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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Hurricane experts still expect more storms than normal as peak of season approaches
Although tropical storms have been off to slower start this year than anticipated, experts are still calling for the 2022 season to be an above-average year. Both Colorado State University and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration called for above-average seasons in their updated August forecasts of what the rest of the season may look like, which ends Nov. 30. So far, 2022 is producing the norm in storm production, three storms by Aug. 4. But meteorologists expect the tropics to start picking up steam as the peak of season approaches, or the time where the most tropical storms are typically observed. More from the Orlando Sentinel and the Miami Herald
Business Beat - Week of August 5th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Will fight over property insurance roil Florida governor’s race?
Florida’s long-simmering property insurance crisis is reaching a boiling point ahead of a closely watched gubernatorial race that could test the mettle of Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Republican with presidential aspirations. DeSantis is the frontrunner in Florida’s gubernatorial race, but in recent weeks has faced attacks from Democratic challengers, who have sought to persuade primary voters that the incumbent is responsible for the state’s failing property insurance market. [Source: Roll Call]
Florida’s CFO warns of ‘pig butchering’ cryptocurrency scam
Florida Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis on Wednesday warned of a cryptocurrency scam known as “pig butchering” or ”pig slaughtering.” As part of the scam, according to Patronis, people are enticed to put more and more money into a fake cryptocurrency investment scheme only to “fatten them up” before a scammer disappears with vast sums of their cryptocurrency. Patronis said this scam is reportedly most often carried out on dating sites and on social media as a new form of a romance scam. [Source: WJXT]
Pythons are eating alligators and everything else in Florida. Snake hunters stand poised to help.
The Florida Python Challenge, an annual statewide competition that kicks off Friday, will bring hundreds of snake-hunting professionals and novices to South Florida to hunt what wildlife officials are calling the state’s most concerning invasive species: the Burmese python. Among those preparing for the 10-day hunt: Amy Siewe. Standing 5’4” and weighing 120 pounds, Siewe may appear small. But when it comes to hunting Florida’s Burmese pythons, Siewe is mighty. [Source: NBC News]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› President Biden nominates former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown to NTSB
Former Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown has been picked to fill a seat on the National Transportation Safety Board, the federal panel that reviews transportation disasters for ways to improve safety. President Joe Biden nominated Brown on Wednesday, but the choice will still need confirmation by the U.S. Senate before he’s sworn into a term expiring Dec. 31, 2026.
› Florida won't pursue 4 proposed routes for possible northern turnpike extension
The state Department of Transportation has told elected officials in northern Central Florida that the agency is no longer pursuing four proposed routes for a possible northern extension of Florida's Turnpike. Instead, the state will concentrate on improving Interstate 75.
› Orange County’s hotel taxes receipts continue roll with record-high June
Hotel taxes, viewed as a gauge of the tourism industry’s health in Orange County, continued a historic roll with June collections the highest ever for the month. The record-high June receipts totaled $32.3 million, the third highest one-month haul in the history of the tax, said Orange County Comptroller Phil Diamond, who released the figures Thursday. The new figures bested collections in a record-setting May by $4.3 million.
› New report shows how unaffordable it is to live in Florida, specifically South Florida
It seems that more and more people are getting priced out of living in South Florida. Now, more proof of just how unaffordable it is to live in the Sunshine State. The National Low Income Housing Coalition released its “Out of Reach” report. It breaks down how many hours someone would need to work in order to afford a place to live in their area.
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