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Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida tangles with the feds over immigration case
Florida and the federal government squared off this week in an appeals court about whether the state could legally challenge Biden administration policies that led to undocumented immigrants being released from detention. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody have made a high-profile issue of criticizing the Biden administration’s handling of immigration issues, but the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that Texas and Louisiana did not have legal standing to challenge certain immigration policies. More from the News Service of Florida.
Jaguars stadium renovation deal ready for public, City Council
The Jaguars and Mayor Donna Deegan have reached a deal for renovations of the stadium, City Council President Ron Salem announced Wednesday. City Council will have to approve the deal over the next few months. The Jaguars, according to previous Times-Union reporting, hope to have a deal finalized by early summer in order to take it to the NFL owners meeting in October. More from the Florida Times-Union.
St. Petersburg is counting on 7% growth to fund Rays project. Is that risky?
To fund its share of a new Tampa Bay Rays stadium and the proposed surrounding Historic Gas Plant District, the city of St. Petersburg is betting on growth. More than half of the nearly $700 million in city money targeted for the $6.5 billion project is projected to come from tax increment financing, a tool designed to pay off a public project via future tax gains on higher property values. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Orlando’s proposed stormwater fee hike sparks outrage
Faced with century-old pipes, wetter hurricanes and a rapidly growing population, Orlando leaders say they need more money to fund maintenance and upgrades to systems that remove rainwater from neighborhood streets. On the hook for that are property owners in the city, who likely will pay stormwater fees that are more than double the current rate in coming years to cover the need. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Southwest Florida may keep flood insurance discounts after all as FEMA reevaluates
Southwest Florida residents may get to keep their discount flood insurance rates after all, as discussions between local governments and FEMA revealed a series of “miscommunications.” In March, the federal agency informed five communities in Lee County, including the county itself, that their shoddy rebuilding practices after Hurricane Ian’s catastrophic hit in September 2023 meant the communities were at risk of losing their discounts on federal flood insurance — as much as 25% in annual premiums. More from the Miami Herald.
Event
Fort Lauderdale Air Show is coming at ya: What to know
This weekend’s Fort Lauderdale Air Show is like last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix — just faster, louder, and you can be certain an American will win this time. Featuring the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds back as headliners and the debut of the Ghost Squadron, the annual air show returns on Saturday and Sunday to fill the heavens with sonic rumbles and arcing contrails as hundreds of thousands of spectators scan the sky over the beach in Fort Lauderdale.
» More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Arts Business
Atoll is bringing art ownership to the masses: From Dadeland Mall to the world
The art world – a $65 billion market – is an elitist industry reserved for the very few who can afford to collect at scale. Is that true? Well, it certainly might feel that way if you’ve ever tried touring Art Basel with a general admissions ticket once much of the art has already been sold. The good news for us, the 99%, is that smart minds are rethinking the art industry model. And one of them has just landed in South Florida.
» Read more from Refresh Miami.
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