The stakes are even higher now: win and advance, or lose and bring one of the best seasons in franchise history to an end. The No. 3 seed Jaguars host the No. 6 seed Bills in the Wild Card Round.

AEM released their 2025 U.S lightning report which revealed that Oklahoma has surpassed Florida to become the nation’s lighting concentration capital of the United States.

Days after a registered sex offender was found with a missing child in Central Florida, deputies have released more information about what exactly happened, including harrowing details from the 11-year-old who said he'd been held captive and threatened.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that he will issue a proclamation to convene a special session of the Florida Legislature to redistrict Florida’s congressional map.

Florida lawmakers next week will start the 2026 legislative session. With hundreds of bills filed for consideration during the session, here are 10 issues to watch.

State officials have released the official list of license plate configurations last year that were considered too racy for approval.

A federal judge Tuesday ruled that Florida has violated the constitutional rights of people who were dropped from the Medicaid program because it sent notices to them that “border on the incomprehensible.”

Thomas Haugh had 21 points, 12 rebounds and five assists, and Florida dominated No. 18 Georgia in the second half to win 92-77 on Tuesday night and stretch their home winning streak to 14 games.

The Florida Attorney General’s Office is “seriously” considering bringing a state case against Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro, according to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

Federal subsidies under the Affordable Care Act expired Dec. 31 after Congress failed to pass an extension, a move that could leave nearly 1 million Floridians without affordable coverage and strain hospitals across the state, the Florida Hospital Association said Tuesday.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed his support for a bill that seeks to ban insider stock trading among members of Congress.

Dozens of community members helped make the holidays brighter for animals across Jacksonville during Channel 4’s Santa Paws donation drive.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis expressed his support for the Trump administration’s capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday almost 3,000 undocumented immigrants have been flown out of Baker County’s “Deportation Depot” since it opened in early September.

An anti-trafficking sign in EverBank Stadium changed the life of a young mother and her child a few months ago. That sign was made possible because of a coordinated effort in Northeast Florida to combat human trafficking.

According to the UF/IFAS, one invasive plant in Florida could be mistaken for a tasty, starchy treat: Dioscorea bulbifera, otherwise known as the “Air Potato.”

Breaking down DJ Coleman's commitment to Florida from Baylor and the latest Gators transfer portal news with visits taking place.

News4JAX sports reporter Jamal St. Cyr's Four Cents analysis after Jacksonville's 41-7 romp over the Titans on Sunday.

A former Florida National Guard leader said state military units could play a crucial role in Venezuela following the dramatic U.S. military operation that removed Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro from power.

As Florida’s legislative session begins, Clay County leaders Ted Yoho and Sam Garrison shared their perspectives on the proposed property tax repeal and other key issues facing the region.

Reactions from Florida and federal lawmakers continue to pour in after President Trump’s overnight military strike on Venezuela.

An emergency room doctor at UF Health said the hospital saw a surge in patients over the Christmas holiday as a severe flu season and common colds drove higher volumes, especially among children.

College football Hall of Famer Urban Meyer has been appointed to the board of trustees at New College in Sarasota.

From changing vaccine requirements to eliminating property taxes, the upcoming Florida Legislative Session is expected to be a hectic 60 days for state lawmakers.

We are looking ahead to 2026 at what local analysts and realtors say is coming next for home prices and what it could mean for your bottom line in the year ahead.

A Walt Disney World worker in Florida was injured while trying to stop a runaway prop boulder during the park's Indiana Jones live show.

Florida House Member has proposed legislation that would allow HOA’s to dissolve

Florida law usually allows personal-use fireworks on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day -- two of only three days all year long when they are permitted. But a major rain deficit is shifting things a bit as we prepare to ring in 2026.

A recap of the top local headlines in 2025.

More community leaders in Clay County are calling for accountability after a controversial social media post about “the African American community” by a member of the School Board.

A freeze warning and bitter wind chills hit Jacksonville as Katie Garner from News4JAX's The Weather Authority explains what to expect, plus fire risk updates and a look ahead to weekend rain chances.

Florida wildlife officials say the state's first black bear hunt in a decade killed 52 bears.

Jacksonville woke up to bone-chilling wind chills and gusty breezes, as temperatures dipped into the 40s but felt much colder.

Temperatures are expected to drop on Tuesday and Wednesday. JEA offered tips to keep energy consumption low over the next few days.

Calling it the “Health Care Medical Freedom Act,” a House Republican on Monday filed a bill that says health-care providers could not “discriminate” against patients based on vaccination status and seeks to add disclosure requirements when children get vaccinated.

The News4JAX I-TEAM looked into getting answers after residents at a Northside apartment complex reported weeks of overflowing trash.

A dozen iconic swans at Lake Eola in downtown Orlando have died recently from an unknown cause.

While there’s no exact age at which Florida drivers are no longer allowed to get behind the wheel, there are some rules that kick in when you get old enough.

Alligator Alcatraz. Guns. Social media. Legal battles about those and myriad other Florida issues remain unresolved heading into 2026. Here are 10 big legal issues to watch in the coming year

Florida is known for making headlines across the country, and 2025 was no exception.

A pedestrian was killed Friday night in a crash on New Kings Road, marking Jacksonville’s 163rd traffic fatality and 36th pedestrian death of 2025, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.

Months after saying it was planning to open charters inside 25 existing Duval County public schools under the “Schools of Hope” law, Miami-based Mater Academy withdrew 23 of those letters of intent this month, according to a report from our news partner, Jacksonville Today. A DCPS parent shared her thoughts on the development.

Missouri and Virginia brought their Gator Bowl celebrations to Jacksonville Beach Friday night, with free pep rallies preceding Saturday's historic matchup where both teams chase milestone victories.

The Clay County chapter of the NAACP has joined calls for the resignation of a school board member who is under fire for controversial social media posts about the African American community.

After a pair of crashes that sent three deputies to the hospital this month, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office is urging drivers to avoid distractions and pay attention on the roadways, particularly over the holidays.

Public outrage and concern continued to mount as investigators continued to search for the person or people who tied a dog to a tree and shot it to death.

President Donald Trump says he will be extending invitations to next year’s Group of 20 summit to Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

After a license plate law went into effect back in October, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has made his opinion clear on any future legislation for license plates.

While many families are hitting the road to celebrate the holidays, new data shows that the stretch right before Christmas can be one of the deadliest times to drive in Florida.

Get ready, Jacksonville, the Jaguars are officially in the NFL playoffs.

Florida's new offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner brings a history of turnarounds, recently transforming Georgia Tech in just three years.

Lawyers for former CIA Director John Brennan want the Justice Department to be prevented from steering an investigation of him and other former government officials to a “favored” judge in Florida who dismissed the classified documents case against President Donald Trump.

A controversial social media post by a member of the Clay County School Board captured the attention of the Florida Commissioner of Education on Monday, and he’s calling for the board member to explain himself at a State Board of Education meeting next month.

Florida state officials warned of heightened wildfire risks across the state as dry conditions were expected to continue into 2026.

As 2026 approaches, affordability remains a dominant concern for Americans, with health insurance costs poised to rise sharply, especially in Florida. Government law attorney Chris Hand explained on This Week in Jacksonville that the end of COVID-era subsidies for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) could have severe consequences.

If you’ve ever taken a sip only to end up chewing on a soggy paper straw, you’re not alone — and Florida lawmakers are taking notice.

Jennifer Lawrence playing a new mother whose behavior becomes increasingly erratic in “Die My Love” and three more “Stranger Things” episodes are some of the new television, films, music and games headed to a device near you.

In Split Happens, Episode 6, host Katie Garner sits down with board-certified marital and family law attorney Jay Henderlite of Sasso Guerrero & Henderlite to unpack a topic many people overlook until it’s too late: courtroom etiquette.

Jacksonville-based Hanania Automotive Group has expanded into Flagler County with the purchase of Flagler Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram in Palm Coast, marking another milestone in the company’s growth across Northeast Florida.

The Jaguars are keeping receiver Jakobi Meyers, agreeing to a three-year contract extension with him on Thursday night, according to multiple media reports.

The high school football coaching carousel continues to spin, including the return of a coaching legend in Robby Pruitt and new hires at both Keystone Heights and Menendez.

A federal judge has denied a request to close an immigration detention center in the Florida Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz.”.

A judge in Miami has dismissed a complaint challenging a college’s decision to gift prime downtown real estate for President Donald Trump’s future presidential library.

Weekend brings sunny skies and mild temperatures

For the first time in more than a decade, Citizens Property Insurance Corp., the state-backed insurer of last resort, is proposing a 2.6% statewide average rate decrease, a move insurance experts say signals growing stability after years of soaring costs.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis will hold a news conference Thursday morning in Sebring.

Holiday travel is one of the busiest times on Florida’s roads, and agencies like the Florida Department of Transportation work around the clock to ensure a smooth and safe trip for drivers.

A man convicted of killing a man and his girlfriend during a 1987 home invasion has been put to death in Florida.

A St. Johns County middle school student was arrested Wednesday after school officials found a fake explosive device on campus.

After Sunday’s game against the Jets, Lawrence was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week.

As millions of travelers take to the skies this Christmas holiday, safety teams at Jacksonville International Airport are focused on a threat most passengers never see: wildlife on and near the runway.

Hamburger Mary’s in Riverside will pause its family-friendly drag shows starting in January, after a federal appeals court cleared the way for Florida to enforce a law restricting children from attending certain “adult live performances.”

Alachua County farmer Steven Davis said he could lose over a million dollars as acres of cabbage sit unharvested on his farm.

A new Florida bill filed this week could result in higher fees for homeowners’ associations across the state, according to our sister station WKMG in Orlando.

If Obamacare subsidies expire at the end of the year, Florida will be hit harder than any other state. The clock is ticking with Congress struggling to unite behind a plan to extend tax credits.

Florida has paved the way for new SNAP restrictions in 2026.

Changes to Florida’s homestead property tax rules would produce “clear winners and losers,” sharply reduce municipal revenue and widen gaps between wealthier coastal communities and smaller inland and rural towns, a Wichita State University analysis for the Florida League of Cities found.

A leading Muslim civil rights group in the U_S_ has sued Florida Gov_ Ron DeSantis over his order labeling it a “foreign terrorist organization.”.

Meteorologist Katie Garner says Jacksonville faces one more cold morning and freeze warnings, but warmer weather and sunshine are forecast by midweek, with slight rain chances as drought conditions continue.

Epilepsy is when the brain has an electrical misfire that causes multiple seizures. And depending on where the misfire takes place, the seizure will have different effects, such as freezing you or causing convulsions that result in you passing out.

Two dozen Kemp's ridley sea turtles are rehabilitating in Florida after cold waters off Cape Cod left them with frostbite and pneumonia.

Marineland

A warming trend will start on Wednesday

A new state law, House Bill 253, took effect in October and makes it illegal to display anything that obscures a vehicle’s license plate — even partially or from an angle. Since the law passed, questions and confusion have flooded social media and local law enforcement inboxes.

Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is entering the transfer portal.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis held a roundtable Monday morning at FAU to continue to push for legislation to protect Floridians, especially parents and children, from the dangers of artificial intelligence.

News4JAX sports reporter Jamal St. Cyr's Four Cents analysis after the Jaguars hammered the Jets 48-20 on Sunday.

Career afternoons from Trevor Lawrence and Travis Etienne kept the Jaguars on their playoff path. Now comes the difficult test.

Former Florida House Speaker Paul Renner is calling on state lawmakers to convene a special legislative session before the Christmas holiday to roll back property taxes, saying Floridians need “immediate relief.”

Jacksonville resident Billy Pitman, 61, recently claimed a $1 million prize from the Florida Lottery’s $25,000,000 Gold Rush Multiplier Scratch-Off game.

A Kentucky father will be able to celebrate Christmas with his daughter for the first time in 43 years, and it was all thanks to a Crime Stoppers tip from Florida.

Catch by catch, Kyle Pitts Sr. put the mistake-prone Atlanta Falcons on his back and carried them to a thrilling comeback victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Duval County parents expressed continued concern after the school board did not move forward with a resolution for the expansion of Florida’s Schools of Hope program.

We've known the opponents for the Florida Gators' 2026 football schedule, but now we know when Florida will play them.

U.S. congressman and candidate for Florida governor, Byron Donalds, says his mission is to keep Florida the best state in America while preparing it for future growth.

Local officials in Florida’s capital city have voted to sell a city-owned golf course built on top of the graves of enslaved people to a once-segregated country club.

Ninety-six north Florida residents will take the Oath of Allegiance and become U.S. citizens during halftime of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ game against the New York Jets on Sunday, Dec. 14, the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida said Thursday.

A Jacksonville homeowner association president spoke out against a proposed Florida law that would allow residents to dissolve their HOA with a two-thirds majority vote — a move he said would devastate neighborhoods across the state.

A fast-moving proposal backed by Gov. Ron DeSantis to eliminate property taxes on owner-occupied homes is drawing mixed reactions from Floridians and fresh warnings from housing experts who say the plan could worsen the state’s affordability crisis.

Over 40 dogs were rescued from an alleged dog-fighting operation spanning multiple properties in Union County, following a multi-agency investigation that led to at least one arrest.