SpaceX’s Wednesday launch of astronauts could be delayed

SpaceX’s historic launch of astronauts is being threatened by something human science can’t control: stormy skies. Forecasters at the 45th Space Wing at Patrick Air Force Base say there is just a 40% chance of acceptable weather for Wednesday’s launch time of 4:33 p.m. with thick clouds and rain the main concern. If the weather or anything else stops the flight, the next attempt will be set for Saturday afternoon. More from the Orlando Sentinel, CBS News, Business Insixder, and the AP.

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» Trump and Pence both plan to attend Wednesday’s astronaut launch from Cape Canaveral

Federal judge rules Florida ex-felons can vote despite fines or fees

A federal judge ruled Sunday that it is unconstitutional to prevent felons in Florida from voting because they can’t afford to pay back court fees, fines and restitution to victims, striking down parts of a law passed by Republican lawmakers and signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year. Calling the law a “pay-to-vote system,” U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle’s 125-page ruling declares that court fees are a tax, and it creates a new process for determining whether felons are eligible to vote. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Orlando Sentinel.

Gar prices reach highest level in Florida since February

After bottoming out earlier this month, gas prices in Florida have risen to their highest level since February, when the coronavirus pandemic limited demand. According to AAA, the average price of a gallon of gas in Florida is $1.88. That is an increase in 11 cents since last week. AAA spokesman Mark Jenkins attributed the jump to more people being on the road as the state reopens. [Source: WUSF]

I’ve been called back to work in Florida. Do I have to go? Here are some answers

Many restaurants are open again in South Florida. So are malls and other retailers. Soon, gyms and your office will reopen. You have the choice to return to them, even if many Americans remain skeptical about venturing away from takeout and online shopping, according to a recent survey by Bankrate. Two of three people said they are still not comfortable patronizing in person even with safety measures in place. But if you’re an employee at one of these establishments, do you have to return to work if your boss calls you in? [Source: Miami Herald]

See also:
» Telecommuting was a hit in the COVID-19 shutdown. So who’s rushing back to the office?

Debt and coronavirus push Florida-based Hertz into bankruptcy protection

Hertz filed for bankruptcy protection Friday, unable to withstand the coronavirus pandemic that has crippled global travel and with it, the heavily indebted 102-year-old car rental company's business. The Estero, Florida-based company's lenders were unwilling to grant it another extension on its auto lease debt payments past a Friday deadline, triggering the filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Delaware. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Metz Culinary Management ramps up for the pandemic [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Chef Lyndsy McDonald was exuberant but exhausted on a recent Tuesday afternoon. The 17,000-square-foot USDA-certified kitchen that she helps run at Metz Culinary Management in Sarasota had cranked out a record 14,221 meals earlier that day. Frozen meals were packaged for delivery to homebound clients of senior centers across the state.

› Hurricane season is here. You might be surprised how your insurance has changed. [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
If you haven’t looked at your home insurance policy for awhile, you might be surprised at how much coverage has been snatched away. The start of hurricane season on June 1 is traditionally a good time for Florida homeowners to review their coverage — both for changes you might not have known about, and to ensure you have enough

› As cultural institutions reopen, Orlando Museum of Art seeks public’s input [Orlando Sentinel]
When Orlando Museum of Art reopens on June 2, its patrons will have something to say about how it happens. Across Central Florida, art galleries and museums are weighing safety protocols for opening their doors after coronavirus-caused shutdowns. Orlando Museum of Art, in Loch Haven Park, is inviting its supporters to participate in the discussion.

› Landlords lining up to evict hundreds of Tampa Bay tenants once moratorium expires [Tampa Bay Times]
In the seven weeks since Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order to protect people from losing their homes during the coronavirus pandemic, hundreds of eviction cases have stacked up in Florida courts, waiting for the order to lapse. They include more than 250 in Hillsborough County alone.

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› Researchers track high levels of COVID-19 in Florida wastewater [WTSP]
It’s an overcast, but beautiful Sunday evening near Ben T. Davis Beach along the Courtney Campbell Causeway. People are out enjoying a nice swim and break from the heat. But some researchers now want to know if bodies of water, like Tampa Bay, and others around the state could potentially contain dangerous levels of COVID-19 coronavirus after accidental sewage spills.

› Reopening Jacksonville: Buffet restaurants struggle to recover from COVID-19 [Florida Times-Union]
Arden’s Kountry Kafe & Katering is known throughout Northeast Florida for its fried chicken, Kountry fried steak, chicken livers and gizzards, collard greens, mac & cheese, tomatoes with okra, roast beef, baked chicken and other Southern comfort food. It survived the mandatory, month-long COVID-19 shutdown. Co-owners Arden and Michelle de Saussure worry the buffet restaurant might have to close its doors permanently because of federal reopening recommendations they and other restaurateurs say unfairly target buffets.

› Another water main break, another boil order in Fort Lauderdale [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
A water main break in Rio Vista forced city officials to send out a boil-water order to nearby properties on Sunday — one of four issued in neighborhoods around Fort Lauderdale in less than two weeks. Fort Lauderdale plans to spend $600 million over the next five years fixing and replacing the city’s underground network of aging water and sewer pipes. The total tally will come to at least $1.4 billion over the next 20 years, experts say.

› St. Pete Pier preparing for delayed reveal [Tampa Bay Times]
Had the Pier opened on May 30, as promised more than two months ago, it’s likely that not all elements of the $92 million destination would have been ready for the big reveal. As it is, the coronavirus pandemic has bought St. Petersburg’s much-anticipated new Pier more time for restaurants to put on finishing touches and the project’s signature public art to be installed.