Florida's economy still fragile, small businesses indicate

Forty-three percent of Florida's small businesses plan to hire within the next six months compared with 41 percent in the third-quarter a year ago. But 60 percent cited economic uncertainty and lack of sales as obstacles to hiring new employees. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Election 2016: Why is everyone so angry?

Some 62 percent of Americans believe the country is on the wrong track, the sixth straight year the majority of voters have reported that America is headed in the wrong direction, according to a new NBC/Wall Street Journal survey. More from the Christian Science Monitor, CNN, and see the full survey results.

» Related: Florida Chamber latest GOP Presidential poll puts Trump 25%, Rubio 14%, Bush 13%

Can a company sue you for a negative review?

Federal regulators announced they were taking action against Florida-based marketers of a brand of weight-loss supplements that reportedly threatened to enforce a "gag clause" against customers to keep them from posting negative reviews and testimonials online. More from CBS News and VICE News.

Colleges vow to ease application process with new website

More than 80 colleges are creating a website where students will be able to apply to dozens of them and get help along the way. The website gives students one place to send their applications, but it also gives them tools to get started years in advance. [Source: Health News Florida]

Publisher's Column
Making a case for Enterprise Florida

Enterprise Florida, the state's public-private partnership to attract business, says its incentive toolkit is running out of money — it has just $9 million, an amount that's supposed to last through the middle of 2016. That's not nearly enough. Read Florida Trend Publisher Andy Corty's full column here.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida has 35 billionaires on Forbes list of richest Americans [Forbes]
On Tuesday, Forbes announced its 34th annual Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans. 35 Floridians made the list. Find out who the richest Floridians are, here.

› Miami-Dade’s Jackson Health on track for profitable year [Miami Herald]
Miami-Dade’s public hospital system will close the year ending Sept. 30 with a profit of about $65 million, exceeding budget forecasts and reflecting better-than-expected revenues from patient services and local sales and property taxes.

› Florida Prepaid College Plan pricing announced [Bradenton Herald]
Pricing for the 2015-16 Open Enrollment period for the Florida Prepaid plans were recently approved and officials are touting another year of low prices for Florida families.

› Broward groups unite for international business conference [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
The former presidents of Dominican Republic and Bolivia and delegations from Africa and the Caribbean are among about 1,000 people expected in Fort Lauderdale for a conference on international business set for Oct. 12-16.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Falling gas prices make Orlando consumers smile [Orlando Sentinel]
Like many Central Florida residents, Chez Anderson and Alyssa Isaiah are living paycheck to paycheck. For them, the declining price of gas is easing the stress of stretching their pennies.

› Strengthening Tropical Storm Joaquin edging toward the Bahamas [Miami Herald]
Last month, forecasters encountered the same uncertainty in models as they followed Tropical Storm Erika across the Atlantic for five days.

› Biomass plant slated for Perry to bring 300 jobs [Gainesville Sun]
A Texas company plans to build a $60 million biomass plant that would bring 300 jobs to Perry in Taylor County.

› South Florida's home prices rising more slowly [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
While price growth remains strong across Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties, the pace has slowed from earlier in the year, according to the Standard & Poor's/Case-Shiller home price index.