Florida consumer sentiment improves in June, but economic skepticism remains stubborn
Consumer sentiment among Floridians inched up two-tenths of a point in June to 73.2 from a revised figure of 73 in May. In contrast, national consumer sentiment declined for the third consecutive month, dropping nine-tenths of a point. Floridians’ opinions about current economic conditions were pessimistic in June. More from UF News and Florida Politics.
Tallahassee mail issues spark concerns from voters looking to vote-by-mail
Since 2018, mail delivery has been a point of contention for many residents, with some letters and packages arriving days or weeks late, if at all. Complaints also include intercepted checks, stolen gift cards and more. Leon County Supervisor of Elections Mark Earley said that, while rare in the past, they have experienced issues of "exceptionally late ballots" that look like they have "been around the world." More from the Tallahassee Democrat.
Orange County TDT sets new May record, but total lower than April
Shrugging off record high temperatures, tourist-tax collections soared in May, too, rebounding from a year ago and setting a new record for the month. The Tourist Development Tax, a 6% surcharge on hotel rooms and other short-term lodging like Airbnb rentals, brought in about $28.4 million in May, about $200,000 better than the previous best for the month, set in 2022 during a streak of record highs that lasted over a year. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
PortMiami to spend $63 million on electric gantry cranes
County commissioners passed a resolution Tuesday to spend up to $63.6 million to install 12 electric gantry cranes at the South Florida Container Terminal. The project is part of PortMiami’s “net zero program” designed to increase cargo capacity and decrease diesel pollution. A gantry crane is a type of overhead crane supported by freestanding legs that move, in this case, on rubber tires. More from Miami Today.
World's second-largest cruise ship to arrive at Port Canaveral next week
The world's second-largest cruise ship will arrive at Port Canaveral next week, providing another milestone for the world's second-busiest cruise port. Royal Caribbean International's Utopia of the Seas is schedule to sail into Port Canaveral the morning of July 11. More from Florida Today.
Transparency for businesses big and small
If you operate a corporation, LLC, LLP, or business trust anywhere in the U.S. or its territories, it’s time for transparency. As of January 1, 2024, the Corporate Transparency Act (CTA) requires all entities formed or registered to do business in the U.S. to file Beneficial Ownership Information (BOI) to the U.S. Treasury’s Financial Crimes and Enforcement Network (FinCEN). [Sponsored report]
Science and Nature
A possible solution to Florida’s coral crisis just arrived in Tampa Bay
Off the northern coast of mainland Honduras, in a bay nestled between national parks, a potential fix to Florida’s widespread coral crisis lives beneath the surface. As corals across the Caribbean succumb to spiking ocean temperatures and disease, a bustling reef tract in Tela Bay has, somehow, withstood the threats. Corals in the bay regularly endure higher-than-normal temperatures and freshwater flows, yet they continue to show impressive resilience. And now, seven of those corals call Tampa Bay home.
» More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Florida Dining
Beloved West Palm Beach restaurants come together for world-class cookout
When the restaurants in your neighborhood host a cookout, you know it's going to be mouth-wateringly good. For the third year just such a cookout will be going down in West Palm Beach's Dixie Corridor. The area's popular Tropical Smokehouse, Celis Juice Bar, Zipitios and Juicy Cocktail Bar will be teaming up on Saturday, July 6 for the Annual Neighborhood Cookout: Smoke & Sunset.
» Read more from the Palm Beach Post.