AGP Executive Report

Publishing & Florida Books: Dr. Juan P. Chisholm’s Mission Possible: How to Graduate from College Debt-Free earned a 2026 Kingdom Book Awards finalist nod in the education category, adding to his Florida Book Awards Bronze Medal track record. Journalism & Awards: The Sunshine State Awards named 2026 honorees, with the Miami Herald/WLRN investigative team winning the A-Mark Prize for Brightline, Florida’s Killer Train, plus winners across print, digital, photo/design, video, audio, digital, Spanish language, and students. Health Policy & Rural Care: KFF Health News reports a $50B rural healthcare program is moving fast but lacks transparency, raising concerns about oversight and whether states are proactively sharing what’s working. Tech, Surveillance & Data: U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley launched an investigation into Flock Safety cameras over how the company collects, retains, and shares driver data. Elections & Voting by Mail: A USPS rule sought by the Trump administration could restrict mail voting and face legal fights, with impacts expected to hit rural and older voters hardest. Local Reading Culture: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library continues expanding in Florida, with community efforts to get books into kids’ hands.

Voting Rights & USPS: A Trump-backed U.S. Postal Service rule could make voting by mail “much more difficult, if not impossible” for tens of millions, with biggest impacts on rural and older voters and states that mail ballots broadly—setting up fast-moving court fights. Florida Publishing & Journalism: The Sunshine State Awards named 2026 honorees, including investigative work by the Miami Herald and WLRN News on Brightline’s safety record. Local Literacy Push: In Navarre and West Florida, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library partners with Friends groups and Open Books Bookstore to give free books to children through late September. Education Access: A UnidosUS report warns Latino students face overlapping barriers—especially food costs and unstable housing—pushing many toward leaving college. Forensic Arts: Experts trained in facial reconstruction to help identify victims, using 3D skull prints and international methods. Community & Books: A Florida Book Award recipient, Dr. Juan P. Chisholm, is recognized as a Kingdom Book Awards finalist for Mission Possible.

Journalism Spotlight: The Sunshine State Awards (Florida’s biggest statewide journalism contest) named 2026 honorees, with the A-Mark Prize for Investigative Reporting going to the Miami Herald and WLRN News for “Brightline, Florida’s Killer Train,” plus winners across print/digital, photo/design, TV/video, radio/audio, digital, Spanish language, and student categories. Community Literacy: In Navarre and West Florida, local library friends and Open Books Bookstore are partnering on Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library-style giveaways, letting kids pick free books starting Aug. 29 through late September. Publishing/Industry Watch: A national directory analysis from Top ABA Therapy reports the largest indexed footprint of ABA provider locations is in Florida (434 locations), a reminder of how directories and local pages are shaping service discovery. Local Governance & Public Info: A Lee County zoning hearing drew criticism over how public concerns and sensitive groundwater-area amendments were handled, with readers questioning transparency and process.

Local Literacy Push: After Dolly Parton’s death, Navarre and West Florida library supporters and Open Books Bookstore are giving away free children’s books through late September, letting kids pick any title at no cost. Publishing & Community Media: Miami’s Community Newspapers highlights local partnerships and events, including a new Localized Miami conversation on emergency preparedness with Miami-Dade Emergency Management. Book Retail Politics: Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon’s “Cafe Resistance” bookstore in Jacksonville is drawing scrutiny for a memorial wall honoring Marxist-Leninist militants, tying the shop to broader Florida debates over books and school content. Industry Data Directory: Top ABA Therapy says it mapped 4,206 ABA provider locations nationwide, with Florida the largest footprint, and is publishing city/state pages for families researching services. Civic Transparency: A Lee County zoning hearing drew complaints about how public input and information were handled, with residents questioning commissioners’ process.

Publishing & Books in Florida: A Florida news fight is heating up in court as President Trump updates his defamation lawsuit against The New York Times and Penguin Random House, adding new claims tied to reporting and a book about him. Local Publishing Services: Community Newspapers (Miami-Dade and Broward) is promoting its long-running legal notice publishing role as a “newspaper of record,” pitching reliability for attorneys, agencies, and residents. Tech, Media, and Reader Access: A Stealth Bot Prohibition Act push targets “bad bots” that overload publisher sites, with Florida lawmakers among the sponsors. Florida in the Wider Culture: The Old Farmer’s Almanac releases its 2026-27 winter forecast, including notes that affect Florida readers. Florida-Adjacent Pop Culture: GTA 6’s extended look lands, with Leonida framed as Florida-inspired, keeping publishing-adjacent entertainment chatter loud.

Publishing & Press Freedom: A bipartisan Stealth Bot Prohibition Act would force “bad bots” to identify themselves, aiming to protect publishers from automated scraping that slows sites and weakens content licensing. Tech & Media Accountability: Meta agreed to settle child-safety claims for up to $18B, with promised teen account limits and school-hour notification changes—while critics note the fine print may dilute impact. Florida Publishing/Books & Culture: Florida Democratic Senate nominee Angie Nixon’s Jacksonville bookstore, Cafe Resistance, is drawing backlash after reports said it includes a memorial wall honoring violent militants alongside book aisles. Florida Business/Books: A St. Petersburg AI writing firm, Probably Genius, opened its Integrity Gate scoring tool publicly after testing 169 web articles—none met its publishing threshold. Local Florida News (reader relevance): Wildlife officials continued searching for a crocodile after a dog was killed in South Miami, urging leashes and water precautions.

Publishing & Media Business: Ellwood Thompson’s parent company stockholders approved a reverse merger with Host Digital Infrastructure, setting up a mid-September close and a new data-center-backed chapter for the specialty grocery chain. Election Mail Rules: A federal judge again blocked Trump’s mail-in voting restrictions, issuing a 14-day hold on USPS rules just before midterms, with the fight likely headed to higher courts. AI Writing & Literacy: St. Petersburg’s Probably Genius opened its “Integrity Gate” scoring tool to the public and found 169 professional-service articles scored poorly—none cleared the 80 pass mark—while Florida teachers are increasingly using AI to generate decodable reading practice. Florida Community & Culture Books: McKee Botanical Garden’s 25th anniversary story is captured in a commemorative book, preserving the landmark’s near-loss and comeback. Tech Accountability: Meta agreed to pay up to $17B in a child-safety settlement as Jonathan Haidt’s “Anxious Generation” continues to shape policy conversations. Florida Arts/TV: Beacon College’s PBS-distributed series “A World of Difference: Embracing Neurodiversity” earned a national Public Media Award nomination. Local Publishing/Books & Events: Miami’s Little Haiti bookstore reopened with Creole and French titles after TPS ended for Haitian immigrants, highlighting how publishing serves communities under pressure.

GTA VI & Publishing/Media: Rockstar is rolling out an “extended look” for Grand Theft Auto VI on Thursday after last week’s leak, with the preview framed as a major media moment for a game set in a Miami-like Leonida/Vice City. Game-Industry Scale: A new report pegs GTA VI’s playable map at about 29 square miles and says the overall world is triple Red Dead Redemption 2’s playable area, alongside hundreds of thousands of animations—another reminder of how big publishers are betting on production value. Florida Literacy & AI Text: A Palm Beach County 1st grade teacher says AI-generated decodable passages are now making up most of her reading practice, raising fresh questions about benefits and tradeoffs as more educators adopt tools like Project Read. Local Journalism: Florida newsrooms are partnering to cover every county school board race, aiming to fill a major gap where many districts get little to no election reporting. Florida Book/Community Events: Books & Books is set to host a Sept. 22 debut-novel launch by Miami author and independent publisher Javier A. Betancourt, tying the event to near-future Miami storytelling. State Politics & Media Tie-In: Angie Nixon’s Senate campaign event spotlights her bookstore “Cafe Resistance,” as she accuses Ashley Moody of mishandling Medicaid settlement funds.

Pop-Culture & Publishing: Tampa Bay Comic Convention returns Sept. 4-6 with major celebrity and author talent, including John Cena, Katee Sackhoff, and multiple comic writers/artists—another reminder that Florida’s book world is tightly linked to comics, gaming, and fandom. Education Policy: A new report says Florida quietly removed climate change content from textbooks, raising fresh questions about what students are being taught and who’s steering the curriculum. Tech, Media & Kids: Florida opted out of a proposed $12.6B multi-state Meta settlement over child-safety harms, keeping the state free to pursue its own case. Local Newsrooms: Florida newsrooms are partnering to cover every county school board race, aiming to fill a long-standing gap in coverage for local candidates. Community Literacy: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library continues to be a major Florida literacy engine, with local families encouraged to donate as fans mourn the singer’s death. Libraries: Downtown Orlando and Maitland libraries are expanding to meet demand, including a $21M Orlando remodel and a new 20,000-square-foot Maitland library. Press Freedom: A Florida-linked spotlight on press-freedom legal fights underscores how newsroom access battles keep escalating.

Press Freedom Fight: The New York Times’ lead newsroom lawyer, David McCraw, says the government keeps finding new ways to restrict reporters after earlier court wins—turning the press into a “whack-a-mole” target. Local Publishing & Community News: Florida’s school board coverage push is expanding: newsrooms across the state are partnering to cover every county school board race, including reporting by college students and recent grads. Libraries & Reading Access: Central Florida libraries are growing—Orlando’s downtown library is getting a $21M children-and-family expansion, while Maitland is building a new 20,000-square-foot library. Education Pipeline: South Florida’s Teacher Accelerator Program says it has trained 700+ teachers and brought 500 new educators into classrooms. Books & Philanthropy: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is spotlighted again after her death, with the program credited for gifting 332M+ free books. Florida Courts & Tech: Florida opted out of a $12.6B multi-state Meta settlement over child-safety harms, keeping its own case alive. Community Leadership: Broward College ends a president dispute with a $430,000 settlement, while Lifeway installs new president Ryan Blackwell and emphasizes “coming alongside” churches.

Publishing & Books in Florida: Florida Grand Opera is launching SCENE, its first print magazine, with culture, fashion, design, travel coverage and a featured profile of tenor Arturo Chacón-Cruz. Local Arts & Community: Ocala’s Studio & Gallery Tour is relaunching with a free Sept. 19 preview event highlighting 14 local venues and artist classes. Education & Reading Culture: A new report says Florida is expanding cursive instruction debates and, separately, expanding communism history lessons for grades 6-12 amid political pushback. Media Rights & Print/Promotion: Unisun Sports announced a long-term ESPN media rights deal for ASUN and UAC starting in 2026. Business of Publishing Adjacent: Proforma completed its annual summer internship program, continuing its workforce pipeline with Florida universities. Legal Notices: Community Newspapers promoted its role as newspaper of record for Miami-Dade and Broward legal notices.

Publishing & Media Business: Proforma says it wrapped its 2026 summer internship program with 18 interns, expanding partnerships with Florida State, UF, and USF. Consumer Transparency: A new push for clearer standards on why online entertainment platforms recommend and serve content is gaining momentum as regulators and advocates demand more disclosure. Education Policy: Florida is expanding communism instruction for grades 6–12, adding lessons on Soviet, Mao-era China, and Castro’s Cuba amid debate over socialism and capitalism in schools. Local Journalism & Legal Notices: Community Newspapers promotes its role as a Newspaper of Record for legal notices in Miami-Dade and a trusted option in Broward. Tech & Industry: A report says AI is reshaping the optical sorter market, with major recycling investment cited in Florida. Sports Merch & Branding: The NFL and Nike’s Rivalries uniform program adds eight teams for 2026, including Florida’s Jaguars unveiling “Bold City” ahead of a Nov. 1 debut. Workplace/Health Research: A university audit finds major problems in pregnancy addiction research that influenced clinical practice, with the study still published.

Foreign Influence & Disclosure: A bipartisan U.S. bill led by Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna would require foreign-paid social-media influencers to register under FARA, aiming to force clearer labeling of propaganda-style promotion. Election Rules in Court: The Supreme Court cleared the way for Trump to move forward with plans tied to mail-in ballot handling, giving the administration room while lower-court fights continue. Local Publishing & Community Books: St. Petersburg artist Filipe Bergson escalates his campaign to reopen Haslam’s Book Store with a “Library Olympics” parking-lot concert meant to get the owners to respond. Books & Literature Spotlight: Edwidge Danticat’s new novel “Dèy” (Knopf) lands with a Florida-centered story of trauma, Haitian family life, and joy after a mall shooting. Florida Business/Publishing Adjacent: Tampa International Airport drops its TSA Gold+ privatization plan after public backlash, keeping screening with TSA officers. Tech & Security: Truffle Security rolls out TruffleHog AWS Analyze to map leaked AWS credentials’ access and risk for faster remediation. Local Culture: Sanibel’s Sunrise Sale returns Sept. 5 with island-wide early deals from locally owned shops.

Publishing & Books: Edwidge Danticat’s new novel Dèy (Knopf) lands with a Haitian American lens on trauma, mourning and joy, following a Florida survivor of a mall shooting while her family’s Haiti ties and community rituals keep her moving. Local Book Culture: St. Petersburg artist Filipe Bergson is staging a “Library Olympics” parking-lot concert to push for answers in his campaign to reopen Haslam’s Books. Literary Events: Ocala educator Mark Damohn (“Dr. D”) is bringing Gator-themed picture books to UF-area stores, building a whole series from T’was the Night Before Kickoff onward. Theater & Publishing Crossover: The Arsht Center announces the full cast for Buena Vista Social Club (Sept. 29–Oct. 4) and a free Rhythm & Roots week celebrating Cuban music and culture. Florida Business/Development: Oxford Exchange owners’ Tampa firm is planning a 550-acre Pasco wellness resort, “Clay Hill,” blending a luxury retreat with homes and outdoor amenities. Tech/Media: Take-Two and GTA 6 publisher efforts continue as more leak footage circulates, including a nudist-town gameplay segment.

Florida Book Buzz: Ocala educator Mark Damohn (“Dr. D”) is turning Gator fandom into a picture-book series, from “T’was the Night Before Kickoff” to “Albert and Alberta’s Trip to The Swamp,” sold via Amazon and local UF-area shops. Press Freedom Fight: A New York Times newsroom lawyer says the paper keeps winning court battles over government pressure on reporters, even as new restrictions pop up. Right to Read in Florida: TV host Ali Velshi highlights Sarasota’s school-board book “weeding” and the election results that reversed the Moms for Liberty-backed majority. Publishing & Learning Spaces: Saint Leo University’s Crime Scene House gives criminal justice students hands-on forensics training beyond textbooks. Literary Community: The Panacea Review launches as a Florida-focused literary journal spotlighting the Forgotten Coast’s writers and ephemera. Tech/Media Legal: Take-Two subpoenas Discord and Microsoft to trace the GTA VI leak source. Education Policy: Florida begins implementing a new communism-in-schools mandate tied to SB 1264.

Education & Books: Florida’s new “history and consequences of communism” law is now reaching classrooms, with districts folding required material into existing civics/history/econ plans instead of using the state’s dedicated electives. Publishing Industry & Policy: U.S. Reps. Laurel Lee (FL) and others push the Stealth Bot Prohibition Act to force “bad bots” to identify themselves, arguing bot traffic is slowing publisher sites and hurting licensing. Local Literary Scene: The Panacea Review, a new Florida-focused journal of literary ephemera, has opened with contributors tied to the Forgotten Coast. Retro Collecting: Strictly Limited and Atari confirm new official physical releases of Mr. Nutz (and more) for SNES and Sega Genesis, with shipping slated for Q1 2027. Gaming & Copyright: Take-Two/Rockstar seeks court orders and subpoenas to Microsoft and Discord to trace the GTA VI leak source, targeting servers and accounts tied to the leaked clips. Community News: Highlands News-Sun’s Highlander Awards spotlight local impact across 22 categories in Sebring.