Florida Chamber issues midyear progress report on state economy
The Florida Chamber of Commerce has released a new report outlining the state’s progress toward the organization’s chief goal over the past five years: growing Florida into a Top 10 global economy. The 2024 Florida Business & Economic Mid-Year Report covers where Florida stands regarding five key economic drivers that are currently playing a significant role in the strength of Florida’s businesses, communities and the 2030 trajectory. [Source: Florida Politics]
Florida Trend Exclusive
Cybersecurity trends: Liability protection
A business tries to safeguard its networks, yet it still suffers a cyberattack compromising clients’ personal identification information. Should they be held civilly liable? The Florida Legislature said no last spring, provided the business can demonstrate those good-faith efforts. [Source: Florida Trend]
Florida’s Labor Day gas prices could be the lowest in 3 years
Drivers expected to hit the road in Florida for Labor Day could see the lowest gas prices for the holiday in three years, according to the American Automobile Association. AAA says Florida gas prices averaged $3.29 per gallon on Sunday, the lowest daily average price in two months. The state average jumped eight cents early next week, then declined nine cents by the weekend; it was also lower than the national average. More from First Coast News and the Orlando Sentinel.
Title IX rule blocked amid lawsuit
A divided appeals court has blocked a new federal rule about sex-based discrimination in education programs while a legal battle continues to play out, giving a win to Florida and three other states. A panel of the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last week granted a request from the states and other plaintiffs for an injunction against the rule, which deals with Title IX, a landmark 1972 law that bars discrimination in education programs based on sex. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Daylight saving time 2024: Sunshine Protection Act, why Florida still falls back, for now
Despite efforts to permanently end daylight saving time in Florida and beyond, the age-old practice ends for 2024 in November, on the first Sunday after Halloween. For years, lawmakers tried to permanently end daylight saving time via the Sunshine Protection Act, with bills introduced in 2018, 2019, 2021 and 2023. However, the bills were never passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, and they have never been signed into law. [Source: Fort Myers News-Press]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› SpaceX delays Polaris Dawn launch at least 1 day
A helium leak on the launch pad has forced SpaceX to hold off an overnight launch attempt of the Polaris Dawn mission with billionaire Jared Isaacman and three crewmates for at least one day. “Teams are taking a closer look at a ground-side helium leak on the Quick Disconnect umbilical,” SpaceX posted on X late Monday. “Falcon and Dragon remain healthy and the crew continues to be ready for their multi-day mission to low-Earth orbit.”
› 60 Miami startups competed for Startup World Cup’s $1M. Find out which 10 will advance.
A rainy August Saturday didn’t stop over 400 attendees from supporting 60 startups at The Gale Miami during Miami’s first-ever Startup World Cup (the largest startup competition in the world) Demo Day. Hosted by The Source, Miami’s Black-owned tech hub, founders took the spotlight to pitch their startups to a panel of elite judges for a chance to advance to the regional finals on September 14.
› Red Lobster to close more restaurants in Florida
The closures followed over 90 shutdowns in May, bringing a decline of more than 20% to the popular seafood restaurant chain locations since the end of 2023. Orlando, Florida-based Red Lobster said in court filings that its annual guest counts were down 30% from 2019. The chain lost $76 million in 2023.
› Jane Goodall is coming to Tampa Bay to get kids involved in the environment
Legendary conservationist Jane Goodall will lead a youth empowerment night at Tropicana Field on Sept. 14 in advance of a day of environmental service meant to focus on young people in Goodall’s Roots & Shoots program. Working in alliance with several other Tampa Bay-area environmental organizations, Roots & Shoots will welcome their iconic namesake for a live appearance amid a weekend of high-energy, environmentally-focused events.
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› Florida agency says group behind state park golf course is withdrawing plan
The group behind the plan to build golf courses on Jonathan Dickinson State Park is withdrawing its proposal, a spokesperson for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection said. In a statement, the state agency said that the plan for the state park had been submitted by the Tuskegee Dunes Foundation, a little-known group registered as a nonprofit corporation in Delaware.
› Blue Ghost, Firefly Aerospace's moon lander, to launch this year from Cape
Blue Ghost, a 6½-foot-tall robotic moon lander constructed by Firefly Aerospace and packed with scientific equipment, is slated to launch during the fourth quarter of this year aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral. The mission marks another moon lander developed by a private company under NASA's Commercial Lunar Payload Services initiative.
› Mormon church seeks to annex 52,450 acres of ranchland to Orlando
An investment arm of the Mormon church applied today to annex 52,450 acres of ranchland to the city of Orlando, a massive addition that would increase the physical size of the city by nearly 60 percent. The land-owning entity, known as Farmland Reserve, says it has no immediate plans to develop the land, which will be annexed as the “East Orlando Deseret Ranch Planning Area.”
› Florida wildlife officials seek federal permit to plant seagrass off Samsons Island
Florida wildlife officials plan to spend $1.7 million in federal money to plant back more than seven acres of seagrass along Samsons Island in Satellite Beach. But they also will cover more than an acre of the Banana River Lagoon with limestone boulders to blunt waves, and with 165 cages to thwart hungry manatees and other grazers, to give the seagrass a fighting chance.