COVID vaccine difficult to get.
It used to be you could walk into most pharmacies and get a COVID booster shot. That is changing. When trying to schedule a shot online, CVS says due to state restrictions or inventory, COVID vaccinations are not available. And when they are, a prescription from your doctor may be required. Walgreens states COVID shots are unavailable in Florida due to the official recommendation from the CDC. Publix Pharmacies appear to still be offering the shot, but require a consent form be completed before booking an appointment. The CDC has narrowed the eligibility requirements, and is offering confusing guidance on the importance of COVID vaccinations. And the program that covered the cost of the COVID vaccination for uninsured people was terminated on August 31st.
Tobacco use in Florida schools increases.
More and more Florida students are vaping during school hours. According to a Tampa Bay Times analysis of state and district data tobacco-related incidents in Florida schools surged in recent years, and most now involve vaping. Vaping’s increase comes as other infractions, such as fighting and bullying, remains steady. One county school district superintendent reports vaping has now spread into elementary schools. Florida legislators have tried to crack down. A new law phased out sales of single use nicotine vapes marketed to children.
Rocket launch double-header.
SpaceX has scheduled a Falcon 9 launch for tomorrow morning. The four hour launch window opens at 7:06AM. And that will be followed on Thursday morning with a window that opens at 7:18AM. Both are Starlink satellite missions.
In other space news, NASA is preparing for a mission to study solar wind and its impact on Earth. The IMAP mission is expected to launch from the Cape in late September atop a Falcon 9 rocket. IMAP will travel to a point a million miles from Earth to collect data and provide up to 30 minutes of warning before harmful radiation reaches Earth.
Florida’s immigrant population is third-largest.
Florida’s so-called unauthorized immigrant population grew more than any other state in recent years. That’s according to a recent report from the Pew Research Center, which analyzed data from 2023. It shows that about 14-million unauthorized immigrants were in the U.S. “Unauthorized immigrants” is a broad term used by Pew that includes the almost 6 million immigrants that had protections from deportation in 2023. A 2025 analysis from Pew, however, shows there has been an overall DECREASE this year in the number of residents who are immigrants. Florida has the third-largest immigrant population in the U.S, both unauthorized and authorized.
State agency tries to attract more tourists.
The state agency tasked with attracting more tourists, Visit Florida, has launched a new advertising campaign. WFIT’s Terri Wright shares details:
As part of a brand refresh, Visit Florida is introducing a new TV and digital ad campaign this month. Lawmakers again funded the agency with $80 million to boost tourism, which generates about $40 billion in tax revenue annually and saves Florida families an estimated $2,000 each. While international travel is rebounding, it remains below the 2019 peak of 14 million visitors, with Canadian travel this spring down 13.4% from last year.
