What’s our ‘new normal’ as COVID recedes? The many ways Floridians are moving on with their lives.

With omicron in retreat, Floridians are figuring out their new boundaries along with what COVID precautions they will permanently adopt and in which situations they still are not comfortable. The Florida Department of Health reports the virus is still infecting more than 10,000 people a week in Florida and killing about 1,000 on average. But with the positivity rate less than 3% in the state, many people are beginning to resume their pre-pandemic behaviors. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Business Beat - Week of March 18th

Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video newsbrief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.

Floridians in the dark as secrecy abounds following the 2022 legislative session

From secrecy in hiring presidents at state universities and community colleges to knowing about key information about companies that make and supply drugs used in executions, lawmakers continued to keep Florida residents in the dark in the 2022 session. The Legislature enacted 25 exemptions — new or reinstatements — related to what’s called the “Open Government Sunset Review Act.” [Source: Florida Phoenix]

Wage warrior: Florida CEO goes above and beyond for worker pay

The Great Resignation has rippled through the economy like a boulder being dropped into a bathtub. Its effects are numerous and wide ranging, from an increased reliance on automation to businesses curtailing hours of operation because of staffing shortages. One Florida company that is getting out in front of the living-wage debate is Tampa-based Volt Lighting. In early February, the firm, which operates distribution centers in Pennsylvania, Texas and Nevada, raised its minimum wage from $16 to $20 an hour. Founder and CEO Alan Brynjolfsson characterized the move not as an act of altruism, but a strategic and practical play. [Source: Business Observer]

Tobacco industry gets win at Florida Supreme Court

In what a dissenting justice called a “fundamental shift,” the Florida Supreme Court on Thursday issued a ruling that likely will make it harder for many plaintiffs suing tobacco companies about smoking-related illnesses. The 6-1 ruling dealt with plaintiffs in a large group of cases — known as “Engle progeny” cases — and claims that tobacco companies fraudulently concealed or conspired to conceal information about the health effects and addictiveness of smoking. [Source: News Service of Florida]

The right team cures developers' 'blind effect'

The Florida-bound migration fueled by the pandemic has created a new-construction land rush and development boom. From coastal communities to cities in the center of the state, developers have bought up property and unfurled plans to capitalize on the demand for residential and commercial capacity. Some developers new to a region, however, suffer the “blind effect.” [Sponsored report]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida philanthropist donates $1 million to help victims of Ukraine [WPEC]
Florida philanthropist and humanitarian Lois Pope is donating $1 million to Save the Children, the global humanitarian organization working to meet the urgent needs of children and families fleeing violence in Ukraine.

› Tom Brady has brought ‘tens of millions of dollars’ in commercials to Tampa [Tampa Bay Times]
As a Tampa Bay Buccaneers fan, Tyler Martinolich cheered Tom Brady’s decision to return to the team after a 40-day retirement. As the Hillsborough County film commissioner, “I had tears of joy,” Martinolich laughed. Part of Martinolich’s job is to grow the county’s production industry. Brady makes that easier.

› Miami construction costs soaring as land, materials, labor prices surge [Miami Today]
Despite supply chain issues and increases to the cost of labor, land and building materials, local contractors say demand for construction is still high. “In the past 12 months, the cost of a typical construction project in Miami probably increased by 20%,” said Chris Kennedy, vice president of preconstruction for Suffolk Construction. But, he said, “It’s almost like we can’t build housing fast enough for the demand.”

› Disney employees, politicians keep the pressure on over ‘don’t say gay’ bill [Orlando Sentinel]
Over the past few weeks, Disney has faced mounting pressure from different sides of the political spectrum. Many employees and fans have decried Disney’s financial contributions to the bill’s sponsors and criticized its initial silence, while DeSantis slammed the company for what he called a “woke” agenda.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Does a landlord have to give notice of a rent hike? In Miami-Dade, the answer is yes [Miami Herald]
Tenants in Miami-Dade County must receive at least two months notice before a rent increase of more than 5% under legislation approved by county commissioners on Tuesday. The notification rule that passed unanimously requires landlords to provide written notice at least 60 days ahead of a rent increase above 5%. Mayor Daniella Levine Cava is expected to waive the 10-day waiting period and enact the legislation this week.

› Doors open at Kennedy Space Center as Artemis I moon rocket readies for roll to launch pad [Orlando Sentinel]
The first trip to the moon for NASA’s new rocket has one more major hurdle, but it’s taking the jump nice and slow as Artemis I is set to begin its 4.4 mile journey with a top speed of 0.8 mph to the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center for the first time. The 5.75-million-pound, 322-foot-tall combination of the Space Launch System, Orion capsule and mobile launcher were placed on NASA’s crawler-transporter 2 for the 11-hour trip to Launch Pad 39-B where mission managers plan on doing a wet dress rehearsal within the next month.

› Norwegian Escape cancels sailing out of Port Canaveral after ship runs aground in Dominican Republic [Florida Today]
Norwegian Cruise Line has canceled Saturday's scheduled sailing of the Norwegian Escape out of Port Canaveral, after the ship ran aground earlier this week while leaving a port in the Dominican Republic. The ship sustained what the cruise line described as "minor damage" to the hull.

› Ukraine crisis could impact Cadre Holdings [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Cadre Holdings Inc. CEO Warren Kanders was reluctant to discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine during the Jacksonville-based company’s March 10 conference call. However, investors likely are speculating how it will affect sales for the maker of safety and survivability products for the law enforcement, first responder and military markets.