March 19, 2024

Wednesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 10/18/2017

UF security concerns grow for Richard Spencer speech

Security concerns for the Thursday speech planned by white nationalist Richard Spencer increased after its organizer took over the role of ticket distribution for the event. Now the group will hand out tickets based on whether someone looks to support the Alternative Right movement. More from the Tallahassee Democrat and the Miami Herald.

See also:
» 'It’s basically a powder keg right now': University of Florida braces for Richard Spencer speech
» Florida’s governor is trying to avoid another Charlottesville
» Florida brewery offers free beer for tossing Richard Spencer tickets
» Social media captures reaction to Richard Spencer's upcoming Florida visit

Panel says no to nearly all 2,012 public proposals for revising Florida constitution

After hours of hearings, the Constitution Revision Commission received more than 2,000 ideas from the public for updating the state Constitution. Tuesday, it rejected nearly all of them. More from the Times/Herald.

Auto rental giant Sixt selects Fort Lauderdale for North American headquarters, creating 300 new jobs

Gov. Rick Scott announced today that Sixt North America, a global auto rental company, has selected Fort Lauderdale as the location for their new, expanded North American headquarters. The expansion will create 300 new jobs and invest $10.4 million in the local community. The company chose Fort Lauderdale over other potential sites in Georgia, Texas and California. Sixt Rent-a-Car has more than 2,000 locations in over 100 countries. Full news release here.

Column: Florida’s minority businesses need tax cuts most

In Florida, there are nearly 930,000 minority-owned businesses, which make up almost half of the state’s small businesses. Our government needs to reward these life-changing entrepreneurs with a tax code that helps them help others, rather than impeding them at every turn. More from Florida Politics.

JEA board OKs major solar-power expansion

The JEA board of directors unanimously approved a major solar-power program Tuesday that will invest millions expanding its use of solar panels to about the size of a small power plant, a move even environmental advocates praised as a major step forward for the Jacksonville utility. More from the Florida Times-Union.

Research and Innovation
From the ashes

florida University of Florida research team may dig up a long-buried source of new revenue for Miami-Dade government: 165,000 tons of ash created each year at the county’s Resources Recovery Facility that now is a costly disposal problem. The university researchers now are under contract to determine if this waste byproduct can instead be a valuable, revenue-producing substitute for the coal ash that is now a vital ingredient in the production of cement.

» More from Miami Today.

Event
Made in Tampa Bay Expo

florida originalsOn Thursday, Hillsborough Community College will host a Made in Tampa Bay Expo, an event that will showcase products made in the Tampa, St. Petersburg and Clearwater metro areas. The event will offer attendees the chance to discover local manufacturers, find out how the products are made and what they contribute to the economy.

» Read more from the Business Observer and see more details from the Bay Area Manufacturers Association.

Tags: Daily Pulse, Afternoon Pulse

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