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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Citrus industry looks for silver lining amid dismal season. Is one on the horizon?
Florida’s hurricane-battered citrus growers, facing their lowest yield in eight decades, continue to see a drop in production with the season’s harvest nearly complete. But with federal disaster relief from Hurricane Irma on the horizon, the industry tried to keep a positive spin on the situation after the release Thursday of a new forecast by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More from the Bradenton Herald and the Lakeland Ledger.
See also:
» Florida citrus production down more than 80 percent since 1998
» Squeeze play continues to plague Florida citrus crop
» Putnam comments on updated citrus crop forecast, disaster assistance
60th Anniversary Special Report
The trends that will shape Florida’s future
From transportation, economic diversity and sea-level rise to growth and aging, the trends that will shape Florida’s future. If there’s a template for Florida’s cities going forward, it’s Orlando. The city, whose economy leans heavily on tourism and housing, has made important strides in diversifying its economy. Full story from Florida Trend, here.
» Coming Monday: The next installment in our 60th Anniversary Special Report has profiles of people to watch.
Are drones safe? One Florida city could have some of the answers
Drones will soon receive a warm welcome in select cities. The US Department of Transportation announced that 10 state and local governments, including one in Florida, have been selected to test advanced drone applications as part of a program to ease them into American skies. The Florida group that will be part of the testing is the Lee County Mosquito Control District in Fort Myers. Read more at Money and the Miami Herald.
72 million tourists visited Orlando in 2017 — a record number
More people than ever are coming to Orlando. About 72 million people visited Orlando in 2017 — a record, Visit Orlando revealed with much fanfare Thursday. It bested the previous record of 68 million people who traveled to Florida in 2016, making Orlando the first U.S. city to surpass the 70 million threshold for tourists. See the news release from Visit Orlando, here. Also read more at the Orlando Sentinel.
Best state for working moms? Not Florida
Florida has many great things to offer but being a working mom isn't one of them. At least, that's what a study from WalletHub found. The site said it looked at 15 key metrics to come up with the best and worst states (and the District of Columbia) for mothers who work. See how Florida fares for working moms in WalletHub's news release, here. Also read more at WFTS.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Disney and the Seminoles put up millions for campaign
A group pushing a constitutional amendment on gambling is getting a significant boost from Disney and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. Newly filed campaign records show that Disney Worldwide Services and the tribe each donated $5 million in April to Voters in Charge.
› Why won’t local governments fund extra school security? Look to a memo
It’s not a secret: Florida’s school districts are struggling to find enough money to place armed security on each campus, as now required by law. What is new lately is many local governments have begun saying they will not help out with their law enforcement departments.
› Gainesville looks to help small businesses relocate
As Gainesville grows, small businesses are being displaced while larger developments begin construction. City officials are aware of the issue and are attempting to be proactive, but it’s still a concern for a group of small business owners near the University of Florida.
› Florida man behind 100 million robocalls hit with huge FCC fine
In a massive strike, the Federal Communications Commission issued a $120 million fine on a massive robocall spoofing operation it deemed a threat to public safety. The FCC said it would leverage the fine against a Miami man who the commission said made almost 100 million spoofed robocalls over a three-month period at the end of 2016. See the news release from the FCC here.
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