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1. Big weekend ahead in South Florida and the Treasure Coast
The NFL adding one more game this season, means the Super Bowl (airing Sunday at 6:30 p.m.on WPTV) and Valentine's Day land back-to-back, but that's not all there is to be excited about.
The Delray Beach Open, Martin County Fair in Stuart South Florida Garlic Fest in Wellington, Art Fest in Stuart, Boca Raton Seafood & Music Festival, Florida Renaissance Festival and more are all happening this weekend.
If you're looking for more of a performance than a festival, Cats will have eight performances at the Kravis Center and Michael Rapaport will be at the Improv Comedy Theatre in West Palm Beach.
2. Florida Senate and DeSantis face off over Lake Okeechobee
A bill filed in the Florida Senate has environmental groups and Gov. Ron DeSantis vehemently sounding off in opposition against state senators in his own party.
The measure, SB 2508, could discharge more water from Lake Okeechobee to the Treasure Coast and the St. Lucie Estuary.
The bill is designed to give Lake Okeechobee water priority to agriculture. It is a last-minute maneuver that many say will undermine the new plan for managing water releases.
3. Speaking of the Florida legislature: 15-week abortion ban heads to the house floor
A GOP-controlled House panel approved for final consideration in the lower chamber a measure to restrict abortions at 15 weeks with no exemptions for rape or incest. It's now just steps from the governor's desk.
While there was some public support from religious groups, most of the testimony was impassioned opposition. More than 100 people filled out forms to speak.
The committee chair, Rep. Colleen Burton, R-Lakeland, trimmed comments to 45 seconds to accommodate the large crowd.
Many opponents considered HB 5 a "dangerous" and "extreme" restriction on women's health care. Others noted it would likely be on hold, day one, and stay that way at least until the U.S. Supreme Court finished reviewing a similar Mississippi law.
4. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times for Elon Musk
SpaceX's Elon Musk says the first orbital flight of his towering Starship could come in another month or two and he's confident Starship will reach orbit by the end of this year.
NASA plans to use Starship to land astronauts on the moon as early as 2025.
On the other hand, Tesla announced another recall on Thursday. Tesla has issued 10 U.S. recalls over the last four months, including four in the last two weeks.
Several of Tesla's recent recalls have come soon after NHTSA raised questions about features or complaints. The regulator is investigating Tesla's driver assistance system Autopilot and an in-vehicle game feature.
5. Boynton Beach mayoral candidate found guilty after anti-mask flap at Einstein Bros. Bagels
Cindy Falco-Dicorrado, 63, has been found guilty on charges of trespassing and resisting arrest without violence last January.
Dicorrado had proclaimed that it was her constitutional right not to wear a mask inside an Einstein Bros. Bagels located near Boca Raton despite Palm Beach County's mask mandate at the time, according to the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office.
According to a probable cause affidavit, Dicorrado caused a disturbance "because she was asked to wear a mask and refused to leave the store after several requests."
She is among four candidates that voters will be able to choose from for next mayor of Boynton Beach on March 8 just after her sentencing on Feb. 28.
Today's Forecast
Warm with possible showers ahead of Sunday cold front
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On This Day In History
Nelson Mandela, leader of the movement to end South African apartheid, is released from prison after 27 years on February 11, 1990.
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