Florida News That Impacts You – April 1st, 2026
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you throughout the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast.
- Governor DeSantis signed the bill known as Missy’s Law and the Sexual Offenses bill into law on Tuesday. The laws strengthen penalties against sexual offenders while offering additional protections for children from child sex predators. Among the chances, perpetrators found guilty or those who’ve entered a guilty plea will be held without bond until sentencing – including those who possess exploitive child material.
- Palm Beach International Airport has a new state-of-the art drone defense system nearby. The laser-based defense system is adjacent to the airport and contains the ability to identify drone threats and use jammers to disrupt a drone’s electronics and lasers to shoot them down if necessary. PBI was a priority due to its regular use by President Trump and proximity to Mar-a-Lago.
- Amid the continued partial government shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security, wait times continued to improve at Palm Beach International Airport on Tuesday. The average time to clear through security at PBI averaged 12 minutes on Tuesday – which is normal. President Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA agents with many agents receiving paychecks on Monday.
- It’ll be gusty along the coast and mostly sunny today with a high in the upper 70’s throughout the Palm Beaches and Treasure Coast – which is a bit cooler than usual for this date. Rain chances rise on Thursday.
- Gas prices rose significantly again on Tuesday to reach fresh 3.5-year highs with the average price for regular unleaded currently at $4.22 per gallon - 10 cents higher than yesterday. In Palm Beach County the average price is $4.35 per gallon, in Martin the average is $4.25, it’s $4.25 in St. Lucie, and in Indian River County the average is $4.24 per gallon.