Florida Gov. DeSantis signs $100 billion state budget, helped by federal cash

After vetoing $1.5 billion, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Wednesday a $100 billion state budget that spends heavily on public works projects, the environment and $1,000 bonuses for many Floridians on the frontlines of the COVID-19 pandemic. The spending plan for the year starting July 1 is by far the largest in state history – roughly 8% bigger than the current budget. And it’s propped up with billions of dollars in federal aid, much of it opposed by Republicans in Congress but a windfall for Florida’s Republican governor. More from the  Sarasota Herald-Tribune  and the Orlando Sentinel. and the Miami Herald.

Bill Nelson makes 1st State of NASA address after nearly $25 billion budget ask; announces 2 new Venus missions

New NASA Administrator Bill Nelson gave his first State of NASA address on Wednesday plotting out the agency’s plans to continue the Artemis program to return humans to the moon as well as new Earth-centric missions as part of the largest science budget ask ever for the agency. At the end of the 45-minute presentation, Nelson announced two new missions to Venus as part of NASA’s Discovery program, which allows for smaller planetary missions that aren’t part of NASA’s flagship missions Veritas and DaVinci+. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

You can finally use SunPass to pay tolls out of state. But you’ll need a new transponder.

It took years, but drivers can now use their SunPass account to pay tolls in over a dozen states outside Florida. But it’ll cost you $15 to buy a new transponder for your windshield. SunPass was already compatible in Georgia and North Carolina, but the new SunPass Pro will allow drivers to pay tolls in 15 additional states in the eastern U.S., eliminating the need to use cash plazas or buy additional transponders, the box that communicates with the toll plaza. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Kroger's high-tech Florida invasion

When a big name brand enters the market for the first time, it's realistic to expect a decent amount of fanfare. But in its entry to the Sunshine State, the largest grocery store chain in the entire U.S. is kind of flying under the radar. Kroger, the Ohio-based supermarket conglomerate and the biggest grocer in the U.S. by revenue, is slowly entering the state of Florida, without the usual pomp and circumstance one would expect from a retailer of its size. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

Disney to set sail from Port Canaveral on COVID test cruise

After a catastrophic coronavirus cruise season, Disney Cruise Line will finally set sail later this month, the company said in a statement Tuesday. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention approved the cruise line’s request to conduct a two-night simulation cruise on June 29 on the Disney Dream departing from Port Canaveral. The federal government is getting ready to let cruises sail again, but only if nearly all passengers and crew are vaccinated against the virus. [Source: AP]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Micro-mobility infrastructure plan targets downtown Miami [Miami Today]
A micro-mobility infrastructure project half funded by electric scooter fees could be coming to downtown Miami, adding about three miles of protected bicycle and scooter lanes and laying the groundwork for more lanes in the future. The green-patterned pavement lanes, which would come with concrete barriers separating them from traffic, would run from South First Street to Northeast 11th Terrace along North Miami Avenue and Northeast First Avenue, and from Northeast Second Avenue to I-95 on North Fifth and Sixth streets.

› ‘Going crazy:’ Orlando jobless dread the end of $300 weekly federal aid [Orlando Sentinel]
Joanne Castellano has a dire prediction when pandemic-related federal unemployment benefits end on June 27. “Things are going to get bad,” said Castellano of Poinciana, a Walt Disney World Resort employee who remains on furlough. “I’m going crazy here to see what I’ll do.” Thousands of other Florida residents face the same situation because the administration of Gov. Ron DeSantis decided to terminate the $300 weekly federal benefit two months ahead of schedule.

› Developer unveils $1.1 billion plan for Riverfront Jacksonville in downtown [Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville developer Steve Atkins literally took to the stage Tuesday in showcasing his $1.1 billion plan for Riverfront Jacksonville, a mega-development for the Northbank that is full of ambition but not something the city of Jacksonville asked him to put forward. Atkins, who has been in the thick of downtown development with restoration of the historic Barnett Bank building and Laura Street Trio, turned to an all-new concept for Riverfront Jacksonville.

› Selby Gardens in Sarasota is set to get bigger and greener [Tampa Bay Times]
Beyond the lush aesthetics of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens’ downtown Sarasota campus is an educational center for the study of botany and horticulture. Billed as a “living museum,” the gardens perched along Sarasota Bay hold the world’s best scientifically documented collections of orchids and bromeliads. In 2018, plans began for expanding the gardens’ mission “to provide bayfront sanctuaries connecting people with air plants of the world, native nature and our regional history,” with an eye toward the environment and sustainability.

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› TIAA Bank laying off 48 more Jacksonville workers [Florida Times-Union]
For the third time in less than six months, TIAA Bank filed a notice saying it is laying off employees as it exits the mortgage business. The latest notice filed May 28 under the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act said the Jacksonville-based bank is laying off an additional 48 workers. TIAA filed a Dec. 20 WARN notice saying it was cutting 59 jobs as it discontinued its mortgage servicing business unit and an April 26 notice saying 90 workers would lose their jobs as the bank ends its home lending business.

› Miami won’t have 4th of July fireworks downtown. Expect a smaller neighborhood show. [Miami Herald]
One of the largest Fourth of July fireworks displays in Miami-Dade County won’t take place this year after officials decided COVID still poses too much of a threat to open Bayfront Park to tens of thousands of visitors. “To ensure the safety and health of our residents during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bayfront Park Management Trust will not be moving forward with the Fourth of July” fireworks show, Jose Solano, the Trust’s executive director, told the Miami Herald.

› $80 million program to boost expansions and jobs opening to applicants [Busiiness Observer]
Pinellas County Economic Development will open a second round of funding June 2 for its $80 million Employment Sites Program. The project was created to help companies with the construction or redevelopment of industrial and office buildings as an economic driver and way to “attract new target industry employers” to the county, according to a statement. The first round of funding, which opened Jan. 11, brought in proposals that will create over 216,350 square feet of industrial space and 120,000 square feet of redeveloped offices, the release states.

› Universal Studios adds Olympic flair, sushi to tout Tokyo Games [Orlando Sentinel]
Universal Studios is displaying Olympic fever. The theme park has added visual touches for the upcoming Tokyo Games and food options, including sushi. The park currently is fronted by a medallion in the entrance arch, a spot typically held by Halloween Horror Nights and Mardi Gras signs in the past. The Tokyo disc incorporates subtle images of the city and Mount Fuji.