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Thursday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
10 Florida legal battles to watch in 2023
From abortion to Big Tech to guns, Florida heads into 2023 with courts weighing high-profile legal fights. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected in early January to decide whether it will take up a high-profile case about a 2021 Florida law that placed restrictions on major social-media companies such as Facebook and Twitter. Florida went to the Supreme Court after the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in May upheld much of a preliminary injunction against the law on First Amendment grounds. More from the News Service of Florida.
2023 could be year downtown Clearwater begins long awaited transformation
After decades of discussion about redeveloping downtown Clearwater, the city has made major headway in recent months that, if all goes well, should turn all that talk into action. Since the start of fall, voters have approved two major projects, a local developer with big dreams took a first step and a new Community Redevelopment Agency plan is close to becoming a reality. More from the Business Observer.
Months after Ian, many private water wells at homes in east Manatee are still contaminated
MANATEE Months after Ian, many private water wells at homes in east Manatee are still contaminated Jesse Mendoza Sarasota Herald-Tribune Lori McBride does not own any horses, but so much horse manure washed onto her Myakka City property during Hurricane Ian that she still cannot safely drink the water at her home. Hurricane Ian battered Florida's gulf coast three months ago, but like McBride, many residents in east Manatee County are still not sure if they have safe drinking water in time for the new year after their wells were contaminated by floodwaters during the Category 4 storm. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Housing, hotels, restaurants: Developments to watch for in Brevard County in 2023
Brevard County's development market may not be quite as overheated in 2023 as it was in 2022. But look for continued fast-paced construction of single-family homes, apartment complexes, hotels and restaurants along the Space Coast in the coming year. "We haven't seen anything slow down," Brevard County Planning and Development Director Tad Calkins said. "The overall strength of development is good." More from Florida Today.
FPL reliance on natural gas means customers exposed to volatile market
FPL reliance on natural gas means customers exposed to volatile market Hannah Morse Palm Beach Post Over the decades, the Sunshine State’s largest electric utility has moved away from using coal and oil to fuel its power plants. Florida Power & Light has touted the changeover, noting it is no longer in need of imported oil and that its power plants burn cleaner fuels. Yet as FPL relied more and more on natural gas, customers became less shielded from the whims of the fossil fuel market. More from the Florida Times-Union.
Travel Trends
Had your Southwest flight canceled? Florida copes with statewide shutdown
Southwest Airlines has canceled hundreds of its flights in and out of Florida this week -- and officials are warning that customers should expect more of them in the coming days. In a videotaped statement, Southwest Airlines CEO Bob Jordan said the airline plans to operate on a reduced schedule -- likely as few as one-third of its scheduled flights, the airline said -- as it attempts to reposition employees and aircraft stalled by extreme winter weather nationwide. The cutbacks are expected to last for days.
» More from the Palm Beach Post.
Profile
From rags to pitches
Cesar Hernandez is a first-generation American of Mayan immigrants from Guatemala’s K’iche Tribe. He grew up poor in Brooklyn. He was arrested at age 13 and put in a program aimed at helping inner-city youth stay out of prison. “I wish I could say my life turned around and it was great, but it was a journey,” he says. By his early 20s, he had been arrested five more times. Hernandez now runs a global consulting company and recently earned an MBA from Oxford University.
» Read more from Florida Trend.
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