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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
International travelers looking forward to returning to Florida
Florida will soon welcome back international visitors. The United States is lifting all travel bans on foreign visitors from 33 countries on November, 8 which is great news for tourism. People looking to enter the country will need to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and provide proof. That is going to be handled by the airlines abroad before anyone ever boards a plane. The same goes for showing proof of a negative COVID-19 test. More from WINK Newsand TTG Media.
Florida Trend Exclusive
NASA manager outlines the agency's goals for deep space
In a recent interview with FLORIDA TREND, Lyons talked about her current role as the acting manager of Gateway Deep Space Logistics for NASA’s Artemis program, which aims to land the first woman and first person of color on the moon by 2024. She also discussed the strides women have made in the nation’s space workforce. [Source: Florida Trend]
Court knocks down legal fees in Irma case
An appeals court Wednesday ordered a reduction in legal fees and costs in a case filed against the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. after Hurricane Irma damaged a Miami-Dade County home in 2017. Residents Joseph Casanas and Nancy Cervantes went to court after Citizens denied coverage for roof damage because it said the amount of the claim was below a hurricane deductible, according to Wednesday’s ruling by a panel of the 3rd District Court of Appeal. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Time change: Didn't Florida agree to do away with the whole clock-changing thing?
It's that time of the year again. Time to change the clocks and time to start the debate over the biannual time change. Fifteen states have enacted legislation to make daylight saving time year-round. The Sunshine State has been on the side of keeping longer daylight hours permanent since 2018 when U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio introduced the bill, called the “Sunshine Protection Act." The Florida Legislature almost unanimously voted for it. But it still hasn't happened. [Source: Daytona Beach News Journal]
State to face class action on juvenile solitary confinement
A federal judge has cleared the way for a class-action lawsuit against the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice about the use of solitary confinement for minors, including children with disabilities. The lawsuit was filed in 2019 on behalf of individual juveniles, but U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle last week approved a request to certify it as a class action on behalf of thousands of minors. [Source: News Service of Florida]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› A St. Petersburg company looks to lead the shift to private flood insurance
In the complex and often confusing world of flood insurance, it can be difficult for homeowners to know whether they should buy policies through the federal government or from a private company. But with changes to the National Flood Insurance Program expected to push up premiums for many, the private market is gearing up for a possible mass migration to their services.
› COVID-19 drops Port Canaveral revenue to nearly 20-year low, but tide turning
The 2021 fiscal year saw only two full months of cruise operations at Port Canaveral, so its total revenue was the lowest it has been in nearly two decades bringing in just shy of $34.5 million. That’s the lowest since FY 2002, the year following the 9/11 attacks, which saw the port bring in less than $32 million. Since then, revenues have continued to grow steadily, and were on track for a record 2020 before COVID-19 hit.
› Rent -a-car giant changing how it disposes of fleet and expanding partnership with Uber
First Tom Brady. Now Uber and Carvana. The Hertz Corp. announced Wednesday that it was transforming how it disposes of its inventory of vehicles and that it would add up to 50,000 Teslas to its Uber program by 2023. The dual announcements come two days after the Lee County-based company said it was buying 100,000 Teslas by the end of 2022 and that Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady would star in company commercials.
› JEA to adjust charge monthly in response to soaring fuel costs
JEA officials say rising natural gas prices will likely result in higher monthly bills for customers over the next year. The JEA board voted 5-0 on Oct. 26 to update the utility’s fuel charge monthly instead of annually, which could result in customer bills rising or falling with fuel prices. After the Oct. 26 meeting, JEA officials said that an average residential customer using 1,000 kilowatt hours a month can expect the monthly fuel charge to rise from $30.50 to $36.60 in December and the total bill to increase from $123.35 to $129.82.
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