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Florida TODAY: Homes get expensive, license to blush, fuzzy invader

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Florida TODAY: Homes get expensive, license to blush, fuzzy invader



Sign up to get the Florida TODAY statewide newsletter in your inbox weekdays. It’s free.

Here’s a quick glimpse of Florida TODAY, our statewide newsletter:

How long does it take to save for a first home, Florida?

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In Jacksonville, the answer could be less than a year.

In Miami, it could be more than 40.

A new report suggests homeownership is slipping further out of reach for many Florida workers — especially those in retail and restaurant jobs.

There’s a lot more going on across the Sunshine State:

License to blush: A South Florida retiree was taken aback by her new license plate. Her family thinks she should keep it. Would you?

Tiny terror: Florida is racing to stop a fuzzy new invasive pest that can wipe out a field in weeks. It has a taste for everything from grass to corn to sugarcane.

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Small miracle: Black skimmer chicks are back on the Sanibel Causeway for the first time in 30 years. Photojournalist Andrew West got a close look at the comeback.

That’s not all. Want the full statewide newsletter every weekday? Subscribe to Florida TODAY

NOTE: If you are a digital or print subscriber to a USA TODAY Network-Florida site, follow this link to subscribe via your local site.



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‘Experimental explosion’ reported off Central Florida coast, experts say

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‘Experimental explosion’ reported off Central Florida coast, experts say


VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – If you felt shaking along Florida’s east coast on Thursday, you’re not alone. But it wasn’t an earthquake.

A strong “experimental explosion” was reported in the waters off Central Florida on Thursday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.

The USGS website indicates that the explosion happened around 3:04 p.m., roughly 91 miles east-northeast of Ponce Inlet.

Experimental explosion

Per the agency, the event registered a preliminary magnitude of 3.9. However, few other details about what may have caused the explosion have been provided at this time.

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“The recorded ground motions from this event are more typical of an explosion than a naturally occurring earthquake,” the USGS website reads. “The Navy has conducted Full Ship Shock Trials in this region in the past.”

[A LOOK BACK: U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford performs shock trials on an aircraft carrier in 2021]

News 6 has reached out to Navy officials for more information and is awaiting additional details.

Anyone who felt the impact of the explosion is urged to report their experience here.

Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.



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Florida preacher buys VT campus to build Christian college | Fox News Video

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Florida preacher buys VT campus to build Christian college | Fox News Video


Florida preacher Tommie Zito discusses his mission to transform the abandoned Green Mountain College in Vermont into “Z University,” a Christian college. Zito’s goal is to train future leaders in evangelism, business, government, and music. He plans for the college to be fully operational by August 2027, emphasizing the need for godly institutions to counter current educational trends.



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Cyclosporiasis cases in Florida, US could be undercounted, health expert says

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Cyclosporiasis cases in Florida, US could be undercounted, health expert says


TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A parasite that causes extreme diarrhea, seen in recent outbreaks across the country, has been documented in over 20 counties in Florida. But experts say there could be more cases than what has been reported.

According to the Florida Department of Health’s Reportable Diseases Frequency Report, 50 cases of cyclosporiasis have been reported in the state since May 1.

“This infectious disease may be hard to monitor due to the nature of the signs and symptoms,” said Dr. Norman Beatty, an associate professor of medicine and hospital epidemiologist at UF Health Shands. “It’s common to get a diarrheal illness at times, and other infectious diseases can resolve on their own, but cyclosporiasis is important to identify right now because there are multiple outbreaks across the country.”

Cyclosporiasis is a gastrointestinal disease caused by the parasite cyclospora, which causes diarrhea, abdominal pain, nausea, fatigue and loss of appetite, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

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[WATCH: Parasitic infection spreading across states, including Florida]

Once a case is confirmed through testing, a report is sent to the state department of health. But if someone doesn’t seek medical attention, the case could go unreported, Beatty said.

There could be a six-week reporting lag between illness onset and reporting, according to the CDC.

Since May 1, the federal agency has received reports of 1,645 confirmed domestic cases of cyclosporiasis but is aware of more than 5,100 cases that require further analysis, the CDC stated Tuesday.

In Florida since May 1, DOH data shows Lee County has seen the most cyclosporiasis cases with nine, followed by Miami-Dade with six and Broward with five.

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Other counties with cases include: Alachua, Brevard, Collier, Columbia, Duval, Escambia, Flagler, Gadsden, Highlands, Hillsborough, Lake, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Seminole, St. Johns, Sumter and Volusia.

In Alachua County, Beatty said he has seen several cases at UF Health Shands, which doctors believe stemmed from eating produce.

Previous outbreaks in the U.S. have been linked to raw produce, like lettuce and raspberries.

According to DOH data, Alachua County has seen one case of cyclosporiasis in June. But the department’s data is 10 days out of date, according to DOH’s website. The last day cases were uploaded to the report was July 4. And the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s data on Florida undercounts DOH’s data, with only 11-30 reported sick people in the state.

In most scenarios, people who get cyclosporiasis will recover on their own. But in some cases, people can have persistent symptoms and relapsing infections over time, so any suspected cases should be tested, Beatty said.

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Direct human-to-human transmission is rare, he said, but if infected, people could shed the parasite into the environment, where it could become infectious again within a week or two, contributing to another outbreak.

“It’s a very hardy parasite,” he said.

The outbreak was first reported in Michigan on July 1, with other outbreaks later reported in Ohio, West Virginia and Kentucky, according to the CDC.

While 34 states, including Florida, have reported cases, the source of the outbreak is still unknown.



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