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Thursday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida jobless claims top 11,000
As Florida continues recovering from Hurricane Ian, first-time unemployment claims in the state are coming in at the highest numbers of the year. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a report that estimated 11,078 new claims were filed during the week that ended Oct. 15, down from a revised count of 14,934 during the week that ended Oct. 8. While the total fell, last week was only the third time this year that Florida’s seven-day total topped 10,000 claims. The state recorded 10,103 claims during the first week of 2022. More from the News Service of Florida.
Over-the-counter hearing aids now easy to get in Florida. Here’s how
Anyone in Florida can now walk into a store or search on the Internet and buy hearing aids. This big change in how hearing aids can be purchased comes after a Food and Drug Administration decision in August that allows for over-the-counter sales of devices without the need to first see a doctor or get a prescription. With that change comes a big marketing shift, with new devices aimed at people of all ages who have mild or moderate hearing loss rather than the severe loss that typically has sent Florida seniors seeking hearing aids. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Gas station chain to sell marijuana at 10 Florida locations
International convenience store chain Circle K will team up with marijuana company Green Thumb Industries to sell cannabis at gas stations in Florida next year. Green Thumb, a national cannabis company that owns dispensaries selling marijuana products under the name Rise Dispensaries, said the rollout will start with 10 select locations in 2023 before potentially expanding in the future. More from the The Hilland WPLG.
First details revealed for world’s newest largest cruise ship: Royal Caribbean Icon of the Seas
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas will get the title of world’s largest cruise ship when it debuts sailing out of Miami in 2024, but that’s beside the point. “It’s purposeful. It’s not like we start with each ship and we say, ‘OK, this one’s going to be the biggest in the world.’ That actually isn’t the purpose,” said Jay Schneider, chief product innovation officer for Royal Caribbean. “It really comes down to going through the creative process and the customer insight process to say what are we really seeking out to achieve?” More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Miami International Airport sees a 50-million-passenger load
With now 93 international non-stop routes at Miami International Airport, international passenger levels recorded high volumes, setting the pace to hit an all-time-high record of 50 million passengers for 2022. Since May, six routes have been added to the international list at MIA, including Fortaleza, Brazil, with LATAM Airlines; San Salvador Island, Bahamas, with Bahamasair; Amsterdam, Netherlands, with KLM; Oslo, Norway, with Scandinavian Airlines; Munich, Germany, with Lufthansa; and starting Oct. 21, Dublin, Ireland, with Aer Lingus, said Greg Chin, Miami-Dade Aviation Department communications director. More from Miami Today.
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Event
18th Annual Florida Bat Fest is coming to Lubee
Just in time for Halloween, Lubee Bat Conservancy is bringing back their Bat Fest. The 18th Florida Bat Festival goes down on October 22, starting at 10 a.m. The conservancy is a non-profit organization that aims to support bats and their natural habitats. Lubee provides education programs to children and families along with events such as the Bat Festival.
» More from the Orlando Weeklyand WCJB.
Out of the Box
Gourd almighty! How Tampa’s pumpkin king keeps finding supersized squash
Perched high atop a throne of hay, 969 pounds of gigantic gourd gleam under the Florida sun. In the weeks leading up to Halloween, hoards of autumn lovers are expected to make the pilgrimage here to admire “Florida’s largest pumpkin.” At least, that’s the title the social media person at Bearss Groves gave it. There isn’t actually an official ranking of hulking fall produce in our state. But that’s not really the point of Bearss Groves’ annual tradition anyway.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
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