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Wednesday, January 15, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1975, the Space Mountain thrill ride opened at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

Also, Martin Luther King Jr. was born today in 1929. King spent a lot of time in St. Augustine.

If you have confusing medical bills or have been denied a claim, it helps to have someone advocate for you. Today's sponsor, Healthlock, is here to do that for you.

DeSantis Special Session Draws Criticism

Gov. Ron DeSantis is calling lawmakers to Tallahassee for a special legislative session the week of Jan. 27 to align state policies with President-elect Donald Trump's immigration agenda. The move has drawn resistance from Republican leaders.

Florida House Speaker Daniel Perez and Senate President Ben Albritton sent a joint letter Monday dismissing the need for a special session as "premature" and criticizing the governor's proposals as lacking substance.

Republican leaders emphasized their support for Trump and his immigration agenda but argued that acting without detailed guidance from the federal government could hinder the incoming administration's efforts.

DeSantis said he will also seek legislation on condominium relief, hurricane relief, and reforms to the citizen initiative process to amend the state constitution.

Duval Teachers Union Leaders Indicted

The former president and executive vice president of Duval Teachers United, a union representing Duval County education employees, have been indicted for allegedly conspiring to steal more than $1.2 million each from the union over a 10-year period.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, Teresa (Terrie) Brady, 69, and Ruby George, 81, are accused of stealing the funds by selling back leave time they had not accrued or earned to the teachers union between 2013 and 2022.

Brady and George face eight counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud and three counts of aiding and abetting mail fraud.

Orlando Is a 'Top 10' City for Job Seekers

Orlando ranks 10th among the best cities in the country for job seekers in 2025, according to personal finance company WalletHub. You can see the full list here.

To find the U.S. cities with the most promising job markets, WalletHub compared more than 180 cities across 31 metrics in two categories: job market and socio-economics.

Arizona had three cities in the top ten, including Scottsdale, which claimed the top spot. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and Columbia, Maryland, ranked second and third, respectively.

Orlando was also ranked second on WalletHub's May 2024 list of the best cities for starting a career.

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➤ Statewide: The Panhandle and North Florida continue to experience moderate drought conditions, while the drought levels have eased in South Florida. (See Drought Map)

➤ West Palm Beach: DNA evidence has linked an illegal immigrant from Honduras to the sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl on Jan. 3. According to police, the suspect had been riding a bike when he assaulted the girl near Pinehurst Park and Forest Hill Blvd. (See Video)

➤ Miami: After nearly a decade-long regulatory impasse, the city's first medical marijuana dispensary, Ayr Wellness, opened its doors. (More)

➤ Collier County: Caxambas Park on Marco Island is about a month away from re-opening. Work continues on rebuilding docks, fuel pumps, and the ship store, which were damaged by multiple hurricanes. (See Photos)

➤ Palm Beach County: Some schools have been using Khanmigo, an AI-powered tutoring and teaching assistant, to help in classrooms. (See Video)

➤ New Smyrna Beach: Advocates report that seagrass in the Indian River Lagoon, a marine life bedrock, has shown signs of recovery after nearly being wiped out. (More)

➤ The University of Florida men's basketball team continues to dominate. The Gators climbed three spots to No. 5 in the AP rankings and four spots to No. 4 in the USA Today Sports Coaches Poll. (More)

➤ The University of Miami football program has finalized the hiring of Minnesota's Corey Hetherman as its new defensive coordinator. (More)

➤ Lionel Messi's former teammate, Javier Mascherano, is now his coach. Mascherano will coach his first game for Inter Miami this weekend. (More)

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➤ G. Robert Blanchard Jr., who has served on the board of Tampa Community Bank since 1997 and whose father was a founding investor, has become the bank's first new chairman in 25 years. (More)

➤ Apple is set to open a new flagship store in Miami on Jan. 24, its first downtown. (More)

➤ Fred Voccola, CEO of Miami-based Kaseya since 2015, has resigned. Under Voccola's leadership, the IT service management company experienced significant growth, and its name now adorns the Miami Heat's downtown arena. (More)

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What Does HealthLock Do?

HealthLock helps you fight back against the chaos in our medical system. It's designed to give you peace of mind about your medical billing and private information, and it's been highly successful so far.

Here are just a few of the reasons why so many people are signing up for HealthLock:

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HealthLock Is A Must-Have For Families & Anyone Who Regularly Pays Medical Bills!

➤ Unfiltered: The Truth About Oysters, an internationally acclaimed, Florida-produced documentary, is set to make its broadcast debut on PBS at 8 p.m. tonight. (More)

➤ Piano Man Billy Joel has postponed his concert this Friday at Hard Rock Live in Hollywood due to a "medical procedure." The concert has been moved to Nov. 1. (More)

➤ A volunteer at the Amelia Island Lighthouse has family ties to the historic site dating back 185 years to its first lighthouse keeper. The lighthouse, the oldest in Florida, stands just 67 feet tall. (See Video)

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