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Friday's Afternoon Update

Florida judges orders special legislative session for new map

Circuit Court Judge Terry Lewis ruled Friday that the Florida Legislature must immediately revise its congressional map and set a deadline of Aug. 15 to submit a revised map. Lewis ruled last month that the state’s congressional redistricting maps are invalid and declared two of the states’s 27 districts unconstitutional — those held by U.S. Reps. Corrine Brown, D-Jacksonville, and Dan Webster, R-Winter Garden. Lawyers for the Legislature had argued that fixing the map before the November elections would "cause horrific uncertainty" for voters and would be an extreme, unnecessary remedy. More from the Miami Herald.

See also:
» Judge Terry Lewis' ruling is here


Summer Safety

When outdoors, here's how to avoid mosquito bites

mosquito
The ideal strategy to avoid mosquito bites is not for the faint of heart: it involves standing alone in the corner of your next outdoor social event, perfectly still, wearing white from head to toe, abstaining from booze and covering yourself in DEET. If you can't do that, check out the other tips from Jonathan Day, an entomologist at the University of Florida, here.

U.S. economy adds 209,000 jobs in July, unemployment up slightly

The U.S. economy continued to add jobs at a strong pace in July, the sixth straight month that employment grew by more than 200,000 jobs. Employers added 209,000 positions last month, down from 298,000 in June, according to Friday’s closely watched jobs report from the Labor Department. The Labor Department report also had some tepid readings, too. Unemployment rose to 6.2 percent in July from 6.1 percent in June as more Americans entered the work force. More at the Palm Beach Post.

See also:
» Full report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics


Florida's biggest law firms tap new gold mine: state's proposed medical-weed industry

Even though it's months before the vote to legalize medical marijuana in Florida, some of the state's biggest law firms are preparing for the lucrative legal minefield of the weed industry. Orlando-based GrayRobinson, which employs 300 attorneys across the state, will devote a core of its "regulated products" group to the nuances of marijuana law. Attorneys with Holland & Knight, a prominent firm with more than 1,000 lawyers across the world, last week released an alert for clients on the "legal landscape (and) complex marketplace for marijuana-related businesses." More from the Tampa Bay Times.


Burger King 2Q profit rises 19 percent

Burger King Worldwide Inc. said its profit climbed by 19 percent in the second quarter as lower costs and growth overseas boosted results. The Miami-based company said global sales at established locations rose 0.9 percent. While the figure edged up just 0.4 percent in the U.S. and Canada, it rose 3.7 percent in Asia. More from Yahoo Finance.


Disney World executive moving to Disneyland Paris

Tom Wolber, senior vice president of Walt Disney World Resort and Transportation Operations, has been named president of Euro Disney S.A.S., the management company of Disneyland Paris. Wolber oversaw all of the 28 resort hotels at Walt Disney World and the property's extensive transportation network. More from the Orlando Sentinel

Publisher's Column
Food fight between Florida grocers

Andy CortyEvery reader buys groceries, and every reader will enjoy consuming this month’s article on the contest between Publix and Walmart. I’m assuming that most of our readers do the bulk of their shopping at Publix, as does my family. After all, Publix started here, is based here and dominates the Florida landscape with more than 750 stores statewide...
» Read the rest of the column from publisher Andy Corty, here.