Florida consumer sentiment at two-year high with positive outlook for the future

Consumer sentiment among Floridians starts the year with the highest level over the last two years, increasing 3.3 points in January to 72.8 from the revised December figure of 69.5. Notably, national sentiment surged over nine points. “The surge in consumer sentiment in January stems from the positive shifts in Floridians' expectations about the future, especially regarding the national economy. This growing optimism aligns well with the current economic outlook,” said Hector Sandoval, director of the Economic Analysis Program at UF’s Bureau of Economic and Business Research. [Source: UF News]

Is a device tracking you without your consent? Florida bill would make that a felony

Stalking victims would be armed with stronger protections if proposed changes to a Florida law outlawing unauthorized use of wireless tracking devices are enacted. It’s currently illegal to install any kind of tracking device, including surveillance software on phones, without the consent of the person being tracked. But the prohibition is only a second-degree misdemeanor, and law enforcement officers have told victims that they have little power to investigate complaints, State Rep. Michele Rayner, a Democrat representing parts of Hillsborough and Pinellas counties told the House Criminal Justice Subcommittee at a recent hearing. [Source: South Florida Sun-Senttinel]

Some Florida taxpayers can file for free with simple new IRS program

The Internal Revenue Service is launching a new free tax filing service this year for the 2023 tax season, but only for specific residents in 12 states. Fortunately, Florida is one of them. The new Direct File program will be free, easy to use, mobile-friendly and accurate, according to the IRS, available in English and Spanish, and taxpayers will be able to get real-time support from IRS customer service representatives while they're filling it out. [Source: Gainesville Sun]

Space Coast’s new general sees more cooperation with private space companies

Brigadier Gen. Kristin Panzenhagen wants commercial companies to solve Space Force problems, but if the U.S. Space Force can help them, that’s OK with her, too. That’s part of the message she delivered at the Space Mobility Conference at the Orange County Convention Center on Tuesday, bringing together a combination of military, civil and commercial players in the space game. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Florida lawmakers want to re-up funding for a program designed to lower property insurance costs

Florida lawmakers want to re-up funding for the My Safe Florida Home (MSFH) program. The program, which was originally created in 2006, incentivizes homeowners to make property repairs that, in turn, should lower risk for insurers and costs for policyholders. The program expired in 2009 before lawmakers re-established the program during a 2022 special session. Lawmakers re-funded the program in 2023 and are now considering keeping it alive for the current fiscal year. [Source: WFIT]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Orlando teen invents device with potential to help 2.2 billion people [Click Orlando]
At age 16, most kids are thinking about getting their driver’s license or making TikToks, except for Tiffani Gay, who is focused on changing the world with her award-winning invention. By combining two technologies used in everyday life, Gay is striving to get results for the over 2.2 billion people worldwide with visual impairments.

› Carnival Cruise to take earnings hit after rerouting ships from Red Sea to avoid Houthi attacks [Reuters]
Carnival (CCL.N), opens new tab said on Tuesday that its annual earnings would take a hit as the cruise operator reroutes its ships that were due to pass through the Red Sea, a key transit route linking Asia and Europe. The rerouting by Carnival is expected to have an impact of 7 cents to 8 cents on its adjusted earnings per share for full-year 2024, with the majority of the impact coming in the second quarter. Carnival had forecast an adjusted profit per share of 93 cents for the full year in December.

› 4 things to know about Webb City Cellar, Tampa Bay’s only 2024 James Beard nominee [Tampa Bay Times]
Tampa Bay’s only James Beard Award nominee this year isn’t a restaurant, but a brewery in downtown St. Petersburg’s EDGE District. It’s called Webb City Cellar, and it was named a semifinalist in the Outstanding Bar category. If you’re curious about the spot that got a nod from the national food awards, here are four things to know.

› New Harry Potter land planned for Universal Orlando’s theme park [Tampa Bay Times]
In its first major bundle of details on the new Epic Universe theme park coming to Orlando in 2025, Universal announced it will feature a dueling coaster named Starfall Racers in its Celestial Park area, a new Wizarding World of Harry Potter land, roaming monsters and “How to Train Your Dragon” attractions, Universal Orlando confirmed Tuesday.

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› Hotels in Florida Keys, Miami Beach, Fort Lauderdale named most romantic spots in U.S. [Miami Herald]
Four Florida luxury hotels were named the best romantic getaways in the country — and they’re all in South Florida. Condé Nast Traveler rounded up the best spots around the United States to celebrate Valentine’s Day (or any time of year), and two hotels in Miami Beach, one in the Florida Keys and another in Fort Lauderdale made the list.

› TECO manatee viewing center outside Tampa sets visitor record [Business Observer]
Tampa Electric says its Manatee Viewing Center in Hillsborough County has set a new record: The center hosted 1,100 manatees at one time, which beats the previous record of 850, set last winter. "This season has been consistently chilly, which has allowed us to see more manatees at one time than ever before," says Stan Kroh, manager of land and stewardship programs for Tampa Electric. "This makes for an even better experience for our visitors."

› Miami mayor pushed for no-bid city contract benefiting his private employer’s partner [Miami Herald]
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez and his top aides spent months last year advocating for a no-bid city contract for a little-known software company that was simultaneously negotiating a partnership with a firm paying the mayor a $20,000-a-month salary. The mayor’s advocacy on behalf of the software company, NZero — and the behind-closed-doors discussions involving its partnership with Suarez’s private employer, Redivider — were laid out in dozens of emails obtained by the Miami Herald.

› Central Florida's largest engineering firms to add lots of new jobs [Orlando Business Journal]
Metro Orlando's top five engineering firms generated more than $288 million in local billings in their last fiscal year and they employ 346 licensed engineers in the region. The top five engineering firms in Central Florida area are: Kimley-Horn, AECOM, HNTB Corp., DRMP Inc., and BRPH