March 28, 2024

Tuesday's Daily Pulse

Photo: flgov.com

Tuesday's Daily Pulse

What you need to know about Florida today

| 5/12/2020

DeSantis wants to see what funds flow from Washington before acting on state budget

Florida’s next budget remains on hold pending another round of federal stimulus money, which could also dictate how state lawmakers readdress the spending plan. Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he has put off formally accepting and reviewing a $93.2 billion budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year that was approved by the Legislature in March and takes effect July 1. DeSantis said he is awaiting action from Washington, D.C., on another stimulus package to address the national economic slowdown caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Along with needing to sign the budget before July 1, DeSantis has line-item veto power. [Source: MIami Herald]

Florida’s new toll roads project plows ahead with virtual meetings

Pandemic or not, Florida officials are moving ahead with their plans to build more than 300 miles of toll roads across the state. The Department of Transportation task force panels assigned to come up with recommendations for the roads are set to meet this week over teleconference. To speak during the public comment period, you have to sign up in advance. [Source: Miami Herald]

Florida's lost blue bee rediscovered

Florida’s ultra-rare blue calamintha bee, long thought lost, was discovered by researchers in the Lake Wales Ridge in central Florida. Scientists weren’t sure the bee still existed. The plant upon which the bee depends for survival, the Calamintha ashei, is endangered in Florida. The bee has only been recorded in four locations totaling just 16 square miles within Central Florida’s Lake Wales Ridge. [Source: The Weather Channel]

Florida ranchers worry about meatpacking problems brought on by coronavirus

The coronavirus pandemic has kept cows, chickens and pigs across the country from being slaughtered because of processing plants shuttered by the coronavirus, potentially hurting both consumers looking for burgers and Florida ranchers. However, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order directing the U.S. Department of Agriculture to keep production going, and the Florida cattle industry stresses it has plenty of animals. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Record temperatures and dry weather have sparked more than a dozen wildfires in Florida

There are more than a dozen wildfires raging across Florida, burning property and prompting evacuations, as excessive heat and dry weather take its toll on the state. Florida is known for its hot weather, but this year has been exceptionally torrid. In April, South Florida hit June-like temperatures. [Source: CNN]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Floridians filing for unemployment must request benefits every 2 weeks
The Florida Department of Opportunity has announced that in order to continue receiving payments, people who have filed for unemployment must report the number of weeks they need benefits by logging onto the portal twice a month to restate their need. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis had initially waved this step when the state's number of unemployment claims began to skyrocket following the coronavirus outbreak and ensuing business shutdowns.

› Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix canceled
After initially being postponed, the annual Sarasota Powerboat Grand Prix has officially been canceled and planned to return in 2021. The decision came down to the fact that even if the event were to be scheduled this year, several race teams had already indicated they wouldn’t be able to participate in the American Power Boat Association Offshore National Championship Series, which includes the Sarasota race, according to a press release from event organizer Suncoast Charities for Children.

› Orlando Fringe conjures festival spirit online with ‘Fringe Today’
Lindsay Taylor didn’t let a worldwide pandemic stop her from producing a festival in her first year on the job — it just wasn’t the festival she had imagined. Taylor, who became Orlando Fringe’s festival producer last July, has put together “Fringe Today,” a 14-day lineup of more than 100 shows and other events that will start Tuesday.

› Florida Tech announces it is eliminating football
Football is no more at Florida Tech. The school made the announcement late Monday morning, citing financial challenges stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason behind the decision. Tech is one of two NCAA Division II schools in Florida. The program was founded in 2011. Two years later, the Panthers kicked off their inaugural season in 2013 as a member of the Gulf South Conference.

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