March 28, 2024

Friday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 4/28/2023

Amid Florida insurance crisis, lawmakers drop idea to investigate profits

State lawmakers’ legislation to crack down on misbehaving insurance companies had teeth. Maybe a few too many. A provision that would have pierced the veil on insurance company profits by requiring insurers to report new information to the state was met with resistance when the bill was introduced last month. By the time senators unanimously approved the bill on Wednesday, it was gone. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Climate-fed algae puts Lake Washington, Florida drinking water at risk

Regional water managers have preached for decades the need for communities to tap more surface waters such as Lake Washington, to spare the most vital groundwater in the Floridan Aquifer. Drawing too much groundwater can cause saltwater intrusion to wells, increased fire risk, and nearby wetlands to recede. More from Florida Today.

South Korean company plans to build Florida's first hydrogen fuel plant in Mulberry

A South Korean company plans to build clean-hydrogen facility in Polk County using natural gas from a nearby pipeline. During his visit to South Korea on Wednesday, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a memorandum of understanding with LowCarbon Hydrogen Corp. to create a research hub for clean hydrogen technology in Mulberry. More from the Lakeland Ledger and the Center Square.

Florida Gaming Control Commission cracks down on illegal gambling in Leon County

After receiving complaints about illegal gambling, the Florida Gaming Control Commission is cracking down. On Thursday, officers from the commission and the Leon County Sheriff's Office visited six Leon County sites to issue letters of warning to close down or face the consequences. More from WFSU.

Orlando’s after-midnight permit kicks in next week, less than half issued so far

Downtown Orlando bars wanting to serve liquor after midnight will need a permit to do so when the calendar turns from April to May. The much-debated new policy, approved by the city council last month, goes into effect Monday and also requires bar owners to cover the cost of up to 30 off-duty police officers to patrol the downtown area, as well as mandates identification scanners, wand metal detectors and other rules. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Business BeatBusiness Beat - Week of April 28th

Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video news brief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.

 

Out of the Box
Robocop BBot will ‘walk’ the beat at Orange County Convention Center

BBot, one of the latest security employees at the Orange County Convention Center, looks a lot different from other staff. BBot relies on wheels to navigate, has 360-degree vision and takes charging breaks instead of meals. The egg-shaped, 5-foot-2-inch “K5″ machine from robotics security company Knightscope arrived at the convention center this week. It is expected to clock in for its first shift in early May, making the convention center the first major tourism business in Orlando to deploy an autonomous security machine among the public.

» Read more from the Orlando Sentinel.

Tags: Daily Pulse, Afternoon Pulse

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Florida Trend Video Pick

Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices

Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

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