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Friday's Afternoon Update

Chinese, the new Florida snowbirds

Investors looking to snap up dwindling real estate deals in Florida are finding themselves facing unexpected competition — from China. With popular property markets like Vancouver and Toronto showing significant signs of softening, Asian investors seem to be shifting their focus south of the border. [Source: The Toronto Star]


IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Brian Johnson is a Florida Icon

brian johnson

The lead singer for the hard rock band AC/DC tells us:

» Florida feels like home. When I go back to England, I feel like I’m visiting.

» I hate Facebook. I hate Twitter. What happened to privacy? I found out there are 11 Brian Johnsons on Facebook who claim they’re me.

» Read more

Legal feud over Spanish-language TV

What began as a highly-touted affiliation between a new Spanish-language national television network and a popular independent local station in Miami has dissolved into a legal dispute of David and Goliath proportions. [Source: Miami Herald]


Gasoline prices at the pump expected to decrease

With gasoline inventories at their highest levels in nearly two years, prices at the pump should begin to decline in coming weeks, industry analysts say. That forecast runs counter to a trend in recent years that shows U.S. retail gasoline prices generally spike between Christmas Day and mid-January. [Source: AP]


» FRIDAY PREVIEW: Coming next week to FloridaTrend.com:

  • Florida's Top Docs Talk Basics: Medical directors of executive health programs in Florida identify the essential health factors every executive shouldn't ignore.
  • Live Chat: Join Florida Trend's live chat on Monday to learn more about Florida's fast-growing charter schools industry. Read more and submit questions now.
  • Low Flow: Apalachicola River's falling water levels.
  • Learning Curve: While Miami-Dade’s real estate crash brought most development to a halt, it provided Chateau Group with the opportunity to ramp up.
  • Profile: 110% : The growing popularity of endurance sports means major revenue growth for Ponte Vedra Beach-based sports apparel maker 110%.

» You'll find all these stories first on the Daily and Afternoon Pulse e-mails.


Florida Agriculture
Farmers fight for funding

farms Florida agricultural organizations are fighting to restore millions of federal dollars lost when the U.S. House of Representatives failed to pass the 2012 Farm Bill before the 112th Congress ended earlier this month. "I'm not big on the ‘nanny state' of government, but some items do require a national oversight to prioritize and coordinate efficient efforts," said Ted Campbell, executive director of the Florida Strawberry Growers Association in Dover.

» Read more from the Lakeland Ledger

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