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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Billions of dollars coming to Florida once infrastructure bill becomes law
Billions of federal dollars are coming to Florida once President Joe Biden signs the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act into law — but the specific projects that stand to benefit haven’t all been identified yet. The bill is divided into eight major buckets of funding: roads and bridges, public transit, passenger and freight rail, electric vehicles, internet access, the electric gird, airports and water. More from the Miami Herald. and the Tampa Bay Times.
Welcome back! With COVID restrictions lifted, South Florida tourism spots throw open their doors to international travelers
Tourists from Germany, Brazil, the United Kingdom and many other countries this week started stepping off airplanes in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Miami, gathering their bags and heading for the beaches. The United States on Monday lifted a nearly 20-month ban on travel from dozens of countries, provided the travelers could meet anti-COVID standards. At Miami International Airport, international arrivals Monday already were running 5,000 ahead of the previous Monday. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Manatee deaths have slowed, but experts are bracing for a deadly winter
The death rate of Florida's beloved manatees has slowed in recent months, but with winter bringing colder temperatures, some experts fear that could soon change. September and October brought the fewest manatee deaths in a year that's left nearly 1,000 sea cows dead, state wildlife data show. The monthly death rate this fall was roughly eight times less than the die-off's peak in spring. More from the Gainesville Sun.
Still owning hundreds of Jacksonville homes, Zillow stops house-flipping
The web company famous for its encyclopedic home listings bought hundreds of houses around Jacksonville this year, aiming to flip them for fast profits as sales prices climbed month after month. But Zillow reversed course last week, saying it would shed a quarter of its employees in coming months and wind down Zillow Offers, an iBuying service where it bought and re-sold properties in dozens of markets nationwide. More from the Florida Times-Union.
IAAPA: Legoland Florida takes Brass Ring Award for training program
Legoland Florida has been given an IAAPA Brass Ring Award for a training program. The Winter Haven theme park’s “Guest Obsession: Four Pillars of Go!” was recognized by the industry group in the category of best innovation in a training program among attractions with an annual attendance of more than 1 million visitors. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Event
South Beach Wine & Food Festival has more events, same COVID rules
The four-day festival, which runs Feb. 24-27, is returning to a more normal state than last year, when it pushed back the event three months and cut capacity to about a third. But it will still require guests, chefs and staff to state that they have been vaccinated or have tested negative for COVID-19.
» More from the Miami Herald.
Business Profile
Westfield Brandon mall’s hijab store serves a growing need in Tampa Bay
It’s never been easy for Eman Khalifeh to find modest and fashionable clothing as a Muslim woman. So Khalifeh opened her own store to help the growing Muslim community in Tampa Bay find women’s clothing and accessories. DAZ Hijab opened inside the Westfield Brandon mall in July. It’s one of just a handful of stores in the Tampa Bay area that cater to this community.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
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