CSU Forecasters Call For Slightly Fewer Storms
(Fort Collins, CO) -- Colorado State University's updated Atlantic hurricane forecast calls for "fewer" storms. Researchers are now calling for a "slightly above-normal" season with 16 named storms, eight hurricanes, and three major storms of Category 3 or higher. CSU released its update today. It will issue one more outlook on August 6th.
State Offers Tours Of Alligator Alcatraz
(Tallahassee, FL) --Some lawmakers will get to see for themselves what the conditions are in Alligator Alcatraz. The Florida Division of Emergency Management sent an invitation yesterday to state legislators and members of Congress. They were invited to tour the immigrant detention facility in the Everglades on Saturday. Some Democratic congressmembers say this sanitized tour is not real oversight.They add they expect ICE and FDEM to paper over the inhumane treatment of detained people with a limited, scrubbed visit and rehearsed answers. Still, the lawmakers say they'll accept the invitation, but they also plan to return for an unannounced visit.
Recreational Marijuana Ballot Tops 600K Signatures
(Tallahassee, FL) --Recreational marijuana has a lot of backing in Florida. Supporters of a proposed 2026 constitutional amendment have submitted over 600-thousand verified signatures. The initiative is called "Adult Personal Use of Marijuana." It would allow adults 21 and over to possess, purchase, and use pot for non-medical purposes. The previous ballot measure in 2024 fell short of the 60-percent threshold needed for constitutional amendments.
Three Arrested For Stealing ATM In Orange County
(Orlando, FL) --Three people are in custody for stealing an ATM in Orange County. The sheriff's office announced the arrests yesterday. A 28-year-old, a 24-year-old and a 17-year-old allegedly stole an ATM at Coin Laundry Cafe on Curry Ford Road last week. Deputies say similar crimes have been reported across the county the last couple months. Investigators say the suspects steal a van, often a church van, and use it to rip the ATMs from the ground.
USF Professor Discusses Rubio Deepfake
(Tampa, FL) --The deepfake involving Marco Rubio could be a wake-up call. That's what University of South Florida's John Licato [li-CAH-toe]] said recently. He's associate professor at USF's Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing. Licato was referring to a report this week that someone used AI to fake Secretary of State Rubio's voice and tried to contact government officials. Licato says it only takes seconds to use AI to replicate someone's voice.
U.S. Senate Approves Lulu's Law To Help Prevent Shark Attacks
(Washington, DC) --Members of the U.S. Senate unanimously approve legislation authorizing Lulu's law. The bill, sponsored by Alabama Republican Senator Katie Britt, is named after a teenager who suffered a serious shark attack last year in the Florida Panhandle. The new law directs the Federal Communications Commission to issue Wireless Emergency Alerts whenever sharks are spotted in coastal waterways.
Today in History
1997, caving in to public pressure, RJR Nabisco announced plans to replace the cartoon character Joe Camel in its new tobacco ads.
1962, the "Telstar" communications satellite was launched from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
1929, the U.S. Government began issuing paper money in the size we now use.
1900, RCA's trademark logo "His Master's Voice" was registered with the U.S. Patent Office. The logo features a dog looking into the horn of a gramophone machine.