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Thursday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida jobless claims tick up
Florida saw a slight jump in first-time unemployment claims coming out of the holiday period. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday estimated 5,833 initial unemployment claims were filed last week in Florida, up from a revised count of 4,081 during the week that ended Dec. 30. The state has averaged 5,279 claims over the past four weeks and 5,775 since the start of 2023. More from the News Service of Florida.
Florida banking and finance bills to watch this legislative session
There's a number of banking and financial bills proposed this year that could affect businesses in the Sunshine State. Legislators have until July to decide on several bills geared toward the finance industry. Some of the most significant include: decreased Office of Financial Regulation (OFR) transparency requirements for new bank applicants(HB85 and SB104); increased beneficiary/bank regulation for money transfers (HB593 and SB772); and allowing public deposits for credit unions (HB611 and SB1018). More from the South Florida Business Journal.
Florida ranks third in calls to the human trafficking hotline
January is Human trafficking awareness Month in Florida and Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez held a presser on the topic this week. As a member of the Statewide Council on Human Trafficking, she has positioned Florida as a leader in addressing the global challenge. According to Nuñez, the average age of a sexually exploited child is 12 and Florida's first human trafficking laws were passed more than two decades ago. More from WFLA.
A Florida study looks at how coronavirus spreads between humans and animals
Scientists with the University of South Florida want to learn more about how the coronavirus spreads between humans and wildlife. They’re involved in a national study funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "We know there are over 50 species of animals, all mammals, which can get infected with the virus that causes COVID-19," said Andrew Kramer, an integrative biologist at USF who is leading the study. More from WFSU.
Florida Chamber releases ‘Where We Stand’ business agenda for 2024 Session
The Florida Chamber of Commerce has released its 2024 Florida Business Agenda, outlining top priorities for the business community heading into the 2024 Legislative Session. The Florida Chamber releases its “Where We Stand” business agenda each year ahead of the Legislative Session. As in past editions, the 2024 agenda focuses on policies the Chamber believes will help Florida’s economy become one of the 10 largest in the world by 2030. More from Florida Politics.
Tech Trends
AI could yield cheaper, better manatee counts, new study finds
Is there any job AI can't do better? Now you can count "manatee counter" among them. Artificial intelligence could be key to getting more accurate and affordable real-time manatee counts, according to a pioneering study published recently in Scientific Reports. And AI sea-cow counts would help biologists react faster to threats to the species, the study suggests.
» More from Florida Today.
Out of the Box
A Tampa Gasparilla parade of dogs dressed as pirates? Can you stand it?
Dogs have long been part of Tampa’s Gasparilla festivities. Festooned in beads, bandanas and sometimes full pirate regalia, they can be spotted along the parade routes, some of them better behaved than the people at the other end of their leashes. This year, dogs get a new canine-centric event for Tampa’s more-than-a-century-old Gasparilla season of balls, parties and invading pirates.
» Read more from the Tampa Bay Times.
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