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Thursday, February 6, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1969, NFL defensive tackle James Jones was born in Miami.

In honor of President Ronald Reagan's birthday today, here's a clip from his 1987 trip to Melbourne.

We're sponsored today by the non-profit World Concern, offering an opportunity to help needy Christian children in Somalia.

Consumer Optimism Rises in State

Florida consumers began the year with more optimism, according to a survey by the University of Florida.

The statewide consumer sentiment index rose to 86.9 in January, up from 86.7 in December, indicating a positive outlook for Florida's economic growth.

The index gained for the third consecutive month. Before November and the U.S. presidential election, sentiment was sliding among Floridians.

State Fair Kicks Off in Tampa

The 2025 Florida State Fair opens today at the Florida State Fairgrounds in Tampa, featuring the nation's largest midway carnival, circus shows, concerts, and more. You can see a guide here.

The fair is also known for spotlighting the state's agricultural history and includes camel and pony rides, a petting zoo, and a Cattle Ranching Museum.

Other fan favorites include fun and creative new food choices, such as baked ziti on a stick, chicken and waffle funnel cake, and chocolate and bacon s'mores. See a full list here.

The fair runs through Feb. 17. You can find a list of deals and discount days here.

2025 Michelin Guide to Include More Cities

The Michelin Guide is expanding, with restaurants in Greater Fort Lauderdale, the Palm Beaches, and St. Pete-Clearwater added this year and a statewide expansion planned for next year.

The guide is considered the world's most influential restaurant rating system. Miami, Tampa, and Orlando were added in 2022.

In Miami, 14 restaurants have received a coveted Michelin star, including the two-starred L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, the only restaurant in Florida with more than one star.

Anonymous Michelin Guide inspectors are already reviewing restaurants in the newly added cities, ahead of the release of the 2025 edition, set for later this year.

Flying together with our sponsor

Somalia is facing a devastating combination of natural disasters, global conflicts, widespread poverty, and disease outbreaks. East Africa has just endured its worst drought in 40 years, leaving tens of millions without access to clean water, wiping out millions of livestock, and destroying crops. With domestic food production crippled, Somalia has relied heavily on imports—90% of its wheat coming from Russia and Ukraine—until those shipments stopped.

Now, two in five children in Somalia suffer from acute malnutrition, and cholera is spreading in some regions. The food crisis, compounded by global humanitarian aid being redirected to Europe and the Middle East, has created a perfect storm, leading to a sharp rise in child malnutrition.

Be Doers

We're asking the Flyover Community to join us in partnering with World Concern to help get emergency nutrition packs (a peanut paste fortified with nutrients), water, and hygiene products to those with the most need.

Every $12 feeds a child for a month. We're matching the first $750; just give through this link.

➤ Statewide: The U.S. Senate confirmed former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi as U.S. Attorney General in a 54-46 vote late Tuesday. She was sworn in on Wednesday. (More)

➤ Tallahassee: Electricity rate hikes by TECO and Duke Energy gained approval, increasing the monthly bill for typical residential customers by $20-$25 at TECO and $32-$40 at Duke. (More)

➤ Maitland: Michael Jordan's 34-year-old son was arrested on a misdemeanor drug charge after his SUV was stopped on a railroad track. (See Photo)

➤ Lee County: County commissioners voted to stop adding fluoride to Lee County Utilities drinking water, a decision supported by Florida's surgeon general. (See Details)

➤ Brevard County: The county seeks $130 million from Space Florida to improve the Sykes Creek wastewater plant, citing increased demand due to the commercial space industry. (More)

➤ Miami: The city began accepting bids to restore the vacant, graffiti-tagged Miami Marine Stadium, once the site of concerts, races, and events. (See Photo)

➤ Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero unveiled his first-ever signature shoe under the Nike/Jordan brand. (More)

➤ The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed former Louisville and Texas head coach Charlie Strong as their new defensive line coach. (More)

➤ The Tampa Bay Lightning ended the Ottawa Senators' five-game win streak with a 4-2 victory on Tuesday night. (More)

➤ Yesterday's results: NBA | NHL | NCAAM | NCAAW | Soccer

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ The PhotoStick® OMNI automatically finds, sorts, and saves up to 60,000 photos and videos across all your devices with just ONE click. Over 1.5 Million People Use ThePhotoStick® OMNI!

➤ Palm Beach Gardens-based PGA National Resort & Spa, home of the Cognizant Classic, sold to a London-based private equity firm. (More)

➤ GE Vernova, which produces capacitors and instrument transformers, will invest $5 million in its Clearwater plant, creating 75 jobs. (More)

➤ Titan Florida's more than 160 concrete ready-mix drivers voted overwhelmingly to join the Teamsters Local 769 labor union. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Kailo's Flex™ is an all-natural pain patch, designed to quickly relieve pain anywhere on your body. It is the most flexible, comfortable, and affordable pain patch device we have ever made! (See It Here)

Flying together with our sponsor

Somalia faces a crisis from natural disasters, conflict, poverty, and disease. The worst drought in 40 years devastated crops and livestock, while food imports from Russia and Ukraine halted. Two in five Somali children now suffer from acute malnutrition. Join us in partnering with World Concern to get emergency nutrition packs & clean water to children. $12 feeds a child for a month.

➤ Priscilla Presley will share memories of her life with Elvis on Feb. 22 at The Wick Theatre in Boca Raton. (See Details)

➤ Visit Florida is airing a 10-part series on BBC 2 highlighting off-beat Florida sites, seeking to restore visitation from the United Kingdom to pre-pandemic levels. (More)

➤ South Florida ranks as one of the top areas in the country for "equity rich" homeowners, listed at No. 7 among the nation's top 100 metro areas, a study found. (See Report)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Check out CozyCharge, the rechargeable hand warmer that provides eight hours of warmth whenever you need it. (See It Here)