DeSantis Unplugs Energy Efficiency, and New Vaccine Released as COVID Hospitalizations Climb
Plus, a talk with a local carnivorous plant expert.
CURRENTS
Florida counties lead the nation in COVID hospitalizations, CDC data shows. 10 Tampa Bay
Americans can now get an updated COVID-19 vaccine. 10 Tampa Bay
Florida’s top doc says Biden advocating new round of COVID vax is “truly irresponsible”. Tampa Free Press
Florida Republicans more likely to believe vaccine misinformation, less likely to get boosters. Axios
Florida Chamber Foundation: State economy loses $5.4B annually from child care crisis. Florida Politics
TODAY’S SPONSOR
The Navigator is sponsored by Mary’s Little Lamb Preschool at 7311 N. Armenia Ave. in Tampa. We are a nationally accredited preschool established in 1959.
Free Childcare and a paycheck. We are currently seeking a qualified toddler teacher or teaching assistant. The ideal candidate must be creative, energetic, dependable, nurturing, patient, have a passion about the growth and development of the children, and be a team player. Requirements: pass a level 2 background screening, high school diploma or higher, completed or willing to start and complete the DCF 45 training hours, get CPR/First aid certified.
Interested in sponsoring the Navigator? We need to talk.
Battle over Florida's controversial 'don't say gay' education law on hold. Creative Loafing
USF faculty lawsuit against arbitration ban is fight for ‘justice,’ UFF president says. The Oracle
Federal judge allows Florida to enforce ban on transgender care for adults. Florida Phoenix
Attorneys ask Florida’s congressional map be fast-tracked to state Supreme Court. Florida Politics
Republican State Attorney blasts judicial circuit consolidation as effort to advance Gov. DeSantis’ political aims. Florida Politics
Poll: Ron DeSantis at 14% in Iowa, 35 points behind Donald Trump. Florida Politics
Tampa City Council must cut $45 million from 2024 budget during Wednesday's meeting. ABC Action News
Ybor City special district plan 'paused' after community concerns. ABC Action News
Tampa police: 13-year-old arrested after shooting 15-year-old. 10 Tampa Bay
Open up Tampa’s Riverwalk at the port? Apparently, it’s complicated. Tampa Bay Times $ (subscription required)
Here’s why it may soon cost Floridians more to have an electric vehicle. Fox 13 Tampa Bay
Malaria no longer spreading in FL; other mosquito-borne diseases still a threat; chickens affected. Florida Phoenix
Sit down with the president of women’s soccer Super League Tampa Bay. TBay Today
USF alumni share memories of The Claw following its closure. The Oracle
Rays get solid start from Littell, but lose 3-2 to Twins. Spectrum Bay News 9
Former Bucs WR Mike Williams dies at 36. Spectrum Bay News 9
Photos: Bioluminescence seen in waters off Anna Maria Island in Manatee County. 10 Tampa Bay
MOSI Update: Updates are coming to MOSI, the Museum of Science and Industry. A news release promises “a transformational journey to bring you new and amazing experiences!” That includes Zydeco Brew Werks, a new attraction with food, beer, and fun.
The Revivalists, Ludacris and more booked for St. Pete Pier music series. Creative Loafing
Open-air music festival, Beats on the Street, takes over Water Street Tampa. That’s So Tampa
Photos: How Hurricane Idalia reshaped Pinellas’ beaches. Tampa Bay Times $
Florida Republicans walk fine line on disaster aid, as shutdown looms. Washington Post $
The Mayor’s Youth Corps Class of 2024 is accepting applications through 5 p.m., Mon., Oct 23 from Tampa teens who want to participate as an insider at City Hall for one-year terms. It’s for students in grades 9, 10, or 11 who live in or attend a public or private high school in Tampa.
Got news? Send it here.
REPORTER
How energy-efficient rebates to help households became a political fight between DeSantis and feds
U.S. Energy spokesperson says FL has until next summer to access $346 million in federal funds for rebate programs
By Mitch Perry
What started out with an $8.8-billion federal program to help low-income households nationwide save on electricity bills and upgrade homes with clean energy equipment has become a political fight, with Gov. Ron DeSantis ignoring the massive, federally funded rebate programs for Floridians.
In August 2022, the U.S. Department of Energy allocated $346.3 million for the consumer home energy rebate programs for Florida. The state can still access the two programs: One is the Home Efficiency Rebates program and the other is the Home Electrification and Appliance Rebates program. Florida has until Aug. 16, 2024 to apply for or reject the funding. And if the state declines, millions will go to other states, according to the U.S. energy office documents.
DeSantis has not commented directly about the funds. But he vetoed a $5 million federal grant for energy programs on June 15 — part of the 2023-24 state budget of Florida. That money could have been used to set up a program to distribute the overall $346.3 million in rebate programs. The governor’s office did not release a statement when he vetoed that $5 million.
The veto has been denounced by Hillsborough County Congresswoman Kathy Castor, a Democrat, who said in a letter in July to DeSantis that “Floridians already are reeling from exorbitant electric bills and the most expensive property insurance rates in the country. Now Florida families are being pickpocketed because you’ve elevated your political interests over the people’s interests. It’s wrong, and I urge you to reverse course now so that Floridians can put money back into their pockets at a time they need it.”
Read more at the Florida Phoenix
Related: Florida enrollment in Medicaid continues recent decline. The Center Square
Related: A disabled teen on a long waiting list said lawmakers need to recast Florida’s legislative priorities. Florida Phoenix
4 QUESTIONS
Critter Keeper Kenny Coogan
Kenny Coogan grows carnivorous and other plants at his Florida state-certified nursery, Critter Companions by Kenny Coogan, in Tampa. An author, botanist, and plant and animal lover, the 36-year-old grew up raising ducks, chickens, pigeons, and geese but fell hard for carnivorous plants in high school. He is the education director of the International Carnivorous Plant Society. His nursery, sadly, is not open to the public, but you can find Coogan at local plant sales and shows, and he gives frequent talks to garden clubs, Florida native plant society meetings, and Audubon groups on carnivorous plants of the world, Florida’s carnivorous plants, and how to propagate them. Learn more at his website, KennyCoogan.com, including where he’ll be with his plants for sale. He has a newish book out, Florida’s Carnivorous Plants: Understanding, Identifying, and Cultivating the State’s Native Species (Pineapple Press, October 2022, 112 pp., $22.95)
What is a carnivorous plant, and what does it eat?
Carnivorous plants have to do three things: lure, trap and ingest their food, and benefit from the digestion of what they eat. They eat everything from tiny microorganisms up to small rodents. The ones in Florida eat mostly small things, like protozoa, bacteria, spiders, flies, wasps, and ants. A lot of people want to grow them indoors or in their lanais but they worry the plants won’t have enough to eat. A carnivorous plant needs only one or two bugs every six to eight months. The more bugs they eat, the bigger they get and the faster they grow.
How prevalent/scarce are they in Florida, and where might one encounter them in the Tampa Bay Area?
There are 900 species of carnivorous plants all over the world. Florida has the most carnivorous plants out of all of the United States. We have 32 native species and one non-native. Many species are threatened or endangered. They like wet soil with a lot of sun. Where to find them is a little tricky, but they’ve been seen at Violet Curry Preserve and Brooker Creek Preserve.
What are common misconceptions?
They aren’t like in Little Shop of Horrors. Their traps are microscopic to only up to a few inches. Some customers ask if they’re safe for kids. Kids want to know what happens if I stick a finger in the trap, and I tell them if you keep your finger in there for around three months, the plant may start to digest it.
Do they get a bad rap?
No, people are fascinated by them. They want to grow them in their backyards and on their window sills. Carnivorous plants are gorgeous and beautiful and that is why people should grow them. They will not take care of your pest problems. You could have a hundred in your backyard and there will still be bugs and pests. Insects are a vital part of our native ecosystem.
GET INVOLVED
Civic meetings of note during the coming week.
THURSDAY: The Agency on Bay Management meets to discuss living shoreline permitting rule changes, erosion issues and solutions for the cross-bay bridges, McKay Bay, and other current issues and iniatives. Tampa Bay Regional Planning Council Office, 4000 Gateway Centre Blvd., STE 10, Pinellas Park. 9 a.m.
SATURDAY: The Hillsborough River & Coastal Cleanup 2023, presented by Keep Tampa Beautiful, is set for various sites along the Hillsborough River, Alafia River, Little Manatee River, Lake Thonotosassa, and other waterways throughout Hillsborough County, 8 a.m.-11 a.m., Sat., Sept. 16. It’s part of the Ocean Conservancy's International Coastal Cleanup.
TUESDAY: The Hillsborough County School Board will discuss whether to join a national class-action lawsuit alleging that major social media firms “knowingly put young users in harm’s way to generate billions of dollars in profit.” The board also will discuss a settlement proposal in a similar lawsuit against the makers of JUUL e-cigarettes. Hillsborough County Public Schools, 901 E. Kennedy Blvd., Tampa. 4 p.m.
WHAT HE SAID
