Sunday, October 18, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1989, Space Shuttle Atlantis lifted off from Kennedy Space Center after two scrubs and released the Galileo probe six and a half hours later, sending it on a six-year trip to Jupiter by way of Venus and Earth.

No. 3 Miami survived rival Florida State in double overtime, and backup quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. led Florida to a stunning upset of No. 7 Texas in his first career start. See today’s Top Stories for a big Saturday for the Hurricanes and Gators.

In case you missed it on The Flyover Podcast, Amy unpacked the IRS notices landing in millions of mailboxes about a new program that deposits up to $1,000 a year in federal matching money directly into retirement accounts, rather than just trimming your tax bill. But there’s a catch. Plenty of savers will get the full amount while others won’t see a dime, and the difference comes down to a few details on your tax return. Amy covered who qualifies, what disqualifies you, and how to actually claim the money. Tune in here!

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Alligator Kills Fisherman in Winter Garden

A nearly 12-foot alligator dragged a 71-year-old fisherman into a Winter Garden pond Friday evening and killed him.

Steven Hamilton was fishing from the shoreline at Dr. Bradford Memorial Park, where small ponds connect to Lake Apopka. Witnesses reported seeing someone grabbed and pulled into the water, and Hamilton was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police Capt. Michael Mason said the lake has “tons of alligators,” and the park even has a crossing called Gator Bridge. State wildlife trappers killed the alligator.

Hamilton is the second person killed by an alligator in Florida this year, though fatal attacks remain rare, with 32 since record-keeping began in 1948.

Sanders Campaigns for Nixon in Florida

Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont, campaigned in Tampa on Saturday for Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon, who is challenging Republican Sen. Ashley Moody in November.

Sanders, who says Nixon will be Florida’s next senator, noted she won the Democratic primary despite being outspent 15-to-1. His political group, Our Revolution, has given her campaign $250,000.

Republican Party of Florida Chairman Evan Power said Sanders and Nixon want to bring “a radical left agenda to the Sunshine State” and that Moody “will keep Florida free and prosperous.”

Sanders and Nixon visit Gainesville and Tallahassee today, a day before Leon County early voting begins.

Miami Survives FSU, UF Upsets Texas

No. 3 Miami needed double overtime to survive rival Florida State 43-35 as a 21.5-point favorite.

Florida State’s Duce Robinson caught a 75-yard touchdown pass with 2:49 left in regulation to tie the game at 28. In the second overtime, a disputed holding penalty wiped out a Seminoles Hail Mary touchdown, and Miami intercepted the next fourth-down pass to win.

In Austin, backup quarterback Tramell Jones Jr. won his first career start as Florida rallied from 14 points down to stun No. 7 Texas 27-24.

Coach Jon Sumrall wore a cowboy hat out of the stadium, capping Florida’s first road win over a top-10 team since 2012.

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➤ Redland: The Redland International Orchid Festival, billed as a bucket-list event for orchid lovers, wraps up today at the 37-acre Fruit and Spice Park. (See the Blooms)

➤ St. Petersburg: A repeat bank robber is charged with hitting two Pinellas banks in a prosthetic “old man” mask, and agents found his journal titled “God’s Best friend is a Bank Robber!” (Read the Case)

➤ Walton County: The county is eyeing an emergency fix for dunes damaged by Hurricane Isaias, and beach operations director Josh Ervin said a renourishment project is in the works. (See the Damage)

➤ Palm Coast: A city animal control officer is accused of charging her own dog’s $386.64 vet bill to a city card, then asking the clinic to bill the city for the dog. (Get the Details)

➤ Jacksonville: Chris Sorensen, a former Jacksonville firefighter who co-founded Firehouse Subs with his brother Robin in 1994, died Oct. 11 at 65. (Read His Story)

➤ Lakeland: A woman celebrated her 100th birthday by bowling against a 102-year-old at Maple Lanes, and neither centenarian plans to retire from the sport. (Meet the Bowlers)

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➤ The Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 4 to tie the American League Championship Series at two games apiece heading into today’s Game 5. Jonathan Aranda went 3 for 4 with two RBIs. (More)

➤ The Jaguars (4-1) face the Houston Texans (1-4) at London’s Wembley Stadium at 9:30 a.m. ET today on NFL Network. Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud hasn’t thrown an interception all season. (See the Preview)

➤ The Buccaneers (1-4) host Aaron Rodgers and the Pittsburgh Steelers at 1 p.m. ET today. A win would make Jalon Daniels the first undrafted rookie quarterback to beat the Steelers since Warren Moon in 1984. (Get Game Details)

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➤ A birthday beach walk turned into a rescue for off-duty Jacksonville firefighter Otto Scherick, who heard screaming and swam out to three boaters clinging to a capsized boat off Big Talbot Island. (Read the Story)

➤ A conch fritter recipe comes with Alabama Jack’s, the Key Largo bar Jimmy Buffett once visited, which has survived hurricanes since the 1940s and is now listed for $4.9 million. (Take a Look)

➤ A $20 crossword scratch-off from a Sebring corner shop turned into a $5 million top prize for a Highlands County woman, who took it as a $3.26 million lump sum. (See the Ticket)

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The following stories are featured exclusively on The Flyover Podcast—a daily show that gives you the most important headlines in under 15 minutes, straight from the heart of the country.

➤ A grandfather built a $2 million business by giving families a reason to get lost in a cornfield. (Hear More)

➤ The NBA has built an AI detective to sniff out suspicious bets. (Listen Now)

➤ Three studies suggest that the cold shoulder sometimes conceals a guilty conscience. (Podcast Available)