The National Hurricane Center increased its odds that a tropical system could develop near Florida late this week or early next week as forecasters expect a wet July 4 weekend for South Florida.

Florida lawmakers argued state law grants elected officials access to inspect state-operated facilities without approval, but the Florida Division of Emergency Management denied their request.

In a surprising and possibly unlawful act, five state legislators were denied entry Thursday into a taxpayer-funded migrant detention center deep in the Everglades, raising questions about what will happen behind the razor-wire fences that are being erected surrounding the controversial facility the state has named Alligator Alcatraz.