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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida trailed only California in adding private jobs last month
Florida added a relatively strong 16,400 private-sector jobs last month, indicating it continues to outpace much of the country's economic growth, according to a report released this week. Only California (up 27,900 jobs) outperformed Florida. See a breakdown of July employment by sector, here. Also read more at the Tampa Bay Times and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
New poll shows Florida Senate race too close to call
Marco Rubio's lead over either Democrat trying to block him from having a second term in the U.S. Senate is shrinking, a new Quinnipiac poll of more than 1,000 likely voters show. According to the poll, Republican incumbent Sen. Marco Rubio is at 48 percent of likely voters while U.S. Rep. Patrick Murphy, the Democrat, is at 45 percent. Quinnipiac says this is too close to call. See more results from the Q-poll, here. Also read more at WPBF and Politico.
See also:
» Battle for Florida Senate race echoes presidential campaign
» Clinton, Trump essentially tied in latest poll in Florida
Florida parents sue state over Jeb Bush-era testing rule
Frustrated by rules they see as harmful to their children, a group of parents filed a lawsuit late Tuesday aiming to take down a pillar of Florida's test-driven education system. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
State auctioning more than 70,000 unclaimed items
More than 70,000 unclaimed items are going up for auction this weekend in Tampa. The auction includes items held for years in financial institutions' safety deposit boxes "that have gone unclaimed for years despite extensive efforts to return them to their owners." [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Early citrus estimate expects lowest harvest in 53 years
Florida orange growers will produce just 60.5 million boxes of oranges in the new 2016-17 citrus season. That’s the prediction released Wednesday by Kissimmee-based citrus consultant Elizabeth Steger. Steger’s widely watched estimate is generally considered the first statistically reliable indicator of the upcoming season’s orange crop. [Source: Lakeland Ledger]
› CEO hired to run Nathan Benderson Park in Sarasota
A new president and CEO has been hired for the nonprofit that runs Sarasota County's Nathan Benderson Park. Robert J. Sullivan, an experienced event venue manager in Wichita Falls, Texas, will start Monday.
Florida Trend's annual look at the best companies to work for in the state. Lists include:
• Best Large Companies
• Best Midsized Companies
• Best Small Companies
› Kissimmee advanced manufacturing site lands federal grant
A high-tech research center in Kissimmee that area leaders hope will build Central Florida's reputation in advanced manufacturing landed support from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
› Investigation into Miami-based Providence Financial expands globally
International authorities are participating in investigations into Miami-based Providence Financial Investments and its affiliates, which took in the life savings of hundreds of U.S. investors in an investment scheme involving Brazilian “factoring.”
› Duke Energy Florida customers victimized by utility scam
This summer, Duke Energy Florida has seen an increase in utility payment scams, particularly in the Tampa Bay and greater Orlando areas.
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