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Monday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Excitement, and a little hesitation, rule the day as cruises return to Florida
A $53 billion industry is about to set sail again in the U.S. as the first cruise ship with paying passengers raised anchor from a U.S. port for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic shut the industry down. More from the Orlando Sentinel] , the Miami Herald, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
End to COVID-19 hotel housing for homeless raises worries
City officials and advocacy groups are working to secure housing for the homeless leaving hotels, but it’s challenging. Big cities, which put up at least 10,000 and 2,000 people respectively, face staffing shortages to help with logistics like securing the required ID documents and background checks, said Samantha Batko, senior researcher at the Urban Institute. [Source: AP]
FanDuel, DraftKings pursue sports betting ballot measure in Florida
Florida’s new compact with the Seminole Tribe gives it a monopoly over sports betting, but two online betting companies are seeking to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat after being shut out of the state’s newly legalized sports betting market. DraftKings and FanDuel are backing a constitutional amendment to put before voters in 2022 that would allow them to share in the sports betting spoils. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
‘Major error’ found in 2018 inspection of collapsed Miami building
In a 2018 report about the Champlain Towers South Condo in Surfside, an engineer flagged a “major error” dating back to the building’s origin where lack of proper drainage on the pool deck had caused “major structural damage,” according to records released late Friday night by town officials in the wake of the tower’s disastrous collapse on Thursday. [Source: Miami Herald]
Prices shooting up amid July 4th fireworks shortages
Shooting off fireworks in Florida could be more expensive this Fourth of July, thanks to pandemic-related supply shortages. Supply chain issues and shipping delays from China have left fireworks dealers across the country struggling to stock up for this Independence Day. In South Florida, distributors have experienced varying degrees of success in finding enough firecrackers, smoke bombs and rockets for this year’s festivities. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Kroger to create 180 jobs at Jacksonville delivery center
Cincinnati-based The Kroger Co. has begun delivering groceries in Jacksonville. The company said in a June 9 news release that the “spoke” location to its Groveland “hub” will employ about 180 employees. “Every citizen in Jacksonville should have access to affordable, healthy, and fresh foods,” Mayor Lenny Curry said in the release.
› Tampa businesses expect economic boost with Stanley Cup Final in town
The Stanley Cup Final is back in Tampa, and business owners are preparing for an economic boost this year. Business owners and managers said the playoffs have already boosted sales, and they expect the Stanley Cup Final to do the same thing. Last year, the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup in the “bubble” because of the pandemic.
› Growing Orlando tech startup gets boost from Slack and more
Kissimmee-based tech startup Yac Media Inc. has gained some notable investors in the height of the pandemic, including business communication platformSlack (NYSE: WORK). "Initially we got introduced via Linkedin last summer, and we thought it was spam or something," co-founder Jordan Walker said.
› Inter-American Development Bank looks to Miami for help with tech vision for Latin America
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez is not the only one who sees “the Magic city” as the next big tech hub. The head of one of the leading financial institutions in Latin America and the Caribbean is also touting Miami’s potential, given its gateway to the region.
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