Photo: E+
Florida News That Impacts You – June 16th, 2021
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the some of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- The Saharan Dust cloud makes it’s away across South Florida starting today. The Dust is expected to be the most concentrated between Miami and Vero Beach. The dust can be an irritant for those with dust allergies, in addition to those with asthma. The iron dropped by the dust has been linked to the growth of algal blooms which could prove problematic with record toxic algae already recorded in Lake Okeechobee this year.
- The Florida Association of Realtors is supporting a proposed Constitutional Amendment that would allocate regular funding by the state for affordable housing statewide. The proposal has the support of the DeSantis administration. The Realtor's Association has provided $5 million to begin the process of collecting needed signatures to be considered for inclusion on 2022 ballots.
- After the CDC labeled the new “Delta” variant of COVID-19 a concern, Governor DeSantis encouraged unvaccinated Floridians to receive a vaccine. On Tuesday when asked after a cabinet meeting, he said: The best thing you can do, particularly if you haven’t gotten the vaccine, particularly if you have any health problems … is to get a shot. 55% of all Floridians 12 and older have been vaccinated with at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine as of last Friday.
- Mackenzie Scott, the ex-wife of Jeff Bezos, donated $40 million to Florida International University and the University of Central Florida. The donation to UCF was the largest in the school's history. An undisclosed sum was also donated to Broward College. Scott has donated nearly $3 billion over the past year.