'Fatigue has set in': Florida federal workers are bracing for continued shutdown
With no end in sight to the partial shutdown, federal workers across South Florida are increasingly preparing for more months of no pay. Some are considering second jobs. Others are relying on spouses and families to buffer the impact. At the same time, airport operations at airports remain compromised as airplane inspectors and air traffic controllers are furloughed. [Source: WLRN]
See also
» Financially, Florida is 4th hardest hit state in country by government shutdown
» Florida federal workers say safety is on the line as shutdown continues
» Employees and families struggle over shutdown
» How to help Coast Guard members affected by shutdown
» Feeding South Florida distributes food, seeks donations for furloughed federal workers
» SWFL domestic violence shelters grapple with loss of funding during government shutdown
» As shutdown persists, Sarasota-Manatee providers grow concerned
» Government shutdown is hurting Florida’s farmers — and the people who eat their food
Florida-Cuba travel is in flux. Some airlines want in and others opt out
Air travel to Cuba is in flux with some U.S. carriers dropping out of competition for routes and others hoping to win approval for additional flights to the island. But there’s still keen interest in South Florida routes to Havana, and Miami International Airport has become the most important gateway for commercial air travel to Cuba. [Source: Miami Herald]
Attorney John Morgan is sending $15 minimum wage amendment to Florida Supreme Court
Florida attorney John Morgan said Tuesday that he has enough signatures for his proposed constitutional amendment to raise the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour to send it to the state Supreme Court for approval. Morgan said he has more than 120,000 signatures, 50,000 more than he needs to send it to justices to approve the ballot language. More from the Tampa Bay Times, the AP, and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Florida's timber industry might need years to recover from Hurricane Michael
It could take a decade or more for Florida's timber industry to recover from Hurricane Michael's devastation, and the countless downed trees pose an immediate wildfire threat, Florida Forest Service Director Jim Karels told a Senate committee Tuesday. Karels told the Senate Agriculture Committee that about 1.4 million acres had severe or catastrophic tree loss, meaning 75 to 95 percent of the pine trees were damaged or destroyed. More from the Orlando Sentinel and the AP.
Former AG Bondi headed to DC to work with lobbying firm
Former Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi is heading to Washington to take a new post with a leading lobbying firm. Ballard Partners announced Tuesday the well-known Republican politician will head the firm’s new regulatory compliance office. The firm is headed by Brian Ballard, who has close ties to President Donald Trump. See the announcement here and read more from the AP.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Mortgage fraud risk climbs in Southwest Florida
The risk of mortgage fraud accelerated last year in Southwest Florida. In a new report, analytics firm CoreLogic said the Sarasota-Manatee region ranked seventh among the 100 major U.S. metro areas measured for indications of fraud among mortgage applications at the end of the year.
› Blue Origin aiming to launch New Shepard rocket Wednesday — with a UCF experiment onboard
A University of Central Florida experiment is going for its second ride into space in a month — and this time, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin is providing the thrust. When it does launch, New Shepard will carry nine NASA-sponsored experiments, including two from UCF and one from the University of Florida.
› Electric scooter fans and haters find common ground on a way to solve Fort Lauderdale's rolling debate
The electric scooters zipping through downtown Fort Lauderdale and along the city’s beachside appear to have a roughly equal number of fans and detractors — and both sides are quite vocal. But while this seems to be a hate-them-or-love-them issue with two sides, in reality, both scooter aficionados and haters shared many of the same issues.
› Bonita Springs engineering firm opens new office, makes key hire
Development consulting firm Waldrop Engineering has opened a new office in Fort Myers and added a key position to its main office in Bonita Springs. In addition to Bonita Springs and Fort Myers, Waldrop has branch offices in Fort Myers, Sarasota, Tampa and Orlando.
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› Once leading the way in Florida, Clearwater's plan to turn wastewater to drinking water is on hold
Tampa Bay’s third largest city was supposed to be the first in the state to treat wastewater beyond drinking standards and inject it into the Floridan aquifer so it would make its way back into the drinking supply.
› Report: Florida falls 'dangerously behind' on road safety laws
Florida falls dangerously behind when it comes to road safety laws, according to a new report from the Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety. According to the advocacy group, the state of Florida only has five of their recommend 16 road safety laws, giving the state a “red” rating.
› Education Foundation of Sarasota County meets $200,000 challenge
The Shirley A. Ritchey Endowment Fund has met a $200,000 campaign challenge to lift the endowment to its $1 million goal, Education Foundation of Sarasota County President Jennifer Vigne announced Tuesday.
› FPL opposes review of its rates amid push for customers' bills to be trimmed
A battle is brewing in Tallahassee over Florida Power & Light Co.’s rates — should they be trimmed to reflect corporate tax savings? Critics say customers’ electric bills should be reduced. FPL is fighting back, saying it saved customers from paying a storm surcharge after 2017’s Hurricane Irma.