March 29, 2024

Wednesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 9/22/2021

Florida is last state to apply for federal summer food aid. $820 million on the table.

In a reversal, Florida announced on Tuesday it would tap into $820 million in federal food aid money for children in low-income households. After weeks of saying the money wasn’t needed, Florida’s Department of Children and Families said it is applying for the no-strings-attached funding after all. That means parents of up to 2.1 million children could receive $375 to pay for food for each child over the summer. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald.

Citizens Insurance may push you toward more expensive insurers

Customers of state-owned Citizens Property Insurance Corp. will be forced to spend more to insure their homes if a new state law limits — or eliminates — their ability to just say no to private companies taking over their policies. Citizens is looking for ways to reduce its policy count, which has increased from 420,000 in 2019 and is expected to reach 765,000 by the end of the year and more than 1 million by 2022. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Orlando home prices flatten out in August, but experts say hot market isn’t cooling yet

Home prices in metro Orlando were flat from July to August, sales fell for a second month and housing inventory rose slightly for the fourth straight month, according to the latest report from the Orlando Regional Realtor Association. But homebuyers hoping the red-hot seller’s market is tipping in their favor still have a while to wait, experts warn. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Miami federal judge blocks Florida from enforcing ban on ‘sanctuary cities’

A federal judge in Miami on Tuesday blocked Florida from enforcing a ban on so-called sanctuary cities, declaring portions of a law unconstitutional and tinged with “discriminatory motives.” The judge’s ruling struck down a key portion of the 2019 law that prohibits local and state officials from adopting “sanctuary” policies for undocumented migrants, a main focus for Gov. Ron DeSantis, who vowed to ban “sanctuary cities” in Florida when running for governor in 2018 even though there were none in the state. More from the Miami Herald.

AutoNation names former Fiat Chrysler boss as new CEO

AutoNation reached into the ranks of a major automaker Tuesday to hire Michael Manley as its new chief executive officer. He’ll replace longtime CEO Mike Jackson, who is retiring Nov. 1. The Fort Lauderdale-based car retail giant said Manley, 57, who headed Fiat Chrysler Automobiles as CEO between mid-2018 and January of this year, will also take a seat on the AutoNation board of directors. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Infrastructure Trends
From sewage to your sink: The role recycled water could play in Jacksonville’s future

 JEA, Jacksonville’s community-owned utility, has taken another step in the process to turn sewage water into drinking water for Jacksonville in the future. They plan to build a water purification testing facility on Jacksonville’s Southside, in the Deerwood area. Nearly a million people currently live in Jacksonville, with that number expected to keep increasing.

» More from WJXT.

 

Out of the Box
Servius Group offers private travel security by former Navy SEALs and Special Forces veterans

floridaVero Beach and the Treasure Coast are known for service businesses catering to ultra high-net-worth families. Nick Goracy has a unique idea to appeal to that clientele: Private travel security provided by 35 former U.S. Navy SEALs and Army Special Forces veterans. He saw the rise of experience-based travel globally and reasoned that veterans of the nation’s elite units, with their top-tier training in skills such as sky diving, scuba diving and mountaineering — or as medics — would be perfect for offering security and training to ultra high-net worth families.

» Read more from Florida Trend.

Tags: Daily Pulse, Afternoon Pulse

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Florida Trend Video Pick

Facial recognition cameras in Florida city spark privacy concerns
Facial recognition cameras in Florida city spark privacy concerns

New security cameras in downtown Lakeland are raising concerns about privacy. The Lakeland Downtown Development Authority has begun installing 13 new security cameras on streets, sidewalks, and alleyways, and there are mixed feelings about them.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

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