Sunday, June 21, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1935, character actor and director Monte Markham was born in Manatee County. He's known for playing Captain Don Thorpe on the TV show Baywatch, as well as appearances in the movies Hour of the Gun, Ginger in the Morning, and We Are Still Here.

Happy Father's Day! In a recent study, Florida ranked high for classic dad culture. Learn more in Et Cetera.

In case you missed it, this week on The Flyover Podcast, Ayla Brown broke down why dogs are suddenly showing up everywhere and what the law actually allows. More and more owners are bringing their pets along on daily errands. Ayla explained which dogs the law really recognizes as service animals and why so few people are willing to say no to the unregistered furry friends. Plus, join the discourse in our YouTube comment section, which has gotten the most comments we've ever had. Tune in here!

It’s easy to overlook what happens behind prison walls, but for thousands across Florida, it’s where they’re searching for a fresh start. Access to hope, guidance, and purpose can change everything. That’s what today’s partner, Prison Fellowship, is helping make possible.

USF Campus Transfers to New College

University of South Florida trustees approved an agreement Wednesday to hand its Sarasota-Manatee campus to New College of Florida, effective July 1.

The transfer, set in motion by the spring state budget and backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis, moves 32 acres of buildings and dorms. USF's roughly 1,600 students can finish their degrees on-site during a teach-out, and faculty keep their USF jobs.

New College must begin $166,617 monthly payments July 1 and assume roughly $53 million in dorm debt by year's end, or the deal collapses. It already carries about $17 million in debt, and lawmakers cut its state funding around 40%.

Local business leaders, alumni, and the USF Faculty Senate opposed the plan, which lawmakers folded into budget language without a full debate. Campus board chair Rick Piccolo called it "difficult to endorse" but voted yes.

Healthcare Stalls Orange County Teacher Talks

Orange County Public Schools and its teachers union remain deadlocked over health-insurance costs, sending Florida's fourth-largest district to a magistrate next month.

District leaders say the self-insured system spends more than $10,000 per employee on health coverage, rising past $11,000 next year. Superintendent Maria Vazquez said staying the course would require an extra $145 million the district can't afford amid declining enrollment.

The Orange County Classroom Teachers Association wants a raise and lower healthcare costs and is demanding an unredacted copy of the district's contract with Cigna. Union President Clinton McCracken said members have brought multiple cost-saving proposals the district should weigh.

One district proposal would raise premiums and deductibles for the coming year. Both sides meet with a state-appointed magistrate on July 9 and 10, who will issue nonbinding recommendations before the school board decides.

Plantation Woman Guilty in Nursing Fraud

Carleen Noreus, 52, of Plantation, pleaded guilty in Fort Lauderdale federal court to charges involving selling nearly 3,000 fraudulent nursing diplomas.

Noreus ran two nursing schools, in Plantation and West Palm Beach, that between 2018 and 2025 issued 2,956 phony diplomas and transcripts to people who never finished the coursework or clinical training. State regulators have since shut both schools down.

About 2,274 of those buyers went on to pass national nursing-board exams and obtain licenses to work as nurses in Florida and other states.

The case is the latest in Operation Nightingale, a federal crackdown on South Florida diploma mills that charged 13 people in its current phase and convicted 30 in 2023. Noreus faces up to 20 years on each of two counts.

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Revival Is Breaking Out Behind Prison Walls

In Florida and throughout the country, thousands of men and women are behind bars, many searching for hope and new life.

Your gift today will help send Bibles to prisoners in Florida, offering the tuth of God’s Word in a place where it is deeply needed. When you donate Bibles through Prison Fellowship, you will help incarcerated men and women experience forgiveness, purpose, and the new life they’re looking for.

You can help place a Bible into the hands of a prisoner in Florida when you give today.

→ Send a Bible

➤ Pasco County: Two stranded paddleboarders who were using a beach umbrella as a makeshift sail were rescued off the Gulf Coast of Florida on Tuesday. (See Video)

➤ St. Johns County: County Commissioner Ann Taylor made a motion Tuesday to pause all potential data center applications but pulled the motion after concerns were expressed that it would contradict Senate Bill 180, a state law that prohibits counties from enacting restrictions on construction. (More)

➤ Polk County: After a rabid cat bit five people, some citizens began questioning officials' decision to not operate a Trap-Neuter-Vaccinate-Return program like many neighboring counties do. (Details)

➤ Gainesville: City commissioners voted Thursday to ask whether Alachua County school leaders might still go forward with buying Citizens Field despite ground contamination. (More)

➤ Ocala: A horse that is the daughter of Triple Crown winner Justify fetched $1.4 million on Wednesday at the Ocala Breeder sales. (More)

➤ Miami-Dade: Some road closures were still in effect Saturday as brush fires scorched over 20,000 acres. (See Video)

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➤ Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced an investigation into alleged religious discrimination by Major League Baseball after the league warned three San Francisco Giants pitchers who wrote Bible verses on their LGBTQ Pride Night caps last week. (More)

➤ Cape Verde, coming off a shocking draw with Spain in its World Cup opener, will try to recreate that effort today against Uruguay at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. The match will air on FS1. (More)

➤ Scottish soccer fans—known as the Tartan Army—famous for their kilts, bagpipes, and rowdy support, are arriving in South Florida this weekend ahead of Scotland’s Wednesday match against Brazil, bringing their celebrations to Miami after their viral scenes in Boston last week. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: World Cup | MLB | College World Series | U.S. Open | WNBA

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A single Bible can be the beginning of real change for someone behind bars. It offers encouragement, clarity, and a sense of direction when it’s needed most.

If you’re looking for a way to give that’s direct and meaningful, this is it.

Help bring hope to prisoners in Florida today.

Send a Bible

➤ Florida ranks among the top states for classic dad culture, defined as "khaki cargo shorts, New Balance sneakers, stained 30-year-old T-shirt, beer in one hand and barbecue tongs in the other," in a recent study by BetMGM. (More)

➤ Hyundai's Hope on Wheels presented Joe DiMaggio Children's Hospital in Broward County with a $100,000 check for pediatric cancer research, with young patients pressing painted handprints onto the program's vehicle. (See Video)

➤ High schoolers are finding meaning this summer volunteering at Camp I Am Special in Fruit Cove, an immersive program run by Catholic Charities that pairs teen buddies with kids and adults who have special needs. (See Video)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country. Clicking the link will take you directly to these stories:

➤ A strong market helped retirement savers reach a major milestone. (Hear More)

➤ Washington launched a new UFO task force and promised more answers. (Listen Now)

➤ JD Vance revealed the wardrobe expectations inside President Trump’s White House. (Podcast Available)

Mango thief! This runaway monkey was caught stealing mangoes from a backyard in Florida.

How classic dad is/was your dad?

Saturday's Results:

Are you a fan of watermelon?

Yes: 73%
Sometimes: 18%
No: 9%

Florida native Monte Markham played a lifeguard captain on Baywatch. What water-adjacent job did he actually hold for roughly a decade before acting?

Show me the answer

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