Wednesday's Daily Pulse
High costs force some homeowners to choose: Drop insurance, sell or leave Florida
As Florida’s property insurance market continues to buckle, thousands of homeowners across the state are increasingly choosing to forgo insurance, sell their homes or even leave Florida. As Florida’s property insurance market has seen double-digit percentage increases for the past few years, it has become the most expensive place to insure a home in the nation [Source: Miami Herald]
Senate backs aid for hurricane victims, commuters
In just under 13 minutes, the Florida Senate on Tuesday discussed and unanimously approved two bills that call for spending $1.25 billion on such things as assisting homeowners ravaged by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole and giving discounts to toll-road drivers. Sen. Lori Berman, D-Delray Beach, expressed concern that a bill (SB 6-A) to provide $500 million in tax dollars to cover lost revenue from providing credits to frequent toll-road users will benefit “maybe” 500,000 people. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Year wait for new roof? Hurricane Ian rebuilding could take a while
Tens of thousands of families along the Southwest Florida coast are in a predicament, either having to stop work because of FEMA regulations or awaiting home repairs that are likely months, if not a year or longer away. Local construction and supply companies have been overwhelmed with calls and requests for service, making it difficult to serve everyone in a timely manner. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
‘Multiple migrant landings’: Feds report big jump in people coming to Florida from Cuba
Border Patrol agents in the Florida Keys are responding to almost nonstop migrant landings this week that continued through Tuesday morning. On Monday, the federal agency reported that arrivals in South Florida are up five times what they were this time last year. “Agents are responding to multiple migrant landings throughout the Keys this morning,” Adam Hofffner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s division chief of Miami operations told the Miami Herald/FLKeysnews.com on Tuesday. [Source: Miami Herald]
Florida company picked as engine designer for supersonic jet
Aviation startup Boom Technology says it will power supersonic passenger jets with engines designed by a company better known for making small engines used on drones and cruise missiles. Boom said Tuesday that Florida Turbine Technologies, or FTT, will design the engines. The company says the plane could be making test flights in 2026 and carrying passengers a few years after that. The company says its 88-seat jet, called Overture, will use four engines, fly up to 1.7 times the speed of sound — about 1,300 mph — and use sustainable aviation fuel. [Source: AP]
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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Supreme Court will dive into Florida row on stolen fishing data [Courthouse News]
The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to review the conviction of a software engineer who stole fishing secrets from a Florida business selling coordinate data for $200 a pop. StrikeLines, based in Pensacola, Florida, uses sonar equipment to locate artificial fishing reefs in the Gulf of Mexico and sells that data to commercial and recreational fishermen. To prevent overfishing, these locations are generally kept private.
› Trulieve adds $5 million to pot initiative [News Service of Florida]
The medical-cannabis company Trulieve contributed another $5 million last month to a ballot initiative aimed at legalizing recreational use of marijuana, according to a newly filed finance report. In all, Trulieve has contributed $15 million to the Smart & Safe Florida political committee, which is trying to get the initiative on the 2024 ballot. Trulieve has contributed all but $124.58 of the committee’s money.
› As homelessness spikes, Tampa Bay campsites become temporary refuge [Tampa Bay Times]
As costs rise in Tampa Bay, more residents are navigating homelessness. Some end up camping in county parks, sleeping next to luxury RVs while struggling to make car payments or save up for their next move. Camping offers people who lack housing an appealing — and affordable — alternative to sleeping in motels or cars. For $24 a night, a person sleeping in a tent can stay at one of Hillsborough County’s five campgrounds for up to two weeks. Then, they must pack up and find another place to stay.
› Rents are actually starting to decline in Jacksonville [WJCT]
Relief may be coming for long-suffering renters in Jacksonville. Two new studies show that rent increases are slowing. The asking price for a new lease in Jacksonville actually declined in November, one study found. The price for new renters here fell 1.85% to $1,582 per month, the Redfin real estate company reported Tuesday. That was the 10th largest decline in the U.S. Jacksonville was one of 14 metro areas where asking rents declined, Redfin said.
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› Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining raises over $180,000 for Central Florida organizations [WFTV]
Visit Orlando announced the donation of $186,805 to local organizations that support workforce development and create employment opportunities for people with disabilities. The donation was made possible raised through Visit Orlando’s Magical Dining. Some of the organizations benefiting from this year’s event are The Able Trust, BIG SIS Inc., Central Florida Urban League, HOPE CommUnity Center, PACE Center for Girls, Rebuild Self Care, and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.
› Miami airport adding seven direct flights to five nations [Miami Herald]
This month airlines at Miami International Airport are adding, resuming or expanding direct flight service to seven destinations in France, Colombia, Brazil, Dominican Republic and Canada. On Wednesday, discount airline French Bee will start a nonstop flight from Miami airport to Paris-Orly Airport three times a week — the first direct flight to that airport. One-way flights from Miami to Paris-Orly on the low-fare carrier will cost from $330 to $620 in December and January. Miami travelers can also fly to Paris Charles De Gaulle Airport on American Airlines and Air France.
› Merritt Island-based All Points diversifying to satellite processing, plans to add 200 jobs [Florida Today]
Merritt Island-based technical services and technology company All Points Logistics LLC announced plans Monday for a major expansion that could add 200 or more people to its payroll, as it makes inroads in the space satellite payload processing sector. All Points President and Chief Executive Officer Phil Monkress said his company is aiming to reduce the anticipated bottleneck in payload processing through its new launch support service, Space Prep.
› Tampa residents want Italian Club to stop parking on Black and Cuban graves [Tampa Bay Times]
It’s been three years since the Tampa Bay Times first published a report with evidence that the Italian Club Cemetery’s parking lot was once the location of College Hill Cemetery, likely containing up to 1,200 graves of Tampa’s pioneering Black and Cuban residents. No one has found proof the graves were moved, so archaeologists believe they could still be under the parking lot and a portion of a mausoleum. The Italian Club continues to use the acre of land at 2520 E. 24th Ave. for parking.