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Friday's Daily Pulse

The comeback coast: How the private space industry is fueling a rebirth of Florida's Space Coast

As new life is being breathed back into this venerable coastline, the resurrection is coming in fits and starts, and in an entirely new form that is far more unstable and unpredictable than the one infused by government cash in the 1960s. Today, the new space age is built on the fortunes of private enterprise, subject to the whims of the economy. And like the next chapter of America’s grand adventure in space, the future of the Space Coast is far from guaranteed. More from the Washington Post and Stars and Stripes.

Florida officials worry U.S. may send them hundreds of migrants and no resources

The Trump administration is preparing to release hundreds of asylum-seeking migrants caught along the southern border into Florida's Broward and Palm Beach counties, with no apparent plan to house, feed or care for them, according to local officials who have been briefed on the plans. Broward County Mayor Mark Bogen said Thursday that Customs and Border Protection officials told him they would unload about 1,000 migrant families each month, evenly split between the two counties, for an unknown period of time. More from USA Today, the Miami Herald, and the LA Times.

Did 2019 Legislature solve Florida’s pressing problems? Yes and no, Influencers say

In November, Florida Influencers — 50 of the state’s top leaders in business, healthcare, law, nonprofits and the arts — offered their views on the issues that matter most to people who live in our state. They came together for an in-person summit and produced concrete recommendations for the new governor and Legislature, which were delivered to lawmakers in the form of a white paper last winter. [Source: Miami Herald]

As commercial spaceflight takes off, the aviation industry gets protective of airspace

For decades, airplanes and rockets have shared the skies in peace — but recently, satellite launches have started to irk the aviation industry. Whenever a rocket soars to space, it must pass through the airspace that thousands of pilots fly through every day, sometimes causing planes to reroute to avoid a spacecraft zooming into the sky. Now, the aviation industry wants to make some changes, ones that commercial space advocates say could fundamentally change the launch industry. [Source: The Verge]

Florida homeowners are afraid to borrow against their equity due to ‘the scars of the housing bust’

Strong equity growth is back in Florida, after a few rough years where at one point a majority of homeowners owed more on their mortgages than their homes were worth. It’s reminiscent of the extravagant days of the mid-2000s, when it was common to borrow against homes to pay off credit card debt, buy vehicles and go on vacations. But that’s not happening as much this time around. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Fast-growing Jacksonville pet care chain debuts in Southwest Florida
Pet Paradise, a Jacksonville-based pet service provider, with everything from boarding and day camp to grooming and veterinary services, has announced plans to open its first location in the Sarasota-Manatee region. It’s scheduled to open in July. Pet Paradise’s other locations on Florida’s west coast are in Naples and Wesley Chapel.

› Ancient burial site off Manasota Key is 1,000 years older than estimated
Native Americans in the Archaic Period in Florida used the burial ground now known as the Manasota Key Offshore archeological site as far back as 8,000 years ago, Ryan Duggins told members of the Time Sifters Archaeological Society Wednesday evening in the Geldbart Auditorium at Selby Public Library.

› Solar power plants may sit atop Miami-Dade County lakes
Solar power in Miami-Dade may come partly from floating solar power plants, as an item calling for a study of developing “float-o-voltaic” systems on artificial county lakes cleared committee by a 5-0 vote Tuesday. County commissioners will decide June 4 whether to direct Mayor Carlos Giménez’s administration to study the feasibility and by December deliver a report, which would also detail how to streamline permitting and encourage private-sector competition.

› Drawing for Florida quota liquor licenses to be held June 7
Florida's annual drawing for quota liquor licenses will be held June 7, according to a notice published Wednesday by the state Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco. The double-random drawing will determine which entrants from the 2018 entry period will be considered for issuance of licenses.

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› Florida lawmakers push FBI to name counties hacked by Russia
Members of Florida's congressional delegation said Thursday it was unacceptable that the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security will not publicly identify the two counties where Russian hackers gained access to voter databases before the 2016 election.

› Disney could still build nuclear power plant after bill fizzles in Legislature
A 1967 state law has always allowed Disney to construct a nuclear power plant, however unlikely it was that Walt Disney World Resort would ever actually try to use it. Experts called the state law overreaching since a federal commission has oversight on building new nuclear plants.

› Need to film scenes from Brooklyn? Chicago? Canada? Tampa Bay stands in for all of them
The Tampa Bay area's capacity to mimic places from around the world, without too much added movie magic, has boosted its appeal as a place for filming, leaders in the local industry say.

› Cuba ties intercede in David Beckham’s Golf Course deal
Debates about law firms’ business ties to Cuba have stalled hiring a consultant to help Miami negotiate a lease with David Beckham’s group for what is today the Melreese Golf Course. With a Sept. 12 deadline looming, commissioners had intended May 9 to hire one of 16 law firms that sent letters of interest in the deal, but potential conflicts of interest led to another deferral.