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Thursday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida death penalty system said to be in 'chaos'
A new state law lowering the number of jurors required to recommend death sentences has spurred a rash of litigation, triggered conflicting judicial rulings and infused an additional level of uncertainty in capital cases. The changes have caused what numerous attorneys called “chaos” in the death-penalty system. The law allows death sentences to be imposed based on the recommendations of eight of 12 jurors, an easier threshold than a previous requirement of unanimous jury recommendations. More from the News Service of Florida.
Everything you need to know ahead of NASA's SpaceX Crew-7 ISS mission set for early Friday
It's (almost) launch day! SpaceX teams at Kennedy Space Center are on track to launch a Falcon 9 rocket early Friday to send the international roster of four astronauts of NASA's Crew-7 mission on a half-year voyage to the International Space Station. The Dragon topped Falcon 9 rocket must liftoff exactly on time at 3:50 a.m. EDT Friday or delay to another day. More from Florida Today.
Tampa Bay small businesses have found strength in ‘shop local’ movement
Thursday will mark the 15th anniversary party of LocalShops1, the small-business coterie that, along with others such as Keep Saint Petersburg Local, touched a nerve with the “shop local” movement. Ester Venouziou, a former page designer for the Tampa Bay Times, said it started with her parents, who planted the idea that shopping local wasn’t just a lifestyle choice: “It can change the world.” More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Miami-Dade home prices again hit new high, despite sales plunge, lofty interest rates
Despite another month of double-digit sales declines, home prices in Miami-Dade County reached a new high mark for the fourth consecutive month in July. Miami-Dade hit a median sales price of $631,670 for single-family homes, a bump from the June peak of $622,500 and sharply higher than $570,000 a year ago, according to the Miami Association of Realtors monthly home sales report released Tuesday. The streak of record prices started in April, when the county posted a $600,000 median price tag on single-family homes. More from the Miami Herald.
Global investment firm plans massive project near Epic Universe
After breaking a Central Florida record by paying $315 million for an Orlando office park nearly two years ago, global investment firm PPF Real Estate has unveiled plans to bring a massive mixed-use project to part of the property along John Young Parkway near Universal’s Epic Universe theme park. The company submitted an application to Orange County on Aug. 21 seeking a land-use change for 89.6 acres for a project consisting of 2,406 multifamily units and more than 1.75 million square feet of commercial and retail space. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Entertainment
Made in Tampa, film on ‘the almost Beatle’ to screen here, too
Before they were The Beatles, the band was named The Quarrymen and the drummer was Colin Hanton. But Hanton didn’t see a future for the band, so he quit to focus on a career as an upholsterer. Pete Best replaced him on drums, the band renamed themselves The Beatles, Ringo Starr replaced Best, and the Fab Four made history. “Pre Fab!,” a documentary based on Hanton’s book of the same name, tells the story of the years before the drummer’s decision changed his life.
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Outfitting firewomen
Women make up 9% of firefighters in the U.S. One challenge they face is finding clothing that fits well and is affordable. Shirts or pants made of Nomex, a fire- and heat-resistant material, can cost a couple of hundred dollars each and women’s gear is often pricier, in effect creating a “pink tax” for female firefighters. Rae Crandall, an assistant professor of fire science at the University of Florida, collects and refurbishes firefighter clothing for women and through grants and donations has up to eight sets of Nomex gear to lend to female students each semester.
» Read more from Florida Trend.
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