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Monday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida's citrus industry faces its worst season since the Great Depression
The forecast for Florida’s orange crop has dropped 29 percent after Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole, putting the citrus industry on a path toward its lowest production since the Great Depression. The U.S. Department of Agriculture on Friday released a report that said Florida is expected to produce 20 million boxes of oranges during the current growing season, down from a previous forecast of 28 million boxes. Projections also dropped 10 percent for grapefruit production and 14 percent for specialty fruits. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Florida lawmakers set to begin special session on insurance
Florida lawmakers released a massive property insurance bill that would create a $1 billion reinsurance fund, seek to reduce insurance lawsuits and force more people out of the state-created insurer of last resort even if it means property owners end up paying more. The 123-page bill was filed Friday night, less than three days before lawmakers begin a special session on insurance, property tax relief for Hurricane Ian victims and reducing tolls for frequent commuters. [Source: AP]
Splashdown: Orion returns to Earth to complete Artemis I mission
NASA chased down the Orion spacecraft after its record-breaking re-entry into Earth’s atmosphere Sunday to conclude the Artemis I mission that lifted off from Kennedy Space Center more that three weeks ago. “And there it is, high over the Pacific, America’s new ticket to ride to the moon and beyond now in view,” said Rob Navias with NASA communications as the first images emerged of the capsule descending under three unfurled main parachutes 1,000 feet in the air. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Proposed toll credit could save frequent commuters $550 a year
Sick of amassing toll charges driving to and from work in Florida? Relief could arrive next year for frequent toll-road users. A consumer-friendly proposal to make your daily commute less expensive is among a list of proposed property insurance reforms up for debate during the special legislative session, which starts Monday in Tallahassee. Lawmakers are expected to take up a proposal unveiled in September by Gov. Ron DeSantis to provide 50% toll credits to drivers who go through toll stations 40 or more times a month. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
As flu season hits Florida hard, drug shortages cause panic
Harni Patel, pharmacist and owner of Tamarac Pharmacy, finds herself fielding calls daily from panicked parents of feverish children searching for everything from Children’s Tylenol to Amoxicillin to Tamiflu. Flu season has hit hard in South Florida, and drug shortages rippling through the country are creating nightmares for those who get sick. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› USS Orleck bad for business, downtown's Hyatt Regency claims. City Council is set to act.
The USS Orleck may finally be preparing for a berth at Pier 1 – months after its previously agreed-upon moving date and without currently satisfying all conditions of its contract with the city. Jacksonville City Council is considering emergency legislation to allow the Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association, the group responsible for the former Navy destroyer, to start construction that would allow it to successfully moor the Orleck at the publicly owned pier 4 city blocks east of its current location. The ship is docked in front of the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront hotel, at a significant cost to the hotel itself, the hotel's manager said.
› ‘Cherry picking’ costs a Miami woman, man and their Brickell business $5.7 million
The directors of a Brickell-based Miami financial services business and the on-the-record beneficiaries of their shenanigans are in the process of paying $5.7 million in fines and penalties to settle Securities and Exchange Commission charges of “cherry picking.” In addition, UCB Financial Advisors president Lina Maria Garcia, 50, is suspended from the financial services industry for a year while director Ramiro Jose Sugranes, 59, is banned from the industry.
› SpaceX launches Japanese moon mission, lands at Cape Canaveral
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket boosted Japan's first privately developed lunar lander from Florida early Sunday, then generated powerful sonic booms as it returned to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station for landing. Just after 2:38 a.m. EST, the 230-foot rocket vaulted ispace's Hakuto-R lander from Launch Complex 40 on a moon-bound trajectory. Hakuto, which means "white rabbit" in Japanese, boasts a suite of instruments and payloads designed to study the moon.
› With billions in funding now available, Tampa Bay lawmakers prioritize rail service to Orlando
The Sun Coast Transportation Planning Alliance on Friday agreed to add a passenger rail connection to Orlando to its list of major priorities for 2023. The move comes two days after the U.S. Department of Transportation made $2.3 billion in funding available to expand and modernize intercity passenger rail. Applications are due in March.
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