Tuesday's Daily Pulse

Posted 2/12/2013

Updated 1 decade ago

Foundations aid in corporate giving

When it comes to corporate giving, businesses have many ways to help. Some like to give directly. Others set up charitable foundations that operate independently with their own mission, their own board of directors and separate financial reports. Those founders typically donate money to the foundations, provide office space and pay for some salaries. A few do both, partly for tax reasons. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida law: BP bonanza

More than 1 million claims have been filed since the BP oil spill in the Gulf. » Go to story

In a legal industry beset by the recession and pressures to become more efficient, a notable niche of growth has involved the final settlement of the BP oil spill. “My firm is growing very, very quickly. We’re hiring a bunch of lawyers,” says Hank Didier Jr., founding partner of Winter Park-based Economic Recovery Group law firm. Full story.

Column: Credit checks keep some people off the job

No one can say how often a job candidate is sent packing because of bad credit, but there were enough anecdotal reports that folks began asking some pointed questions. Namely, with unemployment at record levels, wasn't it counterproductive to deny someone a job because they'd fallen behind on their Visa. And didn't the practice feed a cycle of unemployment, unpaid bills, bad credit and ultimately continued unemployment? [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Florida far behind the nation in factory jobs

Gov. Rick Scott boasts that Florida offers the nation’s best business climate — but he acknowledges the state lags the nation in factory jobs. The nation’s 12 million manufacturing jobs make up 9 percent of the U.S. labor market. But Florida’s 314,800 manufacturing positions account for only 4 percent of the state’s employment. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

State of the Union reply is chance for Rubio to shine

When Marco Rubio gives the official Republican response to the State of the Union speech, it will be a chance for the party's fastest-rising star in years to impress millions of voters who have yet to form an opinion of him. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Olive Garden servers get dressed-in-black look [Orlando Sentinel]
Starting Monday, the chain's 50,000 servers and hosts began wearing an all-black ensemble, replacing a 30-year-old uniform of button-down white shirts and colorful ties with black pants. The switch is one of several that Olive Garden is making as it tries to reverse slipping sales at the chain owned by Orlando-based Darden Restaurants.

› Thousands of wind-storm policies shift out of Citizens [Miami Herald]
Trying to shed some major financial risks, state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. moved forward Monday with a plan to shift thousands of coastal hurricane policies to a private insurer.

› Ritz-Carlton Sarasota tries to tweak its image [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
After spending more than a decade defining luxury lodging in Southwest Florida, the Ritz-Carlton Sarasota is stepping away from exclusive and expensive and turning instead to hip and approachable.

› Eastern Pasco, Hernando on fast track to cycling tourism [Tampa Bay Times]
For the second straight year, the U.S. Military Cycling Team visits the region for the team's annual winter training camp — a potential coup for the Nature Coast.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Florida man at center of immigration debate a guest at Tuesday's State of the Union [Tampa Bay Times]
Jose Godinez-Samperio is in many ways the human face of America's complicated and unresolved debate over immigration and his case is being followed closely across the country.

› Governor joins Machen in bolster [Gainesville Sun]
The University of Florida will have to match $15 million in funding with private money should the Legislature approve Gov. Rick Scott’s proposed support of the university’s mission to be a top-10 public university.

› Sarasota could lose $145 million without Medicaid expansion [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Sarasota could be one of the “hardest hit” counties in the nation if Florida lawmakers don’t expand Medicaid coverage under the federal Affordable Care Act, Gwen MacKenzie, president and CEO of Sarasota Memorial Health Care System testified Monday.

› A Super Bowl may be required for Sun Life Stadium fix-up taxes [Miami Herald]
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez and the Dolphins have agreed to put tax dollars for Sun Life Stadium renovations to a public vote. Gimenez said the referendum could include a Super Bowl requirement.