Tuesday's Daily Pulse
Florida college presidents call for immigration reform
University leaders from Florida urged Congress on Monday to reform immigration laws so that high-skilled foreign students aren’t forced to leave this country to compete with Florida businesses. They also said many students are stifled because their immigration status is in limbo. Their media teleconference was part of an ongoing lobbying effort by many in Florida, home to an estimated 825,000 undocumented immigrants. Read more from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the Tampa Bay Times.
» On Friday, September 13, 19 Florida university and college presidents sent a letter to the Florida delegation urging immigration reform. Read their letter here.
 Attorney Meital Stavinsky is based in Miami and Tel Aviv, working as coordinator of the corporate and securities Israeli practice at Greenberg Traurig. » Story here [Photo: Daniel Portnoy] |
Florida's ties to Israel
Florida is home to the third-largest population of expatriate Israelis in the world, and the south Florida area has one of the world’s largest Jewish communities. Business ties between Florida and Israel are strong, with many Israeli businesses already operating in South Florida. The law firm Greenberg Traurig in Miami seized on those ties more than a decade ago. Full story.
Florida ready to pick new education commissioner
Just six weeks after the abrupt resignation of Education Commissioner Tony Bennett, top state officials appear ready to name a permanent successor. The state board that oversees education is expected to vote Tuesday to hire interim commissioner Pam Stewart for the job instead of launching a national search. [Source: AP]
$3-a-gallon gas: Day 1,000 and counting
As of Tuesday, the national average price of gasoline will have been more than $3 a gallon for a thousand days in a row, according to the AAA travel club, which predicts prices will remain that way for at least another thousand days, barring another big recession. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
Amid slow economic recovery, more Americans identify as 'lower class'
The rising numbers surprised some researchers and activists even in light of the bruising economy. For decades, the vast majority of Americans have seen themselves as "middle class" or "working class." Even during earlier downturns, so few people called themselves lower class that scholars routinely lumped them with working class. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Hertz delays site plan presentation [Fort Myers News-Press]
Hertz Global Holdings Inc. has delayed its site plan presentation for its $68 million Estero campus. The rental car company will now make the public presentation on Sept. 25.
› Floridians strongly support endangered species protections [UF News]
Floridians are ardent fans of endangered species and want to see them protected, even if it means fines for violators or restrictions on personal freedoms, a new University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences survey finds.
› JetBlue to add Florida service to Trinidad and Tobago [AP]
JetBlue plans to start a new nonstop flight service to Port of Spain in Trinidad and Tobago from Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood International Airport in Florida starting on May 1, 2014.
› Sun Hydraulics makes Fortune's fastest-growing 100 list [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
The Sarasota-based maker of hydraulic valves was No. 45 on the list, which considered factors including revenue growth, earnings-per-share growth and a three-year annualized return for that period ending in June.
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› Arison still the wealthiest Floridian [Miami Herald]
Once again, Micky Arison is the richest person in Florida. The Carnival Corp. chair and Miami Heat owner ranked No. 70 on the annual Forbes Magazine list of the richest Americans, clocking in at $5.9 billion.
› Some scientific sipping for craft beer and wine lovers [Palm Beach Post]
Detecting nuance in craft beer and wine may take a sophisticated palate, but creating our favorite libations takes some scientific know-how. And the South Florida Science Center is out to prove it.
› Peer-to-peer boat rental companies arrive in South Florida [Miami Herald]
Getting out on the open sea, wind in your hair, enjoying the ride with your family and friends. Then there’s the boat payments, storage fees, fuel, maintenance and repair — these costs can quickly sink the dream of boat ownership. Ahoy, mates — a new breed of boat-sharing services is entering the hot South Florida boating market.
› Publix, Bi-Lo expand into Carolinas [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Publix SuperMarkets will buy seven Bi-Lo stores in North and South Carolina in a continued effort to expand into new markets along the East Coast.