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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
› Miami-Dade’s new Tree Island Park preserves a wild chunk of the Everglades in suburbia
On a clear, cool weekday morning out in far west Miami-Dade, the turkey vultures circling overhead are getting a panoramic view of one of the county’s most remarkable sights: an expansive green rectangle containing a newly thriving, waterlogged piece of the Everglades, completely boxed in by row upon row of houses and townhomes. Welcome to Tree Island Park, the newest gem in Miami-Dade’s far-reaching and diverse park system.
› Construction begins on downtown St. Pete tower delayed by pandemic
While in other parts of the country statistics suggest some downtowns are experiencing a slump, local politicians and developers gathered at a large patch of dirt downtown on Tuesday, beneath what has become two of St. Pete’s trademark backdrops: sunshine and cranes.
› Florida-bound eventually, Royal Caribbean takes possession of cruise ship Odyssey of the Seas
The Royal Caribbean fleet is climbing back to 25 ships with the handover of the Florida-bound Odyssey of the Seas. The second ship in what the line calls its Quantum Ultra class, the 169,000-gross-ton vessel is scheduled to debut sailing from Port Everglades this November, but not before it gets its feet wet beginning in May sailing from Israel.
› Insurers say no-fault repeal would be costly to Florida drivers
The American Property Casualty Insurance Association says repealing the no-fault auto insurance system could jack up insurance rates for Florida’s low-income drivers. Bills moving in both chambers (HB 719/SB 54) would replace the currently required $10,000 personal injury protection (PIP) coverage in favor of mandatory bodily injury (MBI) coverage that pays out up to $25,000 for a crash-related injury or death or up to $50,000 for injury or death in a crash involving two or more people.
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