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☆ A retired Microsoft exec and his wife fell in love with RVing during the pandemic. Now he's using AI to help you plan your next road trip.
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Scott Lengel, a former Microsoft CTO, launched an AI-powered RV road trip planner, AdventureGenie. A couple of years later, in May 2023, Lengel launched AdventureGenie — an AI-powered RV trip planner. The biggest thing AI brings to AdventureGenie's trip planning is the customization, Lengel said. Instead of looking up a generic road trip planner that is the first hit served to everyone on Google, AdventureGenie can create itineraries that are unique to you. Lengel said new AdventureGenie users often say it saves them so much time planning their trip just by filling in their route.

Persons: Scott Lengel, —, Lisa, Lengel, they'd, AdventureGenie, It's, you've, you'd Organizations: Microsoft, Service, Marriott, Business, Nashville, Google, BI Locations: Cambodia, Vietnam, India, —, South Carolina, Yellowstone, Florida

☆ Miami is 'ground zero' for climate risk. People are moving to the area and building there anyway
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-26 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +20 min

South Pointe Beach in Miami Beach, Florida. Climate risk is "always on our thoughts," said Habibian, 39, who moved to Miami-Dade County about six years ago. Despite that risk, 66% of Miami-Dade County residents said they'd never leave, according to a study published in the journal Climate Risk Management. "We try to be smart about it, try to be proactive as best we can," Arditi said of climate risk. Juxtaposed at left was one of the last remaining patches of mangroves in the urban Miami area, a living memorial to a once-thriving population.

Persons: Greg Iacurci, Daniel Habibian, Harold Wanless, Sonia Brubaker, Saul Martinez, Andrew Rumbach, Rumbach, Joe Raedle, Irma, Al Diaz, they'd, Steven Bustamante, Bustamante, Jeff Greenberg, There's, David Arditi, Arditi, Aria's, Jeff Bezos, Goldman Sachs, Douglas Sacks, Ken Griffin, Brubaker, Biscayne Bay . Miami Worldcenter, Chandan Khanna, Dion Williams, Williams, Dion, Todd Crowl, Crowl, We're, Erik Salna, Chris Baraloto, Rita Teutonico, Amy Knowles, Knowles, it's, City of Miami Beach Greg Iacurci Miami Organizations: Greg Iacurci MIAMI, University of Miami, City, CNBC, Cumming Group, Florida Department of Transportation, Bentley, Bloomberg, Getty, Urban Institute, Organisation for Economic Co, Miami, Volunteers, Florida Keys, Miami Herald, Tribune, Service, Dade, Risk, Yale University's School of, Finance, SEC, Miami Beach, Universal, Group, Aria Development, National Association of Realtors ., Miami Realtors, Amazon, Citadel, Resorts, Bloomberg News, Dade County's, Getty Images, Residences, Pointe Park, Fifth, Afp, Federal Emergency Management Agency, Management, Sunshine, Insurance, Institute, Florida International University Institute of Environment, Hurricanes, University of Pennsylvania, International Hurricane Research, of, Florida International University, City of Miami Beach Locations: Pointe Beach, Miami Beach , Florida, Miami, South Beach, Dade, City of Miami, Dade County, New York, Fort Lauderdale, West Palm, South Florida, Florida, Tampa, St . Petersburg, Miami , Florida, Southeast Florida, Miami Beach, City, Aria's Miami, U.S, California , New York, New Jersey, America, Caribbean, New York City, Biscayne Bay . Miami, Pointe, It's, Surfside, . Florida, Biscayne Bay, Miami's, Bermuda, Kampong, Coconut Grove, Brittany Bay, South Pointe, City of, Brittany Bay Park

☆ What’s Killing Endangered Sawfish in Florida?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Patricia Mazzei | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Fishing guides in the Florida Keys began reporting unusual sightings to Ross Boucek last fall. Small bait fish, especially at night, would start spinning in tight circles in the water, seemingly in distress. As the months went by, more reports trickled in to Dr. Boucek, a biologist with the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, a nonprofit conservation group. Bigger fish — jacks, snook — were swimming in spirals or upside down in the shallow waters of the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. They held meetings, took samples of the water and fish and tried to figure out what might be causing the fish to behave so strangely.

Persons: Florida Keys, Ross Boucek, Boucek, snook Organizations: Tarpon Trust Locations: Florida, Gulf of Mexico

☆ Jake Gyllenhaal sliced his hand open while fighting Connor McGregor in 'Roadhouse': 'I felt the glass going in my hand'
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Eammon Jacobs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Jake Gyllenhaal said he sliced his hand open while fighting Conor McGregor in "Roadhouse." Gyllenhaal said he caught a staph infection and his arm swelled up because of the injury. AdvertisementJake Gyllenhaal said he sliced his hand while filming a fight scene with Conor McGregor in the upcoming movie "Roadhouse." "We're fighting on the floor, fighting around tables, we're fighting around glass, even if it's breakaway glass," he said. Symptoms of a staph infection include swollen red skin, warmness, a fever, and pus inside the infected area.

Persons: Jake Gyllenhaal, Conor McGregor, Gyllenhaal, —, Doug Liman's, Rowdy Harrington's, Patrick Swayze, Dalton, Ben Brandt, Billy Magnussen, Knox, Donnie Darko, Dax Shepard, McGregor, I'm, We're, Jason Walsh, Walsh Organizations: Service, Amazon Prime, UFC, CDC, Business Locations: Florida

☆ Florida braces for Haitian migrants influx, Gov. Ron DeSantis deploys military personnel
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-17 | by ( Ramon Sanchez | Ray Sanchez | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

Ron DeSantis, a Republican, to deploy more than 250 law enforcement officers and soldiers to the Florida Keys to “protect our state” and stop a possible surge of Haitian migrants fleeing the violence. The deployment includes officers from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers, and members of the Florida National Guard and Florida State Guard. The US Coast Guard said Tuesday that it had repatriated 65 migrants to Haiti after they were picked up on a boat near the Bahamas. Since October 1, the Coast Guard said, it has repatriated 131 migrants to Haiti. The Coast Guard said it has not seen an increase in migrants from Haiti in recent weeks.

Persons: Eliantes Jean Jacques, Jean Jacques said, Prince, Jean Jacques, “ I’m, ”, “, Ron DeSantis, Tessa Petit, Petit, ” Petit, DeSantis, –, Gepsie Metellus, Sant, Guerinault Louis, Ariel Henry, Santo, Henry, Haiti’s, Jovenel Moïse, who’s, Dotie Joseph, ” CNN’s Caitlin Stephen Hu, David Culver, Evelio Contreras, Tara John, Carlos Suarez, Denise Royal Organizations: CNN, Gov, Republican, Florida Immigrant Coalition, Florida Department of Law, and Wildlife Conservation, Florida National Guard, Florida State Guard, US Coast Guard, Coast Guard, The Coast Guard, Haitian Neighborhood Center, Anadolu, Getty, Kenyan, Residents, United Nations, Democrat, North Locations: Haitian, Florida, Port, Haiti, North Miami, ”, Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Santo Domingo

Record hot seawater killed more than three-quarters of human-cultivated coral that scientists had placed in the Florida Keys in recent years in an effort to prop up a threatened species that’s highly vulnerable to climate change, researchers discovered. They saw widespread death in both repopulated and wild coral on five Florida Keys reefs. Only 22% of the 1,500 repopulated staghorn coral that they surveyed was still alive, NOAA said. “What happened in 2023 was absolutely devastating,” said retired NOAA coral monitoring chief Mark Eakin, who now is corresponding secretary for the International Coral Reef Society. “Coral restoration is almost certainly doomed to fail under climate change,” Baum said in an email.

Persons: critters, Katey, ” Lesneski, Lesneski, “, It's, that's, ”, Mark Eakin, ” Eakin, Eakin, Julia Baum, ” Baum, it's, Seth Borenstein Organizations: National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, El Nino, NOAA, Looe Key, NOAA's, Coral Reef Society, University of Victoria, Associated Press Locations: Florida, elkhorn, El, Looe, AP.org

☆ At This California Radio Station, the Call Letters Say It All
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Erik Piepenburg | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Fog clouded the San Jacinto Mountains recently as Brad Fuhr approached the headquarters of KGAY, a radio station in an undistinguished Palm Springs, California, strip mall. KGAY’s call letters aren’t a fluke but a savvy marketing tool. It’s the only terrestrial radio station in America geared toward L.G.B.T.Q. (There’s WGAY, a “party station” in the Florida Keys, but it doesn’t market itself as gay.) Three other D.J.s — Eric Ornelas, Galaxy and ModGirl — provide the station with homemade mix shows that play around the clock.

Persons: Brad Fuhr, ” George Lamond’s, ”, KGAY, “, Chris Shebel, John Taylor, Eric Ornelas, — Organizations: Volvo, coeur, iHeart’s Pride, KGAY Locations: Jacinto, KGAY, Springs , California, Britain, America, Cincinnati, Florida

☆ See a tattooed Jake Gyllenhaal fight dirty in ‘Road House’ remake
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-25 | by ( Marianne Garvey | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

The first trailer for the movie “Road House,” a “high-octane, adrenaline-filled reimagining” of the 1989 Patrick Swayze classic, shows a beefed-up Gyllenhaal ready to take on some local bad guys in the Florida Keys. On Monday, Gyllenhaal had teased the movie, sharing the official “Road House” poster and announcing the trailer was coming. Road House - Official Trailer | Prime Video“In the studio, putting the finishing touches on @roadhousemovie and feeling fortunate to have worked with so many talented folks throughout the making of this film,” he wrote. It is the first movie role for MMA fighter Conor McGregor. “Road House” will premiere on Prime Video March 21.

Persons: Jake Gyllenhaal, ”, Patrick Swayze, Gyllenhaal, Dalton, “, Swayze, Doug Liman, Jessica Williams, Lukas Gage, Daniela Melchior, Billy Magnussen, Joaquim de Almedia, Arturo Castro, B.K, Cannon, Beau Knapp, Darren Barnet, Conor McGregor Organizations: CNN, UFC, Bourne Locations: Florida

Political Cartoons View All 253 ImagesDemocrats are also encouraged by Texas Republican Sen. Ted Cruz eking out reelection in 2018 by less than 3 percentage points over Democrat Beto O'Rourke. In Florida, meanwhile, Republican Sen. Rick Scott won his seat that year by around 10,000 votes out of 8.1-plus million cast. In Texas, Democratic Rep. Colin Allred of Dallas will have to overcome primary challenger Roland Gutierrez, a state senator from San Antonio, before he can take on Cruz. “Just 'cause they’re the best options they have doesn’t mean they're winnable, doesn't mean they're competitive,” said Texas Republican strategist Matt Mackowiak. National Republicans are eying Ohio, where Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown was first elected in 2006, and Montana's Jon Tester, also a three-term Democratic incumbent.

Persons: Joe Biden's, West Virginia Democratic Sen, Joe Manchin, Roe, Wade, Dallas, Kate Cox, Texas Republican Sen, Ted Cruz eking, Democrat Beto O'Rourke, Republican Sen, Rick Scott, “, Michigan Sen, Gary Peters, Debbie Mucarsel, Powell, Carlos Curbelo, Colin Allred, Roland Gutierrez, hasn't, O'Rourke, Cruz, ”, Matt Mackowiak, ′, West Virginia . Montana Sen, Steve Daines, Scott, Democratic Sen, Sherrod Brown, Jon Tester, Daines, Trump, Mucarsel, Allred, Cox, I’ve, “ Rick Scott, ” Mucarsel, Biden, “ Debbie Mucarsel, ” Scott, Jonathan Turcotte, Catherine Cortez Masto, can’t, Beto, MacKowiak Organizations: WASHINGTON, —, West Virginia Democratic, Republicans, Texas Republican, Democrat, Republican, Democratic, Democratic Senatorial, West Virginia ., National Republican Senatorial Committee, National Republicans, Senate, GOP, Trump, Texans, Social Security, Biden, Nevada Sen, NFL, Democrats ’ Senate Locations: Texas, Florida, In Florida, Michigan, Miami, In Texas, San Antonio, Cruz . Texas, West Virginia, West Virginia . Montana, Ohio, Illinois , Texas , Michigan, Pennsylvania, Georgia, U.S, Mexico, Ecuador, Washington

Some developers are building homes like Paulson's with an eye toward making them more resilient to the extreme weather that's increasing with climate change, and friendlier to the environment at the same time. Solar panels, for example, installed so snugly that high winds can't get underneath them, mean clean power that can survive a storm. Recycled or advanced construction materials that reduce energy use as well as the need to make new material. Pearl Homes' Mirabella community in Bradenton, Florida, consists of 160 houses that are all LEED-certified platinum, the highest level of one of the most-used green building rating systems. “We’re building the same old stuff that got blown away.”Babcock Ranch is another sustainable, hurricane-resilient community in South Florida.

Persons: Hurricane Michael, Bonny Paulson's, ” Paulson, Steve Linton, “, Marshall Gobuty, ” Gobuty, Paulson, she's, ”, ” Babcock, Syd Kitson, Ian, Kitson, you’re, Nature, Natalia Padalino, Alan Klingler, ” Klingler, ” Padalino, Laura Bargfeld, Gerald Herbert Organizations: Hurricane, Florida Panhandle, Homes, Pearl Homes, University of Central, Babcock, Florida Keys, Associated Press, AP Locations: Mexico Beach , Florida, Bradenton , Florida, University of Central Florida, Florida, Mexico Beach, South Florida, U.S, New Orleans

☆ America's cities are vying for a hot new title: best place to ride out the coming dystopia
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-02 | by ( Matthew E. Kahn | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +14 min

For decades, cities have duked it out for titles like "best city for business" or "healthiest city in America," but now they're starting to compete for a new title: best place to ride out dystopia. While Sun Belt cities are working to mitigate these challenges, the increased risks also create an opportunity for once forgotten cities. The declaration has been followed up with investments in key areas — climate resilience was one of the four pillars that made up the city's four-year strategic plan released at the start of 2023. And the cities that could become climate havens have their weather downsides — Buffalo will still have some harsh winters, too. If Buffalo, Detroit, Pittsburgh, and other cities succeed in their climate-resilience agendas, they will grow, attracting residents from more at-risk areas of the country.

Persons: Tesla, Byron Brown, Redfin, Matthew E, Kahn Organizations: Los Angeles, Fortune, Sun, National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, Association of Environmental, Federal Emergency Management Agency, FBI, Street Foundation, Pittsburgh, The New York Times, University of Southern, Hoover Institution Locations: America, West, Midwest, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Buffalo , New York, Detroit, USA, Florida, California, South, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Phoenix, Angeles County, Miami, Dade County, Lake Erie, Buffalo, Duluth , Minnesota, Grand Rapids , Michigan, Chicago, Northern, Pittsburgh, Rust, Los Angeles, University of Southern California

She joined personnel from the Turtle Hospital to carry Rocky across the sand on Sunday to the water’s edge. After being guided into the water, Rocky swam away from the beach before diving down into the Atlantic as Nyad, Stoll and several hundred spectators applauded. Among them were more than 30 of Nyad’s Cuba swim support crew that returned to Key West for the 10th anniversary celebration. Other weekend events in Key West also marked the anniversary including a Saturday beach party where Nyad and team members took turns sharing their memories of the swim. Nyad's swim has been turned into a new feature film, “Nyad,” starring Annette Bening as the swimmer and Jodie Foster as Stoll, her friend and trainer.

Persons: Diana Nyad, Bonnie Stoll, Nyad, ”, Rocky, Stoll, “, Annette Bening, Jodie Foster Organizations: WEST, Key West, Florida, Nyad, Labor, Turtle, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation, Key Locations: Fla, Cuba, Key, Florida Straits, Havana

KEY WEST, Fla. (AP) — Key West’s Fantasy Fest began Friday, launching a 10-day schedule of masquerades, elaborate parties and costume competitions. Events are to culminate next Saturday night, when some 60,000 spectators are expected to line Key West’s downtown streets for the Fantasy Fest Parade, a procession of large-scale motorized floats, costumed marching groups and island-style dancers in colorful feathered attire. The festival has been notoriously famous for its decadent motif, but during the past few years, festival officials have focused their efforts on creative costuming and an effort to create more PG-rated events. Political Cartoons View All 1211 ImagesFantasy Fest debuted in 1979 to boost the fledgling tourism economy during a slow period. Now, tourism officials said, it brings approximately $30 million in annual revenues to the Florida Keys.

Organizations: WEST, Florida Keys Locations: Fla, Key West, Old, Florida

☆ The celestial phenomenon of October’s solar eclipse
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-14 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

A "ring of fire" can be seen around the moon during an annular eclipse visible from Chiayi in southern Taiwan on June 21, 2020. Alberto Buzzola/LightRocket/Getty ImagesSaturday’s annular solar eclipse will create a dazzling “ring of fire” across the Americas. Make sure you have certified eclipse glasses or solar viewers, and check out our tips to safely take in every aspect of the annular or partial eclipse, depending on where you are. Clouds may spoil the view for some, and the eclipse may even affect the weather, but never fear: NASA will share live streams from multiple locations within the path of the annular eclipse. They find wonder in planets beyond our solar system and discoveries from the ancient world.

Persons: it’s, Alberto Buzzola, Thyra, ”, Lisbeth, Erika Blumenfeld, Joseph Aebersold, REx, Dante Lauretta, Sriram Murali, Laurent Ballesta, Luke Skywalker, Jimmy Buffett, Ashley Strickland, Katie Hunt Organizations: CNN, NASA, Viking, National Museum of Denmark, University of Arizona, London’s, Museum, Tiger, Wildlife, “ Star, Florida, CNN Space, Science Locations: Taiwan, United States, Oregon, Texas, Gulf, Nevada , Utah, New Mexico, California , Idaho , Colorado, Arizona, Mexico, Belize, Honduras, Panama, Colombia, Natal, Brazil, Denmark, Viking, Copenhagen, Norway, Tamil, California

☆ Antarctica has lost 8.3 trillion tons of ice since 1997, a new study found. That's enough to cover the contiguous US in 3 feet of water.
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-13 | by ( Seth Borenstein | Maiya Focht | Associated Press | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementAntarctic ice shelves lost about 8.3 trillion tons of ice in the last quarter-century — enough to cover the contiguous US in 3 feet of water. All told, Antarctic ice shelves lost about 8.3 trillion tons (7.5 trillion metric tons) of ice in the 25-year period, the study found. The largest of the Larsen ice shelves, Larsen C, has lost 1.8 billion tons (1.7 trillion metric tons) of ice, about one-eighth of its mass. The shelf has lost 70% of its mass since 1997 — about 4.1 trillion tons (3.7 trillion metric tons) — into the Amundsen Sea. The ice shelves on the east were growing slower than the shelves losing ice to the west.

Persons: —, Taylor Rains, Ted Scambos, Scambos, Benjamin Davison, Pauline Askin, " Davison, Davison, Larsen Organizations: Service, University of Colorado, University of Leeds, Reuters Locations: Antarctica, Greenland, Florida, Delaware, United Kingdom, Thwaites, Amundsen

☆ Scientists named a new snail after Jimmy Buffet's song 'Margaritaville' because it doesn't move but is somehow bright yellow
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-10 | by ( Rebecca Cohen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

The bright yellow snail inspired its name Cayo margarita — a nod to Jimmy Buffet's song "Margaritaville." Scientists aren't sure why the snail is so yellow but think it may be a defense mechanism. AdvertisementAdvertisementScientists discovered a mysterious new species of sea snail in the Florida Reef, and named it as a tribute to Jimmy Buffet's famous song "Margaritaville." The new species is called "Cayo margarita," according to a paper published by a group of scientists in Peer J journal. But, strangely, when fish approached the bright snail, they didn't eat it.

Persons: —, Jimmy Buffet's, Bieler, margarita Organizations: Service, CNN Locations: margarita, Florida, Cayo

☆ Cayo margarita: Newly discovered snail in Florida Keys is named after Jimmy Buffett song
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( Taylor Nicioli | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —The late singer-songwriter Jimmy Buffett has an unsuspecting figure to add to his legacy — a newly discovered species of sea snail found in the Florida Reef. “This is a rather charismatic little snail that can show us how little we know about the biological diversity around us,” Bieler said. The little snail’s bright color caught researchers’ attention. The Cayo snails, however, are currently believed to be local and not invasive, Bieler said. “We’re seeing that these worm snails are making good use of this newly freed up real estate because the coral reefs are so stressed.”

Persons: Jimmy Buffett, Cayo, Buffett, Rüdiger Bieler, Jimmy Buffett’s, ” Bieler, “, Bieler, ” Organizations: CNN, Field Locations: Florida, Chicago, North America, Cayo

☆ Floridians are relocating to the center of the state to try to avoid hurricanes — and high insurance premiums
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

AdvertisementAdvertisementSome Floridians are leaving their coastal homes due to the risk of extreme weather events and increasing insurance premiums —but they aren't going too far. They were happy to move far away from not only the risk of extreme weather events, but also the rising insurance premiums tied to coastal communities. Ocala, Florida John Coletti/Getty ImagesOf course, Ocala is not completely immune to hurricanes, as the Journal noted 2017's Hurricane Irma caused some power outages and flooding. Ocala, Florida Michael Warren/Getty ImagesThe average insurance premiums for Florida residents has tripled in the past five years, according to Insurance Information Institute data collected by the Journal. Danny Collins, who lives in Hobe Sound, Florida, just north of West Palm Beach, previously told Insider his mortgage jumped $1,000 under new insurance premiums.

Persons: —, Courtney Moody, Moody, it's, she's, Ocala , Florida John Coletti, Irma, Jo Anne, Ed Lewis, Bonita Springs . Ocala , Florida Michael Warren, Danny Collins, Bob Stephens Organizations: Ocala, Alpha, Service, Wall Street, Ocala Police Department, Getty, Florida, Insurance, Journal, Farmers Group, West Palm Beach, Dade Locations: Florida, South Florida, Ocala, Orlando, Sunshine, Miami, Ocala , Florida, Bonita Springs, Bonita Springs . Ocala , Florida, Hobe Sound, West Palm, Marathon . Ocala, Marion, Dade County, that's

An Islamorada community group that is spending $6 million to restore and preserve the Alligator Reef Lighthouse turned on its new solar-powered lights on Saturday to remind the public about the effort. “Alligator Lighthouse was lit in 1873 and it stayed lit until about 2013, and then it went dark for 10 years,” said Rob Dixon, the executive director of Save Alligator Lighthouse, which took over the lighthouse's title in late 2021. But modern-day satellite navigation made open-water lighthouses obsolete and such structures are being disposed of by the General Services Association. Political Cartoons View All 1202 ImagesA detailed engineering study of Alligator Lighthouse was completed to determine stabilization needs after many years in highly corrosive conditions. Dixon said an engineering study determined that it will take six years and $5 million to $6 million dollars to save the Alligator Lighthouse.

Persons: ”, Rob Dixon, Dixon, ___ Organizations: Navy, General Services Association, Tourist Development Locations: Fla, Florida, Monroe

☆ Critical Florida coral ravaged by summer's marine heat wave
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-08 | by ( Eric Zerkel | Cnn Meteorologist Derek Van Dam | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —This summer’s record-breaking marine heat wave may have been the “nail in the coffin” for an iconic species of coral that serves as a building block of marine life around Florida. They were also the first coral species to gain protected status under the Endangered Species Act, Jennifer Moore, a threatened coral expert for NOAA told CNN. Staghorn coral may have faired slightly better than elkhorn this summer, Williamson said, but still faces similar long term challenges. Scientists fear this summer's ocean heat was the "nail in the coffin" for elkhorn and staghorn species. “We are definitely looking at a major mortality event, we just won’t know the extent of it for a couple more months,” Moore told CNN.

Persons: ”, Liv Williamson, ” Williamson, Jennifer Moore, Moore, Williamson, ” Moore, Liv, ‘, “ Organizations: CNN, University of Miami, NOAA Locations: Florida, Elkhorn, elkhorn, Caribbean, “, Key Largo

☆ Opinion | If Hurricane Rebuilding Is Only Affordable for the Wealthy, This Is the Florida You Get
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-27 | by ( Sarah Stodola | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Just down the island’s main road, the Red Coconut R.V. For most homes in Fort Myers Beach, this means that rebuilding what was there before Ian isn’t an option. For a hotel development like Margaritaville, the building codes helped it weather Ian with damage from which it could recover. That means existing property owners like those of the Silver Sands, Red Coconut and countless private homes end up cutting their losses and selling. They’re also banking on the infinite desirability of the beachfront, as are the state authorities responsible for the building codes that allow redevelopment after hurricanes and floods.

Persons: Hurricane Andrew, Ian isn’t Organizations: Seagate Development Group Locations: Southwest Florida, Fort Myers, Sands, Florida, Banks, North Carolina, New York City

☆ The vicious cycle of homeowners insurance: It's increasingly expensive to protect homes in the disaster-prone areas that need it most
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-20 | by ( Dan Latu | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Earlier this year, Allstate joined State Farm in no longer offering new home insurance in California over climate risk. Across the country, 83% of prospective homebuyers said climate risk factored into where they are shopping for homes, according to a recent Zillow study. Danny Collins of Hobe Sound, Florida, told Insider in July how the bank holding his mortgage raised his monthly rate by $1,000, citing increased flood insurance. Matheus told Insider. Have you moved or are you considering a move because of climate risk and extreme weather events?

Persons: Carolyn Kousky, Berkshire Hathaway, Vox, Dave Jones, they'll, Danny Collins, Collins, Bob Stephens, Stephens, Martha Flanagan, Jason Beury, Charles Matheus, Kelly Roberge, Matheus, Dan Latu Organizations: Service, The Washington Post, Environmental Defense Fund, Allstate, Berkshire, Nationwide, National Association of Insurance, . Erie Insurance Group, Washington Post, State Farm, Farmers Insurance, Insurance, Wall Street, Journal, Hobe, Marathon Locations: Florida, Kansas, New York, California, Louisiana, United States, Coral, Florida's, Hobe Sound, Arizona, Brooklyn , New York, Kansas City , Kansas, Utica , New York, dlatu@insider.com

☆ Adtech firm GroundTruth hires bankers to pursue a possible sale
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Lara O'Reilly | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Originally known as xAd, GroundTruth was founded in 2003 and has raised more than $160 million in funding, per PitchBook. GroundTruth's advertising platform is powered by its location data that allows advertisers to model their campaigns based on real-world information, like visits to stores. GroundTruth almost reached a deal to sell WeatherBug in 2019, but talks ultimately collapsed, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The current plan is to sell WeatherBug and GroundTruth as separate assets, the people familiar with the process said. As new privacy laws roll out across the world, increasing scrutiny has been poured on companies that transact location data.

Persons: GroundTruth, Adtech Organizations: Hooters, iHeart, Cox, Scripps, Data Protection, LUMA Partners, TV Locations: Florida

☆ Burmese pythons are being spotted farther and farther north in Florida and could reach other states, experts warn. 'It really does feel like an alien invasion,' one scientist said.
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-07 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

How Burmese pythons got from Asia to FloridaThe first definitive recording of a Burmese python in the Florida Everglades was in 1979. "Then I just developed this mantra over the years of don't underestimate the Burmese python," he said. Pythons have invaded the Florida Everglades and proven a formidable invasive species that may never be fully eradicated. While state-regulated programs have removed over 13,700 snakes from the Florida Everglades, they're usually the ones found near roads and canal levees. The biggest question researchers need to answer is how many Burmese pythons are actually in Florida at the moment.

Persons: Donnie Darko, Donnie, Ian Bartoszek, Bartoszek, Melissa Miller, Miller, doesn't, would've, he's, Joe Raedle, They've Organizations: Service, Conservancy, States Geological Survey, University of Florida, The Conservancy Locations: Florida, Wall, Silicon, Southwest Florida, States, Asia, Thailand, Myanmar, Vietnam, The, Okeechobee, Pacific, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Canada, sawgrass

☆ What happens to sharks, dolphins, alligators, and other marine life during a hurricane? Experts explain why the storm's aftermath is often more deadly
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-04 | by ( Jenny Mcgrath | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

Hurricanes affect marine life differently, depending on whether they can move or are stationary. After a hurricane, increased levels of freshwater, bacteria, and debris can also harm marine life. A vast array of marine life lives along the Florida peninsula, the US state where hurricanes make landfall most often. What happens to marine life during a hurricane? For example, alligators on Sanibel Island, which Hurricane Ian hit hard, were affected by the saltier ocean water the storm brought on land.

Persons: Melissa May, Rita, Andrew, Valerie Paul, Hurricane Ian, Ian, Paul, Chris Lechowicz, Rivers, Marco Bello Organizations: Service, Florida Gulf Coast University ., National Oceanic, Atmospheric Administration, NOAA, Reuters Hurricanes, Geological Survey, Hurricanes, Smithsonian Marine, Healing, Reuters, NASA Locations: Wall, Silicon, Florida, Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, Louisiana, Brevard, Estero Bay

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