Obstacles abound for first-time homebuyers

The American dream of owning a home has drifted further out of reach for many, prompting some analysts to fret that the trend could eventually suffocate Florida's real estate-reliant economy. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

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How 8,500 large companies will become small businesses overnight

The Small Business Administration has announced plans to update the size standards used to determine which firms are eligible for the federal government’s small-business lending and contracting programs. [Source: Washington Post]

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IMF cuts U.S. growth outlook, says full employment years off

The International Monetary Fund cut its growth forecast for the United States on Monday and said the economy would not reach full employment until the end of 2017, allowing interest rates to be held near zero for longer than financial markets expect. Read more from Reuters and the Wall Street Journal.

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Politics remain a major hurdle for Mars

The most formidable challenge in sending astronauts to Mars just might be the politics playing out on Earth. There's near-unanimous support on Capitol Hill for making the Red Planet the next grand destination for America's space program. Paying for it, enlisting international partners and deciding exactly how to get there? Not so much. [Source: Florida Today]

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Florida Trend Exclusive
Building on downtown Orlando's progress

With almost $5 billion worth of projects under way or about to break ground in downtown Orlando, civic leaders are soliciting suggestions to ensure the area can improve as a place where people will want to live, work and be entertained. Access full story.

See also:
» No. 1 hurdle for downtown Orlando: Image

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ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida Tech joins BioFlorida [Florida Today]
BioFlorida allows Florida Tech faculty and student researchers to tap into an industry specific forum focusing on biotech and pharmaceutical issues as well as medical device research and development, while utilizing industry-specific programs, education forums and other opportunities.

› Nurses and mechanics top hottest jobs in Tampa Bay [Tampa Bay Times]
Looking for a hot job in Tampa Bay? Think health care, machine care and auto care. ZipRecruiter, a national jobs board, crunched U.S. Department of Labor data for the first six months of 2014 to come out with the hottest job titles in the top 20 markets.

› Water bill doesn't help struggling Apalachicola Bay [Orlando Sentinel]
A major water-resources bill that President Obama signed last week does not appear to accomplish anything for the Apalachicola Bay, which is still struggling to recover after the collapse of its oyster fishery in 2012.

› Biotech startup charts new course [Orlando Sentinel]
About four years into their business venture, two Orlando cancer researchers turned entrepreneurs have taken a new turn in their effort to commercialize their research work.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Florida end-of-course exams show improvement | See scores [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Students across the state performed better this year on the state's end-of-course exams, results released Mondayshow. Each of these standardized tests is used to calculate A-F school grades that influence property values, school enrollment and help determine whether a school needs to undergo a dramatic change.

› Surge in unaccompanied minors across Mexican border is felt in Miami [Miami Herald]
The crisis of the thousands of unaccompanied children crossing the Mexican border is being felt across the United States, with Miami one of 10 cities where children are being sent for immigration proceedings as border shelters fill up.

› Study: Florida #1 In Tornadoes and Deaths [Brevard Times]
A recent study published by the Southeast Regional Climate Center and NOAA reveals that the Southeast United States sees the highest number of strong (F2 or greater) tornadoes and experiences more killer tornadoes than the infamous "Tornado Alley" of the Great Plains.

› Florida Citrus Repository: Center to introduce new citrus varieties [AP]
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will open a new, 20,000-square foot facility north of Gainesville that will introduce new citrus varieties to the state.