Not as cloudy with a chance of meatballs: UCF Economist update on the pasta bowl recession

We're either in or on the brink of a pasta bowl recession in the United States, which means we would gradually enter into and gradually come out of a recession. That’s the sentiment of Sean Snaith, director of the Institute for Economic Forecasting at the University of Central Florida, who recently released his latest quarterly Florida and Metro forecast. [Source: WMFE]

Daylight saving time 2023: U.S. Senate OK'd Sunshine Protection Act, but Florida will still 'spring forward,' for now

In 2022, the U.S. Senate unanimously approved a bill called the "Sunshine Protection Act", which was introduced by Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida. The bill would permanently extend daylight saving time from eight months of the year to the full 12 months. But the measure has not yet been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, nor has it been signed into law by President Biden (more on that below). [Source: Gainesville Sun]

Florida homeowners upset by ‘insulting’ Hurricane Ian insurance payouts

Over a quarter of all closed insurance claims in decimated Lee County have been denied, leaving tens of thousands of shell-shocked property owners on the brink of financial ruin. In addition to the 48,344 claims rejected as of Jan. 20, another 30,215 remain in limbo without any signs of forthcoming payment. [Source: New York Post]

Florida bill would make it easier for people to sue media outlets

Florida Republicans want to make it easier for people to sue media outlets for defamation and for legal purposes make anonymous sources “false” by default in related court cases. Rep. Alex Andrade (R-Pensacola) introduced House Bill 951 on Monday, proposing legislation that would make defamation “purely a matter of state law.” The bill would also let people sue publishers for alleged defamation in “any county where the material was accessed.” [Source: WFLA]

Conservation group pushing for manatees' status to be returned to endangered

A petition has been fiiled with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to increase protections for manatees by classifying them as endangered. Conservation groups say the Fish and Wildlife Service made a mistake when it downlisted manatees from endangered to threatened in 2017. But in the last two years, Florida has seen record numbers of manatees die. Nearly 2,000 were killed by algae blooms that are caused by pollution runoff. Those algae blooms, in turn, kill sea grass, the manatees' main food source.[Source: WFTS]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Former UCF president John Hitt, who oversaw massive growth at Orlando campus, dead at 82 [Orlando Sentinel]
Former University of Central Florida president John Hitt, who oversaw tremendous growth at the school and the addition of a medical school, on-campus football stadium and more than 100 new buildings, has died. Hitt, 82, died Monday, less than five years after retiring from the university where he spent 26 years at the helm. Before his retirement, Hitt spoke frequently of UCF’s role in providing access to a college education to people who may not have otherwise earned bachelors’ degrees.

› Culver’s is expanding in Florida. Where to get a ButterBurger, cheese curds and custard [Miami Herald]
Ready for a ButterBurger with a side of cheese curds? Culver’s is expanding its footprint in South Florida. The fast-food chain specializing in burgers, chicken, fish, fried cheese curds and frozen custard, has plans to open this year in Southwest Broward, on University Drive in Cooper City.

› Star of Netflix’s ‘Somebody Feed Phil’ talks about last trip to Tampa, and new show [Tampa Bay Times]
If you are looking for edgy, hip comedy, Phil Rosenthal isn’t your guy. His bent is more heartwarming and positive, bordering on goofy. After ending his Emmy-winning run as the creator of “Everybody Loves Raymond” he hit a wall in Hollywood, where his earnest love of people just didn’t fly. So Rosenthal, who is coming to the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts in Tampa on Feb. 24, made an unusual pivot after 10 years of getting his scripts rejected.

› Eco-friendly global personal care company expands Jacksonville manufacturing facility [American Journal of Transportation]
USA Big Mountain Paper Inc, a manufacturer and distributor of environmentally-friendly hypoallergenic personal care products, is expanding its Jacksonville operation. The company’s 157,000-square-foot facility is located in North Jacksonville near JAXPORT and supports 17 jobs, a number that is expected to grow to 60 by the end of the year.

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› Lakeland, North Port make list of top US ‘boomtowns’ [WFLA]
When it comes to American migration, it seems nowhere is more popular than the South. According to a new study by LendingTree, Florida, Texas, and North Carolina are some of the biggest places people are moving to in the United States. Not only is Florida a consistent popular zone for those moving around the country, but two cities in Tampa Bay made it onto a list of biggest “boomtowns” in the U.S. — Lakeland and North Port, in Polk and Sarasota counties, both made it into the top 10.

› After rebranding ‘challenge,’ Jacksonville-based contractor Opus Group renamed Avant [Jacksonville Daily Record]
Signage and branding for Jacksonville-based contractor Opus Group posted at many Downtown adaptive reuse construction sites will soon be replaced with the name Avant. It’s the second renaming by the 26-year-old company in fewer than 18 months. Avant President and founder Alan Cottrill said that changing from River City Contractors to Opus in November 2021 was about updating the company’s branding to better describe what they do. But moving on from Opus to Avant was a requirement.

› Tampa Bay theater company will set up library of banned books in protest [Tampa Bay Times]
A St. Petersburg theater company is setting up a library of recently banned books that will debut Saturday at the Localtopia festival of local vendors. It’s a response, they said, to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state Legislature that passed laws aimed at removing books deemed objectionable from schools.

› LeverX Moves Headquarters From Silicon Valley to Miami [Florida Trend]
Global system integrator LeverX is pleased to announce the relocation of its corporate headquarters to Miami, Florida. By moving from California to Florida, LeverX is taking the next step in its international expansion, while extending the company’s presence as part of Florida’s growing technology hub.