Do heat waves damage the economy?
A heat wave blanketed a vast swathe of the United States over the 4th of July weekend, threatening the health of tens of millions of people and the power supply for thousands of homes. A lesser-known risk of extreme heat, meanwhile, may hammer pocketbooks. The reasons for the economic impact range from diminished employee productivity to heightened utility costs to lost agricultural output, some analysts said. Berkay Akyapi, a professor of business at the University of Florida and a co-author of the study on lost GDP, pointed to the crop damage caused by a heightened number of heat waves. [Source: ABC News]
Federal court strikes down Florida’s Stop WOKE Act in higher ed
A federal appeals court on Tuesday struck down parts of Florida’s Stop WOKE Act, calling it a “breathtaking assertion of power” that unconstitutionally censors what state university and college professors can discuss with their students about race, sex and other forms of bias. The 2-1 ruling by the Atlanta-based 11th Circuit Court of Appeals upheld a lower court’s injunction preventing the state from enforcing the sweeping law that sent chills through the academic community, forcing professors to alter or cancel their course curriculum especially in the fields of critical race theory and gender studies. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Saharan dust is floating toward Florida, which can be good and bad
This could be the first notable Saharan dust plume of the season for Florida. While faint layers of dust have already reached the state, they haven’t been noticeable enough — or thick enough — to bring substantial changes to the weather. Saharan dust can mean hotter temperatures, which can be problematic for people with respiratory conditions. However, it also suppresses tropical activity and delivers valuable nutrients to the world’s largest rainforest, the Amazon. [Source: Jacksonville Today]
Can home sweet manufactured home break affordability crisis?
A piece of city-owned land in northwest Jacksonville will be a testing ground for whether the modern version of manufactured homes can help solve the national housing affordability crisis. "If we can be successful here, our goal is to take this everywhere," said Joseph DeFelice, assistant deputy secretary for the office of field policy and management at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. [Source: Florida Times-Union]
Florida researchers target bacterial threat in tomatoes
Bacterial spot disease isn’t just a nuisance for tomato growers — it is a relentless, weather-powered villain that can ruin a field of promising fruit, threatening farm profits. When warm rains roll in and humidity hangs in the air, the pathogen behind bacterial spot comes alive, spreading fast and scarring tomatoes so they can’t be sold. Growers rely on fungicides to fight the disease, but fungicides often don’t work very effectively because pathogens are resistant to them, University of Florida plant pathologist Gary Vallad said. [Source: Gainesville Sun]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› As sea temperatures rise in the Florida Keys, coral evacuation has begun
he warning bells are ringing for another potentially killer season for Florida’s beleaguered coral reefs, sending reef restoration companies scrambling to protect their brood. While the atmospheric phenomena of El Niño is linked to a quieter hurricane season this year, it’s also cranking the thermostat on Florida’s waters. That’s bad news for corals, which get sick and even die when water temperatures stay too hot for too long.
› Tampa company bets AI can speed special education evaluations
As schools across the country debate whether artificial intelligence belongs in the classroom, much of the conversation has centered on chatbots that answer students’ questions, generate lesson plans and reshape how children learn. A Tampa education technology company is pursuing a different application, using AI to shorten the evaluations, planning and documentation required before students qualify for special education services.
› Downtown Vision Inc. CEO Jake Gordon stepping down
The head of Downtown Vision Inc. is leaving the organization. On July 7, CEO Jake Gordon said he would leave DVI effective Sept. 30 after 11 years leading the nonprofit that supports Downtown Jacksonville. In a phone interview, Gordon described his departure as part of a “natural process.”
› Gainesville utility says its cheapest power plant is still offline, and the outage has cost $8 million
A prolonged outage at Gainesville Regional Utilities' lowest-cost power plant is now hitting Florida customers in the wallet. GRU leaders say the shutdown has already added $8 million in costs, another example of infrastructure breakdowns filtering down to households through utility bills. During the July 1 meeting of the GRU Authority, members were told that the Kelly plant is still out of service. Utility officials describe Kelly as GRU's least expensive power source, and the current outage is attributed to a mechanical issue.
More stories ...
› One of America's largest commercial banks is putting more of Florida under Jacksonville's charge
PNC Bank's Jacksonville headquarters is taking a bigger slice of the bank's Florida operations, as a recent personnel decision demonstrates. The Pittsburgh-headquartered financial institution is reconfiguring its Florida presence as it dives into plans to add nearly 100 branches by the end of this decade, part of a $2 billion expansion investment nationwide. Longtime Jacksonville bank leader Chris Kalin is now leading an expanded market combining two high-growth metro areas under his focus.
› Miami hospitality group seeks $5 million from public investors for bar expansion
A Miami hospitality group is seeking to raise $5 million from public investors to help finance the expansion of one of its neighborhood bar concepts across South Florida. Lost Boy Hospitality Ventures I Inc., a newly formed expansion company affiliated with Lost Boy & Co., has launched the offering to fund the growth of Lost Boy Dry Goods, which has operated in downtown Miami since 2018.
› NASA’s Roman Space Telescope gets vertical at Kennedy Space Center
NASA’s $4.3 billion Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope has risen from its horizontal slumber at Kennedy Space Center ahead of its planned launch next month. The planet hunter, which will seek to unravel the mysteries of dark energy in the universe with infrared sensing, had made the trip to KSC in June from NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, boxed up and lying on its side while sitting in NASA’s Pegasus barge.
› Tampa Bay Times hosts community Spotlight event on climate change and housing
Back-to-back hurricanes and record heat have exposed the Tampa Bay area’s biggest vulnerabilities. Experts say it’s just a taste of what’s to come in a warming world. Climate change is expected to bring higher seas, rising temperatures and more extreme weather, threatening homes and neighborhoods across the region. A Tampa Bay Times community event plans to foster conversation with local leaders about how climate change is already reshaping Tampa Bay.