Florida
SpaceX weekend rocket launch from Florida. Best places to watch
Who’s up for a nighttime launch this weekend? A rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, is scheduled to lift off.
SpaceX plans to send a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 29 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit on Sunday, Jan. 18.
Rockets here launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center near Merritt Island, Florida, or Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, and people in and around Brevard County usually have the best chance at seeing this phenomenon in the sky.
Weather permitting and depending on cloud cover and trajectory, a rocket launch from Florida’s Space Coast is sometimes visible as far north as Jacksonville Beach and Daytona Beach and as far south as Vero Beach and West Palm Beach.
When there’s a nighttime launch window or very early morning, there’s an opportunity for unique photos — the rocket lights up the dark sky and the contrail after makes for a great photo.
Below is more information on the next rocket launch from Florida and suggestions on where to watch it in person (or virtually via the USA TODAY Network’s Space Team).
For questions or comments, email FLORIDA TODAY Space Reporter Rick Neale at rneale@floridatoday.com or Space Reporter Brooke Edwards at bedwards@floridatoday.com. For more space news from the USA TODAY Network, visit floridatoday.com/space.
When is the next SpaceX rocket launch in Florida? Sunday, January 18, SpaceX Starlink 6-100
- Mission: A SpaceX Falcon 9 will launch 29 Starlink internet satellites into low-Earth orbit.
- Launch window: 5:04 p.m. to 9:04 p.m. ET on Sunday, Jan. 18, 2026
- Trajectory: Southeast
- Location: Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
- Sonic booms: No
- Live coverage starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space: You can watch live rocket launch coverage from USA TODAY Network’s Space Team, which consists of FLORIDA TODAY space reporters Rick Neale and Brooke Edwards and visuals journalists Craig Bailey, Malcolm Denemark and Tim Shortt. Our Space Team will provide up-to-the-minute updates in a mobile-friendly live blog, complete with a countdown clock, at floridatoday.com/space, starting 90 minutes before liftoff. You can download the free FLORIDA TODAY app, which is available in the App Store or Google Play, or type floridatoday.com/space into your browser.
Where to watch the next SpaceX rocket launch from Space Coast of Florida
Pretty much anywhere in Brevard, you’ll get a view of the rocket launch − in certain areas, you can get an amazing view of SpaceX rocket boosters returning to the pads. The best view to watch a rocket launch from the Space Coast is along the beach. However, visibility will depend on weather conditions and people should make sure not to block traffic or rights of way on bridges and to follow posted rules at beaches.
If you are viewing the launch along the Indian River in Titusville from Space View Park or Parrish Park, look east directly across the river.
If you are farther south along the Indian River, look northeast.
Playalinda Beach or Canaveral National Seashore is the closest spot to view liftoff because it is almost parallel to Launch Pad 39A. On the beach, look south along the coastline, (you can even see the pad from some spots).
Some hotspots to check out:
- Jetty Park Beach and Pier, 400 Jetty Park Road, Port Canaveral. Note, there’s a charge to park.
- Playalinda Beach, 1000 Playalinda Beach Road, Canaveral National Seashore. Note, there’s a charge to park, and access to Canaveral National Seashore isn’t always granted depending on capacity and time of day.
- Max Brewer Bridge and Parrish Park, 1 A. Max Brewer Memorial Parkway, Titusville. Note, parking is available on both sides of Max Brewer Bridge.
- Space View Park, 8 Broad St., Titusville
- Sand Point Park, 10 E. Max Brewer Causeway, Titusville
- Rotary Riverfront Park, 4141 S. Washington Ave., Titusville
- Riverfront Park at Cocoa Village, 401 Riveredge Blvd., Cocoa (just before State Road 520 Causeway)
- Cocoa Village, near the parks and shops or near the docks
- Various parks on Merritt Island
- Rotary Park, 1899 S. Courtenay Parkway, Merritt Island
- Kiwanis Park on Kiwanis Island Park Road on Merritt Island
- Port Canaveral, with ships from Disney Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean at port
- Alan Shepard Park, 299 E. Cocoa Beach Causeway, Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
- Cocoa Beach Pier, 401 Meade Ave. Parking fee varies.
- Lori Wilson Park, 1400 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Lori Wilson Park has a dog park, by the way.
- Sidney Fischer Park, 2200 N. Atlantic Ave., Cocoa Beach. Note, there could be parking costs.
- Downtown Cocoa Beach, along Minutemen Causeway
- Tables Beach, 197 SR A1A, Satellite Beach
- The Tides on SR A1A in Satellite Beach
- Various parks, including the Pelican Beach Clubhouse, in Satellite Beach
- Pineda Causeway
- Eau Gallie Causeway
- Front Street Park near Melbourne (U.S. 192) Causeway and U.S. 1 in Melbourne
- Indialantic boardwalk at Melbourne Causeway and SR A1A
- Paradise Beach Park, aka Howard Futch Park, 2301 SR A1A, Melbourne (this is a beachside park)
- Sebastian Inlet Park, 9700 S. State Road A1A, Melbourne Beach (there is a cost to enter)
Florida
SNAP benefits will be changing in Florida starting Monday
TAMPA, Fla – New SNAP restrictions will start Monday in Florida.
What we know:
These changes will ban the purchase of many sugary sodas, energy drinks, candy and ultra-processed, shelf-stable prepared desserts.
Hunger Free America, an advocacy group, is against these restrictions.
Joel Berg, the CEO, said some regulation is a good thing, but he wants to see it support access to healthy foods as a choice.
“We do support mandates to mandate that healthier food is available in stores that do accept SNAP,” Berg said. “So, it makes a lot more sense to make it easier to get healthier food.”
Berg said these restrictions are unnecessary in achieving a healthier America.
“We should make America healthier again by making healthy food more affordable, convenient and physically available,” Berg said. “We shouldn’t micromanage the eating patterns of adults to try to achieve that goal.”
The other side:
This is part of the Make America Healthy Again initiative.
U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins said, “Under the MAHA initiative, we are taking bold, historic steps to reverse the chronic disease epidemic that has taken root in this country for far too long.”
What they’re saying:
Berg said that these changes, on top of cuts to the program nationwide, will increase hunger.
“It’s not that low-income Americans don’t want healthier food; it’s that they can’t afford healthier food,” Berg said.
This coincides with the announcement that there will be cuts to WIC, the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, which supplies food to mothers and young children.
“President Trump’s budget just announced that he’s proposing taking away fruits and vegetables from the WIC program for pregnant women and children under five,” Berg said. “So, they’re taking away healthier food.”
The WIC cuts would take away $1.4 billion in fruit and vegetable benefits from 5.4 million people.
Big picture view:
The SNAP changes come as part of the MAHA movement and include more than 20 other states that will implement changes over the next two years.
The Source: Information in this story comes from WIC, SNAP and interviews done by Fox 13’s Danielle Zulkosky.
Florida
GALLERY: Barrett-Jackson ‘Super Saturday’ takes over South Florida Fairgrounds
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — The engines are revving for one final day of high-stakes bidding and family fun at the South Florida Fairgrounds.
Barrett-Jackson’s Palm Beach auction reaches its grand finale today with an action-packed “Super Saturday” lineup, promising to close out the weekend with a full slate of collector car sales, live entertainment, and fan attractions.
“Super Saturday,” presented by Seminole Casino Coconut Creek, officially kicks off at 8 a.m. when gates, food courts, and the exhibitor marketplace open to the public.
What to expect
- 8:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m.: The Fantasy Bid presented by Dodge begins early, running in tandem with the automobilia auction in the arena.
- 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Thrill-seekers can catch Dodge thrill rides on the Barrett-Jackson Performance Track.
- 10:00 a.m.: New amenities open to the public, including the Stella Artois, Staging Lanes, and Food Court patios, which offer shaded seating and auction views.
- 10:45 a.m.: The national anthem will be performed in the auction arena, signaling the start of the main collector car auction at 11 a.m.
- Afternoon Entertainment: DJ sets run from noon to 5 p.m. across the various patios, and a detailing clinic by Adam’s Polishes is scheduled for 2 p.m. near the South Showcase.
For those unable to attend, the whole event will be livestreamed throughout the day on the Barrett-Jackson website and the HISTORY channel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Today’s finale comes on the heels of a high-energy Friday that saw significant sales and notable celebrity interest.
Star power was evident throughout the day, particularly with vehicles tied to the Busch family. A 1957 Ford Thunderbird Convertible owned by Samantha Busch and a 1969 Oldsmobile 442 Custom Coupe were among the day’s heavy hitters, each fetching $159,500. Kyle Busch’s 1956 Chevrolet Bel Air Custom Coupe also drew a strong bid, selling for $143,000.
Other Friday highlights included:
- 1968 Ford Mustang Eleanor Replica: $137,500
- 2004 Dodge Viper SRT-10 Mamba Edition: $132,000
- 1972 Chevrolet K5 Blazer Custom SUV: $126,500
- 1957 Ford Thunderbird Custom Convertible: $121,000
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With a festival-style atmosphere and high-profile sales driving momentum, organizers expect a busy crowd for the final push at the auction block today.
Florida
Bodycam captures life-saving rescue of choking baby by Florida deputies
ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. (CBS12) — A quiet Monday turned into a frantic race against time when a deputy stepped in to save a choking 1-year-old’s life.
According to the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, deputies responded to a call about a 1-year-old baby choking. Upon arrival, the responding deputy performed life-saving procedures to help the child breathe again.
See also: Two arrested after 6-year-old arrives at Florida school with bruises, deputies say
Body camera video shows a deputy holding the baby, flipping it over on its stomach, and beginning to pat the baby’s back.
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When the baby begins to cry, the deputy is heard saying, “he’s good.”
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