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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
How Florida ignited the heroin epidemic
For years, Florida’s repeated failure to rein in its homegrown prescription painkiller scourge nourished a bumper crop of opioid addicts and dealers. When Florida finally turned off the free-flowing oxycodone spigot in 2011, drug users in states once fed by Florida oxycodone did exactly what users in Palm Beach County and Florida did: They turned to heroin. More from the Palm Beach Post and the Tampa Bay Times.
U.S. government OKs Florida's Hurricane Irma recovery plan
The state's plan says $273 million will be spent fixing and rebuilding 6,000 homes. Another $100 million will be used to build affordable housing, $75 million to buyout homes in high-risk areas, $62 million for administration and $60 million for small business recovery. More about how Florida will use/distribute the money, here. Also read more at theAP
Consumers expected to spend a little less on food for the 4th
The Florida Retail Federation (FRF) expects spending on food for Fourth of July cookouts and picnics to be down slightly this year. With the holiday landing on Wednesday, consumers won't be spending quite as much on food. However, 2018 spending is still expected to be 2nd highest on record. More in this news release.
‘Largest health-care fraud’ takedown ever nets 124 in South Florida
The South Florida United States Attorney’s Office announced 124 charges against South Florida doctors, nurses and other licensed medical professionals on Thursday as part of what authorities are calling the largest nation-wide takedown on health care fraud and those fueling the opioid crisis. See the full news release from the U.S. Attorneys office, here. Also read morea at WLRN and the Palm Beach Post.
Want one of Florida’s highest paying jobs? Here’s a list of the top 20
Do you have a ground-breaking theory on where the universe’s antimatter is hiding? Maybe you are exceptional at calculating risk, or enjoy rooting around in mouths or examining feet. Those jobs — physicist, actuary, dentist, podiatrist — would put you in one of the state’s 53 occupations that paid an average of at least $100,000. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Two Tripp Scott directors selected as 2018 Legal Elite honorees
The 2018 list of Legal Elites includes two of Tripp Scott's directors. Congratulations, Catalina Avalos and Stephanie Toothaker. [Sponsored report]
ICYMI: Education news in Florida
Big week in education news in Florida! Here are just a few headlines from our weekly report:
• USF joins UF, FSU as preeminent university
• More Florida schools earning high marks
• Football programs help small private colleges in Florida
• Florida State's four-year graduation rate is No. 1
› Naples company finding sweet success in sugar substitute market
To celebrate a decade since founding Pyure Brands — a company that has disrupted the sugar substitute market — Benjamin Fleischer recently pledged $50,000 to Florida Gulf Coast University’s Entrepreneurship Scholarship Program.
› Florida-based AssuredPartners acquires B&W Brokers of London
AssuredPartners Inc., the Lake Mary, Fla.-based insurance broker, has acquired B&W Brokers Ltd. of London. Specializing in providing casualty and property insurance and placing binding authorities, B&W services clients in Canada, Australia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and North America.
› Former Fitbit, Apple executives join Orlando self-driving car tech company
Bill Zerella, who for four years was chief financial officer at the consumer tech company Fitbit, has been hired by Luminar Technologies into the same position. Meanwhile, Tami Rosen, who has been at Apple, Quora and Goldman Sachs, has been named the company’s chief people officer.
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