TALLAHASSEE, Fla — The person warning you about Florida’s next hurricane might not be a person at all. Florida’s Emergency Management team rolled out new AI technology Wednesday that, they say, will save lives during future emergencies.
Think of your average weather report. Little music in the background, a baritone meteorologist predicting partly cloudy conditions. Pretty standard, don’t you think?
Think again. AI now has the power to give you an almost identical broadcast to what you’d hear on your car radio, but it’s not a real person, just real information. And a real opportunity, say state officials, to inform people during emergencies.
BEACON (Broadcast Emergency Alerts and Communications Operations Network) is a first-of-its-kind program created as a joint venture between Florida Emergency Management, the University of Florida, and an AI company called Futuri. BEACON gathers emergency alerts and messages from official federal/state/local sources, prioritizes them, and turns them into a 24/7 AI-powered radio station.
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Listeners can stream it on the BEACON app or over the air with a regular old radio. Florida’s Emergency Management Director Kevin Guthrie said during Wednesday’s rollout speed was among the biggest benefits.
“That goes straight to the airwaves,” he said. “And we’re really excited about that technology and that capability to get instant messaging out on the airwaves, and I guarantee you sometime over the next, you know, decades, that we will save lives.”
The program is starting small. Just one BEACON, for now, operating out of the public radio station WUFT in Gainesville. In the future, BEACONs could be across the state, broadcasting in multiple languages and at all hours.
The concept is simple. When an emergency happens, officials push out alerts, and in seconds, BEACON turns them into broadcasts that will run before, during, and as recovery begins.
AI systems have come under scrutiny for reliability, recently. The Associated Press reported this in October. An AI hospital transcription tool was found to be making stuff up — including “racial commentary, violent rhetoric and even imagined medical treatments.”
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“It really depends on the quality of data that is being fed into the system,” said Futuri CEO Daniel Anstandig.
He dismissed accuracy concerns. BEACON, Anstandig said, will get its info from trusted sources, meaning its broadcasts will be just as trustworthy.
“We know that the data is highly controlled,” said Anstandig. “It’s high integrity, and so we have measures in place to be sure that we’re only ever processing or using information that originates from statewide agencies or from sanctioned government agencies, and that makes a difference.”
BEACON’s next steps aren’t certain. It’ll be up to the legislature to fund it and expand the program across Florida. That means the AI’s operators “will be back” next year to ask lawmakers for more cash when the session begins in March.
Something to be mindful of. Florida is entering a new year where one of the main goals of Florida’s new House SpeakerDanny Perez is trimming the budget. What that means for programs like this remains uncertain– though emergency management often ranks high on the state’s priority list.
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Viewers have been contacting ABC Action News after receiving suspicious text messages from numbers that claim to be the United States Postal Service. We spoke with a U.S. Postal Inspector about what to do if you receive this text message.
Fake texts claiming to be USPS delivery services hit the Tampa Bay area
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Sam Reinhart snapped a three-game goal drought and the Florida Panthers beat the Anaheim Ducks 5-2 on Tuesday night.
Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and assist for the Panthers, who picked up a point in their 10th straight game against the Ducks.
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Evan Rodrigues, Sam Bennett and Uvis Balinskis added goals. Mackie Samoskevich and Tomas Nosek each had two assists, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves.
Frank Vatrano and Mason McTavish scored for Anaheim. Lukas Dostal stopped 24 shots.
Reinhart got his 28th goal of the season at 8:58 of the first period, when he got the pass from Matthew Tkachuk and put a backhand past Dostal to tie it at 1-1. The goal tied Reinhart with Toronto’s William Nylander for second in the league.
Takeaways
Panthers: Bobrovsky is 5-0 record with a 2.36 goals-against average and .922 save percentage against the Ducks since joining Florida prior to the 2019-20 season.
Ducks: Trevor Zegras returned to the lineup after missing 22 games due to following surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee. Zegras was injured late in the first period against Vegas on Dec. 4. Zegras was the left wing and paired on the second line with Leo Carlsson and Alex Killorn.
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Key moment
Verhaeghe stole the puck from Anaheim defenseman Jacob Trouba behind the Ducks’ goal before putting it into the upper right corner of the net to extend the Panthers’ lead to 3-1 with 1:11 remaining in the first period. Florida has scored three times in the first period four times this season which trails only Tampa Bay and Ottawa (both five).
Key stat
Troy Terry assisted on Vatrano’s goal in the first period. It was Terry’s 265th career point and surpassed Adam Henrique and Scott Niedermayer for 10th on the franchise scoring list.
Up next
The Panthers face Los Angeles Wednesday. The Ducks host Pittsburgh Thursday.
APOPKA, Fla. – Nathan Tuck told News 6 he got a call from his attorney around 11 p.m. on Monday that President Donald Trump pardoned him and others for charges stemming from the attack on the US Capitol.
It was Jan. 6, 2021, when some of the supporters of President Trump stormed the Capitol building – some of them trying to stop the certification of President Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 election.
“I’m so proud of it. I am so proud of January 6th. I have no remorse for it, I am very proud of it,” Nathan Tuck said.
Tuck also proudly tells News 6 he is a member of the Proud Boys and a former police officer of almost 9 years in Apopka and Longwood.
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He was facing about 14 months behind bars for his role after pleading guilty to felony and misdemeanor charges.
“So I went into the Capitol. I participated in a protest that was very peaceful, and the cops are the ones that instigated the entire thing… I just protested and entered the Capitol building that I paid for my entire life through my taxes. So I’m not sorry,” Tuck said.
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According to the United States Attorney’s Office, Nathaniel Tuck was the sole member of his co-defendants who successfully pushed his way past a line of multiple Capitol Police officers, making physical contact with at least one officer as he did so…and he “…spent most of the next hour inside the Capitol building, where he berated officers, shouting at them and calling them “communists.”
Later he sent a text to his father saying, “Politics won’t save us. Violence is the only way we will win.”
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His father Kevin Tuck was with him that day and also charged.
He was an officer with the Windermere Police Department and also pleaded guilty for his role in the 2021 insurrection at the U.S.Capitol.
He was sentenced to six months is prison and had yet to start his sentence.
Last night Nathan celebrated with fellow Proud Boys members. He told News 6,
“We just drank and had a good time last night. Picked up a lot of guys from prison last night,” Nathan Tuck said.
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There were about 45 local arrests made in connection with Jan. 6. Three Central Floridians were charged with some of the most serious crimes.
Joseph Biggs, a Proud Boy from Ormond Beach, and Kelly Meggs – an Oath Keeper from Dunnellon – were both convicted of seditious conspiracy.
And Kenneth Harrelson, and Oath Keeper from Titusville was convicted of lesser charges, and was sentecned to four years in prison.
All three have now been released.
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We know, we know. College football’s national title game ended only a few hours ago. The celebration in Columbus, Ohio, is just now cranking up. Heck, Kirk Herbstreit’s pooch is still prancing somewhere in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
So why are we already making projections for the 2025 season? Because it’s a tradition like no other. Way-too-early forecasts have become embedded in the sport’s fabric, much like portal season, the Pop-Tarts Bowl and profanities by Nick Saban on live TV.
Who cares if they should be taken with a grain of salt? Our guess is, they’ll still make more than a few fans feel salty. All part of the fun.
Here then, is our way-too-early 2025 ranking of Florida’s seven Football Bowl Subdivision teams.
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7. Florida International
Former Florida A&M coach Willie Simmons, who led the Rattlers to at least nine wins in each of his last four seasons, is the new head coach at FIU. [ LYNNE SLADKY | AP ]
2024 record: 4-8
3 key returners: DB Brian Blades II (six pass breakups), QB Keyone Jenkins (2,557 passing yards, 22 TDs), RB Kejon Owens (team-best 392 rushing yards, five TDs)
3 key departures: LB Travion Barnes (Baylor), S JoJo Evans (Louisville), WR Eric Rivers (Georgia Tech)
Impact newcomer: RB Ajay Allen (Miami)
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Outlook: New Panthers coach Willie Simmons did arguably his best recruiting job of the winter by convincing both Jenkins and Owens to withdraw their names from the portal and remain at FIU. On the flip side, Simmons lost a procession of talented defensive players to the portal and must do some significant replenishing. Simmons, a Tallahassee native who posted four consecutive seasons of at least nine wins at Florida A&M, has the coaching and recruiting chops to succeed down south, but this will take time.
6. Florida Atlantic
FAU gets a boost by landing former Western Kentucky quarterback Caden Veltkamp, a 3,000-yard passer. [ LYNNE SLADKY | Associated Press (2024) ]
2024 record: 3-9
3 key returners: DB Wendel Philord (42 tackles, four pass breakups), WR Jabari Smith (17 receptions), DB Jayden Williams (two interceptions)
3 key departures: RB C.J. Campbell (Rutgers), QB Cam Fancher (UCF), S CJ Heard (Vanderbilt)
Outlook: New Owls coach Zach Kittley practically had to pilfer the transfer portal to replenish FAU’s decimated roster, but he pulled off a bonanza by signing Veltkamp, a 3,000-yard passer at Western Kentucky last season. As a bonus, he also landed one of Veltkamp’s top targets last year, Hilltoppers slot receiver Easton Messer (55 catches, 793 yards). Widely regarded as one of college football’s brightest young offensive minds, Kittley, 33, has the energy and ingenuity to turn around FAU. But his overhauled roster will need time to jell.
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5. UCF
Scott Frost went 19-7 during his initial stint with the Knights (2016 and 2017), leading the 2017 team to a 13-0 record and conference title. [ JOHN MINCHILLO | Associated Press (2017) ]
2024 record: 4-8
3 key returners: Edge Nyjalik Kelly (team-high 5.5 sacks), RT Paul Rubelt (lone returning OL starter) DT John Walker (injured in 2024)
3 key departures: LB Xe’Ree Alexander (Washington), DL Lee Hunter (Texas Tech), RG Marcellus Marshall (Minnesota)
Impact newcomer: QB Tayven Jackson (Indiana)
Outlook: Count us among those who remain convinced Scott Frost didn’t forget how to coach. Also count us among those who believe he never really was crazy about leaving UCF for his alma mater (Nebraska), where he went 16-31 in four-plus seasons. Frost has some significant rebuilding ahead of him in his second stint in Orlando, and he has been forced to tap heavily into the transfer portal (more than two-dozen transfers) since his return in early December. But don’t be shocked if the Knights make some rumblings in the Big 12 in 2025. And if his second season (2026) remotely resembles the Year 2 of his initial go-round at UCF (see Colley Matrix), watch out.
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4. USF
USF’s Keshaun Singleton, running for a touchdown against Tulsa in a late-November game, is the Bulls’ top returning receiver. [ LUIS SANTANA | Times ]
2024 record: 7-6 (topped San Jose State, 41-39, in Hawaii Bowl)
3 key returners: QB Byrum Brown (12 school records), WR Keshaun Singleton (428 receiving yards, three TDs), S Tavin Ward (team-high three interceptions)
3 key departures: S Tawfiq Byard (Colorado), RB Kelley Joiner (NFL draft), LB Jamie Pettway (NFL draft)
Impact newcomer: RB Cartevious Norton (Charlotte)
Outlook: Presuming Brown is healthy and still here, the Bulls should eclipse the seven-win plateau in Year 3 of the Alex Golesh era. The backfield must be replenished, but there’s proven talent on the perimeter and up front. The big question involves the defense and whether USF can develop more consistency on that side. After two .500 regular seasons, Bulls fans want to see Golesh’s “process” produce titles, or at least title-game berths.
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3. FSU
FSU coach Mike Norvell has tapped heavily into the transfer portal in an effort to replenish his roster in the wake of a 2-10 season. [ COLIN HACKLEY | AP ]
2024 record: 2-10
3 key returners: S Shyheim Brown (team-high 70 tackles), DT Darrell Jackson (32 tackles, 3.5 sacks), S KJ Kirkland (46 tackles, two pass breakups)
3 key departures: QB Luke Kromenhoek (Mississippi State), edge Patrick Payton (LSU), RB Lawrance Toafili (NFL draft)
Impact newcomer: QB Thomas Castellanos (Boston College)
Outlook: As promised, coach Mike Norvell has orchestrated a brisk overhaul in the wake of a disastrous autumn, bringing in two new coordinators (Gus Malzahn, Tony White) and an infusion of veterans from the transfer portal. The returners and replenishments on defense, along with White’s 3-3-5 scheme, should foster optimism, but the big question is whether the Seminoles will regain an offensive pulse. Castellanos, a 5-foot-9 dual threat, played briefly for Malzahn at UCF and possesses the skill set that meshes with Malzahn’s no-huddle scheme.
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2. Miami
Miami running back Mark Fletcher Jr. reacts after scoring a touchdown during the first half of his team’s 36-14 romp of rival FSU on Oct. 26 in Miami Gardens. [ LYNNE SLADKY | AP ]
2024 record: 10-3 (lost to Iowa State, 42-41, in Pop-Tarts Bowl)
Outlook: The Hurricanes got a coup of sorts by luring Beck — 24-3 as a starter at Georgia — from the portal. Beck, who likely will miss spring practice while recovering from elbow surgery, doesn’t have Ward’s hair-trigger release, but he possesses far more big-game experience than Ward had upon his arrival to Coral Gables. He’ll also be complemented by what projects as a solid offensive line and sturdy run game (see Fletcher, Jordan Lyle). The prevailing question is how the beleaguered defense will progress under new coordinator Corey Hetherman.
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1. Florida
Florida running back Jadan Baugh scores a touchdown between Mississippi safety Trey Washington (25) and safety Louis Moore (7) during the Gators’ 24-17 upset of the then-No. 9 Rebels on Nov. 23. [ PHELAN M. EBENHACK | AP ]
2024 record: 8-5 (topped Tulane, 33-8, in Gasparilla Bowl)
3 key returners: QB DJ Lagway (6-1 as starter), edge Tyreak Sapp (team-high seven sacks), C Jake Slaughter (first-team All-American)
3 key departures: WR Chimere Deke (NFL draft), LB Shemar James (NFL draft), edge Jack Pyburn (LSU)
Impact newcomer: WR Dallas Wilson (Tampa Bay Tech)
Outlook: Few SEC teams ended 2024 with more momentum than the Gators, whose season-ending four-game win streak included home upsets of ranked foes LSU and Ole Miss. Moreover, coach Billy Napier replenished his roster with a top-11 prep signing class in December. This is Lagway’s team now, and he’ll be flanked by talent both proven (Slaughter) and promising (Wilson). The most formidable challenge: a schedule every bit as ruthless as last year’s.
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