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Data: Guttmacher Institute; Note: 2020 value is 50% of the abortion caseload for each state in that year; Map: Axios Visuals

States near those that banned abortion after Roe v. Wade was overturned saw sharp increases in the number of procedures performed, likely due to an influx of out-of-state patients, according to a new analysis from the Guttmacher Institute.

Why it matters: Patients are proving highly motivated to travel to get the care they need, according to Guttmacher, a research organization that supports abortion rights. But for some, that involves overcoming logistical and financial challenges.

Zoom in: Florida has long been a refuge for people living in southern states with abortion bans. The state saw a 13% increase in the procedure over the last three years, based on a comparison of 2020 and 2023 data for the first six months of each year.

We also saw one of the largest increases in total number of abortions in the six months after the Dobbs decision.

We're likely picking up patients from Georgia, whose number of abortions went down 18% over the last three years. The state's six-week abortion ban went into effect last summer.

Yes, but: As Florida's abortion bans go back and forth in court, patients are confused about how to navigate the system.

Reality check: Florida's six-week ban is on hold while a lawsuit against the 15-week ban, which is currently in effect, makes its way through the court system.

The case is before the conservative-leaning  state supreme court, which has not yet scheduled oral arguments.

The latest: Floridians Protecting Freedom, a coalition aiming to put abortion access on next year's ballot, reached the signature threshold needed to trigger a supreme court review of the ballot question's language.

The group needs more than 800,000 signatures by February to get it in front of voters in 2024.

sharp increases in the number of procedures performed

largest increases in total number of abortions

Florida's post-Roe v. Wade abortion uptick

Florida has long been a refuge for people living in southern states with abortion bans.

Florida

A map of the United States showing the estimated change in the number of abortions provided by the formal health care system comparing 6-month period of 2020 to January to June, 2023. Four states have seen increases of more than 100%, including New Mexico with change of +220% and Wyoming with 202%.

States near those that banned <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="abortion" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/health/axios-explains-abortion" data-vars-content-id="1199d5de-7a5b-48b7-b7c2-1e899f0f9eab" data-vars-headline="Florida&#x27;s post-Roe v. Wade abortion uptick" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/health/axios-explains-abortion" target="_self">abortion</a> after Roe v. Wade <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="was overturned" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/10/blue-states-abortion-protection-roe-supreme-court" data-vars-content-id="1199d5de-7a5b-48b7-b7c2-1e899f0f9eab" data-vars-headline="Florida&#x27;s post-Roe v. Wade abortion uptick" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/05/10/blue-states-abortion-protection-roe-supreme-court" target="_self">was overturned</a> saw <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="sharp increases in the number of procedures performed" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/07/abortions-surged-state-bans" data-vars-content-id="1199d5de-7a5b-48b7-b7c2-1e899f0f9eab" data-vars-headline="Florida&#x27;s post-Roe v. Wade abortion uptick" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/07/abortions-surged-state-bans" target="_self">sharp increases in the number of procedures performed</a>, likely due to an influx of out-of-state patients, according to a new analysis from the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Guttmacher Institute" data-vars-click-url="https://www.guttmacher.org/monthly-abortion-provision-study" data-vars-content-id="1199d5de-7a5b-48b7-b7c2-1e899f0f9eab" data-vars-headline="Florida&#x27;s post-Roe v. Wade abortion uptick" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.guttmacher.org/monthly-abortion-provision-study" target="_blank">Guttmacher Institute</a>.Why it matters: Patients are proving highly motivated to travel to get the care they need, according to Guttmacher, a research organization that supports abortion rights. But for some, that involves overcoming logistical and financial challenges.

News

Health

Axios Tampa Bay, anchored by Ben Montgomery and Selene San Felice, is here to help readers get smarter, faster on the most consequential news and developments unfolding in their own backyard.

A good chunk of Tampa Bay is working from home, and that could change the way our area looks.

Why it matters: Workers in America's biggest, most competitive cities aren't giving up the flexibility and savings — in both time and gas money — of working from home, Axios' Sam Baker and Simran Parwani report.

"Work is no longer a place," Tampa commercial real estate advisor Chelsea Drinkard told Axios. "Work is now a verb."

Zoom in: More than 21% of Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area employees were working from home as of 2022, per new census figures released last week.

The big picture: Overall, 15% of the U.S. worked from home last year — but the numbers are much higher on both the East and West coasts, and in other large metro areas.

Data: Census Bureau; Chart: Simran Parwani/Axios

How it happened: Working from home untethered people from areas they didn't like. And many of those workers flocked to Florida and Tampa Bay.

Before the pandemic, urban centers like Tampa and St. Petersburg were already converting from business sectors to entertainment districts with a bigger emphasis on arts and sports venues, shopping, and living.

Our region's lack of public transportation also plays a large part in the work-from-home trend, says Tampa Bay Chamber president and CEO Bob Rohrlack. "People just aren't willing to sit in traffic," he told Axios.

Yes, but: Office space is still seen as vital for many companies, Drinkard told Axios.

Young workers who graduated college and started their first jobs during the pandemic lack vital professional development skills, she said, and they're seeking real-life mentorship.

"They don't know how to have a conversation in person or shake someone's hand," Drinkard said. "Zoom doesn't directly replace popping your head in to ask your supervisor a question, grabbing lunch together, walking in and saying hi to people."

The intrigue: Office spaces are also being reimagined to focus more on meetings and creative collaborations.

As employees split time between in-person and online work, the offices they return to will get leaner, Drinkard said. "Hot desks" akin to shared tables in coffee shops are now replacing individual cubicles.

Some offices are also adding restaurants and cafes to mimic the more fun work-from-home environments.

What we're watching: Drinkard estimates that more offices will transform in the next five years, once large subleases are absorbed back to landlords who will reconfigure them to meet new trends.

"We're never going back to what it used to be," she said.

How working from home has impacted Tampa Bay

More than 21% of Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area employees were working from home as of 2022.

Illustration of an office cubicle with a roof like a house.

A good chunk of Tampa Bay is working from home, and that could change the way our area looks.Why it matters: Workers in America&#x27;s biggest, most competitive cities aren&#x27;t giving up the flexibility and savings — in both time and gas money — of working from home, Axios&#x27; Sam Baker and Simran Parwani report.

Business

Development

Transit

Despite being a hotbed for controversy — and just plain hot — Florida is still a top state to move to, according to census data released last week.

State of play: Florida saw the nation's highest population percentage increase, with Tampa Bay fueling that move. The median income also rose statewide.

By the numbers: The state's population increased by more than 463,000 residents to over 22 million people — a 2.1% rise from 2021 to 2022.

Tampa Bay saw a 2.2% increase over the same time period moving from 3,219,514 residents to 3,290,730.

Why it matters: The Census Bureau's American Community Survey is one of the best resources available for a regularly published quantified look at myriad facets of American life, down to a remarkably local level, writes Alex Fitzpatrick, author of Axios What's Next.

The big picture: Florida, Idaho (+2%) and South Carolina (+1.8%) saw the highest rates of population growth between 2021-2022.

New York (-0.8%), Louisiana (-0.7%) and Illinois (-0.7%) saw the biggest decreases.

Population is affected by in- and out-migration, but also births and deaths.

Plus: The median household income across the Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area rose 3.5% between 2019 and 2022, per ACS data.

Tampa Bay's median income was $69,290 in 2022, up from $66,938 in 2019, adjusted for inflation.

By the numbers: The share of Tampa Bay residents making making over $100,000 increased from 26% to 34% between 2019 and 2022.

The intrigue: The COVID-19 pandemic "changed the geography of where money is made in the United States," Axios Macro's Neil Irwin reports, as many higher-income Americans decamped from cities like New York and San Francisco to "rural and exurban places and popular vacation destinations."

Of note: Because the latest ACS release is based on 2022 data, it's capturing what some call the "late pandemic era," when many elements of normality returned but the pandemic still loomed in the background, affecting many aspects of life.

What we're watching: Florida is still a pandemic protocol outlier, recently becoming the first state to discourage COVID boosters for people under 65.

Fans of Gov. Ron DeSantis and his extra-lax COVID rules may keep moving in.

Tampa Bay and Florida get richer and more popular, census data shows

The state's population increased by more than 463,000 residents to over 2.2 million people.

<div><figure><iframe frameborder="0" height="485" id="datawrapper-chart-bQiKz" scrolling="no" src="https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/bQiKz/1/" title="Change in estimated population, 2021–2022"></iframe><figcaption>Data: U.S. Census; Map: Alice Feng/Axios</figcaption></figure></div>Despite being a hotbed for <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="controversy" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/19/desantis-2024-trump-biden-florida" data-vars-content-id="4b6ea95b-5791-48fc-a840-c31db48c4dd3" data-vars-headline="Tampa Bay and Florida get richer and more popular, census data shows" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/19/desantis-2024-trump-biden-florida" target="_self">controversy</a> — and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="just plain hot" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2023/09/14/climate-change-extreme-heat-tampa-bay" data-vars-content-id="4b6ea95b-5791-48fc-a840-c31db48c4dd3" data-vars-headline="Tampa Bay and Florida get richer and more popular, census data shows" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/tampa-bay/2023/09/14/climate-change-extreme-heat-tampa-bay" target="_self">just plain hot</a> — Florida is still a top state to move to, according to census data released last week.State of play: Florida saw the nation&#x27;s highest population percentage increase, with Tampa Bay fueling that move. The median income also rose statewide.

We rolled over to St Pete's newest sushi spot, Nomi Nori at District Lounge, to see what it's all about.

State of play: The hand roll temaki sushi and poke restaurant opened downtown on Central Avenue in early September.

The vibe: The District Lounge offers full-service dinner by reservation only, or diners can have a more casual lunch or dinner experience at the walk-up counter inside the Edge Eatery food hall next door.

Having the option for a high-end or laid-back meal with good sushi either way is great.

Inside Nomi Nori at the District Lounge. Photo: Selene San Felice/Axios

The price: We ate at the District Lounge and the dinner experience is best done in courses ranging from $25-$85. This is great to share, but each only comes with one soup or salad.

You can also order individual sushi rolls ($10-$18) and specialty nigiri ($22-$24 for a single piece).

🍣 Best bites: We opted for the $85 8-course Nomi Nori Encore which was a perfect amount for two people, and we loved that each round came out individually so we couldn't scarf it all down at once.

The stars of the show were the District Roll (rice paper, salmon, ahi tuna, yellow tail, avocado, cucumber and asparagus) and the Creamy Scallop Hand Roll.

The verdict: We agreed that this is the perfect spot to impress a date or anyone else in a group of four or less.

For something more casual, Selene would rather get less expensive takeout. But Kathryn would go back to try out the Edge Eatery version for lunch or a chill dinner.

Bite club: St. Pete's hot new sushi spot Nomi Nori

The hand roll temaki sushi and poke restaurant opened in early September downtown on Central Avenue.

The District Roll. Photo: Selene San Felice/Axios

We rolled over to St Pete&#x27;s newest sushi spot, <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Nomi Nori" data-vars-click-url="https://www.instagram.com/nominori_districtlounge/" data-vars-content-id="aca2bb57-8a41-46d7-ac9e-044657121c6e" data-vars-headline="Bite club: St. Pete&#x27;s hot new sushi spot Nomi Nori" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.instagram.com/nominori_districtlounge/" target="_blank">Nomi Nori</a> at District Lounge, to see what it&#x27;s all about.State of play: The hand roll temaki sushi and poke restaurant opened downtown on Central Avenue in early September.

Food and Drink

The Tampa Bay Rays are officially staying in St. Petersburg, for the price  of $1.3 billion.

Driving the news: The team announced Tuesday that it reached an agreement with the city and Pinellas County to move forward with building a new stadium as part of the Hines Historic Gas Plant Partnership.

Why it matters: There's now a price tag on the stadium for St. Pete and Pinellas taxpayers to weigh in on before city council members and county commissioners approve the plan — though the panels aren't likely to hold up the process.

"We're counting on our partners at the county and for the mayor to deliver those votes," team president Brian Auld said at the announcement. "We're pretty confident we're going to see this thing through."

Catch up quick: St. Petersburg was always planning to keep the Rays by ensuring Gas Plant plans included a stadium and allowing the team to lead the Tropicana Field redevelopment.

Yes, but: Other cities including Tampa, Orlando and Nashville have tried to lure the Rays with their own campaigns and stadium renderings.

Last year, the MLB squashed the team's plan to split seasons between Tampa Bay and Montreal.

By the numbers: The county and city will each contribute about $300 million to the ballpark. The Rays will pay the rest plus any additional costs.

The total Gas Plant redevelopment is projected to cost $6.5 billion over 20 years, the largest mixed-use development project in Tampa Bay history.

The agreement between the Rays, the city and the county increases the number of planned affordable and workforce housing units to 1,200 while adding on-site affordable units for seniors.

At least half of the 1,200 units are supposed to be built on the Historic Gas Plant site. 

The intrigue: At 25,000 seats, Tropicana is currently the MLB's smallest stadium. The Rays' new spot will still hold that title, adding only 10,000 additional seats, with the ability to accommodate up to 35,000 for other events.

Timeline: County and city officials haven't yet scheduled votes, but Pinellas officials tentatively have planned for the end of the year and St. Pete's council is aiming for early 2024, according to city and county spokespeople.

Construction on the new ballpark is expected to start late next year.

The team will keep playing at the Trop until the end of its lease in 2027.

Phase 1 of the Gas Plant development and the new ballpark are projected to be ready by Opening Day 2028.

The other side: Just a few miles north of the Trop celebration on Tuesday, Allendale United Methodist Church's headline-making sign read: "Stealing home: $600 million to the Rays for a new stadium? Tell city/county hell no!" The sign read "Field of schemes" with a similar message earlier in the week.

Allendale's senior pastor Rev. Andy Oliver told Axios he'll be fighting the councils to try and persuade them not to give so much taxpayer money, pointing to reports from economists who say major league stadiums don't deliver the predicted economic boon.

He called plans for affordable housing and community development included in the project "distractions to make it more digestible."

What they're saying: "If the Rays want to stay in the city, they can afford to get a mortgage," Oliver said. "They should continue to do what everyone else has to do to live here."

Tampa Bay Rays announce deal for new St. Petersburg stadium

The Rays are officially staying in St. Petersburg, for the price  of $1.3 billion.

A rendering of the inside of the Tampa Bay Rays' proposed stadium. Photo: Courtesy of the Tampa Bay Rays/Hines

The Tampa Bay Rays are officially staying in St. Petersburg, for the price of $1.3 billion.Driving the news: The team announced Tuesday that it reached an agreement with the city and Pinellas County to move forward with building a new stadium as part of the Hines Historic Gas Plant Partnership.

Selene San Felice

Featured stories

How working from home has impacted Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay Rays announce deal for new St. Petersburg stadium

Bite club: St. Pete's hot new sushi spot Nomi Nori

Tampa Bay and Florida get richer and more popular, census data shows

Florida's post-Roe v. Wade abortion uptick