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Thursday, March 20, 2025

Good Morning! On this day in 1993, professional tennis player Sloane Stephens was born in Plantation. Stephens won the U.S. Open in 2017.

A drone show in Miami celebrated President Donald Trump, complete with animation of him dancing. See the video here or in Et Cetera below.

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Stranded Astronauts Return to Earth

NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, 62, and Suni Williams, 59, made their return to Earth in a SpaceX capsule on Tuesday, safely parachuting into the Gulf of America in the early evening.

Splashdown occurred off the coast of Tallahassee 17 hours after the astronauts had left the International Space Station (ISS). Dolphins "welcomed" the astronauts home, swimming around their capsule. You can see the video here.

While onboard the ISS, Crew-9 astronauts conducted 150 experiments in space that could help humans return to the moon and even reach Mars. During her nine-month stay, Williams conducted 62 hours of spacewalking, a record for a female astronaut.

Forty-eight minutes after splashdown, the astronauts emerged from the Freedom capsule and were then flown to NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Lawmakers May Remove Graduation Requirements

A new bill under consideration by Florida lawmakers proposes that students earn diplomas based on their overall academic performance, removing the requirement to pass statewide, standardized Algebra I and English exams to earn a high school diploma.

The bill says that students can instead meet diploma requirements through a combination of coursework, including earning four credits in English Language Arts (ELA) and four credits in mathematics.

Nearly 43% of the class of 2024 graduated from high school without passing one or both the standardized exams. Instead, they got diplomas by substituting failing scores on those state tests with passing marks on other exams.

Brush Fire Closes Routes to Florida Keys

A wildfire, named The 344, has burned through 3,600 acres in Miami-Dade County, north of the Florida Keys, according to the Florida Forest Service.

On Tuesday, the fire closed down the famed 18-Mile Stretch, a section of US-1 linking southern Florida to the Keys, along with Card Sound Road.

The wildfire started as a grass fire last week, and no cause has been determined. Motorists should expect traffic disruptions in and out of the Florida Keys as the weather continues to impact fire conditions.

Florida is in the middle of its wildfire season, which typically spans October through May. Officials expressed concerns that the blaze could spread further, potentially endangering life and property.

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➤ Tallahassee: U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, a former Florida governor, is supporting U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds over First Lady Casey DeSantis in the 2026 gubernatorial race, signaling a potential shift in the Republican landscape. (More)

➤ Cape Canaveral: The FAA released a 116-page draft environmental assessment for Space Launch Complex 40, where SpaceX wants to increase launches from 50 to 120 per year. (More)

➤ Palm Beach County: County commissioners narrowly agreed Tuesday to purchase the La Quinta Inn on Okeechobee Boulevard in order to transform it into a center offering affordable housing for seniors and veterans. (More)

➤ Kissimmee: City commissioners are considering a resolution to seek $8 million from the State of Florida Job Growth Grant program to help expand airport infrastructure to draw new business. (See Details)

➤ Miami: An illegal immigrant has pleaded guilty to four federal charges, including identity theft and using an American citizen's stolen identity to vote in two federal elections. (More)

➤ Martin County: Twenty-seven people across 20 vape stores have been arrested for selling vaping products to minors as part of a sting operation dubbed Operation Smoke Signals. (More)

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➤ Walter Clayton Jr. was the only Florida men's basketball player to be named to one of the AP All-American teams. (More)

➤ Miami Marlins starting pitcher Edward Cabrera will begin the 2025 MLB season on the injured list. Cabrera, a former top prospect, is expected to make major improvements this season. (More)

➤ Some Florida Panthers fans are currently criticizing star forward Matthew Tkachuk after photos of him attending St. Patrick's Day parties surfaced online while he is supposed to be recovering from an injury to prepare for the Stanley Cup playoffs. (More)

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➤ A bill in the Florida House clarifies the terms under which diners may be removed from restaurants if they do not pay their bill. Customers would no longer be required to pay an automatic gratuity or service charge if they find the service unsatisfactory. (See Details)

➤ A theme park expert stated that Universal City Development Partners has gained the upper hand over rival The Walt Disney Company when it comes to licensing intellectual property, like the recently released movie Wicked. (See Photos)

➤ The Walt Disney World Swan Hotel renovated all 756 guest rooms and suites as part of a $275 million project, which also includes expansions to its meeting and convention spaces. (See Photos)

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➤ A drone show in Miami on Tuesday night celebrated President Donald Trump, lighting the sky with a giant, dancing Trump, blue and red lights, the American flag, and the U.S. map. (Watch Video)

➤ The Boca Raton Seafood Festival will debut on March 22, offering live entertainment, a crab cake eating challenge, seafood dishes, and a chef showdown. (Get Tickets)

➤ A fishing captain and his two friends searched for and rescued two missing young girls who were stranded on their paddle boards overnight in the waters off Cedar Key. (See Video)

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