Sea levels are rising but parts of Florida are also sinking, research shows

Sea levels have already risen several inches since the start of the century and could be around 6 feet higher by 2100. But another factor could be making those sunny day floods in South Florida worse: We’re sinking. Well, only a little bit. And only in some places. That’s according to new and old research on the phenomena of sinking land — also known as subsidence — along the entire U.S. coast. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald. 

They came for Florida’s sun and sand. They got soaring costs and a culture war.

But while hundreds of thousands of new residents have flocked to the state on the promise of beautiful weather, no income tax and lower costs, nearly 500,000 left in 2022, according to the most recent census data. Contributing to their move was a perfect storm of soaring insurance costs, a hostile political environment, worsening traffic and extreme weather, according to interviews with more than a dozen recent transplants and longtime residents. [Source: NBC News]

Cruise lines are making these changes to go green. Critics say more needs to be done

As cruise ships sail the seas, many are charting a new course on the environmental front. "Cruise lines have had this label as polluters for a long time and many, many years ago they weren’t as stringent about the way they treated our oceans," Cruise Critic Editor in Chief Colleen McDaniel said. With the push to reduce their carbon footprint, cruise companies are implementing new measures in effort to go green. [Source: NBC Miami]

Florida Supreme Court to decide Monday whether abortion, recreational marijuana will be on ballot

The clock is ticking for Florida’s Supreme Court to decide on two controversial ballot initiatives for November – abortion and recreational marijuana. These controversial topics have some justices even questioning how far the court can go to prevent initiatives from being placed on the ballot. The high court said it will announce it’s decision on Monday at 4 p.m. If the proposals reach the ballot, they would each need 60 percent approval from voters to pass. [Source: WFTV]

Florida solar eclipse events: List of festivals, planetarium celebrations on April 8

There's barely more than a week before the total solar eclipse takes place on Monday, April 8. While you might already have your eclipse glasses ready to go — take care to watch out for fake glasses — you might still be looking for the perfect place to view the major celestial event. While Florida isn't within the path of totality, astronomy clubs and institutions across the state are holding events for residents to catch a glimpse of the eclipse (safety behind glasses, of course.) [Source: Lakeland Ledger]

Freezing out joint pain with iovera°

At least 1 in 6 adults in every state in the U.S. has arthritis. About 25% of the population in Florida is affected with doctor-diagnosed arthritis –that’s over 4.1 million adults in just this state. Osteoarthritis (OA), the most common type of arthritis, is a degenerative joint disease that predominantly affects knees, hips, and shoulders. This condition often results in debilitating symptoms, including pain, stiffness, and a reduction in mobility. [Sponsored report]

We see innovation

Innovation combines the latest technology with clinical expertise and a compassionate team to deliver the care you need when you need it most. At Broward Health, we are dedicated to the continuous evolution of care. We know that advancements today create more tomorrows for the ones you love. [Sponsored report]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Secretive Delta IV Heavy rocket launch postponed indefinitely [Live Science]
The launch of the Delta IV Heavy rocket has been postponed indefinitely. According to a tweet from United Launch Alliance (ULA) posted on Thursday, an ongoing problem with a gaseous nitrogen pipeline has forced the team to scrub the mission and pick a new date.

› New Central Florida highway will wirelessly charge cars on the go [Orlando Sentinel]
Daily commuting ranks among life’s tediums but one day Central Florida drivers will get a charge out of motoring on a new highway in south Lake and west Orange counties. Based on technology used in armrests at Orlando’s airport that power phones wirelessly and stoves that heat skillets without burners, the coming State Road 516 will be equipped to replenish batteries of electric cars and trucks as they zip along the toll expressway.

› Will Hillsborough’s half-cent tax survive politics to get on the ballot? [Tampa Bay Times]
To say the Community Investment Tax helped build Hillsborough County is not an exaggeration. Raymond James Stadium — home to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and venue for the likes of Taylor Swift and Beyoncé — owes its existence to the half-penny sales tax voters passed in 1996. Since then, the tax has funded hundreds of projects to the tune of more than $2.6 billion, including fire stations, police facilities, libraries, roads, intersections and sidewalks.

› A South Beach Burger King site meets a prize-winning architect. See what’s coming [Miami Herald]
Miami Beach’s posh South of Fifth neighborhood will get a new office building to replace a prominent Burger King location as developers cater to more wealth moving into the region. So goodbye, Whoppers and fries. Hello, fancy offices and retail. Eduardo Souta de Moura, a Pritzker prize-winning architect — the highest honor in the field — joined the project and designed a five-story building with 101,381 square feet, including three floors of offices, one for parking, and the base with retail and restaurant space.

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› Affordable housing in Jacksonville: Facts and friction [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Over two Tuesday nights in February, the Jacksonville City Council engaged in one of its more contentious debates since the board was reshuffled in last year’s elections. The subject was a proposed workforce housing development at 10939 Biscayne Blvd. On an undeveloped 5.4-acre property, developer Lisa Massis of Lofty Asset Management requested rezoning to allow for construction of a two-story multifamily building.

› Miami Beach buying $6 million house. Now, how to use it? [Miami Today]
The Miami Beach City Commission unanimously amended its capital budget to buy a single-family home on Collins Avenue as it struggled to find a real use for the property. The problem was finding a need by a city department that had money available. “This is the fourth amendment to the capital budget,” said Budget Director Tameka Otto Stewart. “It contains one item, and it recommends an appropriation of $5.88 million for the purchase of the building at 7605 Collins Ave.”

› onePulse won’t provide records for $6.5 million in spending, Orange County says [Orlando Sentinel]
Orange County is accusing the now-defunct onePulse Foundation of obstructing its efforts to understand exactly how the group spent millions in tourist tax funds — and the dispute may be headed to the courts. In a county commissioners meeting and follow up interviews with the Orlando Sentinel, Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond said that the county has been insisting — with no success so far — that the foundation provide bank statements and other records relevant to the county’s review.

› New Pinellas County residents flock to one city: St. Petersburg [Business Observer]
If people vote with their feet, St. Petersburg won the Pinellas County election. Over the last three years, 15,000 people have settled in Pinellas County, according to the city's "State of the Economy" report released Thursday. Almost half of the new residents chose St. Petersburg.