Tuesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 12/23/2014

Florida overtakes New York as third most populous state

Florida has officially overtaken New York as the third most populous state in the country, the U.S. Census Bureau reported. Between July 1, 2013 and July 1, 2014, Florida added 293,000 residents, reaching 19.9 million. The population of New York increased by 51,000 to 19.7 million. California remains the nation's most populous state in 2014, with 38.8 million residents, followed by Texas, at 27 million. More at Tampa Bay Times.

The roaring U.S. economy

U.S. growth rate hits 5%, strongest in a decade
The nation's third-quarter economic performance was the strongest in more than 10 years, as consumers continue to spend more as they feel emboldened by a stronger job market, a stronger housing market and rising stocks. More at Fortune, Bloomberg, and Reuters.
See also:
» Consumer spending beats forecast as U.S. gasoline costs drop

Around the State
The wrath of Khan

Jacksonville entrepreneur Elton Rivas, founder of KYN, a business incubator meant to help winners of the One Spark crowdsourcing festival, has drawn the wrath of billionaire Shad Khan, who has withdrawn his $1.1 million contribution to KYN.

» Access full story

Dow hits 18,000 for first time; S&P 500 at all-time high
The Dow hit the 18,000 milestone for the first time ever Tuesday, putting an exclamation point on a stellar year. Not to be outdone, the S&P 500 is also trading at an all-time high. The two indexes are now up nearly 9% and 13% in 2014, respectively. More at CNN.

Space Florida sets course on reviving Cape launch pads

Space Florida is trying to land a couple of private companies, including one that could service human flights, by promising to upgrade two launch pads at Cape Canaveral. More at CBS Miami.

Panther deaths in Florida hit record high in 2014

A rebound in the number of endangered panthers in Florida has created another problem for wildlife managers: an increasing number of road kills. So far this year, a record 30 Florida panthers have been killed by vehicles, marking a new low in the decades-long struggle to save the tawny cat from extinction. More at the Miami Herald.

Better Business Bureau warns of online order scam

Scammers are taking advantage of the holiday shopping rush with fake emails that appear to be confirming an order. The Better Business Bureau has issued a scam alert advising consumers to watch out for these emails as they wrap up their last-minute shopping. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Business Profile
Marching to the beat of a different drum

Ed Mendel started building drum kits when his business building houses slowed down. He creates drums from timber recovered from local rivers. Now, the drummer who has been playing since middle school has a place to showcase his handiwork.