Monday, April 20, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1967, Florida lawmakers declared orange juice the official state beverage.

As the drought continues, $193 citations are now being issued in several Florida counties for failing to comply with water conservation rules set by the Southwest Florida Water Management District. You can see the counties here.

Today's sponsor, Share-Ify, is using AI to help food companies improve safety, streamline operations, and respond faster to potential risks across the supply chain.

Take The Flyover with you. Busy day? Listen to our daily 15-minute podcast while commuting, cooking, or walking the dog—your Flyover fix, anywhere.

Couriel Named New Chief Justice

The Florida Supreme Court has unanimously selected John Couriel, 48, as its next Chief Justice, effective July 1. The Chief Justice serves a two-year term as the top administrative officer for the judicial branch, overseeing court operations, budget priorities, and the branch's legislative agenda.

Couriel joined the high court in 2020 after being appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. He succeeds Chief Justice Carlos Muñiz, whose second term in the court's top administrative post ends June 30. Muñiz will remain on the bench as an associate justice.

Couriel is the 90th justice of the Florida Supreme Court and will become the state's 58th chief justice when he's sworn in. His selection was unanimous among the court's seven members.

Couriel graduated from Harvard Law School and is the son of Cuban immigrants. He was a partner at the law firm Kobre & Kim before his appointment to the high court.

State Pushes Back on AI Data Center

After Fort Meade officials approved a plan for a $2.6 billion hyperscale AI data center last week, Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly wrote a letter to Fort Meade Mayor Jaret Williams raising red flags about the project.

Kelly laid out the state's concerns about the proposed 4.4 million-square-foot facility along U.S. 98, which would be among the first of its kind in Florida. Kelly called the project's planning fundamentally flawed.

"It is readily clear that the project, if ultimately permitted and constructed, presents significant risks to Central Florida's energy capacity, water resources, and transportation infrastructure," Kelly wrote.

The Fort Meade city commission, which represents about 5,000 people in Polk County, unanimously approved the project despite three hours of public comment from residents opposed to it.

$450M Bond for Safe and Ready Miami

Miami Mayor Eileen Higgins wants voters to approve nearly a half-billion dollars in spending to address "critically deteriorating" police and fire facilities. The City Commission will vote this week on whether to place the proposal on the August ballot.

Higgins announced her proposal for a $450 million general obligation bond, dubbed Safe and Ready Miami, to repair and replace the city's aging public safety infrastructure.

Citing leaky roofs, mold, plumbing failures, and subpar living conditions for firefighters working 24-hour shifts, Higgins said repairs are urgently needed. The proposal also involves building new fire facilities and a new Miami police headquarters.

Flying together with our sponsor

48M Americans Get Sick From Food Every Year. Share-Ify's AI-Based Solution is Fixing That

Share-Ify is the world's first AI-based platform helping food companies keep food safe and act fast when it matters. Every inspection, supplier record, allergen alert, and traceability log stays connected, automated, and updated in real time.

There are more than 5 million food companies worldwide, most still running on spreadsheets and phone calls. Share-Ify has already modernized 35,000+, including Denny's, Outback Steakhouse, and McLane, yet has captured less than 1% of the market.

Invest before Share-Ify scales from $4M in annual revenue to a targeted $160M by 2030.

➤ Northeast Florida: Clay County issued a burn ban that includes fire pits and campfires in response to the continuing drought. Nassau, Baker, and Putnam counties are also under a burn ban, and outdoor burning is prohibited year-round without a permit in Duval County. (More)

➤ Melbourne: The city is holding a community meeting tonight to revisit the idea of building a new fire station at Jimmy Moore Park after voting down the proposal last year due to residents' concerns. (More)

➤ Palm Beach County: A single-engine aircraft was damaged when it landed on a roadway Saturday night in the area of Indiantown Road and Pratt Whitney Road, just south of Martin County. The lone occupant wasn't injured. (More)

➤ Duval County: Two former leaders of the teachers union, former president Teresa "Terrie" Brady and former vice president Ruby George, reported to their designated federal prisons last week to begin serving sentences for fraud. (More)

➤ St. Petersburg: The city council approved spending $1.4 million to demolish the Jungle Prada Park Pier, severely damaged by Hurricane Helene in 2024. Residents voiced concerns about the lack of a plan to replace it. (More)

➤Jacksonville: Mayor Donna Deegan filed for reelection, looking to become the first Democrat reelected mayor since Jake Godbold in 1983. (More)

Enjoy reading Flyover Florida? Click here to share with your friends and family. ✈️

➤ University of Florida gymnastics finished third at the NCAA championships, while Oklahoma repeated as national champs. Oklahoma lost to Florida in the SEC championships four weeks ago. (More)

➤ Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins hit a go-ahead two-run home run in the 13th inning of the team's 8-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday. (See Home Run)

➤ Four-star transfer forward Sebastian Rancik has announced his commitment to Florida State after two seasons at Colorado, where he averaged 12.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists this past year. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Scientists at Washington University discovered that doing this simple couch-yoga pose fixes constipation, bloating, and embarrassing gassy moments. At the same time, they were shocked to see that something SO simple can empty your bowels faster than any laxative or fiber-rich diet can. Read all about this revolutionary trick here: This Couch-Yoga Pose Clears Your Gut Fast

➤ Blue Origin marked the first landing of a reused New Glenn rocket booster on Sunday with the launch of its NG-3 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, although it experienced a problem with its satellite deployment. (More)

➤ Floridians saw the biggest average tax refunds this tax season, according to IRS data. The average filer in Florida received a federal refund of $4,433, approximately $800 higher than the national average. (More)

➤ Florida Power & Light issued warnings of a phone scam in which an AI-generated voice mimics the utility's employees and asks for personal and payment information to be provided. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Elon Musk is so desperate for electricity…He shipped a power plant across the ocean. He's running dozens of gas turbines around the clock. And by some estimates, he's burning nearly $1 billion a month — because he can't turn on the world's largest supercomputer without equipment that takes up to 2 years to get. One small company can deliver it on his timeline. Wall Street hasn't connected the dots yet. See the one stock Musk can't build without >>

Flying together with our sponsor

Meet the Tech Innovator Outback Steakhouse Can't Live Without

Before an Outback Steakhouse ribeye reaches your table, dozens of companies along the supply chain touch it.
Each must know exactly what's in it, where it came from, whether it's been inspected, and that every safety certification is up to date. Multiply that by millions of products and millions of companies, and you start to see the scale of the problem.

It's why Outback parent company Bloomin' Brands is one of 35,000+ companies using Share-ify to stay on top of it all, joining industry standouts like Denny’s. Share-ify’s AI-based digital hub lets companies manage and share all of that information from one place, in real time.

And when Bloomin' joins, their entire supplier network follows. That's how Share-ify has grown 40%+ annually for five years running, almost entirely through word of mouth.

Invest before Share-ify scales toward a $160M revenue target by 2030.

This is a paid advertisement for Share-ify’s Regulation CF offering. Please read the offering circular at https://invest.share-ify.com/

➤ Monroe County has the highest probability of a named storm in Florida this year, with a 39% chance, according to Colorado State University's forecast for the 2026 hurricane season. (More)

➤ Two Floridians, Raymond "Ray" Borizki from Fort Walton Beach and Victor Hugo from Freeport, along with three other contestants, are competing in the second season of the Fox Nation reality series Greg Gutfeld's What Did I Miss? (More)

➤ Epcot's 33rd annual International Flower and Garden Festival in Orlando is in full bloom and runs through June 1. Attendees can enjoy character-themed topiaries, live entertainment, and garden-inspired food and beverages. (See Video)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ I check every single one of my patients for this...Because it can signal a heart attack is right around the corner. Are you at risk? Please check now.