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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
NASA aims for Artemis I launch before month ends, but needs Space Force OK
NASA has asked the U.S. Space Force if it would allow for two opportunities later this month to try again to launch the Artemis I mission to the moon, but to do so NASA would also need to sign off on fixes in the works to the $4.1 billion rocket on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. After two scrubs, NASA is in the midst of fixing cryogenic fuel lines from the mobile launcher into the Space Launch System rocket. A leak in one line that was expelling liquid hydrogen during an attempt last Saturday forced NASA to stand down again after other issues scrubbed the first attempt on Aug. 29. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
See also:
» Timing of NASA’s moon launch may depend on emergency detonation system
Business Beat - Week of September 9th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Judge criticizes state on marijuana licenses
An appeals-court judge this week chided Florida health officials for not following up on promises to grant additional medical-marijuana licenses as required by state law, saying potential applicants are “understandably frustrated” and offering a legal playbook for entrepreneurs who have been shut out of the cannabis market for years. First District Court of Appeal Judge Ross Bilbrey’s shot across the bow came as Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration continues to delay the issuance of new licenses. Florida has 22 medical-marijuana operators. [Source: News Service of Florida]
How the gun trafficking problem in Florida compares to other states
With so many firearms legally or illegally moving around the country, law enforcement agencies often seek to identify the origin and history of firearms they discover at crime scenes. This job falls to the National Tracing Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The ATF traced the origin of 22,530 firearms in Florida in 2020, and of those, 20.0%, or 4,515 guns, originated from out of state, the 16th smallest share among states. Of the 4,515 firearms traced in Florida in 2020 that came from a different state, the largest share - 818 - were originally sold in Georgia. [Source: The Center Square]
It's hurricane season halftime: No immediate threats but tropics are rumbling
While the Atlantic showing signs of life this week after a soporific August is not unusual, the good news remains that there are no threats to Florida or the U.S. coastline today. This uptick, led by Hurricanes Danielle and Earl, is timely as the next seven days are the historical peak of hurricane season, with 10-15% of total activity and historical U.S. landfalls crammed into the five-pound bag of the upcoming week. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Supporting innovation and job growth
With the launch of a game-changing new industry-acceleration space at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Volusia County civic leaders Cici and Hyatt Brown are promoting innovation, creating high-paying jobs and bolstering Florida’s advanced technology workforce to benefit future generations. The Cici and Hyatt Brown Center for Aerospace Technology, supported by the couple’s remarkably generous $25 million gift, which was matched by Governor Ron DeSantis and the State of Florida, firmly establishes Daytona Beach as a key player in the rapidly growing commercial space arena. [Sponsored report]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Orange County tourist tax collection sets one-year record — with two months to go
Tourists have paid $288.4 million in hotel taxes since Oct. 1 — a record haul with two months remaining in fiscal year 2021-22. July 2022 collections, like those for February, March, April, May and June, broke a record for the month, though the $28.4 million tally for the month was about $3.9 million lower than June’s record total. The fiscal year-to-date total beats the previous high of $284 million set in fiscal year 2018-19, said Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond, whose office tracks hotel tax collections and monitors spending.
› What does it take to answer the call? Jacksonville seeks 911 communications officers
Despite lots of initial interest from people who attend the Sheriff's Office's virtual job fairs for 911 operator positions, the agency still has about 30 slots open to be the first person a victim or witness reaches out to when there's a shooting, car crash, fire or worse. There should be 143 people working day and night shifts total in the second-floor communications center at the Sheriff's Office.
› Helios acquires Indiana-based company
Yet another company has stepped under the Helios Technologies Inc. umbrella. The company is expected to acquire Daman Products Co. assets by the fourth quarter of this year. The Sarasota-based publicly traded company, with $861.9 million in revenue in 2021, made the announcement Sept. 7. Helios is an engineered motion control and electronic controls technology company. It sells products in more than 90 countries.
› Miami-Dade’s mayor wants to pay landlords $10 million to lower middle class rents. Will it work?
Leasing an apartment in Miami for $3,000 a month could soon come with a new benefit: county rent relief. Landlords would receive $10 million in subsidies under a proposed Miami-Dade County program funded in part with property-tax dollars. The program is aimed at taming housing costs for middle-class renters.
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