Lawsuit asks federal court to set congressional map

The lawsuit, filed in the federal Northern District of Florida by two groups and five voters, is similar to a case filed Friday in Leon County circuit court. The crux is that Gov. Ron DeSantis’ threat to veto a redistricting plan drawn up by state lawmakers jeopardizes the chances of reaching agreement on a map — and that judges should step in. [Source: News Service of Florida]

New hybrid world order: Fort Lauderdale offices are filling faster than in bigger cities, but what will work life look like in 2022?

During a recent midday mealtime at Yolo, a popular retreat for executives and office workers, most of the seats in the dining area were full and a number of patrons ate and imbibed at the bar. “We have definitely seen an uptick,” said Tim Petrillo, founder and CEO of the restaurant’s owner, The Restaurant People. “You’re certainly seeing more suits than leisure wear.” “We’re seeing people we haven’t seen in a long time,” he added, particularly from law offices and financial service firms that are recalling more of their people back to their downtown offices. [Source: South Florida SunSentinel]

Florida property insurance, condo bills scrapped

Lawmakers could not reach an agreement Friday on a plan to address problems in Florida’s troubled property-insurance market, while also halting efforts to put additional requirements on condominium buildings after a deadly collapse last year in Surfside. The insurance debate came as homeowners face soaring premiums and lost coverage while insurers grapple with financial troubles. The Florida Department of Financial Services during the past two weeks went to court to be appointed a receiver for St. Johns Insurance Co. and Avatar Property & Casualty Insurance Co., describing the insurers as “insolvent.” [Source: WFOR]

Florida Trend Exclusive
The pandemic has led to a re-evaluation of alternative forms of Florida education

As the 2020-21 school year approached and the COVID- 19 virus raged, Julianne Sanchez decided her two daughters — the younger is immuno-compromised — should learn from home. The charter school the girls had attended, like many schools, had struggled with the shift to remote learning as the state shut down in March 2020. Sanchez enrolled her two girls in Florida Virtual School (FLVS), a statewide public school that’s been offering online classes for more than two decades. Payton was entering sixth-grade, and Riley second. “I can’t think of a downside,” Sanchez says, a year and a half following the switch. [Source: Florida Trend]

Florida to spend more than $700 million on Pasco Moffitt cancer complex

The Florida Legislature is poised to approve more than $706 million for a new H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center and Research Institute campus in Pasco County. The funding is a major step for the cancer research nonprofit’s plan to build out a 775-acre parcel of land east of the Suncoast Parkway and south of State Road 52. “Describing it in economic terms is really staggering,” said Senate President Wilton Simpson. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› If new local rules hurt revenue, Florida businesses will be allowed to sue for damages [Miami Herald]
The proposal is one of a series of measures passed this legislative session in the aftermath of the COVID-19 standoffs between Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and more progressive big city governments.

› More than $2 million in housing assistance available for Southwest Florida tornado victims [The Center Square]
The announcement comes after Florida offered aid through its Individual Assistance program and requested assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which was denied.

› With ULA’s Space Force launch tabled, attention shifts to Boeing Starliner [Orlando Sentinel]
The Space Force has delayed its planned mission with United Launch Alliance that was slated to lift off this month from Cape Canaveral, so now the next Atlas V rocket aims to bring the long-delayed Boeing CST-100 Starliner to the International Space Station.

› Spring break setting tourism records in Lee County [WINK]
Hotels are seeing a lot of guests this year, and they’re anticipating more for this week. Hotel revenue was already up 80% from 2020 to 2021.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Disney, DeSantis butt heads over ‘Don't Say Gay' bill [WTVJ]
Walt Disney Co. is suspending its political donations in Florida after the company’s CEO received huge blowback for not using Disney’s vast influence in the state to try to quash a recently passed Republican bill that would prevent teachers from instructing early grades on LGBTQ issues.

› Miya’s Law, named for slain Orlando college student, approved by Legislature [ABC News]
Miya’s Law, which seeks to make apartments in Florida safer through mandatory background checks on employees, is headed to Gov. Ron DeSantis.

› EPA approves pilot project to release genetically modified mosquitoes into Florida Keys despite widespread opposition [The Center Square]
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has approved an experimental use permit submitted by a British biotech company to release millions of genetically engineered mosquitos into the Florida Keys in an effort to combat Dengue fever, Yellow fever, and the Zika virus.

› Here’s how South Floridians are coping with sky-high gas prices, plus a little gas crisis nostalgia [South Florida SunSentinel]
For most Americans, prolonged periods of high gas prices are a distant memory from the early 1970s and early 1980s. That’s when we considered the realities of carpooling and gas lines, when we paid closer attention to topping off our tires, and when we started organizing our daily drives more efficiently.