Chandler Langevin sues Palm Bay over censure, claiming free speech infringement
Palm Bay City Councilman Chandler Langevin is suing the city after being censured for anti-Indian remarks made on social media.
The council limited Langevin's powers and asked Gov. Ron DeSantis to remove him from office.
Langevin's lawsuit, filed in federal court, claims the city's actions violate his First Amendment rights.
DeSantis says python catch numbers up since public-private partnership
Governor Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that the number of Pythons removed from the everglades has tripled since a public-private partnership with the company Inversa. He says the company makes products out of the killed Python skins.
“Python skin wallet. They'll make boots. They'll make. What else do you guys? Belts, nice belts. They even did a couple years ago, Python footballs and. I think they have a Python baseball here.”
Inversa’s partnership, which began in May, led to 1,022 removals through July, compared to 343 in the same period last year.
AAA projects nearly 22 million Americans will cruise next year.
WFIT’s Terri Wright shares the details.
Port Canaveral is reporting a 14% rise in passengers over last year, with 8.6 million travelers sailing from the Space Coast in fiscal 2025. AAA projects U.S. cruise travel to grow another 4.5% in 2026, driven by strong demand, expanded itineraries, and greater cruise line capacity. This winter, Celebrity and Princess will homeport ships at Port Canaveral for the first time. The port remains the world’s second-busiest cruise hub, behind only Miami.
Florida bill could make it possible to pay high school, college students less than minimum wage
A bill filed by Republican Representative Ryan Chamberlin of Belleview could make it possible for employers to pay high school and college students less than the state minimum wage.
Under the bill, these students could opt out of receiving $14 dollars an hour at their work-study or internship program.
Denisa (Denise-UH) Metko is the Director of Rollins’ Center for Career and Life Planning. She says if students feel pressured to take the lower pay, they’ll find other jobs off campus that may not prepare them as well for future careers.
Hillsborough cat shelter is at more than 600% capacity WRAP
Hillsborough County's Pet Resource Center is overcrowded with cats.
The center is meant to hold only 56, but now is home to over 350 -- more than 600 percent over capacity.
Senior Program Coordinator Lauren Marshall is encouraging people to take a cat home, even if it's as a foster parent.
"Take one for two weeks, three weeks, that then opens up a kennel space for a stray coming from outside. So it might be a short-term, but in that short-term you opened up a space for an animal that does need too."
The center’s adoption fees are waived through the rest of October.
The center is also asking people to donate supplies or volunteer.
FPREN-ATC-Tropical Storm Melissa develops in the Caribbean
Tropical Storm Melissa formed in the Caribbean just before noon today. Meteorologist Megan Borowski from the Florida Public Radio Emergency Network discusses the forecast, “Right so Melissa is somewhat of a disorganized storm, located in the Caribbean Sea a few hundred miles south of Haiti and north of Venezuela and Colombia. Official guidance from experts at the National Hurricane Center suggests that Melissa should linger over the Caribbean Sea and move slowly toward Jamaica and Haiti later this week or early this weekend. Now Melissa will be sitting over warm waters which should provide energy for the storm, but wind shear will also be elevated, so this should detract from too much strengthening. Right now, Melissa is expected to slowly intensify into a weak hurricane by the weekend. If this happens, it will be the fifth hurricane of the 2025 season.” Megan says that Melissa doesn’t pose an immediate threat to our state. However, she does encourage us to continue monitoring the forecast as hurricane season continues through November 30.
Florida rule leaves medical marijuana users at risk
More than 160 Florida medical marijuana patients arrested for drug convictions either have lost – or are in jeopardy of losing – access to their cannabis-based medicine under a rule the Florida Department of Health put in effect this summer.
Revocation is a provision in a measure from the Senate Appropriations Committee addressing loans to dental students. It suspends medical marijuana cards for patients and caregivers who are charged with or convicted of illegal possession of a controlled substance. Upon conviction or a no contest plea, the card is revoked.