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THURSDAY, OCTOBER 17, 2024

Good Morning! On this day in 1961, tennis player and coach Mike De Palmer was born in Tampa. De Palmer coached Boris Becker and achieved a career-high doubles ranking of world No. 20 in 1986.

Four days of fun start today in Apollo Beach at the Florida Birding & Nature Festival. You can find more information here.

We're sponsored today by RYSE. If you missed out on previous opportunities to invest, here is another chance.

Jaguars' New Stadium Secures Final Approval

NFL owners unanimously approved the Jacksonville Jaguars' $1.4 billion "Stadium of the Future" plan on Tuesday, which will keep the team in Jacksonville for at least another 30 years.

The deal is the largest in Jacksonville's history and includes $775 million in city funding. Jaguars owner Shad Khan will cover the remainder, plus any additional cost overruns.

The approval process between the franchise and the city began eight years ago, with the NFL owners' approval being the final hurdle. Construction will start next year, with the new stadium opening in 2028.

The Jaguars will play at the stadium as usual next year, then at a reduced capacity in 2026. In 2027, they will play home games at a venue to be determined, likely Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in Gainesville or Camping World Stadium in Orlando.

Insurance Claims Reach Almost $1.9 Billion

Estimated insured losses from Hurricane Milton increased Tuesday to $1.865 billion, according to data from the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

The number of claims and estimated losses has steadily risen, reaching 152,183 claims on Tuesday, and is expected to continue to increase as property owners report damage to insurers.

Florida officials said the insurance market "did dodge a bullet" compared to Hurricane Ian, which resulted in over $21 billion in losses with around 800,000 insurance claims filed.

Hurricane Helene caused 119,000 claims and about $1.2 billion in losses.

'Comet of the Century' Visible in Florida Sky

A once-in-a-lifetime view of Tsuchinshan-ATLAS (Comet C/2023 A3) is now visible in the night sky over Florida. The comet has been dubbed the "comet of the century."

The comet is a frozen remnant of dust, rock, and ice from the solar system's origin. According to NASA, it reached its brightest on Sept. 27, when it was about 36.4 million miles from the sun.

The best views of the comet from Earth are this week, weather permitting. It's located in the constellation Sextans and rises about an hour before the sun.

Best Buy Introduces New Smart Home Category

The leading retailer in the distribution of Smart Home products has recently unveiled a new addition to its smart home lineup, Smart Shades.

There are A LOT of windows out there, and with only a small 10% of them being automated, this is a market that's already worth billions with projected double-digit growth for the next decade!

Recognizing this, Best Buy has made a huge bet on an innovative startup and has already stocked its product in over 100 retail stores. This up-and-comer is RYSE, and for a limited time, you can invest in its vision of owning the Smart Shades industry.

Best Buy made similar bets on smart-home titans Ring and Nest, both of which saw billion-dollar exits at the hands of Amazon and Google.

Looking to follow in their footsteps, RYSE's share price has grown by over 20X since it was founded, and there is significant room for growth as they capitalize on the increasing demand for their patented tech.

Learn how you can invest at just $1.75/share here.

➤ Sarasota County: The Sarasota Bradenton International Airport reopened on Wednesday, and students returned to school. Distribution sites and fueling stations remain open to aid residents affected by Milton. (See Details)

➤ Tallahassee: Flesh-eating bacteria cases in Florida have more than doubled since Hurricanes Helene and Milton, according to data from the Florida Department of Health. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, the Tallahassee Professional Firefighters Union voted on Monday to approve a tentative three-year contract between the city and the union. It now heads to city leaders for a vote before final ratification. (More)

➤ Statewide: Operation Blue Roof, a free service to protect storm-damaged roofs, was announced Tuesday for residents impacted by Hurricane Milton. The fiber-reinforced, industrial-strength sheeting will be available through Nov. 5. (See Details)

➤ Alachua County: The School Board voted to fire Superintendent Shane Andrew on Tuesday, nine months after he was contracted to become the permanent superintendent. He is the seventh head of the school system in 11 years. (See Video)

➤ Martin County: Officials said 72% of the county has been surveyed following last week's historic tornadoes. More than 400 homes were damaged, and 27 were destroyed. Twenty businesses were damaged, with one destroyed. (See Details)

➤ Meanwhile, in Indian River County, assessment reports show 301 homes damaged by tornadoes, with 74 sustaining major damage and 51 destroyed. (More)

➤ The Florida Panthers improved to 3-2 on the season with a 4-3 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets. (Watch Highlights)

➤ Orlando Magic star Wendell Carter Jr. is working through an ankle injury that could leave him temporarily sidelined just days after signing a massive contract extension. (More)

➤ The Florida Gators baseball team was ranked as the No. 3 overall program in all of college baseball on Tuesday in the final installment of the D1Baseball Top 100 Programs. (See Details)

➤ Yesterday's Results: MLB | NBA | NHL | WNBA

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➤ Walgreens Boots Alliance, the parent company of the drugstore chain, will close 1,200 stores within the next three years, with 500 of those shutting down in fiscal 2025. There are 240 Walgreens stores in Florida. (More)

➤ InspireMD, a medical device company, is opening its global headquarters in Miami as it prepares to launch CGuard Prime, a new carotid stent system for stroke prevention. (More)

➤ SpaceX launched Falcon 9 from Cape Canaveral Tuesday morning, 14 hours after the Falcon Heavy liftoff. (See Launch)

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➤ Clean any screen or lens in seconds! WaterBear makes it easy and convenient to keep all types of screens and lenses free from smudges, grime, and bacteria—and since it sticks to your phone or camera, it's always with you. (See It Here)

Why Best Buy is Doubling Down on the Smart Home

Smart home device shipments are booming, with smart lighting and shades leading the charge.

Like they did with Ring and Nest before it, Best Buy has hand-picked RYSE as the next innovator in this smart home category with a massive inventory rollout.

Through extensive retail distribution, and a growing number of deals in commercial real estate, RYSE is on the path towards making its brand synonymous with Smart Shades.

If you missed out on Ring and Nest and their billion-dollar acquisitions, this is your chance to secure your stake in the smart home market.

Invest in RYSE at $1.75/share

➤ Seven cownose stingrays, sheltered at Tropicana Field during Hurricane Milton, have been returned to their home at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa. (See Photos)

➤ The owner of Trooper, the dog who was found tied to a pole during Hurricane Milton, will be charged with aggravated animal cruelty, a third-degree felony punishable by up to five years in prison. (More)

➤ The Loggerhead Marinelife Center announced Tuesday that it's making waves in sea turtle care with new CT technology. (See Photos)

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➤ Paingone Plus is the pocket-sized pain relief pen that delivers targeted relief for your acute or chronic pain in less than 1 minute. It's natural, fast-acting, and works almost anywhere on the body! (See It Here)