Trump will find friendly Florida crowd amid impeachment talk

President Donald Trump is leaving Washington for the first time since House Democrats ramped up their impeachment inquiry - and he’s heading straight into the warm embrace of a Republican stronghold. Trump is due to visit The Villages, a sprawling retirement hub about an hour north of Orlando that is a must-stop for GOP candidates. The president plans to announce an executive order to protect Medicare and address an invitation-only group during his visit Thursday. [Source: AP]

Florida is one of the least-vaccinated states

The Sunshine State outperformed only Texas and Mississippi, which ranked 50th and 51st, respectively, in a list that includes the District of Columbia. Florida ranked low in a number of ways. The state is 50th for its influenza vaccination rate in children, 49th for the number of adults who have been vaccinated for tetanus, and 46th for overall flu vaccination coverage among adults. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried Fried to roll out climate change priorities

Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried on Thursday plans to roll out legislative priorities focused on climate change. Warning of greater coastal flooding and more powerful hurricanes, the package will address issues such as renewable energy, farm resilience, climate adaptation, new funding sources and financial incentives, Fried said Wednesday as she helped open the Florida Energy and Climate Summit in Tampa. [Source: WJXT]

Poison, murder and a blood-red soda: How a Nicaraguan staple ended up in Florida

With its plain red can and a description only as “red soda,” Milca doesn’t stand out in the soda aisle. But the story of how Nicaragua’s favorite red soft drink ended up at your South Florida grocery store has more twists than your abuela’s favorite telenovela. Milca soda turns 60 this year — in exile. It was first brewed in 1959 in Nicaragua and became the country’s most popular soft drink not named Coke or Pepsi after a national scandal involving a murdered socialite. And it ended up in Miami after the Sandinista revolution of the late 1970s. [Source: Miami Herald]

Fossils from Florida’s biggest exposed bedrock show life 15 million years ago

A group of Florida researchers found fossils of 36 kinds of leaves, 10 types of fruits and seeds, seven unidentified specimens and a newly discovered species of elm. Laid out in the study, these fossils show what Florida’s environment looked like 15 million years ago in the middle of the Miocene epoch. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Orlando Citrus Parade ending after 39 years [Orlando Sentinel]
The Orlando Citrus Parade is ending its run after 39 years, according to the parade’s organizer. Traditionally held downtown before New Year’s Day, the parade began in 1980 featuring marching bands from high schools nationwide and celebrated bowl games at what is now Camping World Stadium.

› North Florida's drought brings water levels in Apalachicola system to near-historic lows [WFSU]
North Florida’s drought conditions are expected to continue and there’s no sign of relief anytime soon. The lack of water is beginning to take a toll on the Apalachicola Bay and river. In Tallahassee, Fla. alone there were 16 days of 95 degree or higher temperatures this summer. Florida state climatologist David Zierden says the region’s present drought conditions will remain for the next few weeks.

› Electronic Arts to move headquarters to downtown Orlando’s Creative Village [Orlando Sentinel]
Electronic Arts plans to move its Central Florida headquarters from Maitland to downtown Orlando, potentially as soon as 2021, an anchor for what Mayor Buddy Dyer hopes will become a robust digital media cluster. EA could reap as much as $9 million in property taxes under the deal, according to documents posted within the City Council’s agenda for Monday.

› Miami wants bigger Bayside Ferris wheel receipt share [Miami Today]
If Bayside wants to bring a 176-foot-tall Ferris wheel to its grounds, it’s going to have to give the City of Miami a larger cut of the revenue, city commissioners argue. The city commission considered a height waiver for a proposed Ferris wheel at Bayside Marketplace at last week’s meeting, with the discussion centering on air rights.

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› A Florida Keys private island with a rich history is for sale. Asking price: $17 million. [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Drivers trekking to the Florida Keys often miss it until they see the For Sale sign. “Island for Sale” reads the vertical post with the listing price of $17 million. The sign sits outside the gated entrance to Terra’s Key, the private island at Mile Marker 79.9 in Islamorada.

› Orlando scam drained $31 million from investors who thought cash was going to Pitbull, Kanye West, Jay-Z concerts [Orlando Sentinel]
The chance to invest in concerts by big-name rappers such as Kendrick Lamar, Kanye West, Pitbull and Jay-Z with the promise of huge profits was the bait two Orlando men used for years to rope in investors to their business, a federal lawsuit says.

› Miami International Boat Show may look at fall dates [Miami Today]
Some of the people supporting restoration of Miami Marine Stadium fear the millions of dollars going into the rebuild may be wasted if the Miami International Boat Show hogs the property in the peak tourist season. The boat show is held in mid-February on Virginia Key, but what if it were staged in the fall?

› FDLE seeks money to help curb attacks [WPTV]
A project designed to detect “homegrown violent extremists and lone actors” before they attack is estimated to cost the Florida Department of Law Enforcement millions of dollars --- and agency officials want lawmakers to start paying for parts of it next year.