Majority of Floridians call climate change a threat

More than two-thirds of Florida adults consider climate change a threat to future generations and say state and local governments should do more to address it, according to a poll released Monday by Florida Atlantic University. The partisan divide is less pronounced in a state already grappling with rising seas and stronger storms. More from the Tampa Bay Times, WLRN, and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Consumer watchdog requests public hearing on underground power line rules over cost

State regulators speedily approved underground utility project rules for Florida Power & Light Co. and other electric utilities on Oct. 3. But not so fast, says the Florida Office of Public Counsel, which filed a petition Friday requesting a public hearing on the rules. A new law signed by Gov. DeSantis in July allows the state utilities to recover expenses for burying power lines. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

A California man is making big money off Florida's iguana invasion

While others are downright uncomfortable about the invasion of iguanas in South Florida, Anshu Pathak sees opportunity. That’s because he makes a living selling iguana meat from his California-based Exotic Meats operation. Business is booming - so much so that he expects to relocate to Fort Lauderdale by the end of the year. “Why should I be here (California) when all the iguanas are in Florida?” Pathak said. “It does not make any sense.” More from the Palm Beach Post and WCVB.

Top secret space plane lands in Florida after spending over 2 years in orbit

A United States Air Force space shuttle landed at Kennedy Space Center early Sunday morning after spending a record-breaking 780 days in space. The covert orbital test mini-shuttle, named X-37B, arrived at the Kennedy Space Center’s Shuttle Landing Facility at 3:51 a.m. on Sunday after being in orbit for two years since its initial launch on Sept. 7, 2017. More from the Orlando Sentinel and Gizmodo.

Black market “cash rides” fuel concerns across Florida

Social media sites are helping to connect drivers with riders for cash and now state officials are warning consumers to steer clear of these “shady operators.” So-called 'cash rides' are part of a growing, unregulated market where drivers use sites like Facebook to solicit business from consumers willing to pay cash for a ride from a stranger. [Source: WTXL]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Boca Raton biotech company has 100 new jobs to fill [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Boca Raton-based ADMA Biologics said it plans to add 100 jobs to its workforce of 250 to make three medications approved by the FDA for marketing. Jobs currently listed on ADMA’s careers site include medical and scientific affairs, director of market access, process engineer, quality assurance auditor and administrative assistant.

› Raymond James poised for Pasco expansion [Tampa Bay Times]
Raymond James Financial is advancing plans for a new satellite campus in Wiregrass Ranch, eight years after announcing the expansion. The St. Petersburg-based financial services company filed a preliminary site plan with Pasco County last week and simultaneously requested a meeting with county planners, the typical precursor to initiating new development.

› Miller Construction to invest $3.5 million in new, modern headquarters in Fort Lauderdale [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Miller Construction, a mainstay in South Florida construction for 47 years, is renovating an existing building in Fort Lauderdale for a new corporate headquarters and training center. The project is a $3.5 million investment for the company, according to president Brian Sudduth.

› Port of call stops at Port Canaveral in last three months of 2019 help boost local economy [Florida Today]
Port Canaveral, the world's second-busiest cruise port, will be even busier this fall, as 38 "port of call" stops are scheduled by cruise ships at Brevard County's seaport from October through December. Unlike ships based at Port Canaveral, these ships are based elsewhere, and will be stopping here for the day, giving passengers an opportunity to explore the area. That will give an economic boost to local attractions, restaurants and retail shops.

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› Florida lawmakers say vaping disease is an emergency, but what will they do about it? [Orlando Sentinel]
The spate of serious lung injuries and even deaths associated with vaping that have swept across the country, including one death in Florida, is spurring state lawmakers to tackle the issue. But exactly what they’ll do about it remains unclear.

› Florida fishing: FWC extends red snapper season [Daily Commercial]
Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced two additional recreational red snapper fishing days for Gulf waters, due to the timing of Tropical Storm Nestor’s impacts to the state. The fall weekends season for private recreational anglers and state for-hire operations, which was previously announced to occur Oct. 12-13, 19-20, and 26-27, is extended to include Nov. 2-3.

› Tampa Bay millennials like VA loans [Tampa Bay Times]
Three Florida metro areas — including Tampa Bay — are among the nation’s top 10 for millennial borrowers using VA loans. Nationwide, the number of loans backed by the Department of Veteran Affairs rose 2.3 percent year-over-year in September, led by a 14 percent jump in mortgages to vets and active-duty personnel born between 1981 and 1996.

› HHS to shutter Homestead detention center [Miami Herald]
The private prison company running the Homestead detention center that housed thousands of migrant children since 2018 and became a symbol of the Trump administration’s immigration policies will not have its contract renewed, according to an email sent to Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, D-Miami, by the Department of Health and Human Services on Friday.