Visit Florida forecasts big trouble for the global tourism industry. The group wants the sunshine state to get ahead of that, and local tourism agencies are catering to those itching to travel.

Even before the coronavirus pandemic, the market share of overseas travelers was decreasing. Visit Florida's Staci Mellman says the drop started in 2015. It had started climbing again in 2019, right before the pandemic.

"But, as you might have noticed, that was 2019, and everything has changed," Mellman says.

After a summer that saw a surge in coronavirus cases, a spike in hospitalizations and an increase in deaths, cases in Florida declined and then seemed to plateau.

But recent numbers from the Florida Department of Health are showing a 30% increase in the number of coronavirus cases in the state, now totaling more than 768,000 cases statewide and more than 16,000 deaths.

One thing that's changed: three weeks ago, Gov. Ron DeSantis moved the state into Phase 3 and lifted capacity restraints on businesses.

Despite a steadily growing number of COVID-19 cases in Florida communities, Gov. Ron DeSantis on Thursday announced the state will begin allowing outdoor visitation at long-term care facilities, regardless of whether the facilities have COVID-19 infections.

Indoor visitation at nursing homes and other facilities will still be tied to COVID-19 infection rates of facility residents and staff members.

The rivalry between Florida State University and University of Florida is fierce across many endeavors – and it also exists in the arena of performing arts.

A cappella teams from the two universities are facing off against each other in a 64-team, tournament-style competition along with colleges across the U.S.

Florida State University’s a cappella team, All Night Yahtzee, has 17 members who are looking to advance from the second round.

President Trump's Friday return to America’s largest retirement community, The Villages, signals one of the most important keys to his hopes for another Florida victory. But there are growing signs of an anti-Trump resistance, as many seniors on both sides are very fired up about this election.

“We just got here last Friday from Eugene, Oregon. We drove cross-country!” said retired teacher Jerry Ragan and his wife Patty, speaking in unison. They moved to The Villages just last week and are among the newest residents of what's called "Florida's friendliest hometown.

Weekend snowfall granted a reprieve against the two largest wildfires in Colorado history, which together have spread over more than 400,000 acres.

But the fires continue to burn. The East Troublesome Fire spread 192,560 acres and jumped the Continental Divide. It is 15% contained.

The nearby Cameron Peak Fire, the largest blaze in state history, is now 64% contained. It has already burned over 208,600 acres.

With about a week still remaining until Election Day, Americans have already cast a record-breaking 62 million early ballots, putting the 2020 election on track for historic levels of voter turnout.

That's some 15 million more pre-election votes than were cast in the 2016 election, according to the U.S. Elections Project, a turnout-tracking database run by University of Florida professor Michael McDonald.

Colorado is among the states experiencing a surge in COVID-19 cases. In August, the state logged about 2,000 new cases a week. Last week, that number jumped to more than 8,000.

The state's Democratic governor, Jared Polis, warns that the situation could worsen in the coming months.

Zeta has officially strengthened into a hurricane, and is predicted to make landfall late Monday on Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula before setting its sights on the U.S.

Editor's note: This story includes details some readers may find disturbing.

An unprecedented trial is underway this month at the Vatican, the result of a whistleblower going public.

A young priest is charged with sexually abusing an altar boy over a five-year period inside Vatican City walls. An older priest is charged with covering up the abuse.

It's the first criminal trial for sexual abuse to take place in the Vatican court.