Friday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 3/24/2017

Florida jobless rate flat even though state lost jobs

Florida lost 5,000 jobs in February while the state's overall unemployment rate remains unchanged. State officials announced Friday that the jobless rate remained 5 percent last month. That's higher than the overall national unemployment rate of 4.7 percent. After leading the nation in job growth in January, however, Florida lost jobs. Still, Florida's overall job growth rate in the past year has been among the highest in the nation. [Source: AP]

How Florida became the tennis capital of the world

Tennis in the U.S. got its start in the grass-court clubs of the Northeast, but it was popularized on the hard courts of California. It wasn’t until the Open era, and the advent of the private tennis academy in Florida, that top prospects stopped going west and started heading south. More from Tennis.com.

South Florida leads the nation in the gap between wages and housing

Habitat for Humanity says, "South Florida ranks No. 1 in the gap between wages and housing." Although there are other metro areas with similarly expensive housing, wages lag behind in South Florida. More from Politifact.

Will Sen. Bill Nelson filibuster Trump's Supreme Court pick?

Democrats are lining up to oppose Neil Gorsuch, President Trump's Supreme Court nominee, but Florida Sen. Bill Nelson isn't saying where he stands. A filibuster would force Republicans to upend Senate rules to allow for a simple majority. Nelson previously said he supports 60-vote threshold for a Supreme Court nominee. "You bet I do. The filibuster has always forced the political extremes to come of the middle to build consensus," he said. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Panama City Beach loses push for Christian spring break concerts

The push to find a big new spring break crowd for Florida’s Panama City Beach isn’t yet working out as hoped. Private promoters cancelled a scheduled series of Christian music concerts that locals hoped would bring spring business back to the Gulf Coast beach town after a crackdown shooed away lots of college spring breakers. More from the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Awards
FSU professor honored for lifetime contributions to choral music

André J. Thomas, Owen F. Sellers Professor of Music in the FSU College of Music, has received the highest award conferred by the American Choral Directors Association (ACDA). Thomas was recognized as the association’s 2017 Robert Shaw Choral Award winner at the ACDA National Conference earlier this month. The award is presented every two years to a choral leader who has made unusual contributions to the art of choral music. » Full story here.

Encounters
Florida elephant ranch is something you’ll never forget

florida originals If you’re in Florida, you might not have to travel too far to get the elephant experience of your dreams. Two Tails Ranch is located near Gainesville and lets people feed, bathe and even ride one of its eight elephants. [Source: Palm Beach Post]