Florida may loosen child-labor laws as state cracks down on illegal immigration
Teenagers as young as 14 could soon be allowed to work overnight shifts as part of an effort in the Legislature to roll back major aspects of the state’s child labor laws. The proposal — scheduled to be heard in a Florida Senate committee Tuesday morning — comes as Gov. Ron DeSantis says a younger workforce could be part of the solution to replacing “dirt cheap” labor from migrants in the country illegally. [Source: Miami Herald]
Newest craze for Florida’s Gen X homebuyers: Live like a retiree
Why should the grandparents have all the fun? It turns out plenty of Gen X homebuyers are just as crazy for pickleball, spa services and wine clubs as their Boomer counterparts, and national homebuilders are responding. “We’re seeing a convergence of Gen X reaching their peak earning years, with sophisticated tastes shaped by decades of travel and lifestyle experiences,” PulteGroup President and CEO Ryan Marshall said. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Remote employees are flocking to a touristy Florida beach town. The locals aren't happy
In St. Johns County, home to St. Augustine, the percentage of workers who did their jobs from home nearly tripled from 8.6% in 2018 to almost 24% in 2023, moving the northeast Florida county into the top ranks of U.S. counties with the largest share of people working remotely, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures. More from the AP and Fortune.
Gas prices in Florida drop to lowest in more than 1 year
On Sunday, gas cost an average of $2.97 per gallon in Florida, two cents less than the 2024 low and the lowest daily average price since December 2023. More than 70% of Florida filling stations are now selling gasoline for less than $3 a gallon. The lowest 10% of gas prices are averaging $2.76 per gallon. The highest 10% of gas prices average $3.35 per gallon. More from WTVT and WFTS.
This Florida program offers money to elevate homes. How does it work?
The state-run program offers to pay for at least 75% of the cost of mitigation projects like lifting a home or tearing down and reconstructing property. It promises to save residents thousands, lower their insurance and boost property values. The program is in its infancy, and major questions remain: How long will the process take? Who are the contractors handling major renovations? And how many homes will the state select for the program? More from the Orlando Sentinel and WEAR.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Pinellas County tourism breaks records after back-to-back hurricanes
Visitors contributed a record $8.29 million to Pinellas County tax coffers in January, just three months after hurricanes Helene and Milton decimated the area. That number will likely continue trending higher as tourism officials await over 1,400 rooms reopening — most by the end of the summer.
› First-ever Israel Tech Week in Miami debuts, starting at eMerge Americas
Israeli tech made global headlines this month when Google’s parent company Alphabet agreed to pay $32 billion to buy Israel-based cybersecurity venture Wiz, Alphabet’s biggest purchase yet and the largest tech deal ever in the Middle East country dubbed “Startup Nation.” Now comes a South Florida conference focused on Israel’s tech offerings: the first Israel Tech Week in Miami, kicking off March 27 and expected to draw more than 2,500 people.
› New Disney Cruise Line ship gets 1st taste of water
Disney Cruise Line’s new ship Disney Destiny hit a construction milestone floating for the first time ahead of delivery this year. The third Wish-class vessel is a sister ship to both Disney Wish and Disney Treasure, which both sail out of Port Canaveral. Disney Destiny, though, will make its home farther south at DCL’s second Florida home of Port Everglades. The ship under construction at the Meyer Werft shipyard in Papenburg, Germany underwent a “float up” last week.
› 'Fight like hell': Space Coast's postal workers join in rallying against privatizing USPS
Every work day, letter carrier Scott Stanley delivers mail to residents he's come to know on his route in Rockledge. Sunday, the 12-year United States Postal Service veteran, flanked by dozens of other USPS workers from across the Space Coast and Central Florida, carried another kind of message outside the Melbourne Post Office: a picket sign stating, "Fight like hell.”
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› Vote on Tropicana Field roof repairs delayed to April 3
The St. Petersburg City Council will decide on whether to replace the roof of Tropicana Field a week later than planned. City Administrator Rob Gerdes emailed council members Friday to let them know city staff was still working on “contractual details” for the Trop’s roof repair, which is expected to cost $22.7 million, according to contract drafts. Council chairperson Copley Gerdes confirmed Monday that the vote had been pushed off to April 3.
› California equity firm to acquire Dun & Bradstreet in $7.7B deal
Dun & Bradstreet has reached a definitive agreement to be acquired by Clearlake Capital Group in a multi-billion-dollar deal that will remove the Jacksonville-based company from the public market. Clearlake — an investment firm based in Santa Monica, California that’s deployed over $57 billion in liquid and illiquid credit investments globally — is expected to close on the transaction in the third quarter of 2025, per a press release.
› SpaceX launches classified NROL-69 mission from Cape Canaveral
SpaceX sent up a classified payload for the National Reconnaissance Office from the Space Coast on Monday afternoon. A Falcon 9 rocket on the NROL-69 mission lifted off at 1:48 p.m. from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Space Launch Complex 40. The first-stage booster flew for the second time and made a recovery landing at Canaveral’s Landing Zone 1, meaning parts of Central Florida may have heard one or more sonic booms.
› ‘Difficult to find housing’: A new 400-apartment building planned in Fort Lauderdale
A developer says he has many new government-supported communities in the works to offer affordable housing in Broward and Palm Beach counties, including a newly announced 400-apartment building in Fort Lauderdale. More than half of the apartments will be set aside for families earning less than the area median income. “It’s very difficult to find housing,” said Nick Rojo, co-founder of Affiliated Development, the developer.