Tuesday, June 2, 2026

Weather: Today, a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, with a high near 92. Tonight, showers and thunderstorms, low around 66. Wednesday, a 10 percent chance of showers before 8am, with a high near 81. Wednesday night, mostly cloudy, with a low around 62. NWS

US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.3%, Dow +0.1%, Nasdaq +0.4%) (More).

Local & State News

On the proposed LCS property tax proposal, Rosanne Wood contended that the board has already “cut to the bone”. Read other comments.

After hours of debate, a major property tax cut plan devised by Gov. Ron DeSantis was changed by lawmakers Monday ahead of scheduled floor votes Tuesday. Details.

Gas prices in Florida continued to dip after the U.S. and Iran ambled toward a tentative ceasefire agreement, even as the U.S. attacked Iranian military sites over the weekend and Iran sent drone attacks on Kuwait. Details

National News

President Donald Trump says US-Iran talks are continuing and that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to dial back fighting; update comes after Iran threatens to close Strait of Hormuz (More).

Voters in California head to the polls to cast ballots in several closely watched primary races today. The state employs a jungle primary system, in which all candidates for each office compete in the same primary and the top two vote-getters advance to the November general election.  

Monday, June 1, 2026

Weather: Today, partly sunny, with a high near 90. Tonight, mostly cloudy, with a low around 73. Tuesday, showers and thunderstorms likely after 2pm, high near 92. Tuesday night, showers and thunderstorms before 2am, low around 66. NWS

US stock markets close up Friday (S&P 500 +0.2%, Dow +0.7%, Nasdaq +0.2%), driven by gains in tech stocks; all three indexes hit record highs during intraday trading (More).

Local & State News

Steve Stewart discusses LCS 4-1 vote for proposed property tax increase.

HCA Florida Capital Hospital recently announced its new Transitional Year Residency Program through the University of Central Florida/HCA Florida Healthcare Graduate Medical Education (GME) Consortium. HCA Florida Capital Hospital currently has dermatology, psychiatry, and internal medicine residency programs. Details.

Lawmakers overwhelmingly approved a $114.5 billion spending plan Friday, wrapping up a special session to complete the budget more than two months after they failed to do so during the regular session. Details

National News

Meteor measuring roughly three feet wide and traveling at over 75,000 miles per hour explodes off the coast of Massachusetts, releasing the equivalent of 300 tons of TNT in energy (More).

Death toll rises to 11 in last week’s chemical tank explosion in Washington state, as authorities recover the bodies of nine missing workers at the paper facility (More).

Friday, May 29, 2026

Weather: Today showers and thunderstorms likely, with a high near 90. Tonight, a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 11pm, with a low around 72. Saturday, showers and thunderstorms likely, with a high near 88. Saturday night, showers and thunderstorms likely before 8pm, with a low around 73. NWS

US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.6%, Dow +0.1%, Nasdaq +1.0%) (More).

Local & State News

Steve Stewarts discusses questions about an LCS meeting addressing construction contracting.

First-time jobless claims in Florida eased for a second consecutive week following a spike when nearly 5,000 Spirit Airlines workers were laid off in the state. Details

National News

US and Iranian negotiators reached a tentative deal yesterday to extend a ceasefire by 60 days, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and begin nuclear negotiations. The proposal has been sent to President Donald Trump for review.

Trump Accounts app launches in the US; parents and guardians of US children born between 2025 and 2028 can register their kids for the 530A, tax-preferred investment accounts seeded with $1K each (More).

Thursday, May 28, 2026

Weather: Today, a chance of showers and thunderstorms with a high near 86. Tonight, a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms with a low around 73. Friday, a chance of showers and thunderstorms before 3pm, with a high near 89. Friday night, thunderstorms with a low around 74. NWS

US stock markets close up (S&P 500 +0.0%, Dow +0.4%, Nasdaq +0.1%) as oil prices fall more than 5% amid optimism over US-Iran truce (More).

Local Sports: After developing into one of the top young golfers in the Big Bend area at Lincoln High School and Maclay School, Lee Poppell has continued that success at Troy University. Details

Local & State News

Steve Stewart discusses Superintendent Hanna’s appearance at NEBA.

City of Tallahassee officials told city commissioners this month that testing related to PFAS contamination in the Woodville area indicates the city’s Southeast Farm spray field is not a significant source of groundwater contamination identified in central Woodville. Details.

Many Florida homeowners would see their property tax bills eliminated or severely cut under a plan released Wednesday by Gov. Ron DeSantis. Details

A “below-normal” year for storms could further a positive trend for Florida’s insurance market, industry experts contend. Details

National News

Median pay for CEOs rose nearly 6% last year to $17.7M, per AP survey; median employee pay in the S&P 500 rose 4.7% to roughly $89K (More).

At least two people are killed, with nine more still missing, as of this writing after a chemical tank rupture in Washington state (More).

The performance continued a strong junior season for Poppell at Troy, where he posted a 72.06 stroke average and a 0.25 score versus par. He led the Trojans with 15 under-par rounds in 32 total rounds and finished inside the top 25 in eight of 11 events, including a tie for 18th at the Sun Belt Championship entering U.S. Open qualifying.

Before his collegiate success, Poppell built an impressive high school and junior golf résumé in Tallahassee. He finished second at the 2022 Florida Junior Tour Championship and tied for 34th at the 2022 Florida Amateur Championship while competing against many of the state’s top amateur golfers. He also captured the 2022 Big Bend Championship in dominant fashion, firing a 7-under 65 to win by six strokes in one of the premier tournaments in the Florida Panhandle. Later that spring, he shot a 2-under 70 to win a district championship title. Poppell also earned multiple victories on the Southeast Junior Golf Tour in 2021, winning events at Wynlakes and Sea Palms while adding a fourth-place finish at the Ben An Junior Championship.

Tuesday, May 26, 2026

Weather: Today, a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am with a high near 87. Tonight, mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Wednesday, a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly between 2pm and 3pm with a high near 88. Wednesday night, mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. NWS

US stock markets enter post-holiday week after closing up Friday (S&P 500 +0.4%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq +0.2%), driven by signs of potential deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz (More).

Local & State News

The latest jobs report shows the Leon County April unemployment rate was 4.8%. The March unemployment rate was 4.7%. The increase was due to the lack of job growth coupled with a modest increase in the workforce. Details.

Stewart Opinion: In my view, the members of the Leon County School Board should vote against the proposed one-mil property tax increase until taxpayers receive a clear explanation of how existing dollars are being spent and why additional revenue is necessary. Details.

State budget negotiators agreed late Friday to set aside $50 million to pay for building upgrades at a Tampa college as part of a deal for a new stadium for the Tampa Bay Rays. Details

House and Senate leaders reached a final deal on the state budget late Sunday night, the last step in an extended process that required a special session to complete for the second year in a row. Details

National News

Man shot and killed after opening fire outside the White House west security gate Saturday evening; one bystander wounded, shooter identified as 21-year-old Nasire Best (More).

Texas primary runoffs to be held today; state Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) leads incumbent Sen. John Cornyn (R) after nabbing endorsement from President Donald Trump (More).

Friday, May 22, 2026

Weather: Today, mostly sunny, with a high near 90. Tonight, partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Saturday, a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 11am. Mostly sunny, with a high near 89. Saturday night, partly cloudy, with a low around 74. Calm wind. NWS

US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +0.2%, Dow +0.6%, Nasdaq +0.1%) on reports of promising peace talks between the US and Iran (More)

Local & State News

A legal analysis requested by Leon County Schools Superintendent Rocky Hanna concluded that the district’s procurement process for a major construction management contract complied with Florida law and district policy. The analysis also addressed a meeting attended by two school members and the implications related to the Florida Sunshine law. Details.

Hurricane experts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration hope people don’t become complacent as the agency is the latest to forecast a “below-normal” storm season. Details

Visit Florida President and CEO Bryan Griffin said the tourism marketing agency is in line to receive $80 million from the state in draft budgets for fiscal year 2026-2027 now before the Senate and House – the same level as the current year. Details

National News

The ringleader of a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme in Minnesota, Aimee Bock, was sentenced to over 41 years in prison yesterday. Bock siphoned more than $240M in pandemic-era food assistance via her Feeding Our Future network. 

Democratic National Committee releases unfinished, 192-page autopsy report it commissioned analyzing the 2024 presidential election failure amid pressure from party members; DNC chair says report includes unverified information (More).

Thursday, May 21 2026

Weather: Today, a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, with a high near 92. Tonight, mostly cloudy, a low around 72. Friday, a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm, a high near 90. Friday night, a 10 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, a low around 73. NWS

US stock markets close higher (S&P 500 +1.1%, Dow +1.3%, Nasdaq +1.5%) as oil prices fall and US Treasury yields ease (More).

High School Sports: On May 20th, the Lincoln Trojans won the FHSAA 5A state championship with a gritty 5-4 victory over the Winter Springs Bears at Hammond Stadium located in Fort Meyers, FL. Details.

Local & State News

Florida Department of Education data for 2024/25 shows that the Leon County School Board leads the state in the number of assistant principal positions when controlled for the number of students. Details.

The Trump administration has charged former Cuban president Raúl Castro with murder and conspiracy to kill for his alleged role in the 1996 shoot-down of two civilian rescue flights. Details

Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Jolly says that if he’s elected in November, he would establish an Office of Civil Rights within the Governor’s Office. Details

National News

The Justice Department yesterday unsealed an indictment against former Cuban President Raúl Castro for murder and conspiracy to kill US citizens. The charges stem from the 1996 downing of two civilian planes that killed four Cuban exiles. 

Justice Department provides immunity to President Donald Trump, his family members, and businesses as part of settlement with the IRS (More).

Lincoln battled through pressure from the Bears throughout the night, using timely hitting and key pitching performances to finish the season on top. The Trojans scored five runs on five hits while drawing five walks to help manufacture offense in the championship matchup.

Senior Cody Garber led Lincoln offensively, finishing 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Sophomore Luke Thomas added a hit and drove in two runs, while junior Carson Koch recorded an RBI hit and scored once. Freshman Robert Quinn also contributed an RBI for the Trojans. Junior Jayson Parker reached base three times on walks and scored a run, helping Lincoln keep offensive pressure on Winter Springs.

On the mound, sophomore Jacob Rabion earned the win after pitching four innings in relief, allowing four runs on six hits. Junior Chase Fuller delivered a strong outing in relief, striking out one and allowing just one hit in 1.2 scoreless innings, while junior Zachary Burch added 1.1 scoreless innings to help close out the championship victory.

Lincoln’s defense also came through in crucial moments despite a pair of errors, with freshman Robert Quinn recording eight putouts and Tyson Bailey adding six defensive outs. Bailey also stole a base for the Trojans.

The championship victory capped off a memorable postseason run for Lincoln, as the Trojans finished the year with a state title and cemented themselves among the top baseball programs in the state.

In high school weightlifting, the Traditional and Olympic categories use different lifts to determine an athlete’s total score. Traditional weightlifting combines the bench press and squat, focusing more on overall strength and powerlifting-style movements. Olympic weightlifting combines the snatch and clean and jerk, which emphasize explosive power, speed, technique, and full-body coordination. Athletes can compete in one or both categories during meets and championships.

Class 1A

Florida High and Maclay athletes delivered multiple podium finishes at the FHSAA 1A Boys State Weightlifting Championships, highlighted by a pair of runner-up performances from Florida High’s Jason Harville and strong Olympic showings from both Tallahassee programs.

Florida High placed seventh overall in the Traditional competition with nine points and fifth overall in the Olympic standings with 12 points. The Seminoles were led by Harville in the 219-pound class, where he earned second place in both disciplines. Harville totaled 635 pounds in the Traditional competition and followed with a 545-pound total in Olympic lifting to secure another state runner-up finish.

Jason Aliche also produced a standout performance for Florida High in the 238-pound class, finishing third in both categories. Aliche recorded a 635-pound total in Traditional lifting before adding a 540-pound Olympic total for another pair of podium finishes.

In the Unlimited class, Micah Deem added points for the Seminoles with a fourth-place finish in Olympic lifting after totaling 510 pounds. Luis Rodriguez competed in the 119-pound division and placed 10th in Traditional with a 305-pound total, while Antonio Dickey Jr. finished 11th in the Olympic standings of the 154-pound class with a 385-pound total.

Maclay also saw success at the state meet, led by Justin Murphy’s podium finish in the Olympic competition. Competing in the 183-pound class, Murphy placed third with a total of 480 pounds after also finishing eighth in Traditional lifting with a 530-pound total.

Andrew Guyer added a ninth-place Olympic finish in the 169-pound division with a 420-pound total, while Nic Streety placed 12th in the 199-pound Olympic field after totaling 430 pounds. Abram Wildrick rounded out Maclay’s state qualifiers with an eighth-place finish in the Unlimited Olympic division, recording a total of 480 pounds.

Class 2A

Lincoln and Godby represented Tallahassee at the FHSAA 2A Boys State Weightlifting Championships, with Lincoln earning a top-five finish in the 169-pound class.

Lincoln tied for 25th overall in the traditional standings with three points, led by Javon Johnson’s fourth-place finish in the 169-pound division after totaling 590 pounds. Kaylen Rogers also competed for the Trojans in the 183-pound class, placing 11th with a total of 565 pounds. Both Lincoln lifters competed exclusively in the Traditional category.

Godby’s Tre Stenson competed in the unlimited class and finished ninth in the Traditional competition with a total of 625 pounds.

Wednesday, May 20 2026

Weather: Today, a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 3pm with a high near 91. Tonight, partly cloudy, with a low around 71. Thursday, a 20 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. with high near 92. Thursday night, mostly clear, with a low around 71. NWS

US stock markets close lower (S&P 500 -0.7%, Dow -0.7%, Nasdaq -0.8%) (More).

Local & State News

A large school safety company says Leon County’s Godby High School is the first in the country to install an AI based system to instantly detect and report a gun on campus. Details.

Stuart Bell, who last summer stepped down after a decade as president of the University of Alabama, was announced Monday as the lone finalist to be the University of Florida’s next president. Details

Despite gas prices being at a four-year high, the auto club AAA anticipates a record 2.7 million Floridians will take to the roads for the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Details

National News

Rep. Thomas Massie (R, KY-4) loses primary race to former Navy SEAL Ed Gallrein (More).

President Donald Trump backs Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) in Senate primary (More).

Tuesday, May 19 2026

Weather: Today, sunny, with a high near 92. Southeast wind around 5 mph. Tonight, mostly clear, with a low around 70. Wednesday, mostly sunny, with a high near 92. Wednesday night mostly clear, with a low around 70. Thursday, sunny, with a high near 93. Thursday night, mostly clear, with a low around 71. NWS

US stock markets close mixed (S&P 500 -0.1%, Dow +0.3%, Nasdaq -0.5%) (More).

Local & State News

According to filings with Leon County and the City of Tallahassee, the number of single-family residential construction permits was up 27.3% in April 2026 when compared to April 2025. Details.

Florida’s increasingly crowded waterways had 694 “reportable” boating accidents in 2025, up from 685 in 2024 and 659 in 2023, according to a state report released Monday. Details

Juno Beach-based NextEra Energy, the parent company of Florida Power & Light, announced Monday a deal to buy Richmond, Virginia-based Dominion Energy, combining two of the largest utility providers on the U.S. East Coast. Details

National News

At least three men killed after two suspected teenage shooters opened fire at the Islamic Center of San Diego before apparently shooting themselves nearby; authorities are investigating the attack as a possible hate crime (More).

Kentucky voters head to the polls for the most expensive House primary race in history, with Rep. Thomas Massie (R, KY-4) defending his seat against Ed Gallrein, a former Navy SEAL backed by pro-Israel groups and President Donald Trump (More).