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Wednesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Floridians' positive sentiment towards future economic conditions offset by looming inflation
Florida’s are getting more optimistic about the economy following a brief and nominal downturn in March Consumer confidence in April increased 1.3 points to 73.3, a jump from the March figure of 72, according to the University of Florida (UF) Bureau of Economic and Business Research. More from UF News and Florida Politics.
Florida newspapers sue Microsoft and OpenAI for copyright violations
The Orlando Sentinel, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and six other newspapers sued Microsoft and OpenAI on Tuesday, claiming the technology giants illegally harvested millions of copyrighted articles to create their cutting-edge “generative” artificial intelligence products including OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot. More from the Orlando Sentinel and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Florida teachers are paid second lowest in U.S.
Teachers in Florida are paid less on average than nearly all other states in the U.S., according to a new report from the National Education Association. The report, which includes all 50 states and the District of Columbia, shows that only West Virginia ranks lower than the Sunshine State. On average, teachers in Florida make $53,098, according to the report, which cites data from fiscal year 2022-2023. The No. 50 ranking dropped two spots from last year's No. 48 spot. [Source: WOFL]
Police forces around the state get aggressive, creative to recruit officers
Florida is using $5,000 bonuses to recruit and attract experienced police officers from places such as Chicago, New York City and Albany. Recruits still need tens of thousands of dollars, each, in local training and equipment. That means police agencies cannot fill dozens of openings at once. [Source: Business Observer]
Florida releases insurance data on Hurricane Ian claims county-by-county
Florida regulators released new data on county-by-county insurance claims after Hurricane Ian devastated parts of coastal southwest Florida and other areas of the state. Ian made landfall in Cayo Costa on Sept. 28, 2022, as a category 4 hurricane. The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation released data last week showing 776,941 filed insurance claims. [Source: WBBH]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Walmart to close 51 health centers in U.S. including all 23 in Florida
Healthcare costs aren't just high for consumers. Walmart announced the company is closing all its health centers across the U.S., including 23 in Florida. The network of 51 health clinics in five states has provided low-cost medical care for the last five years but the retailer announced Tuesday that they would be shut down, along with its telehealth business.
› Florida defends its Congressional map
Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration late Monday urged the state Supreme Court to uphold the constitutionality of a congressional redistricting plan that DeSantis pushed through the Legislature in 2022, saying it properly prevented a racially gerrymandered North Florida district. Attorneys for the state argued in a 76-page brief that the Supreme Court should reject voting-rights groups’ arguments that the plan violated part of the state Constitution.
› Bird flu reported in Florida dolphin
H5N1 avian "bird" flu is making headlines this week, with new reports finding inactive virus detected in 1 in 5 U.S. milk samples. That means the virus is infecting mammals such as dairy cows, and now researchers report it's turned up in a bottlenose dolphin in Florida.
› Duke Energy and TECO customers should see reductions in their bills soon
Customers of Duke Energy Florida and Tampa Electric Co. should see monthly bills trimmed in June because of lower-than-expected natural gas costs, state Public Service Commission staff members have recommended. Duke and Tampa Electric this month proposed passing along savings to customers because of reduced prices of natural gas, which plays a major role in fueling power plants.
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