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Florida gas prices jump 19 cents in the past week, AAA says - Florida drivers saw a sharp spike in gas prices last week, caused by a combination of Middle East tensions and summer demand. Friday's average price of $3.96 per gallon was the highest daily average since early June and is slightly lower than the national average of $4 a gallon. Sunday's state average of $3.94 per gallon is 12 cents more than a week ago and 84 cents more than last year, AAA says. The average price a year ago was $3.14 a gallon. [Source: WWSB]
Iceberg lettuce recalled in Florida, 26 other states over Cyclospora risk - Taylor Farms de Mexico is removing all iceberg lettuce sourced from central Mexico from the U.S. market after the product was implicated in a multistate Cyclospora outbreak. The recalled lettuce was distributed from June 29 through July 16 in Florida and 26 other states. The recall includes retail packages of Marketside iceberg salad and shredded lettuce sold at Walmart, along with numerous products distributed to restaurants and other food-service customers. [Source: CBS12]
As AI grows, so does its influence on Florida politics - Artificial intelligence is reshaping Florida's governor's race. A pro-AI super PAC has pledged $5 million to support U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, the Republican frontrunner endorsed by President Donald Trump, and AI and the data centers that power it have become a hot topic on the campaign trail. Several Republican candidates are accusing Donalds of showing too much support for the centers, which use a lot of water and electricity. [Source: WLRN]
Workforce Housing Is Workforce Retention - Habitat for Humanity Tampa Bay Gulfside helps essential workers put down roots in the communities they serve. In St. Petersburg and across Tampa Bay, workforce housing directly impacts employee retention, stability and the strength of the community. Teachers, health care workers, government employees, nonprofit professionals, hospitality workers and service employees are increasingly priced out of the communities they serve. More from Florida Trend.
BayCare and Zipline to Launch Drone Delivery Service [PR Newswire] - BayCare, the largest not-for-profit academic health care system in West Central Florida, announced it will build a health care drone delivery network in partnership with Zipline. The network is expected to launch in late 2027, beginning in the St. Petersburg–Clearwater area before expanding across Tampa Bay, offering on-demand delivery of lab samples, medications and critical supplies.
Invasive insect spreads across Florida raising concerns for cattle farmers [Bay News 9] - The pasture mealybug — a recently discovered invasive insect that injects a toxin into grass and can kill it — is spreading across Florida, hitting cattle farmers south of I-4 particularly hard. The pest was first detected in Florida about three months ago and is thought to have originated in Australia before appearing in Texas in 2022.
Democratic socialists are changing national politics. Is Florida next? [Tampa Bay Times] - Zohran Mamdani's victorious campaign for New York City mayor has inspired democratic socialist candidates winning primaries across the country, but Florida's Democratic leaders say it won't happen here. State Democrats are well on their way to nominating moderate candidates in the Aug. 18 Democratic primary, with Florida Democratic Party chair Nikki Fried saying, "We won't see it in Florida."
Florida is pulling back on teaching sociology. What could happen next? [Tampa Bay Times] - Two boards that oversee Florida's public colleges and universities removed sociology as a general education option for students last spring, essentially turning the class into an elective. Professors and students fear the consequences as sociology is pushed out of general ed requirements where students of all majors once gathered to discuss societal issues.
Shuttered 'Alligator Alcatraz' leaves complicated legacy in Florida [Politico] - The detention facility dubbed "Alligator Alcatraz," rapidly assembled in the Everglades in summer 2025 as part of President Trump's immigration agenda, has been torn down almost as hastily as it was built. Its closure leaves still-unresolved litigation, questions about sky-high costs and potential environmental impact, and uncertainty over what will happen to property Florida commandeered from Miami-Dade County.
Forget Florida Man. Florida philosopher may be on the rise [Florida Today] - According to a list of the most searched word definitions by state released by Word Unscrambler, "philosophy" was Florida's most searched definition for the first seven months of the year — which sounds pretty good compared to Delaware's most searched term, "sepsis."
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