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What you need to know about Florida today
Florida Trend Exclusive
Lessons learned from Hurricane Ian and the work that still needs to be done
Florida marked the 30th anniversary of Hurricane Andrew in August, noting how far the state had come in hardening against and recovering from epic storms. Then came Hurricane Ian, which made clear more work needs to be done. [Source: Florida Trend]
Floridians could soon carry guns without permits or training
Don’t Be a Sitting Duck, a Kissimmee firearms academy, offers a four-hour training session required by state law to carry a loaded gun in public. For owner and firearms instructor Bryan Villella, that just makes sense: “It is our right to be able to protect ourselves ... To require a level of education surrounding that, I don’t see as a bad thing,” says Villella. However, what Villella considers a reasonable safeguard, gun rights advocate Luis Valdes sees as a government burden on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding Americans. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Tampa, Hillsborough await Rays’ stadium pitch
The city of St. Petersburg is in the batter’s box in potentially deciding the Tampa Bay Rays’ future stadium plans, but the city of Tampa and Hillsborough County are taking practice swings in the on-deck circle. Two days before Thanksgiving, Tampa Bay Rays President Matt Silverman and others from the team met via videoconference with Tampa Sports Authority CEO Eric Hart, Hillsborough County Administrator Bonnie Wise, Tampa Mayor Jan Castor’s chief of staff John Bennett and other city, county and authority representatives for a briefing on a proposed baseball stadium north of the Ybor Channel. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Cities, counties file suits over opioid epidemic
Eight Northwest Florida counties and four cities, stretching from Tallahassee to Pensacola, filed a lawsuit Monday in federal court in Panama City. That came after Miami-Dade County and the cities of Miami Gardens and North Miami filed a similar lawsuit Friday in federal court in Miami. The lawsuits focus on McKinsey’s work for Purdue Pharma in the marketing of OxyContin, which has been widely blamed for the nation’s opioid epidemic. The lawsuits allege that McKinsey “played an integral role in creating and deepening the opioid crisis.” [Source: News Service of Florida]
Florida high court OKs grand jury probe of COVID-19 vaccines
Florida's Supreme Court will convene a grand jury at Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ request to investigate any wrongdoing with respect to the COVID-19 vaccines. Although government panels reviewed data on the safety and effectiveness of vaccines before approving them for use, DeSantis’ request argues that pharmaceutical companies had a financial interest in creating a climate leading to increased vaccine adoption. [Source: Associated Press]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Florida’s prison system leads others in banning books, report finds
In Florida, censoring books in prison is nothing new. But a new study by The Marshall Project shows the Sunshine State is more aggressive than many others in restricting incarcerated people’s access to reading materials.
› Travel: Horseless carriages take guests through Mount Dora in elegant style
Olde Mount Dora Carriage Company introduces horseless electric carriage rides to the quaint Lake County city
› Fight Night
The stage was set: Vivid red, white and blue images sparkled on tall screens behind two metal and glass podiums on the stage at the Duncan Theatre on Palm Beach State College’s Lake Worth campus. A low hum of anticipation rose from the audience...
› Citrus budget revised amid production drop
The Florida Citrus Commission on Wednesday made a second budget revision of the growing season to account for the industry’s drop in production, which has been exacerbated by Hurricane Ian.
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