Wednesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 12/23/2015

Will the U.S. economy slip into recession in 2016?

Although most professional forecasters expect the U.S. economy next year to continue its slow trudge back to respectability, some experts see danger on the horizon. In the ever-uncertain present, a number of headwinds threaten next year to batter the fragile U.S. recovery into submission. More at CBS Moneywatch and the Street.

Orlando market reshapes with younger residents

The post-housing-bust face of Metro Orlando looks different than it did during the high-flying days leading up to the Recession — it got younger, a new study shows. More at the Orlando Sentinel.

Floridians worried about their finances

Floridians turned glum in December about their personal financial situations, according to a University of Florida survey released Wednesday. After feeling more optimistic in November — in time for early holiday shopping — Floridians became sharply pessimistic this month about their own finances. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the AP.

Disney to sell its stake in Fusion

The Walt Disney Co. is in talks to sell off its stake in Fusion, the joint venture between Univision and the Disney-owned ABC News that was launched in 2013 via cable TV and online. More at the Miami Herald.

Holiday rush begins for Southwest Florida tourism industry

It’s hard to know when the Christmas rush really started in Southwest Florida. Traveling actually hasn’t lagged all year. So even as America is bracing for the travel peak of 2015, for many it’s business as usual in Sarasota County. More at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Out of the Box
TSA Confiscates Unusual Items

If you are among the more than one million passengers expected to use Fort Lauderdale's main airport during the holiday travel season, here's some advice: Leave the chainsaw at home and realize that your beautifully wrapped gift might have to be unwrapped.

» More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Around the State
Off Track

Port Canaveral wants to grow its cargo business, but to do that it needs a rail connection. One idea port leaders have proposed would involve building a new track due west and then north to the Kennedy Space Center to connect with tracks owned by Florida East Coast Railway