Jacksonville's Morning News Interviews

Dana Troeger joins JMN to share info about the MILITARY APPRECIATION BACK TO SCHOOL BASH this Saturday, July 22, 10am to noon at 7 area YMCA locations. Families can register for the event, where kids will receive backpacks with supplies for the new school year, plus various other activities and incentives for families. Read more in our feature story for details about registration and participating locations.

Today, the Biden Administration is taking some steps to try to crack down on surprise convenience fees for renters. Some of those extra costs include fees to pay rent online, fees for mail sorting or trash collection and expensive application fees that can be up to $100 or more per application. White House officials say application fees often exceed the cost of conducting the background and credit checks. This comes as average rent prices hoover around $2,000 nationwide, according to NerdWallet. As part of this announcement, administration officials say several rental housing platforms like Zillow, Apartments.com, and AffordableHousing.com are pledging to provide more information about upfront costs for properties. We break down this latest effort and the potential impact to renters across the country.

Logan reports on the ribbon cutting ceremony later today for Spring Park Elementary, a new school on county road 315 in Green Cove Springs.

Logan previews a Town Hall meeting tonight, hosted by Sheriff T.K. Waters.

In the You Decide 2024 update, Blair reports on student activists at the Turning Point Action summit. In last year's event, activists were torn between potential candidates Trump and DeSantis. This year, there is a definitive preference.

Jonathan reports on breaking news of a US soldier being detained in North Korea for crossing the border from South Korea without authorization.

Jared reports on the Israeli President Isaac Herzog making a state visit to DC.

Alexus reports on the high lottery jackpots, $1 billion for Powerball, and over half a billion for Mega Millions. What would you do with that kind of money? Leave us an Open Mic!

Alexus reports from the Little Lucky Store in Mandarin, known for selling winning lottery tickets. The Powerball jackpot is now over $1 billion, and another half-billion jackpot is available in the Mega Millions game.

From smart TV to fitness trackers to smart climate control systems, more of us have high-tech devices in our home but not all of these products are secure. NEW this morning, the Biden administration is rolling out a new set of steps aimed at increasing cybersecurity for the products we buy. It’s a new program that would create a new “U.S. Cyber Trust Mark” for electronics. Officials say this distinct shield logo applied to products meeting high level cybersecurity criteria like requiring unique and strong default passwords and data protection. Today the White House says several manufacturers and retailers are also announcing voluntary commitments to improve their own products. We break down this new proposal and how it may impact you.