Wednesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 3/26/2014

Florida's Indian casinos’ gamble pays off

The Seminole Tribe of Florida is proving there are more to casino resorts than just gambling. New numbers released Wednesday show the state’s eight Indian casinos again increased non-gambling revenue by 25 percent in 2012. In comparison, Indian facilities nationwide only notched a 2.7 percent increase on average. More at the AP and CBS Miami.

Welcome to spring: Durable goods log big jump in February

Orders for long-lasting U.S. manufactured goods rebounded more than expected in February and shipments snapped two straight months of declines, providing fresh signs the economy was shaking off some of its winter gloom. More at Reuters.

Top incomes can be fleeting

Entertainment

'American Horror Story' plans Florida 'Freak Show'

American Horror Story creator Ryan Murphy has used the past three seasons of his FX drama to explore a modern-day "murder house," a 1960s asylum, and the centuries-long history of a New Orleans witches' coven. What stereotypically creepy setting will American Horror Story explore in season four? The most stereotypical of all: a carnival. This one set in Jupiter, Florida in the 1950s.

» Read more from The Week, the Orlando Sentinel and the Times-Picayune.

There are few lifetime memberships in the exclusive club of high-income taxpayers. In fact, there's a lot of turnover in the top 1%, entry into which took at least $389,000 of adjusted gross income in 2011 -- a threshold met by nearly 1.37 million returns that year. More at CNN Money.

Shortage of dentists varies by area

While reports of an impending shortage of dentistry graduates have circulated, experts said enough people are entering the field – but just not enough are practicing in rural areas. “Everyone wants to say, ‘Oh, we don’t have enough dentists’,” said Dr. Terry Buckenheimer, president of the Florida Dental Association and a trustee for the American Dental Association. “But that’s not it.” More at Miami Today.

Steaming into Fleet Week: A ship with 9/11 steel

All but scuttled by government budget cuts last spring, Fleet Week will resurface this year, yet humbly: only a single Navy warship will visit. But that ship, the USS New York, is a virtual vessel of history. Its bow stem is crafted out of 7.5 tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Out of the Box
Lions and Tigers and PTSD

Abandoned bears, tigers and cougars could soon be helping combat veterans deal with post-traumatic stress disorder. That's the hope of a Florida massage therapist who's convinced that some of the world's deadliest predators can teach people how to manage their stress levels. More from the New York Daily News and the Orlando Sentinel.