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Wednesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida's economy ranks near top in the nation
Great weather that attracts hordes of tourists, growth in non-farm payrolls, a recovering housing market and a $15 billion state government surplus all played a role in Florida being ranked as the seventh-best economy among the 50 states. Read more from the Orlando Business Journal and the Palm Beach Post and see the full rankings from Business Insider.
Florida Trend Exclusive
MBA programs go beyond the core at Florida universities
With demand for MBA programs remaining flat and executives demanding more from their degrees, Florida universities are offering specialized programs. Students now are able to choose from among more than 50 specialized MBA programs at Florida’s universities Access full story.
Budget, health care issues cloud Legislature's opening day
The Republican-led Florida Legislature kicked off its annual session Tuesday with the usual pomp, but the celebratory nature was overshadowed by lingering questions about the state budget, tax cuts and health care. [Source: AP]
See also:
» Gov. Rick Scott opens session with sales pitch to lawmakers
States work to protect electric grid
Congress has commissioned reports and held hearings over the years on bills focused on protecting the grid from catastrophic disturbances, but it hasn't taken any action. So a number of state legislators have decided to file their own grid-related measures, and in some cases, the legislation has been adopted. [Source: WFTS]
Bartering helps small businesses conserve cash
Bret Hughes, owner of Seaside Grill in Pompano Beach, is one of many small businesses that have learned the value of trading what they have for what they need. He is a member of member of Revenu.biz, formerly known as NuBarter, an 8-year-old barter business in Palm Beach and Broward counties run by Karen Roumay. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Family and medical leave expanded to gay spouses
Florida workers who are gay and married in the state can now apply to their employers for leave to care for their spouses with a health condition, under the revised Family and Medical Leave Act.
› Massey Services moves into South Carolina with acquisition
Orlando-based Massey Services announced Tuesday it will acquire South Carolina-based Wolf Pest Control, expanding the Massey footprint into South Carolina. Sale price was not disclosed.
› Miami delegation to go to Israel to learn about its tech hub
Through a $75,000 grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, a dozen Miami entrepreneurs and leaders in the tech startup community will travel to Israel in March with Project Interchange.
› Florida leads nation in fraud, ID theft
Florida remained the hotspot for fraud and identity theft in 2014, burdened by the highest per-person rate of consumer complaints in the nation. Among metro areas, South Florida topped the list for ID-theft complaints for the fifth year in a row.
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