Florida still has a shot at getting Space Force command

Despite seemingly long odds, Florida hasn’t given up on landing the command center for the nation’s newest military branch, Space Force. Dale Ketcham, Space Florida’s vice president of government and external relations, said the state is “still competing” for the headquarters for the new branch, which will have an initial job of protecting satellites and other hardware already in space. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Florida politics 2019: The year Ron DeSantis took the helm

Change, of course, is inevitable when a new governor is elected. Republican Jeb Bush completely changed state government after he was elected in 1998 to succeed Democrat Lawton Chiles. Republicans have won every subsequent gubernatorial election, but each new governor has installed new people, brought new ideas and had a new style. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

What’s causing neurological issues in Florida panthers?

Scientists still don’t know what is causing some Florida panthers to display signs of a neurological disorder, but they’ve given it a name: feline leukomyelopathy. “They (biologists) gave it a name they can use while they’re talking about it,” said Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spokeswoman Carli Segelson. FWC is the state agency in charge of protecting wildlife like the panther, the state animal and an endangered species. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

Opinion: Florida businesses — not foreign businesses — merit support

In Florida, the retail industry is one of the foundations of our diverse economy. The industry is made up of 270,000 businesses, and they provide more than 2.7 million jobs for Florida families. This important pillar of our economy is at risk, however. Foreign and out-of-state retailers are capitalizing on our state’s outdated tax laws, and they’re stealing business from Florida retailers. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Here are South Florida’s juiciest lawsuits of 2019

The most salacious lawsuits of the past year involved accusations of bribing a juror, developer consultants scaring off foreign investors, a broker getting stiffed on a commission agreement worth at least $1.5 million, and a local bank executive aiding and abetting a hotel developer rip off investors, among other examples of alleged unethical business practices. [Source: The Real Deal]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida’s insane number of license plates is costing FDOT millions [Florida Politics]
Florida has way too many license plates, with sources telling Florida Politics it’s causing the state to lose millions of dollars because SunPass cameras have trouble reading some of them. One of FDOT’s lingering problems with its SunPass system is the high volume of Toll-by-Plate (TBP) transactions that have to be manually-reviewed by workers.

› Sarasota to orchestra: Stay in the city, please [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
With the possibility of losing the Sarasota Orchestra looming, city commissioners are considering a resolution that would send a clear message to one of the area’s oldest cultural institutions: Don’t leave Sarasota. City commissioners will consider a resolution on Jan. 6 that recognizes the orchestra’s long relationship with the city and “declares its continuing support and encouragement” for keeping it in Sarasota.

› Pinellas County’s new tourism leader lays out plans for collaboration to grow destination [Tampa Bay Times]
Steve Hayes started his first week as the head of Visit St. Pete/Clearwater with a stack of books to share with his staff. The new CEO of Pinellas County’s tourism marketing arm brought a piece of Pensacola — where he worked the last six years — with him when he started his new gig on Dec. 16.

› ‘Wild West:’ Florida legislators’ PACs amass hundreds of millions of dollars [Florida Today]
Direct donations to campaigns for the Florida Legislature are limited to $1,000. But lawmakers have a way around that: their own political action committees. These PACs allow for big-dollar contributions, lavish spending and curious exchanges of funds between lawmakers. Florida state Senate and House members will descend on Tallahassee Jan. 14 for another year of Republican control of the Legislature — and the knowledge that control pays off.

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› Faces of homelessness in Florida: Meet 15 people living on the streets or in shelters [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
A wide spectrum of circumstances can lead to homelessness. The Big Bend Continuum of Care’s 2019 Point in Time count identified 966 people experiencing homelessness in Leon, Wakulla and Gadsden counties. While some have experienced chronic homelessness for much of their lives, others may have suddenly lost their jobs, and the next thing they knew – they had nowhere to live.

› Florida texting and driving laws: Are ‘golf cart’ drivers included? [Walton Sun]
If you’ve received a warning by running afoul of the new Florida texting/driving laws, consider yourself lucky. Your grace period is expiring on New Year’s Day. Florida’s texting/driving laws actually went into effect July 1, and the hand-held ban in school zones and construction zones followed suit on Oct. 1. Many law enforcement agencies across the state, including the Florida Highway Patrol, gave drivers a six-month “breaking in” period with warnings, rather than fines, for basic texting infractions.

› Corporate giving plays a giant role for Sarasota County charities [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
From the homeless and hungry to reef restoration and Alzheimer’s research to abused and abandoned children, Sarasota County companies give an enormous amount of money and volunteer hours. For a lot of these companies, giving is in their DNA.

› David Beckham’s Inter Miami MLS team taps Diego Alonso as first coach [Tampa Bay Times]
David Beckham’s new MLS team finally has its first coach, with Inter Miami hiring Diego Alonso. The Uruguayan, who has coached two different teams to CONCACAF Champions League titles, officially took over Monday as the inaugural manager of Beckham’s club.