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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
› Norwegian, Royal Caribbean cancel cruises through July
Norwegian Cruise Line canceled all cruises through July 31 in an update Wednesday while Royal Caribbean is set to follow suit, joining other cruise lines already pushing plans to return to sailing in a world in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. All cruise lines are under a “no sail order" from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that prohibit sailing from U.S. ports into late July.
› Sarasota School Board says no to moving tax vote
Tempers flared at the Sarasota County School Board work session on Tuesday, as board members debated the prospect of moving a property tax renewal referendum from a special election in March 2022 to this November’s general election. Ultimately, the board opted against moving the date of the referendum, but the discussion pitted the three longest-serving members against colleagues Bridget Ziegler and Eric Robinson, who say the special election minimizes voter turnout and wastes district money.
› New needle exchange program in Orange aims to prevent infections and educate users on dangers of abuse
Needle exchange programs were illegal in Florida a year ago. Now Orange County may get one. County commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance Tuesday that will allow the county to establish an exchange program designed to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases such as HIV, Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and other blood-borne diseases among intravenous drug users, their sexual partners and their children, who often bear the consequences of addiction.
› Monorail project advances. Next up: Reducing $60M yearly bill to county taxpayers
Genting and partners were the only bidders in a transportation competition launched at their request last year, and Miami-Dade commissioners on Tuesday agreed to consider the lone proposal to build a $770 million monorail system linking Miami with Miami Beach.
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