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Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Small business optimism growing in Florida
A new survey of small businesses in North Carolina, South Carolina, Florida and California showed growing optimism about economic conditions regarding their business and future success, even when considering recent local and global events. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Insider reveals deceptive strategy behind Florida’s solar amendment
The policy director of a think tank hired by Florida’s largest electric utilities admitted at a conference this month what opponents have claimed for months: The industry attempted to deceive voters into supporting restrictions on the expansion of solar by shrouding Amendment 1 as a pro-solar amendment. Below is audio from Sal Nuzzo, a vice president at the James Madison Institute in Tallahassee, recorded at the State Energy/Environment Leadership Summit in Nashville on Oct. 2. Nuzzo details the strategy used by the state’s largest utilities to create and finance Amendment 1:
Read more at the Miami Herald.
King tide causes big problems for Miami Beach businesses
The king tide is still causing a lot of problems for businesses around South Florida, but some business owners in Miami Beach said it doesn't take a king tide to make their storefronts look more like pools than patios. More from WPLG.
Homeownership rate drops in South Florida
The homeownership rate has fallen to its lowest level since mid-2014 in South Florida. Lagging behind the national average since 2009, the region's homeownership rate dropped to 57.5 percent at midyear compared with the national average of 63.6 percent. More from the Daily Business Review.
Upcoming sporting events mean big bucks for Jacksonville economy
The JaxSports Council and the city of Jacksonville are preparing for a busy back-to-back three weeks, with major sporting events expected to bring in upward of an estimated $70 million economic impact to Jacksonville. More from WJXT.
Health Science
Small island, big experiment
Aedes aegypti is at the center of an intense debate about genetically modified mosquitoes. In November, a small group of Florida voters will wade into the center of that debate when they vote on whether to release modified mosquitoes in Key Haven, a small community off of Key West.
» More from FiveThirtyEight .
Around the State
PINC Sarasota
PINC — People, Ideas, Nature and Creativity — made its American debut in Sarasota. Last year, the event moved to a larger venue, attracting about 470 participants and featuring 16 international speakers, who talked for up to 20 minutes each about their life’s work and passions — from neuropsychology to classical music to the mating rituals of cicadas.
In case you missed it:
