Florida's back-to-school sales tax holiday begins

As the calendar inches closer to the start of a new school year, parents are busy helping their children get ready by stocking up on school supplies. But with inflation continuing to affect our economy, smart shopping will once again be key this year. “You might be paying more than a couple of years ago, but compared to last year, it’s about the same," said Samantha Gordon, the deals editor at Consumer Reports. Like last year, the deals are there — you’re just going to have to work a little harder to find them. More from NBC Miami, News 4 Jax, and WTSP.

Florida Trend Exclusive
Dear Julie, Dear Dad

In 1970, FLORIDA TREND founder Harris Mullen penned a letter to his daughter, Julie, who had grown up with the magazine and was away at college. He told her, "We were not super humans. We made plenty of mistakes. Your generation will make mistakes, too. You probably won’t stop wars and poverty because that is too much to expect of one generation, but I am sure you will make great progress in those areas." As FLORIDA TREND turns 65, the founder's first-born replies. [Source: Florida Trend]

Scientists say Florida Keys coral reefs are already bleaching as water temperatures hit record highs

Some Florida Keys coral reefs are losing their color weeks earlier than normal this summer because of record-high water temperatures, meaning they are under stress and their health is potentially endangered, federal scientists said. The corals should be vibrant and colorful this time of year, but are swiftly going white, said Katey Lesneski, research and monitoring coordinator for Mission: Iconic Reefs, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration launched to protect Florida coral reefs. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Florida Democrats and Republicans both seek young voters. How will they win them over in 2024?

Democrat Jayden D'Onofrio, 18, is in the political arena to honor his late mother. Republican Brianna Reeves, 27, said that when politics becomes personal is when people get engaged. Different viewpoints, different sets of motives but for the political parties looking to appeal, engage and mobilize millions of young voters like D'Onofrio and Reeves in Florida there is one goal — win them over. [Source: Gainesville Sun]

Two Black farmers get marijuana licenses

Two Black farmers have received licenses to grow, process and sell medical marijuana, after a new state law helped clear the way for the long-awaited licenses. The Florida Department of Health issued the licenses July 11 to Suwannee County farmer Terry Donnell Gwinn and Bascom-based Shedrick McGriff. The farmers each met a Friday deadline to submit a required $5 million bond to begin operating, sources confirmed. [Source: News Service of Florida]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› How did a Sarasota company that started off Fruitville Road grow into a global firm? [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Art Lambert and Ron Simkins have built a global company operating in almost 80 countries and accepting seven different currencies — all from a headquarters in Sarasota. It is a success story that started with just a couple of employees in a warehouse district near Fruitville Road and Interstate 75 but has since grown to 120 employees in Sarasota with a global headcount of about 200.

› Jacksonville Sheriff's Office joins move to use private security cameras in crime fighting [Florida Times-Union]
From Ring video doorbells to more elaborate monitoring systems, security cameras have spread as a way for homeowners and businesses to add some level of safety to their premises. The video captured by those cameras also can be a treasure trove of information when police are investigating crimes.

› Like the ‘LeBron effect,’ businesses look to bring ‘Messi magic’ to Fort Lauderdale [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
While “Messi mania” has been well-chronicled since the global soccer icon signed his contract earlier this month, his arrival in Fort Lauderdale, where the team maintains its temporary home, is raising economic expectations among businesses similar to those brought by NBA star LeBron James’s decision to leave the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat more than a decade ago.

› A St. Petersburg scientist worked with Oppenheimer to build atomic bomb [Tampa Bay Times]
In the midst of the pop culture hype surrounding Christopher Nolan’s new movie “Oppenheimer“ (have you heard it opened the same day as another very different movie?) is the true story of the development of the atomic bomb. Front and center in the story of how the bomb came to be is physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, who led the top-secret Manhattan Project. And one of the NASA scientists who worked alongside him retired to and died in St. Petersburg.

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› From Siberia to South Florida: A new ride-sharing service touts cheaper fares [Miami Herald]
The newest ride-sharing app for residents and visitors in sunny South Florida has its origins in Siberia, and it is not a snowmobile. inDrive, an online ride-sharing company founded about a decade ago by Arsen Tomsky in the Republic of Sakha, the largest part of Russia, has picked Miami as the first city it enters in the United States, where it hopes to grow in coming years.  

› Frontier Airlines faces class-action lawsuit alleging ‘hidden’ baggage fees, false advertising [Orlando Sentinel]
Frontier Airlines markets itself as having the lowest fares, but a new class-action lawsuit alleges the Denver-based carrier makes up the difference with hidden, inflated fees. Florida resident Amira Hamad filed the 21-page lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida in late June, seeking a refund of the fees and $100 million in punitive damages for herself and others.

› Gainesville city commissioners vote to increase property taxes by nearly 17% next year [Gainesville Sun]
Gainesville city commissioners voted unanimously Thursday to approve a proposal to raise property taxes no more than 17% for the upcoming year. Commissioners agreed to a millage rate of 6.4297 for the upcoming fiscal year, an increase of 0.9297 mills. For a property whose assessed taxable value is $100,000, the millage rate would generate an additional $92.97 over the year prior, according to city officials.

› Judge denies Florida’s request to limit drag show ruling to just Hamburger Mary’s. Here’s what to know on lawsuit [Gainesville Sun]
A federal judge has denied Florida's request to limit its ruling on blocking adult live entertainment from children to just the single restaurant suing the state. U.S. District Judge Gregory Presnell temporarily blocked the enforcement of a new Florida law aimed at prohibiting children from attending drag shows after Hamburger Mary's, a popular restaurant that hosts drag shows, sued the state and Gov. Ron DeSantis for infringing on their First Amendment rights.