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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida’s jobless rate is now lowest among large states. But its economy may be forever changed
Florida’s unemployment rate is now the lowest among any large state in the nation. But the figure, now below 5% for the first time since last March, only tells part of the state’s recovery story. The rapid decline in the unemployment rate shows Florida is now approaching the 3.2% decade-low unemployment figure reached just before the pandemic — a level economists considered full employment. If the state’s jobless rate continues to fall by 0.3 points each month going forward, it would be back at the pre-pandemic rate by the end of the year. [Source: Miami Herald]
A year into the pandemic, Florida is booming and Gov. DeSantis is taking credit
After a year of criticism by health experts, mockery from comedians and blistering critiques from political rivals, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is standing unabashedly tall among the nation's governors on the front lines of the coronavirus fight. As many parts of the country embark on an uneasy march toward normalcy, Florida is not only back in business -- it's been in business for the better part of the past year. DeSantis' gamble to take a laissez faire approach appears to be paying off -- at least politically, at least for now, as other governors capturing attention in the opening phase of the pandemic now face steeper challenges. [Source: CNN]
Florida joins Texas-led antitrust lawsuit against Google
Florida has joined 14 other states in an antitrust lawsuit against Google, Attorney General Ashley Moody announced Tuesday. The lawsuit, which was originally filed by Texas in December, alleges that the tech giant has engaged in exclusionary practices and misrepresentations in the advertising industry resulting in the violation of the Sherman Act. The Sherman Act outlaws restraining trade, monopolization and any attempt at monopolization, according to the Federal Trade Commission. However, the Supreme Court decided that the Sherman Act does not prohibit every restraint of trade, only those that are unreasonable. [Source: WBBH]
Florida senators, in bipartisan unison, support plan to fight sea level rise
Part of a Florida House plan to combat impacts of rising sea levels drew bipartisan support Monday in what is expected to be a short trip through Senate committees. The Senate Environment and Natural Resources Committee unanimously approved a bill (SB 1954) that includes spending up to $100 million a year on projects to address flooding and sea-level rise and creating a grant program for local governments. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Data show Florida’s new law against texting while driving is rarely enforced
The new law against texting is rarely enforced, according to official state figures. Florida also has failed its requirements under the law to track comprehensively how many drivers are ticketed statewide – and whether police are targeting minorities. Those in charge of writing tickets also complained that the young law has too many loopholes. Florida’s census of texting violations, published earlier this year, is missing tickets entirely from more than 20 of the state’s 67 sheriff’s departments and at least 56 of 155 municipal police departments. [Source: WUFT]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› JetBlue may move corporate jobs from Long Island City to Florida [Astoria Post]
JetBlue is considering pulling its headquarters from Long Island City, where it’s been for roughly a decade, according to a new report. The airline, which brands itself as “New York’s Hometown Airline,” has been headquartered in Queens since its founding in 1999. JetBlue, however, may move jobs out of its Long Island City headquarters to Florida.
› Controlled fires in Florida Everglades being set to eliminate ‘monster’ invasive plant
Fire crews with the National Park Service have been igniting controlled fires in the Florida Everglades to control an invasive vine that’s been wreaking havoc on the native ecosystem. The plant, called Lygodium Microphyllum - and also known as Old World Climbing Fern - is a stealthy and invasive plant that was likely introduced as decorative vegetation that made its way into the Everglades in 1999.
› Trump’s Florida resort touted as potential gambling destination
Former president Donald Trump’s son Eric, who runs the family’s private company, touted the potential of transforming their Doral golf resort into a gambling destination amid a quiet push among Florida Republicans to legalize casinos in areas of the state that have long opposed them. Although Republican legislative leaders have not yet submitted a bill, word of a proposal has spread widely enough that both supporters and opponents already are gearing up for a fight that they say could be more intense than in previous years due to Trump’s potential interest and his close relationship with Gov. Ron DeSantis (R).
› Tampa Bay year-over-year job loss is among the lowest in the US, report shows
The Tampa- St.Petersburg-Clearwater metro area had one of the smallest year-over-year employment declines in the U.S. A recent report from the Austin Chamber of Commerce in Texas shows the U.S. metros with the smallest year-over-year job loss comparing January 2020 to January 2021. The report uses figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics Current Employment Statistics with employment numbers including nonfarm payrolls jobs.
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