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Monday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Nearly a third of Florida’s new COVID cases are breakthrough infections
Although the unvaccinated remain most at risk for COVID-19 with two variants in the state, the vaccinated Florida population isn’t in the clear. About 30% of new COVID cases in Florida in the last 30 days are breakthrough infections in people who have coronavirus vaccines but not a booster shot, according to the Florida Department of Health. The shots still are effective at preventing hospitalization and death, but early indications are they are less effective in protecting against milder cases. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Is Publix falling behind in the ever-growing home delivery market?
For more than 90 years, Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets Inc. – "Where shopping is a pleasure" – has built its business and a loyal following on a personal touch. But as online grocery sales see exponential growth, competitors like Kroger and Amazon have made aggressive moves into home delivery, while Publix has seemingly stuck with the familiar. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Florida’s largest electric utility conspired against solar power, documents show
Rooftop solar power generation in Florida is still a nascent industry, but Florida Power & Light, the nation’s largest power company, is pushing to hamstring it — by writing and hand-delivering legislation the company asked state lawmakers to introduce, according to records obtained by the Miami Herald and Floodlight. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Entrepreneurship program helping students create and keep businesses in Southwest Florida
Students at Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) are breaking away from the norm and using their degrees to create jobs instead of applying for them. Sean DeRossett, a graduate student at FGCU has used his time in the classroom to help others hit all the right notes. His company is Keyrift. DeRossett sa that he came up with the idea for a product called Improkeys while earning his Bachelors's degree in the Entrepreneurship program at FGCU. More from WFTX.
Jacksonville unemployment falls to lowest rate among Florida’s major metro areas
Jacksonville’s unemployment rate dropped almost to its pre-pandemic level in November and was the lowest of any major metro area in Florida. The jobless rate in the Jacksonville metropolitan area of Duval, Baker, Clay, Nassau and St. Johns counties fell from 3.7% in October to 3.3% in November, the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity reported Dec. 17. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Florida History
What was the county fair like 50 years ago in Miami?
Do you remember the county fair of your youth? The sky-ride over the midway. The fried elephant ears. The prize-winning cows. In some ways, fairs have changed. The food and rides are ever more adventurous. And where did most of the blue-ribbon cows go? In other ways, the fair is still the same: school projects, carnival games, unhealthy food.
» More from the Miami Herald.
Research Trends
Ocearch and Jacksonville University help unlock mysteries of the great white shark
Great white sharks aren't easy to study. They're generally isolated, spread across a vast ocean, and they're not easy to catch. And it's not as if they'll sit still in a lab while poked and prodded. That's where Ocearch, a nonprofit group with strong Jacksonville ties, comes in. Its scientists and crew members ply the Atlantic in a steel-hulled fishing vessel, pulling sharks aboard so scientists can conduct quick scientific tests — on fertility, eating habits, heart rate, etc. — while tagging them to track via satellite pings or acoustic sensors.
» Read more from the Florida Times-Union.
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