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Florida abortion ballot initiative hits threshold for state  Supreme Court review

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

News

Citing issues with tenure, loss of DEI, Florida faculty members want out

Nearly half of Florida respondents said they planned to find jobs in other states within the year.

Latin tech accelerator seeks Tampa Bay talent

Tampa Bay's Latino and Hispanic population has boomed in the last decade along with the area's tech industry.

Business

Bite club: St. Petersburg's new Azúcar Cuban Café

The menu offers breakfast and lunch, along with an array of desserts and coffee.

Food and Drink

Florida businesses face scam risk in pandemic tax credit program

Filing for the ERC is an exhaustive process, despite what some scammers say.

The Internal Revenue Service recently <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="announced" data-vars-click-url="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/to-protect-taxpayers-from-scams-irs-orders-immediate-stop-to-new-employee-retention-credit-processing-amid-surge-of-questionable-claims-concerns-from-tax-pros" data-vars-content-id="be03943c-22ea-4608-9670-5880f64f6d0b" data-vars-headline="Florida businesses face scam risk in pandemic tax credit program" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/to-protect-taxpayers-from-scams-irs-orders-immediate-stop-to-new-employee-retention-credit-processing-amid-surge-of-questionable-claims-concerns-from-tax-pros" target="_blank">announced</a> it would pump the brakes on the Employee Retention Credit which was designed to help businesses stay afloat during the pandemic.Why it matters: Experts hope it will ward off scammers who have used aggressive marketing tactics to make money off businesses that don&#x27;t meet the program&#x27;s narrow criteria.

Animated illustration of a US Treasury refund check in an envelope fading away and disappearing

Florida Republicans more likely to believe vaccine misinformation, less likely to get boosters

50% of Republicans said they believe that COVID-19 vaccines can make you sick.

The <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="FDA approved" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/11/fda-approves-updated-covid-19-vaccines" data-vars-content-id="f6d1ec49-d175-40e4-aa86-cf7504292043" data-vars-headline="Florida Republicans more likely to believe vaccine misinformation, less likely to get boosters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/11/fda-approves-updated-covid-19-vaccines" target="_self">FDA approved</a> a new round of COVID-19 vaccines this week. But a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="recent survey" data-vars-click-url="https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/departments/public-affairs/documents/news-items/spa-florida-public-health-policy-survey-results-2023.pdf" data-vars-content-id="f6d1ec49-d175-40e4-aa86-cf7504292043" data-vars-headline="Florida Republicans more likely to believe vaccine misinformation, less likely to get boosters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.usf.edu/arts-sciences/departments/public-affairs/documents/news-items/spa-florida-public-health-policy-survey-results-2023.pdf" target="_blank">recent survey</a> suggests Floridians&#x27; choice to get the booster shot will likely be divided along party lines.Why it matters: The survey, conducted by the University of South Florida and Florida Atlantic University, comes as infections across the state and the nation <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="ticked up in recent weeks" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/01/covid-cases-uptick-summer-2023-new-variant" data-vars-content-id="f6d1ec49-d175-40e4-aa86-cf7504292043" data-vars-headline="Florida Republicans more likely to believe vaccine misinformation, less likely to get boosters" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/09/01/covid-cases-uptick-summer-2023-new-variant" target="_self">ticked up in recent weeks</a>.

Illustration of a scale on top of a syringe

Florida's COVID hospitalization rates on the rise again

Many of us put COVID in our rearview mirrors, leaving us mentally and practically ill-prepared for another wave.

COVID-19 hospitalization rates across Florida rose 39% between June and July amid signs of a late summer wave sweeping the country, Alex Fitzpatrick and Kavya Beheraj <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="report" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/17/covid-19-cases-2023-uptick-where-why" data-vars-content-id="14e02edc-6439-4164-ae85-b24f57cfe775" data-vars-headline="Florida&#x27;s COVID hospitalization rates on the rise again" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/08/17/covid-19-cases-2023-uptick-where-why" target="_self">report</a>.Why it matters: Our guard is down. Many of us put COVID in our rearview mirrors, leaving us mentally and practically ill-prepared for another wave.

Tampa Bay lifeguard shortage stokes wave of concern

Beaches have been the most difficult to staff and finding year-round pool guards is tough, local aquatics directors told Axios.

The lifeguarding industry needs saving.Why it matters: This is the third year of the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="national lifeguard shortage" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/28/lifeguard-shortage-pool-hours-closings?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_portland&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="6b212e49-14f5-4b55-892b-75a1763c6c27" data-vars-headline="Tampa Bay lifeguard shortage stokes wave of concern" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/28/lifeguard-shortage-pool-hours-closings?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=newsletter_axioslocal_portland&amp;stream=top" target="_self">national lifeguard shortage</a>. Experts tell Axios they worry that fewer guards will mean a higher chance of drownings and pool injuries.

Illustration of lifeguard towers stylized as a downward trending bar chart, shrinking in size. 

What the end of the COVID public health emergency means for Florida

A number of health care changes that local providers and patients have grown used to during the pandemic will disappear.

COVID

Today marks the end of the federal <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="COVID public health emergency" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/31/covid-19-emergency-status-end-may-biden" data-vars-content-id="0becf532-09bf-49f6-97ef-1d0927b5b1e5" data-vars-headline="What the end of the COVID public health emergency means for Florida" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/01/31/covid-19-emergency-status-end-may-biden" target="_self">COVID public health emergency</a>.Why it matters: Although most emergency <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="orders across Florida have already expired" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2021/05/03/desantis-florida-covid-restrictions" data-vars-content-id="0becf532-09bf-49f6-97ef-1d0927b5b1e5" data-vars-headline="What the end of the COVID public health emergency means for Florida" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2021/05/03/desantis-florida-covid-restrictions" target="_self">orders across Florida have already expired</a>, a number of health care changes that both local providers and patients have grown used to during the pandemic will disappear, Axios Vitals&#x27; Tina Reed <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-vitals-c84d5d8c-b862-4ba4-bc89-fe349b2b40da.html" data-vars-content-id="0becf532-09bf-49f6-97ef-1d0927b5b1e5" data-vars-headline="What the end of the COVID public health emergency means for Florida" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-vitals-c84d5d8c-b862-4ba4-bc89-fe349b2b40da.html" target="_self">reports</a>.

Illustration of a hand pulling a plug from an outlet shaped like COVID-19.

Tampa's downtown is still struggling to recover from pandemic

Downtown activity has returned to — or even exceeded — pre-pandemic rates in a handful of U.S. cities, but many, like Tampa, are not attracting the foot traffic they once did.

<a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Downtown activity" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/04/downtown-recovery" data-vars-content-id="0569f52d-c22f-4516-ad0d-547c45347921" data-vars-headline="Tampa&#x27;s downtown is still struggling to recover from pandemic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2023/05/04/downtown-recovery" target="_self">Downtown activity</a> in Tampa is still below pre-pandemic rates, according to anonymized mobile device connectivity data <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="analyzed" data-vars-click-url="http://downtownrecovery.com/dashboards/recovery_ranking.html" data-vars-content-id="0569f52d-c22f-4516-ad0d-547c45347921" data-vars-headline="Tampa&#x27;s downtown is still struggling to recover from pandemic" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="http://downtownrecovery.com/dashboards/recovery_ranking.html" target="_blank">analyzed</a> by researchers at the University of Toronto&#x27;s School of Cities.Why it matters: Even as Florida stayed notoriously open during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, downtowns became ghost towns while people sought to &quot;flatten the curve&quot; by staying home as much as possible.

Tampa Bay among big metros with the lowest unemployment levels

Florida had three of the nation's lowest rates of unemployment in February for large metro areas.

Tampa Bay has one of the lowest unemployment rates among large U.S. cities, per a new analysis of Labor Department data.Why it matters: It signals improvement in the region&#x27;s recovery from the pandemic, which led to the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="loss of 1.28 million jobs" data-vars-click-url="https://news.wgcu.org/2022-09-17/floridas-jobless-rate-is-below-the-national-average-and-at-a-level-before-the-covid-19-pandemic" data-vars-content-id="7a7be53c-b949-40e2-8bcb-76b44ba8a1db" data-vars-headline="Tampa Bay among big metros with the lowest unemployment levels" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://news.wgcu.org/2022-09-17/floridas-jobless-rate-is-below-the-national-average-and-at-a-level-before-the-covid-19-pandemic" target="_blank">loss of 1.28 million jobs</a> across Florida between February and April 2020.

Flu cases on the rise around Tampa Bay

Along with the flu, more Floridians are getting COVID-19 and RSV.

The country&#x27;s worst influenza outbreak in more than a decade has left nearly every state with high or very high levels of flu activity, including Florida.<ul><li>Flu cases have now started dipping statewide but are still increasing around Tampa Bay, according to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Florida Department of Health data" data-vars-click-url="https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/influenza/index.html" data-vars-content-id="63cc78db-7dbd-4f87-9415-fa4d06fc0cbf" data-vars-headline="Flu cases on the rise around Tampa Bay" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/influenza/index.html" target="_blank">Florida Department of Health data</a>.</li></ul>Why it matters: This year&#x27;s caseload underscores how the return to pre-pandemic life has left us &quot;immunologically naïve&quot; and more vulnerable to seasonal respiratory diseases, Axios&#x27; Adriel Bettelheim <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="reports" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/12/05/flu-outbreak-decade-hospltalizations" data-vars-content-id="63cc78db-7dbd-4f87-9415-fa4d06fc0cbf" data-vars-headline="Flu cases on the rise around Tampa Bay" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/12/05/flu-outbreak-decade-hospltalizations" target="_self">reports</a>.

Push to get new COVID booster comes as Florida braces for flu season

The low turnout might be because people don't even know about it.

President Biden just got the updated COVID-19 booster shot, and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="urged Americans" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/25/president-biden-new-omicron-covid-booster-vaccine-shot" data-vars-content-id="419a8fa4-016f-4cb6-8d8d-8093bb737c7d" data-vars-headline="Push to get new COVID booster comes as Florida braces for flu season" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/25/president-biden-new-omicron-covid-booster-vaccine-shot" target="_self">urged Americans</a> to do the same. But Tampa Bay isn&#x27;t buying it.What he&#x27;s saying: &quot;Now is the time to do it — by Halloween, if you can,&quot; <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Biden said Tuesday" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/25/president-biden-new-omicron-covid-booster-vaccine-shot" data-vars-content-id="419a8fa4-016f-4cb6-8d8d-8093bb737c7d" data-vars-headline="Push to get new COVID booster comes as Florida braces for flu season" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/25/president-biden-new-omicron-covid-booster-vaccine-shot" target="_self">Biden said Tuesday</a>. &quot;That&#x27;s the best time. And that way you can be protected for the holidays.&quot;

Illustration of the first two boxes have a checkmark made of a syringe, and the third box has a large X in the middle.

Thousands of Floridians are affected by long COVID

The state's few Long COVID clinics are swamped.

Nearly a third of Americans who know they&#x27;ve had COVID say they&#x27;ve also experienced the often disabling aftereffects known as <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="long COVID" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/06/long-covid-cdc-data-disabling" data-vars-content-id="1643610b-6dd9-47dc-8f1e-98daf533721a" data-vars-headline="Thousands of Floridians are affected by long COVID" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/06/long-covid-cdc-data-disabling" target="_self">long COVID</a>, according to recent CDC data.Driving the news: The rate of those reporting long COVID symptoms was highest in West Virginia (49%), compared with the state with the lowest rate of people reporting long COVID: Vermont (22%), <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Axios&#x27; Tina Reed writes." data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/14/long-covid-rates-states-map" data-vars-content-id="1643610b-6dd9-47dc-8f1e-98daf533721a" data-vars-headline="Thousands of Floridians are affected by long COVID" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/2022/10/14/long-covid-rates-states-map" target="_self">Axios&#x27; Tina Reed writes.</a>

COVID 🦠