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Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida leaders respond to protests in Cuba, show support
As thousands of people across Cuba flooded the streets Sunday to demand better access to necessities and protest the decades-old governing system, thousands in the Cuban-American community followed. In Tampa, about 200 people waved Cuban flags in solidarity with the Cuban protesters, who are making the largest outcry against the Cuban government in decades. Local elected officials responded to the protests at home and abroad, commending the protesters. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald.
Jobless workers in 4 states are suing to reinstate federal unemployment benefits. So far Florida isn’t one of them.
Florida was one of 26 states, mostly led by Republican governors, that prematurely stopped participating in the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation program, siding with some employers and business industry groups that blamed the enhanced benefits for their hiring woes. But now, out-of-work residents in four of those states, Indiana, Maryland, Ohio and Texas, are suing in an attempt to revive the program they argue is still desperately needed. But it’s unclear if Florida will join them. More from the Orlando Sentinel .
2021′s first hurricane came early. It could be a sign of what’s to come
When Elsa reached sustained winds of 85 mph last week, it became the strongest July storm in the Caribbean Sea since Hurricane Emily in 2005. It was a hurricane that formed far earlier than forecasters anticipated, even during what is expected to be an above average Atlantic hurricane season. After last year’s record-breaking season with 30 named storms, are earlier storms the new normal? More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida gas prices sizzle above $3
The season of hot, high summer gasoline prices continues to sizzle in Florida with the average rising to over $3 at the pump, according to the AAA Auto Club Group data. Florida consumers payed on average for a regular gallon of gasoline $3.01, according to AAA. “Florida drivers are still finding some of the most expensive prices at the pump in nearly seven years,” said Mark Jenkins, AAA spokesman. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Epcot Food and Wine Fest returns earlier and lasts longer than usual for 2021
After a year of keeping crowds at bay and in masks at Walt Disney World parks, the Epcot International Food and Wine Festival returns this week with its most bountiful version ever, one that will be released with two waves of new food booths in summer and fall. Even though most of the food booths will open July 15, several will debut on Oct. 1 in conjunction with Walt Disney World’s 50th anniversary, including the Kenya, Lobster Landing and a Mac & Eats kiosk. More from the Tampa Bay Times .
Tech Trends
Need a dip? App lets you rent a pool
It’s a hot, roasting, sweltering Florida summer day. You long for a way to cool off, but even though Florida is home to more than 2 million pools, you don’t have one. But now a marketplace app is letting the pool-less dive into their neighbors’ swimming holes. Swimply is the Airbnb of pools, and it’s growing in popularity around the country and in Florida.
» More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Business Profile
Urban E Recycling
Urban E Recycling expanded into the Sarasota-Bradenton area last year, offering a free solution for businesses and individuals who need to securely dispose of computers, cellphones and other electronics. The business recycled 1 million pounds of electronic waste in its first year in Bradenton. Husband-and-wife owner Dellinda “Dell” and Greg Rabinowitz started the company about nine years ago in Tampa, and now run three recycling warehouses.
» Read more from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
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