Midday Brief: Sunday, Nov. 1, 2026

• Image: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI; Image Processing: Joseph DePasquale (STScI)Science & Technology Webb Telescope Spots a "Cat's Head" Carved Into Gas and Dust Near the Carina Nebula
  NASA's new mid-infrared image shows a pillar near the Carina Nebula shaped like a cat's head, sculpted by radiation and winds from massive stars.

• Local (Okeechobee) Flash Flood Warning in Okeechobee; Parts of SR 70 and US 441 Are Impassable, Weather Service Says
  Law enforcement reported 3 to 5 inches of rain and water entering buildings; the warning runs until 1:15 p.m.
• Local (Orange) · Election Sheriff's Office Investigating Swastikas Painted Near an Orange County Early Voting Site
  The symbols were found on five trees near the Taft Community Center and painted over by Friday. All 27 county early voting sites stayed open.
• Crime (Duval) Two Killed, 11 Hurt in Separate Shootings at Jacksonville Halloween Parties, Sheriff's Office Says
  A 17-year-old girl and a 20-year-old man died. JSO says both shootings started with fights and asks anyone with information to call.
• Getaways Tarpon Springs: the Sponge Docks and Florida's Greek town
  A Tampa Bay day trip to the historic Sponge Docks on Dodecanese Boulevard, where Greek divers built the town's sponge industry.
• Getaways Little Havana: Calle Ocho and Domino Park in Miami
  A Miami day trip along Calle Ocho, with a stop at Máximo Gómez (Domino) Park.
• Getaways Busch Gardens Tampa Bay: coasters, animals and Christmas Town
  A Tampa theme park day with thrill rides and animal habitats, eight miles northeast of downtown Tampa.
• Getaways Adventure Island Tampa: plan ahead for the 2027 season
  Tampa's seasonal water park next to Busch Gardens is closed for the year and plans to reopen in 2027.
• Getaways LEGOLAND Florida: a family day in Winter Haven
  A 150-acre resort built for kids 2 to 12, with a theme park, water park and SEA LIFE aquarium.
• Getaways SeaWorld Orlando: rides, animals and Christmas Celebration
  A theme park, zoo and aquarium about 10 minutes south of downtown Orlando.
• Getaways Aquatica Orlando: slides, wave pools and a lazy river
  SeaWorld's Orlando water park, across the street from SeaWorld on International Drive.
• Getaways Universal Orlando: Studios, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe
  Four Universal parks and CityWalk in Orlando, with separate parking for Epic Universe.
• Getaways Walt Disney World: planning a day at the four theme parks
  Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Hollywood Studios and Animal Kingdom, with one parking fee good all day at all four.
• Getaways Disney water parks: Blizzard Beach open, Typhoon Lagoon in refurbishment
  This fall, Blizzard Beach is the one that's open.
• Getaways Island H2O Water Park: a Kissimmee splash day
  A Kissimmee water park on Inspiration Drive, with rides sorted by thrill level.

• State Coastal Flooding Continues From Jacksonville to the Keys; State Warns Drivers About Saltwater
  NWS Miami issued a flash flood warning for south Miami-Dade until 2:15 p.m. after 3 to 5 inches of rain; a flood watch now also covers Brevard to Martin. Updated Nov. 1, 12:24 PM ET.
• Local (Bay) Flash Flood Warning for Panama City Area as Radar Shows 5 to 8 Inches of Rain
  A second warning, until 11:45 a.m. CT, added Callaway, Parker and Bay Harbor after 4 to 8 inches of rain. Updated Nov. 1, 12:24 PM ET.

• State · Election More Than 5.15 Million Floridians Have Voted Two Days Before Election Day
  Recap: 3,256,797 early in-person votes and 1,902,740 mail ballots as of 8:09 a.m. Sunday.
• Nation DEA Begins Issuing Federal Registrations to More Than 900 Medical Marijuana Dispensaries, Including in Florida
  Recap: each dispensary had to pass a DEA investigation, the Justice Department says.
• World UN Demands Investigation After a Yemeni Staff Member Dies in Houthi Detention
  Recap: Mohammad el Shami had been held since June 2024.
• Crime · Election Federal Jury in Orlando Convicts a Slovakian National of Falsely Claiming Citizenship to Register and Vote
  Recap: Peter Holly faces up to five years in federal prison; sentencing hasn't been set.

That's midday. If water covers the road ahead, turn around; the rest of the afternoon's facts will be here at 6 p.m.

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