Supporters of IRL tax meet county commissioners.
The Save the Indian River Lagoon workshop last night drew strong support for a proposed sales tax. WFIT’s Terri Wright has details.
It was the second meeting seeking public input as Brevard County commissioners consider placing the renewal of the half-cent sales tax to fund lagoon restoration projects on the 2026 ballot. Commissioners heard hours of public comment, with most residents urging the county to reinstate the tax.
Commission Chair Thad Altman said the large turnout reflected a shared commitment to addressing human, social, and environmental challenges, noting participation from people across the community. Additional opportunities for public input are planned.
NASA to evacuate astronauts from Space Station on Wednesday.
NASA is preparing for the kind of historic first that no one wanted — a medical evacuation from the International Space Station. The four astronauts of Crew-11 are set to undock from the outpost on Wednesday and splashdown off the coast of California early Thursday. NASA has stated that while they have a lot of medical equipment onboard the ISS, in order to receive a full medical workup, the ill crew member needs to visit a hospital on the ground.
Rocket targets Wednesday afternoon for Falcon9 launch.
SpaceX is targeting Wednesday afternoon for quick-turnaround rocket launch from Cape Canaveral. This follows a successful a Starlink mission that launched from the same pad on Monday. Tomorrow’s Starlink launch window extends from 1:01 to 5:01PM.
Florida citrus industry expects another low harvest.
More than a third of the way into the growing season, Florida’s citrus industry is looking at projections of a harvest that would be down from the historic lows of the last year’s crop. And it was the lowest in 100 years. USDA on Monday forecast that Florida will produce 12 million boxes of oranges 1.2 million boxes of grapefruit. Florida Citrus Mutual acknowledged the estimate was lower than they would like. But added growers are reporting healthier trees and larger fruit.
Citizens ordered to deepen rate cuts.
For the second straight year, Citizens Property Insurance has been ordered to roll back its rate requests. Citizens had asked regulators to approve a 2.6% average rate cut. But the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation wants premiums cut by 8.7%. Citizens new rates take effect June 1st. Despite the rate drops, Florida homeowners still face some of the highest insurance premiums in the nation, behind only Nebraska and Louisiana
Education on the agenda in Tallahassee.
The education budget is more than a quarter of Florida’s annual spending. As lawmakers return to Tallahassee for their 2026 session, issues such as school vouchers and Schools of Hope charter schools are expected to play a pivotal role in budget negotiations. Much like previous sessions, many of the education measures are expected to become part of the horse-trading that drives debate about the state budget to the bitter end.
Proposed bill would ban capture of marine wildlife.
Lawmakers have filed proposed legislation in Tallahassee that would ban the capture of endangered or threatened species from Florida waters for show in aquariums. The bill follows a viral video of a giant manta ray being hoisted onto a boat with the approval of state officials.
