Tuesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 11/12/2013

Trade to accelerate in next six months

Prospects for trade are looking up. Sixty-seven percent of U.S. business leaders are expecting to see a rapid increase in the volume of exports and imports over the next six months, according to the HSBC Global Connections Trade Report. More at the Miami Herald.

JetBlue opens call center near Orlando airport

JetBlue Airways opened a call center near Orlando International Airport today that could employ up to 500 people. The first 25 workers are now taking calls, according to JetBlue, the low-cost carrier that is the third busiest airline at Orlando International. More at the Orlando Sentinel.

Trader Joe's opening in Pembroke Pines in 2014

Editor's Column

Sometimes, efficiency Is overrated

Florida Trend Executive Editor Mark Howard explains how the drive for efficiency and preoccupation with process can sometimes obliterate the whole point of the process: The customer.

» Read Mark Howard's column.

For Broward County, the wait is finally over. Yes, you will get your very own Trader Joe's, in Pembroke Pines no less, come 2014. It seems like the hip California-based grocer has been spreading like wildfire across the South Florida landscape this year. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Lawmaker wants to do away with 50-year-old beer regulation

Craft beers from microbreweries are steadily increasing their share of the alcohol market throughout the U.S. But, one lawmaker says the Sunshine State’s archaic beer regulations are holding Florida’s burgeoning craft beer industry back. More at the WFSU.

Cruise season ramps up at South Florida ports

As the 2013-14 peak cruise season heats up, several newly built ships will be sailing from South Florida ports. More cruise ships now are being positioned in South Florida for Caribbean sailings than last season due to continued weakness in Europe. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Out of the Box
How Waffle House Became A Disaster Indicator

For shelter and supplies after a devastating storm, communities turn to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). But for a clear sense of how bad things are, FEMA turns to Waffle House. Nearly a decade ago, Florida’s emergency management chief, W. Craig Fugate, noticed that when information was scarce after a disaster, the status of a 24-hour Waffle House restaurant often indicated whether an area had electricity, gas, and passable roads. So he created a three-color rating: green (fully open), yellow (limited menu), and red (closed). Then he brought it with him to his current post as FEMA’s administrator.