Our Changing State: The economics of living in Florida now
Florida's economy has been labeled white hot, with a $1.4 trillion GDP and unemployment of 2.6%. That’s nearly a percentage point below the national unemployment rate. But our soaring economy may be leaving some Floridians behind. Inflation here is outpacing the rest of the country, and many residents struggle to afford housing and other necessities. And low unemployment means some businesses are finding it hard to staff up. [Source: WUSF]
Busy hurricane center predicts system could be Gulf-bound, threaten Florida
While Tropical Storm Franklin remains churning in the Atlantic, the National Hurricane Center is tracking three other systems with a chance to form into the season’s next tropical depression or storm including one that could threaten Florida. In its 2 a.m. tropical outlook, the NHC forecasts an area of low pressure could form by the weekend in the northwestern Caribbean Sea that would then migrate north toward the Gulf of Mexico. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Florida’s Disaster Sales Tax Holiday is back. Here’s what you need to know
Florida’s Disaster Preparedness Sales Tax Holiday is happening twice this year, and the second holiday period starts Saturday. The sales tax holiday exempts customers in Florida from paying taxes on specific supplies related to preparing for disasters. With the peak of hurricane season nearing, now is a good time to stock up on those items you might need if you didn’t do so during the last holiday period back in May. [Source: Click Orlando]
State forbids public funding of community IDs but local programs still issuing them
Community IDs are photo identification cards individuals can use to access a variety of services that require identification. Anyone who lives in the county issuing the ID can apply, but these IDs are often used by homeless, elderly or formerly incarcerated people, undocumented immigrants and others who may struggle to obtain a state or federal ID. [Source: Miami Herald]
Florida officials want to avoid spread of yellow-legged hornet
As if the crocodiles, disease-carrying mosquitoes, and Burmese pythons weren't enough, now we need to keep our eyes peeled for the latest invasive species: the yellow-legged hornet. The predatory hornet, which has already brought significant damage to bee populations in Europe was spotted for the first time in the the United States earlier this month. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› 'We are opening space': Space Perspective's Titusville space-balloon factory dedicated
To reach Mount Everest's 29,035-foot snow-capped summit in the Himalayas, hardy travelers should expect to invest long travel times and up to $200,000 on a daring expedition that's bound to be "very uncomfortable," warned Florida Rep. Thad Altman. By comparison, Altman labeled Space Perspective's future $125,000 rides aboard balloons soaring 100,000 feet in elevation — with roomy pressurized passenger capsules offering food, beverages and Wi-Fi — "a steal."
› Publix ends practice of making ‘hurricane cakes’ in Florida
Due to sensitivity concerns, Publix is no longer baking hurricane-themed cakes for Florida customers, especially in light of the numerous deaths caused by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole last fall. In a statement, Publix said while they enjoy “finding ways to delight them with their favorite Publix items as they prepare for uncertainty,” the cakes will not be made anymore.
› Mayor makes case for continuing Miami-Dade recycling
In a report to county commissioners last week, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava noted that a mid-July commission discussion centered on a concern that “recycling is much more expensive than simply taking the same waste to a landfill.” She sought to explain why she thinks recycling must continue. The July discussion revolved around the pressure to raise recycling rates and whether that could be alleviated by canceling the county’s three recycling contracts.
› Port Canaveral is the only port in Florida near pre-pandemic cruise passengers. Here's why
Port Canaveral was the only seaport in the state close to its pre-pandemic cruise passengers numbers. At 4.89 million people in 2019, the Brevard seaport saw 4.21 million in 2022. While it is still a difference of over 600,000 passengers, every other port who disclosed their numbers continued to report significantly fewer passengers in 2022 than in 2019.
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› State's brief financial autopsy of Broward insurer prompts more questions than answers
After Sawgrass Mutual Insurance Co. went under in 2018, Florida regulators were supposed to do a financial autopsy to determine what had gone wrong. But they didn’t hire forensic accountants to dig into Sawgrass Mutual’s finances, as they had in previous insolvency cases. And while they ultimately blamed the company’s demise on “mismanagement,” their final report offered few details and little analysis.
› Navy pulling out of Tallahassee; center has been operational since WWII
The Navy Operational Support Center in Tallahassee will be phased out by the end of September 2024, erasing one of the last touchstones in Florida’s capital city to its U.S. military mobilization for World War II. The facility along Roberts Avenue provides administration and training support to reserves deployed and has been operational in some functions since the 1940s, when the U.S. Army Air Corp selected Tallahassee as a site to train fighter pilots at what was then the Tallahassee airport known as Dale Mabry Field.
› Tampa ad company acquired by Texas investors
A Tampa-based ad firm known for its mobile ads on cars and delivery robots has been sold to Texas-based investor T72 Club Inc., the companies say in a Monday news release. Nickelytics, a Tampa startup, is a digital platform that launches "hyper-local" advertising as simply as posting online ads, says Judah Longgrear, CEO of the ad firm.
› The clock is running out on deal to save Miami’s self-styled Spanish version of Fox News
Facing an imminent employee walkout, Americano Media, a struggling company that styles itself as a version of Fox News in Spanish, has until Friday to find an investor to keep the Miami-based enterprise afloat, but conversations with a potential buyer are still in its initial stages and the parties have yet to agree on how much the operation is worth.