ron DeSantis is still pushing for a reduction in property taxes. He’s floating the idea of a special legislative session next year. WFIT’s Terri Wright shares the details.
Florida House lawmakers are drafting plans to reduce the property tax, aiming for a 2026 legislative vote followed by voter approval in next year’s election. Gov. Ron DeSantis argues the tax is too costly and prevents true homeownership, while critics warn cuts could undermine local services. Although DeSantis can call a special session, any change would require both House and Senate approval.
No nude sunbathing for you.
The federal government shutdown has denied you the opportunity to get an all-over tan. Canaveral National Seashore is closed, so the entrance to Brevard’s only clothing optional beach, Playalinda, is locked down. Not that our weekend weather is conducive for going to the beach…
Nor’easter-like conditions through the weekend.
An unsettled weather pattern will bring the risk of heavy rain, local flooding, and beach hazards to our area through this weekend. Meteorologist Megan Borowski from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network explains,
Right so there’s a strong center of high pressure to the north and low pressure attempting to develop along a remnant front nearby. A tight pressure gradient has set up and that is resulting in very strong northeasterly winds coming ashore from the Atlantic Ocean. Over the next few days, including today, winds could gust between 25 and 30 miles an hour along the Space Coast and First Coast, and between 15 and 25 miles an hour along the Treasure and Gold Coasts. Also, numerous rounds of downpours are likely to stream onshore from east to west, and over the next few days, locations along the I-95 corridor could receive 3 inches of rainfall, with pockets of higher amounts not out of the question… so flash flooding will be possible especially as we get in the latter part of the weekend. Onshore winds could also lead to coastal flooding, especially at high tide. Rough surf and rip currents are expected at beaches and beach erosion is also to be expected.
The National Weather Service in Melbourne has issued a flood watch for Brevard. A high surf and rip current advisory are also in effect through the weekend.
