AI helps pick juries in Florida, sparking bias concerns
A jury of one's peers is a cornerstone of American jurisprudence. Now, there may be an invisible hand in that jury box as AI helps lawyers pick panels who will decide guilt or innocence or liability in a civil case. Picking a jury used to be considered as much art as science. Attorneys, prosecutors used voir dire — meaning “to speak the truth” — to choose citizens who would sit in judgment. It was a very analog process. Now Claude, Gemini, ChatGPT can assist attorneys. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
National Hurricane Center downgrades Amanda, watches Gulf system
The National Hurricane Center has had a quiet start to hurricane season, as wind shear and other factors tamp down the prospect of tropical system formation in the Atlantic for now. In the Pacific, the first named storm of the season, Tropical Storm Amanda, was downgraded to a depression. There is a system in the Gulf forecasters are watching for next week and into mid-June as no storms are expected to develop over the next two to seven days, according to the National Hurricane Center. [Source: Palm Beach Post]
How much would Florida homeowners save under proposed tax cut?
If more than 60% of Florida voters approve of property tax reform, homeowners around Central Florida and across the state will see annual savings of $1,000-plus on their bills, according to an analysis by the Orlando Sentinel. But voters will have to juxtapose desires for money in their pockets against warnings from city leaders, county officials and analysts across the political spectrum who warn the tax-slashing measure could upend public services, the structure of local government and the state’s economy. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Big money is pouring into Florida health systems. What it means for patients
A flurry of big-money donations is strengthening South Florida’s health systems, a trend that will significantly benefit everyone who needs medical care in the years ahead. The million-dollar-plus donations by local billionaire philanthropists, who are aging and may need medical treatment themselves, are aimed at improving cancer care, funding research to prevent and treat diseases, fueling major hospital expansions, and adding specialized pediatric care. [Source: South Florida Sun Sentinel]
Florida’s strawberry industry braces for El Niño blues
Farmers in Florida's $500 million-a-year strawberry industry recently wrapped up a season, and already the next one is casting a shadow. Scientists are predicting a good chance of a pesky strawberry disease, all due to the predicted El Niño weather pattern. An El Niño is forecast for the upcoming hurricane season, which starts June 1, and that means strawberry growers should brace for more moisture. That, in turn, increases the chances of disease. [Source: AOL]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Meet the new director of NASA's Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral
Brian Hughes, a U.S. Air Force veteran with a background in politics, has been appointed as the new director of NASA's KSC. The appointment has drawn criticism from some officials over Hughes's lack of direct space launch expertise. NASA plans to align launch operations between KSC and its Wallops facility in Virginia to manage the increasing cadence.
› 5 big questions (answered) after St. Petersburg’s Duke Energy vote
The St. Petersburg City Council voted Thursday to commit up to $590,000 for a study examining how feasible it would be to leave Duke Energy, after hours of testimony from residents feeling the affordability squeeze. The majority of locals who spoke asked city leaders to approve the analysis, saying they were tired of watching their power bills go up to benefit a corporation whose shareholders make a guaranteed profit.
› ‘Living on prayer’: Some Miami-area homeowners head into hurricane season uninsured
For years, South Florida homeowners have watched insurance premiums soar as insurers pulled out of the state or tightened coverage in response to increasingly costly hurricanes, rising construction costs and litigation. A recent report found that Florida homeowners insurance premiums rose nearly double the national average between 2021 and 2025. The region now ranks among the most expensive places in the country to insure a home, particularly for windstorm coverage tied to hurricane risk.
› This Sarasota County city is seeing Florida’s steepest rent drop
A recent report published by TradingPedia.com found that North Port, in southern Sarasota County, is seeing the steepest decline in rental prices in Florida and the second-steepest in the country during the first several months of 2026. The report found that rental costs in North Port are down by 11.44%.
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› Iguanas bounce back in South Florida after February freeze wiped out thousands
Iguanas have been making a comeback in South Florida — in residents’ backyards, near sidewalks and along canal banks — months after many of them were wiped out in a freeze. Thousands of the lizards were captured during a cold snap in February, leading to weeks of fewer sightings. But iguana-removal companies say they’ve been receiving more calls in recent weeks about the invasive lizards. They expect the upcoming hatching season to reverse any downturn and help the lizard species keep thriving.
› Jacksonville warehouse part of a multistate beverage distribution transaction
Republic National Distributing Co. sold its North Jacksonville warehouse for $12.1 million May 29 as part of a multistate beverage distribution deal. Republic sold the property at 9423 N. Main St. through Loan Oak - Jacksonville LLC to Reyes Holdings LLC of Rosemont, Illinois. The warehouse is north of Gun Club Road, south of Van Dyck Road and west of Parker Avenue. The 177,239 square-foot building was constructed on 10 acres in 1972.
› FIU club helps build next generation of aerospace engineers
When Rafael Morales walked into FIU’s MakerSpace for the first time, he knew immediately he had found something rare. The collaborative innovation hub, stocked with 3D printers, welding torches and the full range of tools needed to turn raw materials into working prototypes, was buzzing. “There was this sense of energy,” says Morales, former co-president of the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (SEDS) club.
› Known for its annual Epiphany celebrations, this Tarpon Springs church needs help
Leaders of St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Cathedral have launched a $6 million capital campaign to restore the downtown Tarpon Springs landmark, where a leaky roof has caused water damage throughout the 83-year-old building. The campaign, “A Legacy of Faith, a Future of Hope,” kicked off May 3 and has already secured $3 million in gifts and pledges, committee officials said.