Florida News That Impacts You – July 2nd, 2024
Bottom Line: Your daily recap of the biggest news from around the state that impacts you in South Florida.
- The United States Supreme Court ordered a lower court review of Florida and Texas’ laws aimed at curbing censorship by social media companies in addition to regulating the platforms at the state level. The laws remain on hold pending further judicial review.
- Governor DeSantis announced $12 million has been issued through the state’s Job Growth Grant Fund with a focus on infrastructure and workforce development projects.
- In accordance with a new law signed during this year’s state legislative session, Circuit Judge Luis Delgado released a 176-page document detailing the 2006 grand jury records from the Jeffrey Epstein case in Palm Beach County. The records detail an extensive grooming operation for young girls that would begin with Epstein paying children for “massages” that often led to sexual exploitation. Girls as young as 14 were cited in the recorded accounts. Evidence showed that Epstein insisted girls be young - “the younger the better” and at one point rejected a 23-year-old woman because she was “too old”. The records paint a damning picture of then Palm Beach County State Attorney Barry Krischer’s judgement not to pursue a case against Epstein years earlier which could have prevented future Epstein victims and to cut a deal with Epstein which led to a light sentence.
- A mix of clouds and sun today with a chance of afternoon showers once again. Highs will be near 90 - which is about 4 degrees warmer than usual. The National Hurricane Center is tracking two systems. Hurricane Beryl is a category 5 hurricane making its way towards Jamaica after having pounded the Windward Islands. The hurricane is expected to make another landfall in Mexico later in the week with another landfall as a tropical storm likely in Mexico after crossing through the Gulf. Another disturbance is tracking behind Beryl in the southern Atlantic, however it’s no longer likely to develop into a tropical system after being knocked down by Saharan dust. It has a 30% chance of development.
- Gas prices dropped two cents per gallon on Monday. The average price for regular unleaded in Florida is currently $3.36 per gallon. In Palm Beach County the average price is $3.60 per gallon, in Martin the average is $3.50 and in Indian River County the average is $3.45 per gallon.