SHARE:
Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Seaweed mass expands, reaches record tonnage. Messy Florida beaches ‘inevitable’
We already knew South Florida beaches were bracing for a surge of seaweed, but the mass of seaweed looming in the Atlantic Ocean is now officially record-breaking. The Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt — the official name for the collection of floating brown seaweed that sprawls across 5,000 miles from the Gulf of Mexico to the west coast of Africa — contained about 13 million tons of seaweed by the end of March, according to researchers at the University of South Florida’s Optical Oceanography Lab who have been monitoring the sargassum belt via satellite. More from the Miami Herald.
Four states join U.S. suit against JetBlue buyout of Spirit
JetBlue Airways on Monday said it is “unfortunate” that another four states have joined a federal lawsuit against its buyout of Miramar-based Spirit Airlines, saying their position would only help tighten the grip that bigger airlines hold over the U.S. marketplace. “The facts show that preserving the status quo is the most anti-competitive step that the federal government and these states can take,” the New York-based airline said in a statement. More from the Orlando Sentinel and Reuters.
Three Tampa restaurants named to prestigious Michelin Guide
The 2023 Florida edition of the Michelin Guide, a directory of the state’s top restaurants, will include three Tampa-based restaurants when it’s officially released on May 11 at LoanDepot Park in Miami. According to a news release, Lilac, Ponte and Noble Rice are new additions to the Michelin Guide Florida. Eight Miami restaurants and eight Orlando restaurants were also named to the 2023 Michelin Guide Florida. More from the Business Observer.
Iger vows $17B Disney World expansion, calls DeSantis ‘anti-business’
The Walt Disney Co. plans to invest $17 billion in Walt Disney World over the next 10 years and create 13,000 new jobs, CEO Bob Iger said Monday, as he accused Gov. Ron DeSantis of being vindictive over Disney’s response to the so-called “don’t say gay” law last year. Iger’s remarks came in response to an audience question during Disney’s annual shareholder meeting in California over what steps Disney will take to protect shareholders in an anticipated legal battle among DeSantis, Disney and the former Reedy Creek Improvement District. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Longtime leader of popular Jacksonville-based sandwich chain Firehouse Subs passes the torch
Sixteen months after Jacksonville-based Firehouse Subs was sold for $1 billion, its longtime chief executive officer and president of the popular homegrown restaurant chain is stepping down but says he will remain involved in the company. Don Fox announced his retirement late Thursday night on his personal Facebook page. He has led Firehouse Subs for 20 years including the past 13 years as CEO and president. More from the Florida Times-Union, Florida Politics, and the Wall Street Journal.
Sports Business
Citadel billionaire Ken Griffin’s a soccer guy. His $5 million gift will boost play across Miami
Kenneth Griffin, the hedge-fund billionaire who’s making a well-publicized mark on Miami by moving his Citadel financial empire from Chicago to Brickell, while donating millions to local civic and philanthropic projects, is now looking to different fields for his gifting — soccer fields, that is.
» More from the Miami Herald.
Entertainment
‘Pawn Stars’ in St. Petersburg: History Channel reality show will film there
The History Channel’s hit “Pawn Stars,” a reality show following the happenings of a pawn shop in Las Vegas, is taking its show on the road to St. Petersburg this month. “Pawn Stars Do America” will film in St. Petersburg in an as-yet-disclosed location on April 5-7 and April 11-13. The show is giving out free tickets to those who apply to attend a live taping.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
In case you missed it:
