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Monday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
As COVID rolled on, legions of companies migrated to Florida. Which metro areas gained the most?
While COVID-19 remains a lingering menace to society, there appears to be no end in sight for the corporate relocation and expansion boom it fostered in Florida. Two years after the pandemic’s start in early 2020, the wave of companies from the Northeast, Midwest, California and Texas looking to move to the state’s major metropolitan regions is accelerating as they search for friendlier business climates, more space, less red tape and lower operating costs. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
National Hurricane Center begins daily grind of tropical outlooks
The tropics may be quiet, but forecasters at the National Hurricane Center are listening. The NHC began its daily tropical outlooks on Sunday, two weeks ahead of the official start of the 2022 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs from June 1-Nov. 30. Updates come at nhc.noaa.gov at 2 a.m., 8 a.m., 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. EDT with a five-day and two-day outlook available for disturbed weather such as tropical waves and low-pressure systems that have potential to form into tropical depressions, tropical storms and hurricanes. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Florida on verge of 6 million COVID infections; reports 39,397 weekly cases
The state averaged over 5,600 cases a day during the seven-day period from May 7-13. That’s up 20 percent from the week before, and it’s the eighth straight week that infections have climbed. Hospitalizations are also up, with nearly 1,300 confirmed COVID-19 patients as of Friday. That’s up 23 percent from the week before. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Fast track sought in redistricting fight
Pointing to “urgency” as the 2022 elections near, attorneys for voting-rights groups requested Friday that a battle over a new congressional redistricting plan be put on a fast track to the Florida Supreme Court. The attorneys filed a court document seeking to essentially bypass the 1st District Court of Appeal, a procedural move known as seeking certification to the Supreme Court. The request came after Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration appealed a ruling Thursday by Leon County Circuit Judge Layne Smith, who issued a temporary injunction against the redistricting plan. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Cord Byrd appointed Florida Secretary of State
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced May 13 the appointment of Cord Byrd as Florida secretary of state. Byrd, founder of the Law Office of Cord Byrd in Atlantic Beach, was elected to the state House of Representatives in 2016. Over the past six years, Byrd, a Republican who represents District 11, was a member of the Public Integrity and Elections Committee, including two years as vice chair. [Source: Jacksonville Daily Record]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Miami drops years of opposition to medical marijuana dispensaries inside city limits
After years of stonewalling, Miami on Thursday paved the way for the first medical marijuana dispensary to open in the city. It was a major policy shift for a city that has spent years insisting that dispensaries were illegal even though Florida legalized medical cannabis in 2016.
› ‘Together we’re stronger:’ How one Central Florida group is growing AAPI businesses
Vi Ma wasn’t always growing and building AANHPI businesses as the president of the Asian American Chamber of Commerce in Central Florida. Before that, she was a young girl no more than 10 years old, selling street food in Vietnam to help her mother, father and four brothers survive after Saigon fell in 1975.
› Miramar-based JetBlue goes hostile in its bid for Spirit Airlines
South Florida’s hometown air carrier JetBlue is going hostile in its bid for Spirit Airlines and asking Spirit shareholders to reject a proposed $2.9 billion acquisition by Frontier Airlines. Spirit shareholders are scheduled to vote June 10 on the Frontier bid, which is favored by the Spirit board.
› Denny’s plans to make Keke’s a national breakfast and lunch spot
Orlando-founded Keke’s Breakfast Cafe could grow across the country after being bought by Denny’s, but fans shouldn’t be too concerned the pricier breakfast chain will turn into its new owner, an analyst said. “Denny’s already owns the Denny’s concept. They don’t need Denny’s Jr. on top of that,” said Mark Kalinowski, owner of Kalinowski Equity Research, who follows Denny’s and other national restaurant chains. “They need something that’s differentiated.”
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