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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida lawmakers may return for multiple special sessions
The 2022 Florida legislative session ended less than two weeks ago, but lawmakers are already preparing for the possibility of returning to Tallahassee multiple times in the next few months. Redistricting could be the first shoe to drop. State lawmakers approved their own House and Senate maps without issue, and they were quickly approved by the Florida Supreme Court. But the new congressional map is a problem. [Source: WFLA]
Florida's budget bill could help with Medicaid changes
Part of a budget-related bill that Florida lawmakers passed last week could help clear the way for federal approval of changes in the state’s Medicaid program. Tom Wallace, a deputy secretary at the Agency for Health Care Administration, said Tuesday that state and federal officials have had “back and forth” since December about proposed changes in what is known as a waiver that plays a critical role in the Medicaid program. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Officials: Florida manatees ate 'every scrap' in food trial
One thing wildlife officials have learned during the winter experimental feeding program to help manatees avoid starvation is that if you feed them, they will come. Manatees have eaten virtually all of the estimated 160,000 pounds (72,500 kilograms) of lettuce provided at a warm-water power plant site where manatees typically congregate during cold months, officials said Wednesday during a virtual news conference. More from ABC News and the AP.
DeSantis, Cabinet eye conservation deals
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Cabinet next week are expected to consider nearly $40 million in land deals that would help keep more than 17,000 acres from future development. Targeted sites range from 2.85 acres of hardwood hammocks in the Florida Keys to 932 acres of ranchland in Hardee County to a 3,610-acre parcel in the Wolfe Creek Forest in the Panhandle. State staff members have recommended that all 10 conservation deals be approved during a Cabinet meeting Tuesday. [Source: News Service of Florida]
How Tom Brady’s return impacts Tampa Bay’s economy, from tickets to tourists
Tom Brady’s surprise announcement that he was un-retiring for a third season with the Buccaneers didn’t just delight Tampa Bay fans eager for one more run at the Super Bowl. In an instant, it meant another year’s worth of economic tailwinds from his presence. From increased merch and ticket sales to potential tourism gains, Tampa Bay should see windfalls big and small throughout the coming season as the Bucs retain their spot at the center of the NFL landscape. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Miami aims to accelerate Flagler Street revamp
The Flagler Street beautification process downtown is on track with its 30-month schedule. “Flagler Street is coming along beautifully,” Chairman Manolo Reyes told the Miami Downtown Development Authority board March 18. The project is divided in five sections from Biscayne Boulevard to Southwest/Northwest First Avenue, with work progressing from east to west.
› Second Norwegian Escape cruise from Port Canaveral canceled, as ship repairs continue
Repairs to the Norwegian Escape are taking longer than expected, so Norwegian Cruise Line has canceled a second seven-night sailing of the Port Canaveral-based ship. The Escape currently is undergoing repairs outside Port Canaveral's Cruise Terminal 5, after the ship ran aground on March 14 while leaving the Dominican Republic port of Puerto Plata, sustaining what the cruise line initially described as "minor damage."
› Midtown Tampa announces new 16-story, 400,000-square-foot office tower
With its Midtown West office building mostly leased, Tampa’s new Midtown development is moving on to its next big commercial project: Midtown East. Developers behind the 23-acre project near Interstate 275 and N Dale Mabry Highway on Wednesday announced that their next office tower, the 16-story, 400,000-square-foot Midtown East, will break ground by the end of the year and be ready for leasing by the end of 2024.
› Need your lawn mowed? Orlando homeowners have a new app for that
A new online marketplace is helping homeowners — at least those without children seeking an allowance — answer an age-old question: Who is going to mow the lawn? GreenPal, which launched in Orlando in March, seeks to connect homeowners with lawn services. It is competing against similar services such as LawnStarter and Lawn Love. “No more calling everyone in the phone book or throwing a rock at the guy working down the street,” said GreenPal co-founder Gene Caballero.
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