Thursday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 12/1/2016

Carnival's Princess unit to pay record $40 million for dumping oil

Princess Cruise Lines, a subsidiary of Miami-based Carnival Corporation, will plead guilty to seven felony charges of polluting the seas and trying to cover it up, and will pay a record $40 million criminal penalty. “The conduct being addressed today is particularly troubling because the Carnival family of companies has a documented history of environmental violations, including in the Southern District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Ferrer. Princess and cruise ships from seven other Carnival Corp.-owned brands including Carnival, Holland America and Seabourn will be under a court supervised Environmental Compliance Program for five years. In addition, $3 million of the $10 million community service payments will go to environmental projects in South Florida. More from Reuters, here.

» Read the full news release from the U.S. Justice Department
» Also see a video statement expressing remorse from Princess Cruises

American Airlines trims daily flight schedule to Cuba, citing weak demand

U.S. airlines were ecstatic earlier this year when it was announced that commercial flights would resume to Cuba after more than 50 years. Yet as U.S. airlines began flights this week to Havana, the long-awaited travel surge to Cuba is already in doubt. More from the Miami Herald.

5 percent raise proposed for Florida law enforcement members

Florida Gov. Rick Scott wants the state's highway patrol troopers, wildlife officers and state law-enforcement agents to get a 5 percent pay raise next year. Scott will announce the proposal Thursday during a visit to a Florida Highway Patrol station in Orlando. Read Gov. Scott's full statement and more from WKMG.

Half million Floridians sign up for Obamacare coverage in 2017

Florida’s voters may have gone for President-elect Donald Trump, whose campaign promised to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, but many state residents still appear to be fond of the health law better known as Obamacare. More from the Miami Herald.

Orange County's Barbara Jenkins named school 'Superintendent of the Year'

Orange County's Barbara Jenkins was named the state's top school district leader this week. She was recognized as the Superintendent of the Year at the Florida Association of District School Superintendents and Florida School Board Association conference in Tampa. Full news release here.

Out of the Box
Miami Art Week: Giant tongues and vanishing steel

Artistic eye-grabbers so far at Miami Art Week include a disappearing sculpture, a 3D-printed champagne bucket made from dried grape skins, and a functional slide in the shape of a giant pink human tongue on sale for $26,000.

» More from the Miami Herald.

Master Paletas
Master Paletas

Master Paletas, manufacturers of handmade gourmet ice pops, was started with help from the Small Business Development Center at FIU. The expert consultants at the Florida SBDC at FIU helped with market research, development of a business plan, finding a warehouse for the factory, permitting and licensing.