Axios Tampa Bay

May 24, 2022
π¦₯ Tuesday, you hangin' in there?
π A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 2pm. 93/74.
- Sounds like: "Rolling High," Pilot Jonezz.
β‘οΈ Situational awareness: The Tampa Bay Lightning beat the Florida Panthers 2-0 last night to seal the second-round playoff series in four games and move on to the semifinals.
- The Bolts will next face the better of the Carolina Hurricanes and the New York Rangers.
Today's newsletter is 823 words, a 3-minute read.
1 big thing: Banned by Putin
Illustration: Lindsey Bailey/Axios
Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime has banned 963 American businessmen, activists, diplomats and politicians from entering the country β including 28 of 29 members of Florida's congressional delegation.
- That's according to a list posted to the website of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation this weekend.
What they're saying: "We emphasize that the hostile actions taken by Washington, which boomerang against the United States itself, will continue to receive a proper rebuff," the Ministry said in a statement.
- "Russian counter-sanctions are forced and aimed at forcing the ruling American regime, which is trying to impose a neo-colonial 'rules-based world order' on the rest of the world, to change its behavior, recognizing new geopolitical realities."
Zoom in: Missing from the travel ban list is Sen. Rick Scott, former Florida governor.
- His predecessor in the Senate, NASA administrator Bill Nelson, is banned. Nelson's entry on the Russian Foreign Ministry's website notes that he was a Democratic senator from 2001 to 2019.
- Scott has been critical of Putin's "disgusting, tyrannical regime" and introduced a bill in March that would require the feds to review top Russian oil companies every 90 days to see if they should be removed from the United States' Entity List.
- Scottβs office did not return a call for comment.
Context: The ban is a "largely symbolic move," the Washington Post reports, and includes Biden administration members, politicians from both parties, tech executives, journalists, dead lawmakers and actor Morgan Freeman.
Of note: Other Floridians banned include former Broward County Circuit Judge Jeffrey Mahl, and former Republican Congresswoman Ileana Ros-Lehtinen, who chaired the Foreign Affairs Committee from 2011 to 2013.
- Former President Trump of Palm Beach is not listed.
2. Drone deliveries are on the way
DroneUp is delivering packages for Walmart. Photo courtesy of DroneUp
Walmart customers in six states, including Florida, will soon be able to have their orders delivered by drone in less than 30 minutes, Axios' Joann Muller reports.
Why it matters: This will be the first large-scale drone delivery operation in the United States. So far, drone deliveries have been available only in a few small towns, with customers selecting from a short list of items.
Driving the news: Walmart's DroneUp delivery network will expand to 34 sites by the end of the year, potentially reaching 4 million U.S. households, the retailer said.
- The new markets include Tampa and Orlando, plus Phoenix, Arizona; Dallas, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Richmond, Virginia. (Walmart already has limited drone delivery in Arkansas.)
- Drone delivery will be available 8am to 8pm from at least three Walmart stores in each city.
The scale of Walmart's planned operation is significant in other ways, too.
- Shoppers won't be limited to a short list of preselected items. Instead, they'll be able to order anything from Tylenol to diapers to hot dog buns β 100,000 different products in all, up to a total of 10 pounds β to be delivered by drone for $3.99.
- "If it fits safely, it flies," DroneUp CEO Tom Walker tells Axios.
- When the service is up and running, Walmart says it could deliver more than 1 million packages a year by drone.
3. The Pulp: I said, ooh, I'm blinded by the limes
Illustration: Maura Losch/Axios
π Nearly 2.2 million Floridians will be on the move for Memorial Day, per a new report from AAA. (Tampa Bay Business Journal)
π’ Benderson Development Co., the Manatee County-based company behind Sarasota's University Town Center, bought the Crossings at Siesta Key. (Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
A Lakewood Ranch funeral home was turned into a multipurpose event center that can cater receptions and host community gatherings. (Bradenton Herald)
π You can stay at a "Friends"-themed Airbnb in Ybor for $150-$350 a night. (Tampa Bay Times)
4. We're among the undercounted

The 2020 census undercounted or overcounted the populations of 14 states β including Florida β at a statistically significant rate, according to the results of a U.S. Census Bureau follow-up survey, Axios' Stef W. Kight reports.
- Florida, with a total population of 21.07 million residents, was undercounted by nearly 3.5%.
Why it matters: States gain or lose congressional seats based on census data. The new survey findings cannot be used to correct congressional reapportionment, meaning the miscounts will stick.
- The decennial data also is used to decide how district lines are redrawn and how various federal funds get distributed.
The big picture: The pandemic and the Trump administration's handling of the census created new challenges to ensuring everyone was counted.
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5. Time-tested influencers
Nadine Smith and Ron DeSantis. Left photo courtesy of Smith; right photo: Paul Hennessy/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
Nadine Smith, Equality Florida leader and St. Petersburg resident, was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of 2022.
What they're saying: "Her work is an inspiration for LGBTQ organizations around the world, providing a blueprint on how to make progress for our communities through strong commitment and perseverance," writes Florida author Kristen Arnett for Time.
- "She is a powerhouse, a champion of equality for everyone, and a truly incredible humanitarian."
Gov. Ron DeSantis also made the list, with a piece written by Jeb Bush.
- "While the Beltway crowd may not like his style, it's his record that will become his legacy," Bush writes.
π΄ Selene is learning how to be a billionaire from "The Mentor."
πΆ Ben is listening to his eldest daughter and his stepdad play and sing "Hey, Jude," and it's a thing of beauty.
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