March 28, 2024

Wednesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 3/24/2021

Florida may give governor $1 billion emergency fund

A new pool of money for emergencies, separate from the state’s traditional “rainy day” funds, would be created in the governor’s office under a pandemic relief measure approved Tuesday by a Senate committee. A week after Gov. Ron DeSantis proposed using $1 billion in federal stimulus money to seed a new emergency-management response fund, the Senate Military and Veterans Affairs, Space and Domestic Security Committee backed a measure (SB 1892) by Sen. Manny Diaz Jr., R-Hialeah, to set up an “Emergency Preparedness and Response Fund” in the governor’s office. More from the News Service of Florida.

Health-conscious shoppers thirsty for Florida citrus

The state of Florida is experiencing an orange juice sales boom during the pandemic. The Florida Department of Citrus, which regulates the state's citrus industry, said that's due in part to people pursuing the fruit's health and wellness benefits. At the 2,500-acre Showcase of Citrus in Clermont, John Arnold and Tara Boshell said they were closed for about a month at the onset of the pandemic. But since they reopened, business has been flowing smoothly More from Spectrum News.

‘I panicked’: Florida homeowners stunned by rising insurance costs

The next bill from your homeowner’s insurance company could trigger sticker shock. Premium costs are soaring by hundreds and even thousands of dollars. The state legislature is considering big reforms to ease premium pain, but that could also mean less coverage for homeowners. In just a year, the cost to insure Mike Rohrbacher’s single-family home in Sorrento nearly doubled. “The day you opened the email, what was your reaction?” Ulrich asked. “I panicked. I was just in shock,” Rohrbacher replied. More from WFTV.

Report: Florida among best states for remote job seekers

A recent report from CareerCloud found Florida is among the best states for remote jobs. The report ranked states on three major categories: employment per 1,000, projected job growth and home broadband access. Those metrics were used to create a score between 1 and 5. Remote work was already becoming a more popular option even before the Covid-19 pandemic. With a large chunk of workforces spending the better part of 2020 working remote, it is now becoming expected by employees. More from the Tampa Bay Business Journal.

Blast-off! SpaceX’s 23rd batch of Starlink satellites successfully deploys

SpaceX lit up Wednesday morning’s darkened sky once again with its 23rd successful launch of Starlink satellites. The Falcon 9 rocket took off at 4:28 a.m. at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station with a batch of 60 satellites. An hour later, SpaceX confirmed the successful deployment of the tiny satellites into the Earth’s orbit, according to a video posted on Twitter. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Entertainment
Lakewood Ranch Cinemas to reopen

 As more movies come to the big screen and theaters continue to reopen across the country, including in New York City and Los Angeles after extended closures, a Sarasota-Manatee cinema has also announced its reopening. Lakewood Ranch Cinemas, which has been temporarily closed since December after initially reopening in June, will open again starting March 31 with screenings of the new blockbuster "Godzilla vs. Kong."

» More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

 

Business Profile
Tampa Armature Works

florida Tampa Armature Works manufactures and services motors and related equipment. Clients include theme parks and the United States military. They do not prepare food for or serve coffee to the public. None of their nine Florida locations — a total 60 acres of factory and office space — include a bar. Yet, people wander onto Tampa Armature Works’ Riverview campus, which serves as corporate headquarters, and ask where they can grab a drink and meal. It is easy to understand the mistake. More than a decade after the company sold the building, Tampa’s popular downtown food court and public market bears their old sign and part of their name.

» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.

Tags: Daily Pulse, Afternoon Pulse

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Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
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Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

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