No comments:

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2024

Good Morning! On this day in 1999, the No. 21 University of Alabama football team beat No. 3 Florida, 40-39 in overtime to snap the Gators' 30-game home win streak.

Following last night’s vice presidential debate, the November election feels even closer. The deadline to register to vote in Florida is Oct. 7, and early voting begins on Oct. 26. You can check your registration status here.

We're flying today with EnergyX, check out this investment opportunity before its gone.

Dockworkers' Strike Shuts Down PortMiami and Port Everglades

A dockworkers' strike at PortMiami, Port Everglades, and across the country shut down major U.S. ports on Tuesday. The 45,000-strong walkout threatens product shortages and higher prices before the holiday shopping season.

Over 40% of U.S. containerized goods pass through these ports, putting industries like pharmaceuticals, auto manufacturing, and perishables like bananas at risk of shortages if the strike continues.

The International Longshoremen's Association is demanding a fair contract without job automation while shipping companies have offered wage increases and retirement benefits.

The White House is urging negotiations but says President Joe Biden doesn't plan to intervene, despite warnings from business groups that a strike could cost the economy an estimated $5 billion per day.

Helene Clean-up Continues

Manatee County is seeking 300 volunteers daily to help areas impacted by Hurricane Helene. Volunteers will work in pairs to conduct surveys, with training and meals provided.

With 540 homes in the county considered a total loss, damage estimates are pushing $355 million. You can sign up to volunteer here.

The City of Tampa and Hillsborough County have opened six comfort stations where residents affected by Hurricane Helene can shower, charge devices, grab ice, and get hot meals. You can see the locations here.

Donation drop-off sites opened in Pinellas County on Tuesday. The list of locations and what items are being accepted is available here.

FEMA is warning all Floridians to be alert to fraud post-hurricane.

Ex-State Senator Convicted in Election Conspiracy Trial

A Miami-Dade jury found former Florida Sen. Frank Artiles guilty on three of four felony charges Monday, including making and conspiring to make illegal campaign contributions and falsifying a candidate oath form.

Artiles was accused of offering $50,000 to “ghost candidate” Alex Rodriguez to run as a third-party candidate in 2020 to siphon votes from the Democrat incumbent in the District 37 race.

Rodriguez successfully received over 6,000 votes in the election, and Republican candidate Illeana Garcia beat the incumbent by 32 votes.

The three charges each carry a sentence of up to five years in prison. Sentencing will happen sometime after Oct. 21, as the defense requested a pre-sentence investigation.

Rewriting America’s Energy Future

When America sets its mind to something, it gets done. Recently, America set its mind on bringing lithium production and industry back within its borders. Rather than depend on China, which processes 70-80% of the precious metal, the US is counting on companies like EnergyX to get the most of the third-largest lithium reserves in the world.

EnergyX’s patented tech extracts lithium 300% more efficiently than conventional methods. Plus, where those methods take 12+ months, EnergyX needs just two days. That’s a key reason the U.S. Dept. of Energy gave EnergyX a $5M grant and General Motors led a $50M funding round in EnergyX.

Now you have a chance to secure your stake in America’s energy renaissance. Join EnergyX as an early investor before their raise closes tomorrow, October 3.

➤ Statewide: Over 1.6 million ballots for November's presidential election have been mailed as vote-by-mail requests surge. Over 3,200 ballots have been returned to election supervisors thus far. (See Totals)

➤ Pinellas County: Bridges to barrier islands reopened on Tuesday, allowing residents to get the first in-person look at hurricane damage. To deter looting, law enforcement has deployed 60 marked and unmarked deputies. (More)

➤ Meanwhile, two Pinellas County elementary schools and one Pasco County school suffered severe damage and will remain closed for months, officials said. (More)

➤ The Villages: This is the best retirement town for America’s middle class, according to GOBankingRates’ new study. Four other Florida towns made the Top 10. (See List)

➤ Cape Canaveral: SpaceX has paused all rocket launches while engineers investigate why the Falcon 9 upper stage from Saturday’s NASA Crew-9 mission splashed down outside its target zone. (See Details)

➤ Navarre Beach: Tourism officials plan to add a visitors center and boardwalk to the pier and pavilions, with $5 million in tourist tax revenue saved for the project. (See Video)

➤ Tyreek Hill was seen yelling at Miami Dolphins players and coaches on the team’s sideline during the Dolphins’ rough loss to the Tennessee Titans on Monday. (Watch Video)

➤ No. 8 Miami will see the return of one of its top defensive players this week, with star pass rusher Rueben Bain set to play for the first time since Week 1. (More)

➤ Florida State will turn to redshirt freshman Brock Glenn at quarterback after starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei went down with a finger injury. (More)

Yesterday’s Results: MLB | NHL | WNBA

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Losing your hearing? Don’t pay $2,500+ for a prescription; try this new OTC Hearing Aid for only $189 from Audien Atom! (See It Here)

➤ Small businesses in counties impacted by Hurricane Helene can apply for a portion of $15 million through FloridaCommerce's Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program, which provides short-term, zero-interest loans. (See Details)

➤ Miami-based Carnival raised its annual profit forecast for the third time on Monday, driven by strong demand for cruise vacations and higher prices. (More)

➤ A massive land deal in Lake County’s Wellness Way region closed last week. A Fort Lauderdale-based partnership between Canadian homebuilders and Treasure Hill Homes purchased over 2,400 acres for $166.5 million. (More)

➤ Paul Singer’s Elliott Management, a hedge fund known for its aggressive tactics, is spending $450 million to acquire an office tower in Miami’s financial district. (See Details)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Simply by holding it in your hand, The Chill Pill quickly relieves anxiety and insomnia. This revolutionary new drug-free method is safe, has zero side effects, and is proven to be effective for people of all ages. (See It Here)

GM Bets Big on This “Unlisted” Stock

414,469 tons. That’s how much lithium GM will need per year to meet its 2035 EV target, which is why they led a $50M investment round in EnergyX. Their patented tech extracts lithium 300% better than conventional methods. Plus, where those methods take 12+ months, EnergyX needs just two days.

They have rights to 100,000+ acres of lithium-rich Chilean land and earned a $5M DOE grant toward a recently announced US lithium plant. Now they’re aiming to produce 65,000 tons of lithium/yr for the $546B energy storage market.

Invest in EnergyX by tomorrow’s deadline.

^{This is a paid advertisement for EnergyX's Regulation A+ Offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.energyx.com/.}

➤ The Carnival Conquest cruise ship plugged into a specially built electrical substation at PortMiami and fully shut down its engines, marking the first time a Southeastern port has provided “shore power” to a docked ship. (More)

➤ Businesses looking to open on-site childcare facilities for employees can apply for tax credits. A new law offers up to $3,600 per employee and a separate credit covering 50% of startup costs. (See Details)

➤ Fall foliage in Florida? Here’s when and where you can see the colors. (More)

Flying together with our sponsor

➤ Convert your home movies and photos to digital. With iMemories, enjoy your most cherished memories like never before! We professionally convert all of your home movies and photos into a digital format so you can easily view, share, and enjoy them on every device. (See It Here)