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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Negotiators start hammering out budget details
House and Senate negotiators expressed optimism Monday as they began trading budget proposals, despite gaps in spending over issues such as public schools, land preservation and tourism marketing. Lawmakers must resolve their differences by May 2 to be able to end the legislative session May 5 as scheduled. That is because of a required 72-hour “cooling off” period before lawmakers can vote on the final budget. More from the News Service of Florida.
SpaceX Starship clobbered Texas launch pad; future Space Coast launches prompt contingency plans
The most powerful rocket to ever launch from Earth left a crater at the SpaceX launch site last week, but Elon Musk said teams could be ready to try another Starship launch in as little as one to two months. Meanwhile, SpaceX continues to build out a backup site for human launches on the Space Coast to assuage NASA fears of potential Starship damage for when it starts flying from Kennedy Space Center. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Bradenton credit union awarded $2.1 million grant
A $2.1 million community development grant was awarded to a credit union in Manatee County as a way to expand access to capital for small businesses. Financial Access Federal Credit Union, formerly Manatee Community Federal Credit Union, is a treasury-certified community development financial institution located in Bradenton. It was the only chartered institution in the Sarasota and Manatee counties area to receive the grant. More from the Business Observer.
Miami-Dade homeowners can apply for $1,500 in mortgage relief. Find out who qualifies
Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava has announced a program to help homeowners behind on monthly mortgage payments a year after she acknowledged the county’s housing-affordability crisis, which continues in at least its third year. Under the program, qualified households can get a one-time payment of $1,500 to be used for late mortgage payments, homeowner-association dues, and property insurance, among other things. More from the Miami Herald.
Lawmakers unveil plan to inspect Disney World monorails
Looking to give ammunition to Gov. Ron DeSantis in his ongoing feud with Disney World, lawmakers on Tuesday will take up a narrowly tailored amendment requiring the Florida Department of Transportation to inspect the resort’s monorail system. The amendment comes after DeSantis last week called for stripping Disney of its self-inspection privileges after the company opposed his law banning discussions of sexual orientation and gender identity in public schools. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Florida History
Historic Ford assembly plant in Talleyrand is preserved in images
As ownership of the historic Ford assembly plant in Talleyrand starts pursuit of a demolition permit, the Jacksonville Historical Society intends to showcase the factory in its formative stage. The Jacksonville Historical Society has acquired the original 1924 and 1925 construction drawings and progress photos taken during the Ford plant’s development.
» More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Sports Business
Tiger Woods-backed project to build homes in Florida horse town
An international developer backed by Tiger Woods and Justin Timberlake has joined an effort to build a sprawling residential community with stores and a revamped golf course in Wellington, a South Florida equestrian town near Palm Beach. While Wellington, like Palm Beach, has historically been busiest in the winter months when equestrian and polo competitions are underway, the pandemic-era migration of finance firms – and their workers – to the area is drawing families with school-age children who want to make it their primary home, but may find current offerings lacking.
» Read more from Bloomberg.
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