March 28, 2024

Wednesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 1/12/2022

A new COVID-19 therapy is in high demand, challenging Florida to balance access and need  

To manage a scarce COVID-19 therapy in sharp demand among people with weakened immune systems, Florida’s health department said that the state distributes the drug, called Evusheld, to medical providers who request supply — based on the population density of their service area and in a way that ensures the treatment is no more than a two-hour drive from any resident who needs it. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Super tall and super edgy towers may soon have a Flagler Village address

Two tall and slender towers with an edgy modern look could be coming to Flagler Village, adding a touch of skyline drama to the trendy Fort Lauderdale neighborhood. The twin towers would stand 45 stories tall and bring 612 new units to the east side of Andrews Avenue, just a few blocks north of Broward Boulevard. The developer, BH3 Management, has reserved nearly 75,000 square feet for shops, restaurants and offices and will build 890 parking spaces. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Universal employees must be vaccinated or tested for COVID weekly, starting in February

Universal Orlando has updated its company vaccination policy in accordance with federal guidelines, and under the new requirements employees who have not been fully vaccinated by Feb. 9 will have to undergo weekly COVID testing and mask up. In a message sent to Universal workers Monday evening, Universal Parks & Resorts’ Executive Vice President John Sprouls said the policy was in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Emergency Temporary Standard. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Senate committee passes FPL priority bill to restrict rooftop solar on bipartisan vote

In a signal to Florida Power & Light that legislators are committed to pursuing its top priority, a Florida Senate committee gave bipartisan approval Tuesday to a bill intended to restrict the expansion of rooftop solar in Florida. The Senate Regulated Industries Committee voted 7-2 on the first day of the annual legislative session to approve SB 1024, which would limit the ability of homeowners and businesses to offset costs of rooftop solar installations by selling excess power back to the company, an arrangement known as net metering. More from the Miami Herald.

Largo’s TD Synnex reports $15.6 billion in first quarter as new company

A new Tampa Bay tech giant has reported its first-ever quarterly earnings. And as expected, they’re huge. TD Synnex, the technology distribution company founded from the merger of private Largo company Tech Data and public California company Synnex, reported $15.6 billion in earnings from September to November 2021, it announced Tuesday. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Florida Dining
Fort Lauderdale’s got Moxies

 Fort Lauderdale, what with all the high-rises screaming up the downtown skyline, already has plenty of moxie. Now it’s gaining even more: Moxies, a popular Canadian restaurant chain, is shuffling onto Las Olas Boulevard. The Calgary export that serves American and global cuisine will debut this fall inside one of those high-rises, the 25-story Main Las Olas, at 201 E. Las Olas. The restaurant will sit cattycorner from Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, around the corner from Publix Greenwise Market.

» More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

 

Travel Trends
St. Pete-Clearwater airport records busiest December, amid year of recovery

floridaSt. Pete-Clearwater International Airport had a historic holiday season. More than 200,000 passengers traveled through the airport last month, making it the airport’s busiest December on record, St. Pete-Clearwater International announced. Traffic was up 67 percent compared to 2020, when the pandemic set the airport back, and up 2 percent from 2019.

» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.

Tags: Daily Pulse, Afternoon Pulse

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Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices

Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

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