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Wednesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
The American consumer is back, with an asterisk
Nationally the story is largely the same, whether it’s in the finance-rich suburbs of Charlotte, N.C., the sun-kissed condos of Miami or the most populous state, California, where the jobless rate is falling. Consumption powers about two-thirds of all U.S. economic activity, and it’s noticeably back. [Source: McClatchy]
Preparation matters for businesses dealing with hurricanes
Programs to help worker's families were among tips shared Tuesday in Fort Lauderdale at a session on hurricane preparedness, organized by the South Florida Disaster Resiliency Coalition. The nonprofit advocates a public-private partnership to cope with woes from floods to pandemics. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
The big business of tear gas, explained
Tear gas may be one of the most ubiquitous images on the news looking back over the past several years. White clouds - and people running from them - appear in newsreels depicting uprisings from Ferguson to Cairo. Nonlethal weapons are a $1.6 billion-a-year business, according to Visiongain, a market research firm. [Source: Marketplace]
Opinion: Online education takes off in Florida
Florida is a nationwide leader in online education, with several game-changing initiatives and a far higher percentage of students enrolled in online courses than the national average. [Source: Tallahassee Democrat]
Container shipping rise bodes well for world trade
The world's largest shipping company says it is sending more containers around world, a sign that global trade - and possibly economic growth - is picking up. [Source: AP]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› New map for Congress goes before Florida judge
A Florida judge is going to review a new congressional map approved by the state Legislature. Circuit Judge Terry Lewis is scheduled to hear arguments Wednesday on whether the map approved last week by legislators is constitutional.
› Miami port dredging damaging sea life, state inspectors say
The $205 million dredge project to deepen Port Miami has spread a blanket of silt and clay over the bay bottom that is smothering coral and damaging sea life, state environmental inspectors have found.
› Longtime Florida Blue lobbyist Mike Hightower to retire
Mike Hightower, Florida Blue’s vice president of government and legislative relations, will retire from the company Friday. In addition to his position with Florida Blue, Hightower has long been active in a variety of political and civic issues.
› Manatee tourism bureau looks to European market
As the local tourism industry enjoys a banner year of bookings, tourism bureau officials in Manatee County find themselves making a difficult sales pitch.
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