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Florida jobless claims ease for second week after Spirit Airlines layoffs spike - First-time jobless claims in Florida eased for a second consecutive week following a spike when nearly 5,000 Spirit Airlines workers were laid off in the state. The U.S. Department of Labor on May 28 estimated 5,805 initial unemployment applications were filed in Florida last week, down from a revised count of 6,224 for the week ending May 16 and 8,164 for the week ending May 9. [Source: Orlando Business Journal]
Florida lawmakers approve $20M for DOS arts grants - Florida lawmakers last week approved $20 million in grants for local arts and culture nonprofits and another $3.1 million for specific projects as part of the $114.5 billion 2026-27 state budget. The arts funding comes from the Department of State's annual arts and culture grant program. Each year, the DOS's 15-member Council on Arts and Culture vets and recommends funding for organizations that apply for grants of up to $150,000 each. [Source: Gulfshore Business]
Why Google wants to release 32 million weird mosquitoes in Florida - The internationally ubiquitous tech company Google wants to release 32 million bacteria infected mosquitoes in Florida, and experts say it’s not weird at all. Google, through its decade-old, but lesser known, initiative Debug, has been working on reducing diseases spread by the buzzing bloodsuckers worldwide by combining the expertise of software engineers, biologists, specialized insect breeding robots, and artificial intelligence. [Source: Gainesville Sun]
Duke Energy trying to skirt new Florida data center law, consumer advocate says [Tampa Bay Times] - Florida’s consumer advocate accused Duke Energy of being soft on data centers, saying a proposal from the company fails to implement customer protections required by a new state law. Under that law, which Gov. Ron DeSantis signed earlier this month, Florida utility companies must submit plans to state regulators by Oct. 1 for how they’ll regulate data centers to ensure their costs don’t bleed down to residents.
St. Pete leaders warn property tax proposal could jeopardize city [St. Pete Catalyst] - As Gov. Ron DeSantis pushes a proposal that could eventually eliminate property taxes on homesteaded properties, St. Petersburg officials are beginning to raise a question that extends far beyond tax relief: How does a city continue providing services when one of its largest revenue streams disappears? During Thursday’s City Council meeting, members approved a resolution urging the Florida Legislature to carefully consider the impacts of property tax reform before moving forward with the governor’s plan, titled “Save Our Homes from Excessive Property Taxes.”
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