Wednesday's Daily Pulse
Ethics reforms begin to take shape in Legislature
Less than three weeks into the 60-day session, both the Florida House and Senate are advancing ethics changes designed to hold politicians to higher standards of conduct while they're in office and after they've left. But they are at odds over several of the finer points. Read more from the Orlando Sentinel and see our Legislative Roundup below:
» Senators reveal Medicaid expansion plan
» House panel OKs bill blocking higher workers-comp Rx prices for doctors
» Now’s the time to reform Florida’s Catastrophe Fund
» Fla. Senate committee wants feds to set rates
» Florida gun legislation on back burner
» Hoping for next boom, lawmakers push to ease more growth rules
» Five things to look for in Wednesday’s legislative session
Expectations of online shoppers will shape global shipping
The “real time generation” of consumers who shop online and want their purchases shipped quickly to their homes will shape the global shipment of goods, a PepsiCo executive said Tuesday at conference sponsored by the Jacksonville Port Authority. About 350 people attended the JaxPort Logistics and Intermodal Conference at Omni Amelia Island Plantation Resort. They came from 23 states and Puerto Rico [Source: Florida Times-Union]
$61 million in unclaimed 2009 Florida tax refunds set to expire
The Internal Revenue services says more than 62,000 Floridians have about $61 million in 2009 federal income tax refunds coming to them — but they haven't filed returns yet to get the money. And they are running out of time, according to Mike Dobzinski of the Plantation office of the Internal Revenue Service. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
 Paul Anderson, CEO of the Tampa Port Authority, plans to target imports from Latin America and the Caribbean. Story here. |
Florida Trend Exclusive
Cargo opportunity
Before accepting the offer to become CEO of the Tampa Port Authority, Paul Anderson studied the port’s container numbers: Each year, the port handles about 40,000 containers. By contrast, the Port of Jacksonville — where Anderson was CEO since 2011 — handles about 950,000 containers a year. Anderson took the Tampa job anyway. Full story...
South Florida women top list of state's women-led businesses
Forty-two percent of the women-led companies have annual revenues under $500,000, 23 percent with revenues up to $2 million, and 12 percent with revenues of more than $10 million. The service industry, consulting, engineering and construction, wholesale distribution, real estate and other sectors were all represented. South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the South Florida Business Journal.
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Mosaic to produce phosphate in Saudi Arabia [Lakeland Ledger]
The Mosaic Company has entered into a $7 billion joint agreement to mine phosphate in Saudi Arabia, the company announced Tuesday. The company is being joined in the project by Ma'aden and the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation.
› Two Florida community colleges named finalists in excellence award [AP]
On Tuesday, the Aspen Institute announced the recipients of the prestigious prize for community college excellence. Florida is one of only two states to have multiple finalists in the top 10. Two Florida College System institutions – Broward College and Santa Fe College – were among the top 10 finalists.
› A bridge to help heal the Everglades [Miami Herald]
On Tuesday, U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar and other federal officials, Everglades National Park managers and environmentalists celebrated a long-awaited, different sign of progress on Tamiami Trial: the completion of a one-mile-long bridge designed to begin healing the ecological wounds inflicted by a road that has blocked the life-giving flow of water through the Everglades for nearly 90 years.
› Sweetbay selling only seafood from sustainable sources [Tampa Bay Times]
Sweetbay Supermarket is now selling only seafood caught and farmed in sustainable ways to help ensure the long-term survival of the species. The policy announced Tuesday covers 2,500 products sold at stores, from fresh, frozen and canned seafood to items containing seafood as its primary ingredient, such as soups.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Business partners needed for FloridaWorks youth program [North Central Florida Business Report]
Each semester, FloridaWorks partners with local employers to provide youth between the ages of 14 and 21 with valuable work experience. Currently, FloridaWorks is in need of 15 work sites to host these young workers and provide them with real-world experience so they may apply their employability skills training.
› Lakeland brewery to be the first in a new business model for brewing [Florida Times-Union]
A new company called Brew Hub is planning a series of breweries around the country designed just for other breweries to use. And the first is going to be built in Lakeland.
› Florida businessman accused of exploiting excitement over Facebook [AP]
A Florida investment adviser has been charged in New York in an $8 million securities fraud scheme that capitalized on enthusiasm for Facebook Inc. shares. Craig L. Berkman was arrested Tuesday at his home in Odessa, Fla.
› Legoland Florida to add World of Chima expansion [Tampa Bay Times]
Legoland Florida is opening a new themed area based on Legends of Chima, an upcoming Cartoon Network show about dueling animal tribes. The expansion is one of the centerpieces of the new Chima brand, which includes a Lego product line that came out in January.