Thursday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 12/21/2017

Florida's uneven recovery from Hurricane Irma

More than one in three Florida households — 2.6 million — have applied for Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster assistance since Hurricane Irma hit in September. And depending on what kind of government help Floridians are seeking, the level of assistance varies from community to community. Read more from Marketplace and listen to the story below:

How new tax bill will impact real estate market in South Florida

The most wide-ranging reform of the United States' tax laws in more than three decades marginalizes homeownership incentives, but experts say it favors South Florida's real estate market. More from WPLG.

Florida Crystals proposes luxury apartment community in Boca Raton

FCI Residential, the development arm of sugarcane giant Florida Crystals, is proposing an $80 million rental complex that will add two apartments buildings to downtown Boca Raton. FCI’s plans for the project will go before a community board and the city’s planning and zoning board early next year. More from the Real Deal.

Florida's dairy industry gets little scrutiny from the state on animal welfare

A Miami-Dade-based animal rights group is demanding tighter regulations on Florida’s dairy industry after the release of its final undercover video appearing to show cows being abused and kept in inhumane conditions. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

JTA opens test track to future for self-driving transit shuttles

The futuristic appeal of the autonomous vehicles that began operating Wednesday on the JTA test track is the prospect that eventually hundreds of them could be shuttling passengers around downtown in a technologically sophisticated network using the existing Skyway structure. More from the Florida Times-Union.

Sports Business
The Miami Open's new home

It’s official. The Miami Open is moving from Key Biscayne to Hard Rock Stadium in 2019. And though the scenery from the turnpike isn’t as picturesque as sailboats bobbing on turquoise water alongside the Rickenbacker Causeway, tournament officials promise the new site will “enhance every aspect” of the player and fan experience.

» More from the Miami Herald.

Florida History
Jacksonville's rich history

One of the greatest resources a city can possess is the historic fabric of its community. The challenge for Jacksonville, which has long ignored its history, is to celebrate it and make it part of the city’s image and brand.