Economic concerns drive second-biggest fall in Florida consumer index
Consumer sentiment among Floridians dropped 3.1 points in August to 80.6, down from a revised figure of 83.7 in July. The decline was slightly smaller than the 3.5-point drop observed at the national level. Floridians’ views on current economic conditions turned more negative. Opinions of personal financial situations now compared with a year ago posted the steepest drop this month, falling 4.6 points from 76.3 to 71.7. Similarly, opinions on whether now is a good time to buy a major household item, such as a car or appliance, declined 3.5 points from 78.5 to 75. [Source: UF News]
SpaceX gets the green light to more than double its Florida launches
The world’s most-flown rocket may start flying even more. U.S. regulators have completed a key environmental review that paves the way for SpaceX to more than double the number of Falcon 9 launches from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. In addition to the annual launch increase from 50 launches to up to 120, the Federal Aviation Administration’s environmental review also approved a new on-site landing zone that could accommodate up to 34 booster landings per year. [Source: Tech Crunch]
Tax breaks for guns, ammo teed up
Starting Monday and running through the end of the year, Florida will provide a sales-tax exemption on a variety of hunting equipment, the first time a state tax “holiday” includes guns and ammunition. The tax holiday starting Monday also will allow people to avoid paying sales taxes on camping and fishing equipment through the end of the year. It was part of a broad tax package (HB 7031) that lawmakers passed in June. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Florida plans to end all state vaccine mandates, including for schools
Florida is set to end all state vaccine mandates, state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced at a news conference Wednesday. For decades, the state has required numerous vaccines for kids attending school, including shots that protect against Measles-mumps-rubella, polio, chickenpox and Hepatitis B. But Ladapo on Wednesday compared these mandates to “slavery,” and promised that they all will soon end. He did not immediately provide specifics. More from the Tampa Bay Times and Reuters.
Bail or bust: Florida stands alone in taking fines from those who help defendants post bond
Is Florida running a bail grift? That’s how one Judge described the state’s decades-old policy of keeping bail money from third parties and using it to pay off defendants’ outstanding fines and fees. At least one member of an 11th Circuit Court of Appeals panel that considered the issue this month appears to agree with that assessment. So do several current and former lawmakers who have tried to end the practice. [Source: Florida Politics]
Meet the demand for EV charging without government subsidies
It’s been more than a decade since the first businesses in Florida understood they needed to offer EV charging as an amenity for their customers. At that time, electric vehicles were still a novelty. Telsa had just one model available and only a couple of other brands, the Nissan Leaf and Chevy Volt, were on the market. Today, EVs are everywhere. As of January, there were more than 260,000 electric vehicles registered in Florida alone. Florida has the second most EV’s in the country, trailing only California, and in certain regions (Orange County), adoption even outpaces California despite the difference in state-level support. [Sponsored report]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› South Florida's top public company announces $220 million acquisition
World Kinect Corp. entered into an agreement to acquire a division of Universal Weather and Aviation in a deal valued at $220 million. Houston-based Universal Weather provides global flight planning and trip support services for the business aviation industry. That includes weather briefings, ground handling, fuel programs and international regulatory assistance. Miami-based World Kinect will acquire the company's trip support services division.
› Tampa-based insurance company launches text message claim option following disasters
Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Co. is launching a new partnership with Hi Marley that will allow policyholders to file insurance claims through text messages. The Tampa-based insurance carrier says the text message option will make it easier, especially for homeowners, to file claims related to natural disasters such as hurricanes and wildfires.
› Stephen Tulenko named CEO of Dun & Bradstreet
After completing its $7.7 billion acquisition of Dun & Bradstreet Holdings Inc. Aug. 26, Clearlake Capital Group L.P. installed a new chief executive officer for the Jacksonville-based business data company. The private equity firm announced Sept. 3 that Stephen Tulenko became CEO, effective immediately. Tulenko spent 35 years with Moody’s Corp., most recently serving as president of Moody’s Analytics.
› Salmon farmer Atlantic Sapphire moves toward major expansion
An aquaculture complex near Homestead is about to get a financing boost that will lead to production growth from last year’s 4,400 metric tons of fresh-water bluehouse salmon to a projected 25,000 tons of salmon in two years and a long-term target of 220,000 tons a year. Miami-Dade commissioners are poised this week to reapprove the issuance of $250 million in bonds to continue the expansion of Atlantic Sapphire USA, which began construction of its indoor salmon production facilities in 2018 and has been expanding production ever since.
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› Sarasota rent prices are dropping. Will it continue?
Rent in Sarasota continued to trend downward in August, bringing the median rent price in the city to $1,386. Rent is down nearly 6% compared with the same month in 2024 and is down 1.1% from July. The average price for a one-bedroom apartment is $1,334, while two-bedrooms sit at $1,408.
› More than just a tag: Florida sea turtle plates fund rescues
There are more than 100 specialty license plates in Florida. Residents pay extra for them, and the money goes to a cause. The second most popular plate in the state is titled "Helping Sea Turtles Survive." They went public in 1998, and there are more than 100,000 of them on the road supporting sea turtle conservation and research.
› Lack of organ donors harming South Florida residents
The effects of the lack of organ donors nationwide ripple through South Florida as those in need continue to hope for the gift of life. “It’s sort of interesting that in a city of 52,000 people,” said former Coral Gables Mayor Jim Cason, “three leaders of the city have had or need organ transplants.” One can imagine, said Mr. Cason, just how many people in the larger population need organs, or will know somebody who will need a transplant, or passed away due to them not obtaining a transplant.
› Florida workshops train residents to manage citrus greening
Florida's citrus industry continues to face challenges from citrus greening. Residential citrus trees, where the disease was first detected in the state, can act as reservoirs for Asian citrus psyllids if they are not properly managed. To strengthen disease prevention efforts, the University of Florida's Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF/IFAS) is conducting workshops to teach residents how to identify, monitor, and manage citrus greening and psyllids.