ROUNDING CASH PURCHASES TO THE NEAREST 5 CENTS
The Florida Legislature has passed a bill allowing businesses to round cash purchases to the nearest 5 cents. Lawmakers passed this new measure, SB 1074, with bipartisan support during the final week of the 60-day legislative session that ended on March 13. It will take effect as soon as Governor Ron DeSantis signs it. For lawmakers, this measure simply makes sense.
Jeff Lenard, spokesperson for the National Convenience Store Association, told WLRN: “Many stores have had a very hard time getting their hands on pennies. They’re doing everything they can behind the scenes to ensure the customer doesn’t notice the problem.” ”
On November 12, 2025, the U.S. federal government officially ceased production of new 1-cent coins (pennies) intended for circulation. It argues that their production cost far exceeded their face value of 1 cent.
While some consumers fear that rounding up to the nearest 5 cents only benefits retailers, Lenard explains that in reality, retailers are just as likely to gain a few cents as they are to lose them.
A “SUPER EL NIÑO” ON THE HORIZON: WHAT IMPACT ON HURRICANES?
According to forecasters at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), El Niño is expected to develop this summer and subsequently turn into a “super El Niño” by October, which would hinder hurricane formation.
In the summer, El Niño generally reduces the risk of hurricanes in Florida because the phenomenon generates wind shear at high altitudes over the Atlantic, causing storms to dissipate as they form over the ocean.
Currently, La Niña is fading, and according to NOAA forecasters, there is a 62% chance that El Niño will develop in June, July, and August. And the South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that Pacific sea surface temperature trends indicate there is a 33% chance that a “super “ El Niño will occur in October, November, and December, because if these sea surface temperatures reach about four degrees Fahrenheit above average (an increase of about 2.22 degrees Celsius), forecasters refer to it as a ”super El Niño. »
FLORIDA THREATENED BY A HISTORIC SURGE OF SARGASSUM THIS SUMMER
We don’t like them, but their return could be more dramatic than ever! That’s right, a record-breaking invasion of Sargassum is currently heading toward Florida and the Caribbean.
This year, scientists estimate that 9.5 million tons of these floating brown algae are drifting westward from the South Atlantic, forming an exceptional portion of the Atlantic’s great Sargassum belt.
These masses of algae, which have reached unprecedented sizes, provide a valuable habitat at sea for fish, crabs, and turtles thanks to their numerous crevices. But once washed ashore, they become a scourge: they accumulate daily, emit a rotten-egg smell as they decompose, attract insects, smother sea turtle nests, and can cause fish deaths.
Researchers at the University of South Florida, who monitor these blooms via satellite, observed a rapid increase in Sargassum clusters in March. They attribute this surge to global warming, changes in ocean currents, and increased nutrient levels in the ocean. The phenomenon threatens the region’s ecosystems, tourism, and coastal economies.
