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Monday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Can the boss require workers to get a COVID-19 vaccine? There are rules in Florida
More businesses, including some in Florida, are requiring employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19 as concerns over the more contagious delta variant continue to grow. While COVID-19 vaccines are optional, the federal government has said employers have the right to require workers who will physically be in the workplace to get vaccinated, even while the shots are still under emergency-use authorization. Accommodations must still be made for people who cannot get the vaccine because of a disability or a religious belief, practice, or observance. More from the Miami Herald and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Florida gambling deal with Seminole sports betting passes federal review
A key federal agency will not block a sweeping gambling deal Gov. Ron DeSantis signed with the Seminole Tribe of Florida, opening the door for sports betting to start as soon as Oct. 15 in Florida and setting the stage for a legal showdown over the issue. The U.S. Department of the Interior took no action after a 45-day review, which under federal rules means the 30-year gambling agreement is considered to have received approval. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Bobby Bowden, Who led FSU to be a football powerhouse, dies at 91
Bobby Bowden, one of college football's legendary coaches, has died. He was 91. Over his 57 year career, Bowden won more games than nearly any other head coach. For 34 of those years, he led the Florida State Seminoles, turning the Tallahassee school into a football powerhouse. During his career, Bowden claimed two national titles at FSU and 40 winning seasons overall. [Source: NPR]
More Cubans try dangerous trip to U.S. across Florida Straits
Cuba is seeing a surge in unauthorized migration to the United States, fueled by an economic crisis exacerbated by the pandemic, increased U.S. sanctions and cutbacks in aid from its also-crisis-wracked Venezuelan ally. That has led to shortages in many goods and a series of protests that shook the island on July 11. [Source: AP]
Tragedies often spur changes to building codes. Will the Surfside collapse bring more?
A Miami-Dade grand jury is set to probe what went wrong and is likely to make recommendations, as is the National Institute of Standards and Technology, a federal agency that has launched an investigation into the collapse. The biggest changes to standards and codes have often come in the wake of tragedies, said structural engineer Mohammad Ehsani, inventor of QuakeWrap technology used to reinforce old concrete structures. [Source: Miami Herald]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Frito-Lay revives plan for $180 million plant with 180 jobs in Osceola County
Two years after Frito-Lay put the brakes on its plan to build a mega-fulfillment center across from the Poinciana SunRail station, the company is rebooting the $180 million project with plans to open in 2025, according to a report in GrowthSpotter. Osceola County commissioners are scheduled to vote Monday to reauthorize the economic incentive package with Frito-Lay parent company, PepsiCo, that includes property tax rebates for 10 years.
› How do you get 5,000 tech nerds to relocate to Miami? ‘Hack Week’ may have the answer
Earlier this year, Tyler Cowen, an economist and columnist for Bloomberg, wrote after a visit to Miami that while he was “surprised” at the strides the city had made toward becoming a tech hub, it still fell short. For one thing, Cowen said, “the city does not have much of what I would call ‘nerd culture.’” Soon, that may no longer be the case.
› St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport sets passenger record reenforcing sentiment that tourism is back — at least for now
St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport, which traces its history back to 1941, had the best month in its history in July as questions remain whether red tide and the Delta variant will derail tourism gains. In all, 262,681 passengers came through the airport last month surpassing the previous peak of 246,223 travelers in June of 2019.
› Safariland parent Cadre Holdings postpones initial public offering
Cadre Holdings Inc. postponed its initial public offering Aug. 5 as the stock sale was expected to reach the market. Several financial news outlets have been reporting the IPO market has cooled off recently after two months of strong activity. IPO research firm Renaissance Capital said Jacksonville-based Cadre was the sixth company to postpone its stock sale in the past two weeks.
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