SHARE:
Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Statue of Florida educator Mary McLeod Bethune unveiled in U.S. Capitol
An 11-foot marble likeness of civil-rights leader and educator Mary McLeod Bethune was unveiled Wednesday in the U.S. Capitol, replacing a statue of a former Confederate general that represented Florida in the National Statuary Hall for nearly a century. During an unveiling ceremony, U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, D-Fla., described the change as “rewriting the history we want to share with our future generations. We are replacing a remnant of hatred and division with the symbol of hope and inspiration.” [Source: News Service of Florida]
Florida Trend Exclusive
How Florida's philanthropy landscape is changing
Mari Kuraishi, president of the Jacksonville-based Jessie Ball duPont Fund, says Floridians often get a bad rap when it comes to charitable giving. “When I came to the Jessie Ball duPont Fund three years ago, there was a lot of like, ‘Oh, well, Floridians aren’t very generous because they’re all transplants, and they give back to where they came from’ — or at least that was the hypothesis, right?” Kuraishi says. Another refrain she heard was that the Sunshine State is filled with fixed-income retirees who were less inclined to open their purse strings. But none of it rang true to Kuraishi [Source: Florida Trend]
St. Pete Pier among top 10 urban design projects in the Americas
The St. Pete Pier was named one of 21 finalists for the real estate-focused award last month. An 11-member jury composed of development, finance, planning, urban design, architecture and landscape architecture chose 10 winners after speaking with the teams behind these projects and visiting all of them. The St. Pete Pier was the only design in the Southeastern U.S. to be awarded. It was recognized in the Urban Open Space category. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Jimmy Patronis: State Treasury Generates $412.4 Million in Interest in FY 2021-2022
Since Patronis took office in 2017, the Division of Treasury has earned more than $2.8 billion in interest. “As your CFO, one of my top priorities is to ensure that the fiscal health of Florida remains strong, and that our state investments provide a good return for our customers – Florida’s taxpayers.” [Source: Florida Daily]
Once known as the Land of Hooters and ‘Magic Mike,’ Tampa has discovered its cool factor
Bryan Pascual loves his hometown of Tampa ... But the 41-year-old entrepreneur is the first to admit that for much of his life, Tampa was “an A-minus, if you will, or even a B-plus” city with a nondescript downtown and a down-market reputation. Lately, however, something has shifted. “People are coming to Tampa more frequently ... Now it’s like, ‘Hey, I’ve been in your hometown, and it was great—amazing restaurants, good-looking people, looks like a lot of fun!’” [Source: Wall Street Journal]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› The demand is high as monkeypox vaccines arrive in Broward County
More than 120 confirmed or probable monkeypox cases have been reported in Florida this year through Tuesday. Most of those cases are in Broward. The monkeypox case count in Broward County is now up to 70 confirmed and probable cases and local doctors say that almost certainly is an undercount as many may be unaware that they are infected or have not yet been tested. Miami-Dade now has 19 cases, and Palm Beach County has four.
› Record inflation has many older Americans working longer than they had anticipated
With inflation at a 40-year high and the worst stock market in decades, many Americans feel anxious. And for older adults living on fixed incomes, the astronomical rise in prices has delayed retirement plans and prompted some retirees to go back to work.
› Headline
Fried talked about abortion rights, marijuana, education, housing, guns and more. Nikki Fried, Florida’s agricultural commissioner, insists she can weather a competitive Democratic primary for Florida governor this August. Propelling that hope, she said, is keeping Democratic voters’ attention on reproductive rights. She is currently trailing her main opponent, U.S. Rep. Charlie Crist, in both cash and endorsements. But she says she has momentum and excitement on her side.
› Florida AG Ashley Moody warning of vacation rental scams
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody is warning the public about vacation rental scams that have become all too common in the Sunshine State this time of year. "I love the beach. I try to go to the beach early in the morning usually," Sophia Pastal told WPTV Monday at Ocean Reef Park in Singer Island. South Florida beaches draw in thousands of people each summer.
In case you missed it:
