RONDA SANDERS IS NOW LOOKING TO MAKE A MOVE TO THE WHITE. FLORIDA’S GOVERNOR IS OFFICIALLY LAUNCHING HIS 2024 PRESIDENTIAL BID. WE MUST REJECT THE CULTURE OF LOSING THAT HAS INFECTED OUR PARTY IN RECENT YEARS. THE TIME FOR EXCUSES IS OVER. WE’RE LAYING OUT WHERE GOVERNOR DESANTIS STANDS AT THE POLLS AS HIS BIGGEST COMPETITOR RAMPS UP MOMENTUM. PLUS, MORE THAN A MILLION PEOPLE ARE EXPECTED TO MAKE THEIR WAY THROUGH ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT IN THE COMING DAYS. WE ARE LIVE AT THE AIRPORT GETTING YOU READY FOR A BUSY HOLIDAY WEEKEND. LOCAL LIVE, LATE BREAKING WESH 2 SUNRISE STARTS NOW. GOOD THURSDAY AND THANK YOU FOR STARTING YOUR DAY OFF THE WESH 2 SUNRISE TEAM. I’M JASON GUY. AND I’M MEREDITH MCDONOUGH. LET’S GET RIGHT OVER TO FIRST WARNING METEOROLOGIST KELLIANNE KLASS AND KELLIANNE. SOME FOLKS ARE WAKING UP WHAT THIS MORNING? YEAH, THAT’S EXACTLY RIGHT. WE’RE TRACKING RAINFALL THIS MORNING IN OUR COASTAL LOCATIONS. SOME OF THIS WORKING INLAND AS WELL OUT ALONG THE METRO, WE’RE SEEING A FEW LIGHT SHOWERS, BUT WE HAVE YOUR ACTIVITY IS FOCUSED INTO BREVARD COUNTY FROM CENTRAL BREVARD COUNTY AND UP NORTH, A STEADY STREAM OF RAIN MOVING FROM SCOTT’S MOORE OVER TO GENEVA AND TRULY IOTA OUT IN A SEMINOLE COUNTY. AND SOME OF THIS NOW IS MAKING ITS WAY TOWARDS LONGWOOD. AS WE LOOK TOWARDS PORT SAINT JOHN’S AND EVEN THE CAPE, IT’S HEAVY RAIN AS WELL. THIS IS ALL ASSOCIATED WITH THIS AREA. LOW PRESSURE THAT’S GOING TO BE OUR MAIN DRIVER FOR TODAY’S FORECAST. NOW A6A1. WE’RE FEELING VERY COMFORTABLE SIXTIES AND SEVENTIES TO START TODAY. ONLY BE IN THE SEVENTIES. IS IT SEVENTIES AND EIGHTIES OF HIGH TEMPERATURES. BUT THOSE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS YET AGAIN POP UP QUICKLY. WE’LL TALK A LITTLE BIT MORE ABOUT THAT AND WE’LL TAKE YOU TO THE TROPICS COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES. FIRST, THOUGH, LET’S GET OVER TO MEGAN WITH A CHECK ON THE ROADS KELLIANNE. GOOD MORNING. I’M TRACKING SOME PRETTY HEAVY SLOWDOWNS THIS MORNING. IF YOU’RE TRAVELING THROUGH OCALA, THIS IS ALONG I-75 IMPACTING THOSE SOUTHBOUND LANES JUST BEFORE YOU GET TO HIGHWAY 26. THERE IS A CRASH HERE. SAYS THOSE LEFT, TWO LANES ARE BLOCKED. YOU CAN SEE THOSE HEAVY DELAYS BUILDING HERE TRAFFIC IS ALMOST AT A STANDSTILL, MOVING VERY SLOW THROUGH THIS AREA. IF YOU ARE TRAVELING THAT WAY. JUST A HEADS UP. THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME DELAYS THERE. OTHER THAN THAT, NO MAJOR CRASHES. THIS IS A LIVE LOOK AT I-4, LOOKING OUR DOWNTOWN CAMERA NEAR LAKE IVANHOE. SMOOTH SAILING SO FAR ALONG I-4 COULD BE SOMEWHAT SPOTS, THOUGH. SO JUST BE MINDFUL OF THAT THIS MORNING. COMING UP IN A FEW MINUTES, I’LL YOU A CHECK IN ON THOSE TRAVEL TIMES, JASON. ALL RIGHT. THE PAPERWORK’S BEEN FILED AND ANNOUNCEMENTS MADE GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS IS OFFICIALLY RUNNING FOR PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND HE’S LOOKING TO BECOME THE REPUBLICAN ON THE NOVEMBER 2024 BALLOT. SANIKA DANGE JOINS US NOW IN STUDIO. AND MONICA, THERE WAS A BIT OF A DELAY GETTING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OUT TO THE PUBLIC. NOW, YOU COULD SAY THAT HOURS AFTER THE DROPPED HIS DISSENT IS FOR PRESIDENT. HE TOOK TO TWITTER SPACES FOR THE OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT. IT DIDN’T GO QUITE AS PLANNED. AT 6 P.M., TWITTER CEO ELON MUSK TRIED TO HOST A DIGITAL TOWN SQUARE DISCUSSION, BUT IT KEPT DOWN. MUSK SAID THE STREAM CRASHED BECAUSE SO MANY PEOPLE TRYING TO LISTEN AND IT STRAINED THE SERVERS. THE SOCIAL MEDIA EXPERIMENT EVENTUALLY MOVING TO RON DESANTIS PAGE. STILL, HIS CAMPAIGN SAID IT RAISED $1 MILLION IN THE FIRST HOUR AFTER THE ANNOUNCEMENT. TO VOTERS WHO ARE PARTICIPATING IN THIS PRIMARY PROCESS. MY PLEDGE TO YOU IS THIS IF YOU NOMINATE ME, YOU CAN YOUR CLOCK TO JANUARY 20TH, 2025, AT HIGH NOON, BECAUSE ON THE WEST SIDE OF THE U.S. CAPITOL, I WILL BE TAKING THE OATH OF OFFICE AS THE 47TH PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. NO EXCUSES. I WILL GET THE JOB DONE. WHILE HIS REPUBLICAN OPPONENTS WEIGHED IN ON THE GLITCH LAUNCH, NIKKI HALEY’S TEAM CALLING IT A FAILURE. AND FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP CALLING IT A DISASTER. THE SENATE DOUBLING DOWN ON THE HUGE AUDIENCE THAT SEEMINGLY THE ISSUES SAYING ON FOX NEWS LATER THAT NIGHT IT BROKE THE TWITTER SPACE AND HE’S EXCITED ABOUT THE ENTHUSIASM. MEREDITH SAGA FLORIDA DEMOCRATIC PARTY CHAIR NIKKI FRIED RELEASED A STATEMENT ON TWITTER FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT. SHE SAYS, QUOTE, WE’VE ALREADY SEEN HOW IT IS FOR WORKING FAMILIES. DESANTIS IS IN OFFICE WITH FLORIDIANS FACING UNAFFORDABLE HOUSING, HEALTH CARE AND PROPERTY INSURANCE COSTS. OUR COUNTRY SIMPLY CAN’T AFFORD DESANTIS. A NEW QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL SHOWS FORMER PRESIDENT DONALD IS DOUBLING HIS LEAD OVER GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS, IN ORDER TO BRING IN WESH 2 NEWS BOB HAZEN NOW. AND WE’RE LOOKING AT THESE NUMBERS, AND IT DOES APPEAR THAT THE GAP IS PRETTY WIDE. JASON, OBVIOUSLY GOVERNOR DESANTIS HAS A LOT OF GROUND TO MAKE IF HE WANTS TO GET THAT REPUBLICAN NOMINATION. ONE NEW POLL, AS YOU SAID, FROM QUINNIPIAC, TRUMP HAS ALMOST DOUBLE THE SUPPORT AMONG REPUBLICAN VOTERS, 61%, COMPARED TO 32% FOR THE SANTOS. THAT’S A LEAD THAT HAS GROWN SINCE MARCH. BUT THE SANDERS DOES HAVE MORE ROOM TO GROW. THE POLL SHOWS FEWER REGISTERED VOTERS HAVE A FAVORABLE VIEW OF THE SANDERS, BUT AT THE SAME TIME, MORE PEOPLE HAVE AN UNFAVORABLE VIEW. TRUMP SO THE GOVERNOR COULD TRY TO WIN OVER SOME OF THOSE VOTERS IN BETWEEN POLLS FOR MONTHS HAVE SHOWN TRUMP IS IN CONTROL RIGHT NOW OF THE GOP. BUT THAT COULD CHANGE AS DESANTIS SWITCHES INTO FULL THROTTLE CAMPAIGN MODE. AND THE HEAD OF THE ORANGE REPUBLICAN PARTY TOLD US THAT SHE THINKS BOTH MEN HAVE POSITIVES AND I COULDN’T BE MORE THANKFUL THAT WE HAVE GREAT CHOICES. DONALD TRUMP RAN AN ELECTION AND RAN A CAMPAIGN AND GOVERN AS PROMISES MADE PROMISES KEPT, AND SO IS GOVERNOR DESANTIS. BOTH DIFFERENT BUT HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EXECUTE AND GET THE JOB DONE FOR THE AMERICAN AND THE PEOPLE OF FLORIDA. AND OF COURSE, THE BIG QUESTION FOR REPUBLICAN IS WHO CAN BEAT PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN? THE QUINNIPIAC POLL SUGGESTS DESANTIS WOULD HAVE A SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE WITH A ONE POINT LEAD OVER THE PRESIDENT COMPARED TO TRUMP, DOWN 2% TO BIDEN. TO YOU. ALL RIGHT, BOB AND WESH 2 NEWS BE STAYING ON TOP OF THE PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN TRAIL. YOU CAN GET THE LATEST COMMITMENT, 2024 NEWS BY DOWNLOADING OUR WESH 2 NEWS APP. WE’LL SEND BREAKING ANNOUNCEMENTS THROUGHOUT THIS ELECTION SEASON. HERE. 605 LET’S TURN TO SOME LOCAL HEADLINES. A MAN WANTED IN A WRECK THAT LEFT TWO PEOPLE DEAD ON CHRISTMAS EVE OF 2021 IS NOW IN CUSTODY. OSCEOLA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE OFFICIALS SAY JARED JAMES WAS ARRESTED TUESDAY. INVESTIGATORS TELL WESH 2 NEWS THAT JAMES CRASHED A CAR TO POST, KILLING 31 YEAR OLD GIOVANI ANDERSON, AN 18 YEAR OLD ANGELINA ANDERSON. THEY WERE RIDING IN THE CAR. ANGELINA’S MOTHER REACTED TO THE ARREST. I WANT JUSTICE FOR THE GIRLS. I WANTED TO DO HIS TIME. HE’S A CRIMINAL. ACCORDING TO THE ACLU COUNTY CORRECTIONS WEBSITE. AS OF WEDNESDAY NIGHT, JAMES HAS BEEN GIVEN NO BOND FOR SEVERAL CHARGES, INCLUDING DUI, MANSLAUGHTER AND VEHICULAR HOMICIDE. HE ALSO A WARRANT AT A POLK COUNTY CRUISE IN MARION COUNTY ARE WORKING TO FILL A BIG HOLE IN AN OCALA PARKING LOT. THE CRATER IS 30 FEET ACROSS AND NEARLY 20 FEET DEEP. OFFICIALS SAY IT’S TO TAKE A WEEKS TO FILL IN. THEY BELIEVE A DRAINAGE PIPE FAILED OVER TIME AND THEN WASHED THE UNDERLYING DIRT AWAY, LEADING TO THE COLLAPSE. OVER TIME, THINGS WILL AND FAIL EVERY SURFACE LIFE. SOMETIME AS YOU’LL GET MORE SURFACE LIFE THAN OTHERS. GUESS IS THEY’LL BE LOOKING TO MAKE SOME CHANGES OVER THE NEXT FEW YEARS. OFFICIALS SAY THEY EXPECT SEE MORE HOLES OPEN UP AS HEAVY RAINS CONTINUE AFTER A LONG DRY PERIOD. CONSTRUCTION TO FIX THE HOLE IS EXPECTED TO FINISH IN MID-JUNE. WE’RE BEGINNING TO SEE MORE PEOPLE FLOCKING TO OUR BEACHES AS THE SUMMER SEASON BEGINS RIGHT NOW. BREVARD COUNTY IS REPORTING THE MOST DROWNINGS OF ANY OTHER COUNTY IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA THIS YEAR FROM NOVEMBER TO MARCH. THERE WERE 390 SWIMMERS RESCUED AND 50 JUST THIS PAST WEEKEND. NOW, COUNTY LEADERS ARE LOOKING ADD MORE LIFEGUARDS AND TOWERS AFTER A SURGE IN BEACH DEATHS. AND MANY FOLKS ARE WONDERING ABOUT THE FORECAST FOR THE MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND. AND ALSO, WE’RE TRACKING THE TROPICS THIS MORNING. RIGHT. AND IT’S ALL GOING TO CONNECT UP WHEN WE CHECK IN WITH MORNING METEOROLOGIST KELLIANNE KLASS. WHAT DOES IT MEAN FOR OUR FORECAST? KELLIANNE. SO FOR OUR FORECAST, THIS WEEKEND, IT’S ACTUALLY NOT GOING TO HAVE HUGE DIRECT IMPACTS FOR US. KIND OF WHAT WE’RE LOOKING AT RIGHT NOW IS AREA OF POTENTIAL DEVELOPMENT OUT INTO THE GEORGIA COASTLINE AND THE CAROLINA COASTLINE. AND IT’S ASSOCIATED WITH OUR TROUGH OF LOW PRESSURE THAT WE’VE BEEN TRACKING ALL WEEK. IT WILL EVENTUALLY MOVE INTO THE ATLANTIC. IT WILL TAP INTO SLIGHTLY WARMER WATERS. AND AS IT LIFTS NORTH, IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE VERY LOW DEVELOPMENT. NOTHING SIGNIFICANT DO WANT TO STRESS THAT THERE IS A VERY LOW CHANCE ANY SIGNIFICANT FORMATION IN THE NEXT TWO AND SEVEN DAYS, BUT IT IS DEFINITELY TO WATCH, ESPECIALLY IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE TRAVELING TO THE CAROLINAS. SO TOMORROW THE SYSTEM MOVES OUT INTO THE ATLANTIC AND THEN BY THIS WEEKEND IT LIFTS NORTH. HEAVY RAIN AND GUSTY WIND FOR THE CAROLINA AS AND PORTIONS OF THE GEORGIA COASTLINE HERE IN CENTRAL FLORIDA WILL ACTUALLY GET DRY AIR. SO THE WEATHER IS LOOKING GOOD, BUT WE HAVE BIG BEACH OF YOUR BEACH PLANS FOR THIS WEEKEND. YOU’LL WANT TO TUNE IN TO THE FORECAST IN LESS THAN 10 MINUTES. OKAY. WE’LL BE WATCHING FOR THAT. THANKS, KELLIANNE AND WITH MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND UPON US, WE KNOW THERE’S GOING TO BE A BIG TRAVEL RUSH. IT REALLY GETS GOING TODAY AT ORLANDO INTERNATIONAL. TONY ATKINS IS LIVE AT THE AIRPORT THIS MORNING. AND, TONY, THEY ARE EXPECTING A BIG BOOST IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE TRAVELING THIS YEAR. YEAH, THAT’S RIGHT. THE AIRPORT EXPECTS TO SEE 1.1 MILLION PEOPLE MAKE WAY THROUGH THE AIRPORT OVER THE COURSE OF THE NEXT WEEK. AND THE AIRPORT SAYS THAT’S ABOUT A 16% INCREASE IN TRAVELERS THIS VERSUS THE SAME TIME LAST YEAR. NOW, OVER MY SHOULDER, YOU CAN THE LINES, THEY’VE BEEN PRETTY STEADY. THEY’RE SLOWLY CREEPING BACK TOWARD ME. THEY’RE GETTING A LITTLE LONGER, LIKE RIGHT HERE. THE WAIT TIME GATES 70 THROUGH 129 IS 1418 MINUTES. GATES THROUGH 59, A LITTLE SHORTER, 8 TO 12 MINUTES. AND THEN OVER IN A SEAT TERMINAL, GATES SEE 238 THROUGH, SEE 245. THE WAIT TIME IS ABOUT 9 TO 13 MINUTES. NOW. MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND IS OFTEN REFERRED TO AS THE UNOFFICIAL START TO THE SUMMER TRAVEL SEASON. AND TODAY THAT, TRAVEL WINDOW OPENS AND THE AIRPORT EXPECTS SEE MORE THAN 161,000 PEOPLE COMING AND GOING. THE AIRPORT TODAY ALONE, SATURDAY. OFFICIALS EXPECT TO SEE PEAK DURING THIS WINDOW WITH JUST UNDER 170,000 TRAVELERS. NOW, THE AIRPORT ALSO SAYS IT EXPECTS SEE MORE DEMAND FOR PARKING OVER THE OF THIS WEEK. SO THEY’RE PLANNING TO OPEN THE WEST PARK PLACE LOT TO SUPPORT THE OTHER. AND AT THIS POINT AT LAST CHECK EACH OF THE GARAGES HAVE SPACE. SO IF YOU’RE PLANNING TO DRIVE TO THE AIRPORT, THERE WILL BE SPACE FOR YOU AND. AS ALWAYS, THE AIRPORT IS ASKING PEOPLE TRAVELERS COMING IN AND OUT TO, GIVE THEMSELVES ABOUT 3 HOURS AHEAD OF THEIR FLIGHT TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY ENOUGH TIME TO MAKE IT THROUGH TSA BECAUSE. AS WE KNOW, THESE LINES CAN GET LONGER AND SHORTER REALLY QUICKLY. FOR NOW, REPORTING LIVE AT OIRA, TONY ATKINS AT WESH 2 NEWS, NEW SMYRNA BEACH, LEADERS ARE GETTING READY FOR AN INCREASE IN VISITORS FOR THIS UPCOMING HOLIDAY WEEKEND. POLICE SAY THEY’RE GOING TO HAVE EXTRA PATROL CARS OUT THERE MAKING SURE THAT EVERYBODY STAYS SAFE ON THE BEACH THIS WEEKEND. AND LEADERS ALSO WANT TO REMIND PEOPLE TO LISTEN TO WARNINGS THAT COME IN FROM THOSE BEACH SAFETY OFFICIALS. FOR THOSE OF YOU ARE COMING TO ENJOY THE BEACH, WE WELCOME YOU. BUT PLEASE REMEMBER WHEN THE BEACH FOR HIGH TIDE OR FOR CAPACITY WE USE THAT OPPORTUNITY TO COME VISIT OUR AND OUR LOCAL EATERIES. AND THIS YEAR, POLICE SAY THEY ARE NOT GOING TO ALLOW PEOPLE TO PARK THEIR CARS, THE ROADS, AS THEY WAIT TO GO BACK ON THE BEACH. SO YOU MAY SEE MOR