March 28, 2024

Tuesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 10/6/2020

FBI, FDLE investigating crash of voter registration website

The Florida Department of State said Tuesday it is working with state and federal law enforcement to look at whether there were any “deliberate acts against the voting process” that caused or contributed to outages Monday night to the state’s voter registration website. Secretary of State Laurel Lee said Tuesday morning that the state is “exploring all options” to make sure all eligible people can register to vote in time for the 2020 general election after users encountered slow responses and error messages in the final hours before the registration deadline. More from the Tampa Bay Times, WTSP, and the AP.

See also:
» DeSantis, Florida elections chief extend voter registration deadline until 7 p.m. tonight after website crash

AARP says FPL’s storm preparedness plan will cost consumers $19 extra per month by 2029

AARP, the special interest group for older Americans, says long-term storm protection plans developed by Florida’s four major electricity providers don’t benefit enough consumers to justify their multibillion-dollar price tags. The plans, by Florida Power & Light, Duke Energy, Tampa Electric and Gulf Power, propose spending $18.9 billion over 10 years, a “massive” amount that will add an additional $18 to $29 a month to consumers' bills by 2029, AARP said in a position paper it plans to distribute to the public Tuesday. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Hostel-hotel hybrid Generator plans to expand its original Miami Beach location

The pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the hospitality industry, but that isn’t stopping Generator from expanding its footprint in Miami Beach. The design-savvy London-based hotel-hostel hybrid is looking to add a four-story building on the south side of its 3120 Collins Ave. property, according to plans submitted to the City of Miami Beach Historic Preservation Board set for review in October. More from the Miami Herald.

St. Petersburg makes ‘Conde Nast Traveler’ list of America’s best cities

For the first time, St. Petersburg was named one of the Top 10 large cities to visit in the Conde Nast Traveler 2020 Reader’s Choice Awards, unveiled Tuesday. A record 715,000 Conde Nast Traveler readers voted in the 33rd annual awards, among the longest-running and best-known in the travel world. The poll, conducted online, takes into consideration categories including hotels, restaurants, attractions and value. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Florida law banning shark fin trade has loophole allowing commercial fishers to sell them

A new law Gov. Ron DeSantis signed Sept. 18 aims to clamp down on the illegal shark fin trade while ensuring Florida's commercial shark longliners can continue to fish and sell shark parts in the seafood marketplace. The law bans the possession and import/export of shark fins through Florida ports. An estimated 73 million sharks end up in the global market annually. Florida is North America’s largest hub for the sale, import and transport of illegally acquired shark fins. More from the Lakeland Ledger.

Trend Mention

Mention ImageEvent: GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch

Tickets are on sale for the 2020 GrowFL Florida Companies to Watch Awards Celebration! The Honorees will be revealed during a live broadcast from Orlando on November 12. Companies to Watch was developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation to recognize companies that demonstrate high performance in the marketplace, making them “worth watching”. The program is brought to you by Nperspective CFO & Strategic Services, in association with the Edward Lowe Foundation. Learn more.

Out of the Box
Fake $100 bills are popping up around Northeast Florida and passing the ‘pen test’

 Fake $100 bills are popping up across Northeast Florida. The counterfeit money is so real looking, even banks are having trouble spotting them. With a store covered wall to wall in pink, crime is not usually a word associated with the Woof Gang Bakery and Grooming Fleming Island store. But last Wednesday, the dog boutique became the victim of a real crime when a supposed customer passed off a fake $100 bill.

» More from WJXT.

 

Development
This city’s land sale could be the spark for a booming downtown

floridaCoral Springs has for years wanted to create a downtown destination — a place for living, dining out and shopping — and a new land deal could finally help pave the way. A developer plans to buy the city’s former City Hall site to create a giant project across a combined 12 acres in the heart of the city. The vision calls for hundreds of rental apartments, and retail buildings that could rise seven stories.

» Read more from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Tags: Daily Pulse, Afternoon Pulse

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Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices

Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

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