SHARE:
Wednesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
High costs force some homeowners to choose: Drop insurance, sell or leave Florida
As Florida’s property insurance market continues to buckle, thousands of homeowners across the state are increasingly choosing to forgo insurance, sell their homes or even leave Florida. As Florida’s property insurance market has seen double-digit percentage increases for the past few years, it has become the most expensive place to insure a home in the nation [Source: Miami Herald]
Senate backs aid for hurricane victims, commuters
In just under 13 minutes, the Florida Senate on Tuesday discussed and unanimously approved two bills that call for spending $1.25 billion on such things as assisting homeowners ravaged by Hurricane Ian and Hurricane Nicole and giving discounts to toll-road drivers. Sen. Lori Berman, D-Delray Beach, expressed concern that a bill (SB 6-A) to provide $500 million in tax dollars to cover lost revenue from providing credits to frequent toll-road users will benefit “maybe” 500,000 people. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Year wait for new roof? Hurricane Ian rebuilding could take a while
Tens of thousands of families along the Southwest Florida coast are in a predicament, either having to stop work because of FEMA regulations or awaiting home repairs that are likely months, if not a year or longer away. Local construction and supply companies have been overwhelmed with calls and requests for service, making it difficult to serve everyone in a timely manner. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
‘Multiple migrant landings’: Feds report big jump in people coming to Florida from Cuba
Border Patrol agents in the Florida Keys are responding to almost nonstop migrant landings this week that continued through Tuesday morning. On Monday, the federal agency reported that arrivals in South Florida are up five times what they were this time last year. “Agents are responding to multiple migrant landings throughout the Keys this morning,” Adam Hofffner, U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s division chief of Miami operations told the Miami Herald/FLKeysnews.com on Tuesday. [Source: Miami Herald]
Florida company picked as engine designer for supersonic jet
Aviation startup Boom Technology says it will power supersonic passenger jets with engines designed by a company better known for making small engines used on drones and cruise missiles. Boom said Tuesday that Florida Turbine Technologies, or FTT, will design the engines. The company says the plane could be making test flights in 2026 and carrying passengers a few years after that. The company says its 88-seat jet, called Overture, will use four engines, fly up to 1.7 times the speed of sound — about 1,300 mph — and use sustainable aviation fuel. [Source: AP]
| Trend Mention |
|
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Supreme Court will dive into Florida row on stolen fishing data
The Supreme Court agreed Tuesday to review the conviction of a software engineer who stole fishing secrets from a Florida business selling coordinate data for $200 a pop. StrikeLines, based in Pensacola, Florida, uses sonar equipment to locate artificial fishing reefs in the Gulf of Mexico and sells that data to commercial and recreational fishermen. To prevent overfishing, these locations are generally kept private.
› Trulieve adds $5 million to pot initiative
The medical-cannabis company Trulieve contributed another $5 million last month to a ballot initiative aimed at legalizing recreational use of marijuana, according to a newly filed finance report. In all, Trulieve has contributed $15 million to the Smart & Safe Florida political committee, which is trying to get the initiative on the 2024 ballot. Trulieve has contributed all but $124.58 of the committee’s money.
› As homelessness spikes, Tampa Bay campsites become temporary refuge
As costs rise in Tampa Bay, more residents are navigating homelessness. Some end up camping in county parks, sleeping next to luxury RVs while struggling to make car payments or save up for their next move. Camping offers people who lack housing an appealing — and affordable — alternative to sleeping in motels or cars. For $24 a night, a person sleeping in a tent can stay at one of Hillsborough County’s five campgrounds for up to two weeks. Then, they must pack up and find another place to stay.
› Rents are actually starting to decline in Jacksonville
Relief may be coming for long-suffering renters in Jacksonville. Two new studies show that rent increases are slowing. The asking price for a new lease in Jacksonville actually declined in November, one study found. The price for new renters here fell 1.85% to $1,582 per month, the Redfin real estate company reported Tuesday. That was the 10th largest decline in the U.S. Jacksonville was one of 14 metro areas where asking rents declined, Redfin said.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
In case you missed it:
