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WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 23, 2024

Good Morning! On this day in 1973, 19-year-old tennis star Chris Evert, a native of Fort Lauderdale, defended her WTA Tour Championship title at Boca Raton, defeating Nancy Richey Gunter 6-3, 6-3.

Hallmark Channel’s annual Countdown to Christmas has begun, with the first three movies of the network’s slate having aired this weekend. Here’s a guide for the rest of the season.

Our sponsors keep the lights on around here. Be sure to check out today's sponsor, Heal-N-Soothe.

Senate Race is One to Watch

The Florida Senate race between incumbent Republican Sen. Rick Scott and Democratic challenger Debbie Mucarsel-Powell is shaping up to be one of the most closely watched contests in the 2024 election, with recent polls showing only a four-point gap between the two candidates.

The outcome could significantly impact the balance of power in the U.S. Senate, where Republicans are aiming to regain control. Currently, Democrats hold a narrow 51-49 majority, which includes four independents who caucus with the party.

The Florida race is one of 34 U.S. Senate seats up for grabs in 2024.

Scott continues to advocate for conservative, free-market policies, while Mucarsel-Powell's progressive platform emphasizes healthcare reform, environmental protections, and social equity.

Roofers Don’t Want Lower Workers’ Comp Rates

Leaders of the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association are urging state regulators to freeze workers' compensation rates for the roofing industry, rather than approve a decrease to take effect in 2025.

The arguments were made during a hearing last week by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation, which is considering a proposal to reduce workers' comp rates for employers by an overall average of 1%.

The industry group, which has a self-insurance fund, expressed concerns about stability and a potential increase in future claims by pointing to issues like heavy demand for repairs following the recent hurricanes and the influx of young, inexperienced workers.

Study: Floridians Are Not Politically Engaged

A new study ranks Florida 28th in the nation for political activity among its residents, despite the state frequently being at the center of U.S. politics in recent decades.

The study used ten key metrics to compile a political engagement score for each state, including the number of registered voters, voter turnout, civic participation, and voter accessibility policies.

Florida’s overall political engagement score was 46.65, well short of Maryland, the most politically active state, which topped the list with a score of 73.35.

Age played a significant role in Florida’s political engagement. Residents aged 18 to 24 were found to be less active, while those 65 and older scored better.

However, senior citizens are politically engaged across most states, and Florida ranked 39th in the nation for political activity among its elderly population.

Did your mom ever tell you fruit is healthy? Mine too.

But I guarantee that if your mother knew the damage a popular fruit does to your body, joints, and heart, she'd tell you NEVER to eat this fruit again. You see, even though this fruit is marketed as being "healthy," it actually contains a toxic nutrient your body sees as an "enemy."

So, every time you bite into this fruit...

Your immune system flags this "invader"... and unleashes its army of toxin killers. And since this nutrient enters your bloodstream once it's digested...

Your immune system starts attacking even HEALTHY tissue and organs... causing burning in your joints, muscles, and even your heart.

And even if you HATE fruit and veggies... I can 99.9% guarantee you've eaten this fruit in the past week — probably without even knowing it.

Luckily, Dr. Brian Paris recorded a video revealing the deadly truth about this fruit (and four other common foods).

➤ Sarasota County: Damage from Hurricane Milton is estimated to be more than $440 million, with more assessments to come. The town of Longboat Key alone reports $11.2 million in damages. (See Details)

➤ South Florida: Former President Donald Trump met with Latino leaders on Tuesday at a roundtable hosted at his golf club in Miami. (See Video)

➤ Hillsborough County: Expedited permitting for minor repairs is now available for residents affected by the two recent hurricanes. Extensions are also being offered for residents with building permits that have expired or are nearing expiration. (More)

➤ Orlando: Parents of a baby girl who died in the NICU months after being born prematurely are suing the hospital, alleging that staff members caused her death by breaking her neck and attempted to cover it up. (See Details)

➤ Manatee County: Election officials have changed polling locations for five of the county's 71 precincts due to damage from Hurricanes Helene and Milton. (See List)

➤ Naples: Five months after settling a lawsuit that accused the city of enacting an illegal moratorium, Mayor Teresa Heitmann has proposed a pause on further development. (See Details)

➤ The Orlando Magic signed guard Jalen Suggs to a five-year, $150.5 million contract extension after he earned second-team All-Defensive honors last season. (More)

➤ Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk returned from a five-game absence on Tuesday against the Minnesota Wild, clarifying that he wasn't sick but had undergone a minor procedure. (See Score)

➤ Florida Athletics launched Gators+, a redesigned streaming platform offering exclusive content like game highlights, shows, and press conferences. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: NHL | NBA | NCAAF

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➤ Former Abercrombie & Fitch CEO Mike Jeffries was arrested on sex trafficking and interstate prostitution charges in West Palm Beach on Tuesday. (More)

➤ Disney is tapping Morgan Stanley executive James Gorman to serve as its next chairman beginning early next year. The entertainment giant also announced that it anticipates naming its new CEO in early 2026. (More)

➤ Miami is now home to the last remaining K-mart store in the U.S., after the company closed its last full-sized store in Bridgehampton, New York, on Oct. 20. (More)

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Hundreds of thousands of Americans are feeling much better after following the advice in this video... which is probably why it’s going viral on Facebook.

You can watch it for free for the rest of the day (and be sure to share with any friends or loved ones who might need to see this). Click the link below to start watching now:

⇒ The WORST fruit to eat if your joints hurt (destroys joint tissue) (Plus, 4 more foods you should avoid like the plague)

➤ Billy Joel sold his oceanfront mansion in Manalapan for $42.6 million, $22 million less than its original asking price. The estate features nine bedrooms and 11 bathrooms. (See Photos)

➤ Rep. Carlos Gimenez highlights Vice President Kamala Harris’ economic record in a new ad that shows the congressman putting a political spin on the classic board game Monopoly. (See Video)

➤ Fifth graders at Cambridge Christian School in Tampa have some words for Hurricane Milton. To express their feelings, they were assigned to write letters to the storm. (See Video)