Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Monday's Daily Pulse

Florida restaurant industry prepares for workforce return

Florida restaurants are fighting to rebound after a tough year for the industry. A recent drop in jobless claims and the busy summer travel season are setting up the industry for a return to normal faster than some expected. For Florida's restaurant industry, it's been a year of uncertainty marked by sales struggles and labor shortages, forcing some businesses to close for good, but now with more than half of all American adults vaccinated, the industry's near future is showing some promise. [Source: WTVT]

Hurricane center watching for possible Caribbean system

The National Hurricane Center is monitoring an area of the Caribbean Sea Monday morning where they expect to see a low pressure area with low odds of becoming a tropical depression or storm by the end of the week. The low is forecast to develop Thursday or Friday in the southwestern Caribbean near Costa Rica, the NHC said in its 2 a.m. update. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

The Everglades are dying. An alliance between Biden and Republicans could save them

For years environmental groups warned the Florida Everglades, a vast 1.5m-acre (607,000-hectare) subtropical preserve, may be doomed to extinction. Agricultural pollution, saltwater intrusion and rampant real estate development had turned the waterways toxic and the state’s environmental landmark was left to slowly choke to death. Perhaps until now. A sweeping Everglades restoration effort decades in the making is finally seeing renewed optimism thanks to a cast of unlikely champions. [Source: The Guardian]

No more updates to Florida’s daily COVID dashboard. There are weekly reports now

Florida will no longer update its COVID-19 dashboard that tracked the number of cases and deaths in the state. Its daily COVID-19 cases and vaccine reports have also stopped. Instead, it will post weekly reports on Fridays, Florida Department of Health Communications Director Weesam Khoury told the Miami Herald. The report has a new format, with condensed information. [Source: Miami Herald]

Florida prisons try mentor program to help those on short sentences succeed after release

Over the last few months, a group of incarcerated men and women volunteered to help develop a new mentorship program for the prison system, aimed at better supporting people who are serving short, first-time prison sentences. Under direction from Florida Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch, the group established the Short Sentence Correctional Units, entire dorms focused on supporting people with short-term stays by addressing underlying trauma, improving education and job skills, preparing reentry plans and learning from peers’ mistakes and successes, all through classes and day-to-day mentorship provided primarily by older peers serving long sentences, like Perez and Falcon. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Education and career accessibility – A blend of technology and thoughtful support

Technology is not about replacing the human experience. It is about making the human experience more accessible to all. This is particularly true within the educational space and for learners who opt for a non-traditional path. When courses are designed with online learners top of mind, they become engaging, immersive opportunities for knowledge and growth, not just recorded lectures. [Sponsored report]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Royal Caribbean announces July, August return dates for Florida cruises
On the same day Royal Caribbean’s newest ship arrived in the U.S. for the first time, the cruise line announced its plans to return to sailing from Florida including Port Canaveral, Port Everglades and PortMiami in July or August. “This is it. Vacationers can finally plan to take their precious time off this summer and truly get away after what has been a challenging time for everyone,” said Royal Caribbean President and CEO Michael Bayley in a news release.

› Sarasota Opera plans a grand return next season
Having just completed a full season of indoor performances – something no other company in the country did during the coronavirus pandemic – leaders of Sarasota Opera are looking forward to a return to something that better resembles normal next year. The company produced four small-scale, limited-cast, fully staged one-act operas, most of them rarely seen works, between February and April for its 62nd season.

› Another cryptocurrency exchange announces move to Miami
Less than 48 hours after one cryptocurrency exchange announced it would move its U.S. headquarters to Miami, another said it, too, is creating a Miami presence. eToro, the world’s second-largest exchange by number of weekly visitors, announced it had begun scouting office space for a 50-person U.S. hub that will share duties with its current U.S. location in Hoboken, New Jersey.

› CSX Corp. announces 3-1 stock split
With its stock trading near record-high levels, CSX Corp. on June 4 announced a 3-1 stock split. The Jacksonville-based railroad company has been trading above $100 for most of the past month, with a high of $104.87 May 10. It closed at $99.70 June 3 before the split announcement, which would give stockholders three shares worth about $33.23 each for every share they own.

Trend Mention

Mention ImageUF research spending at record $942.2 million in 2020 despite pandemic

UF Research spending reached a record $942.2 million in fiscal year 2020, despite a two-month pause in most operations due to the pandemic. According to a new report to the National Science Foundation, research expenditures supported by the federal government increased to $397.2 million, while state and local expenditures increased to $169.2 million. Learn about ongoing UF research in areas such as Alzheimer’s, early childhood learning and agriculture.

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› Expo organizers aim to help NW Florida minority-owned businesses grow, network
According to the U.S. Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, there are now over four million minority-owned companies in the U.S and more are headed to Northwest Florida. Escambia County is hosting their first Minority Business Expo on Saturday, June 26th. The goal of the event is to connect minority business owners with local government agencies.

› Miami Heat’s home arena becomes FTX Arena. Also, details on name change and transition
Bye-bye AmericanAirlines Arena, hello FTX Arena. The Miami Heat and FTX formally converted the name of the downtown Miami venue to FTX Arena during a press conference held on the building’s main court on Friday, with the cryptocurrency exchange taking over as the lead sponsor.

› DeSantis signs law that limits impact fees after Orange’s 150% increase
Gov. Ron DeSantis signed 24 bills into law late Friday, including a measure that limits local impact fees imposed on builders and developers to help pay for infrastructure to handle growth, a bill aimed in part at Orange County. During legislative debate on the impact fees, Senate sponsor Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, pointed to recent increases in impact fees that exceeded 150% in Orange County and 80% in Hillsborough County.

› Jacksonville may transfer historic locomotive at Prime Osborn 
Jacksonville could soon lose another historic landmark – not from demolition, but from relocation. City Council is considering legislation that would declare Atlantic Coast Line #1504, the steam locomotive displayed at the Prime F. Osborn III Convention Center, surplus property with a declared value of $50,000.