Tuesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 6/17/2014

Support grows for more open relations with Cuba

About half of Cuban-Americans surveyed in Miami support an end to the U.S. embargo of Cuba. Even more support resuming diplomatic relations with the communist island's government. That's according to a Florida International University poll released Tuesday. More from NBC Miami, the Miami Herald, and Reuters.

UCF pledges $10 million to Osceola County research center

The University of Central Florida and Osceola County struck a preliminary deal Monday to build a $61-million "smart sensors" research center that could lead to the creation of thousands of high-tech jobs. The sensors are cutting-edge technology used in automobiles, medical devices, home appliances and smart phones. More at the Orlando Sentinel.

Entrepreneurs buzzing over Medical Marijuana in Florida

Research Florida

Autism Research - Ana Castejon

Florida university researchers generate more than $1 billion in grants annually. The money pays for an array of research, some of which eventually becomes the foundation for startup companies.

» Read a Q&A with researcher Ana Castejon

If the November ballot measure legalizing marijuana for medical use in Florida passes, regulations that would set up a market for medical marijuana in Florida are still at least a year away. But cannabis entrepreneurs from around the country are already setting up shop in the state. More at NPR.

Why every successful business is LinkedIn

With a heightened focus on professional development and career services, LinkedIn is becoming an essential tool for businesses. The social networking site signs up a new member every second, has more than 200 million subscribers across 200 countries, and has seen its stock rate more than quadruple since 2011. More at the North Central Florida Business Report.

Pratt opens new jet-engine center

Pratt & Whitney on Monday officially opened its new 100,000-square-foot jet-engine center on its northwestern Palm Beach County campus. A total of 340 workers are expected to ultimately work at the engine center. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Tech Trends
Blocking big brother

When Jeffrey Sisk learned in the wake of the Edward Snowden scandal that the federal government was getting easy access to the internet activity of Americans, his first reaction was anger. He created a search engine called Zeekly.com that, unlike Google and many other search engines, does not store the metadata of its users.