Congress, White House near deal to avert budget crisis

After five years of bitter clashes, Republican congressional leaders and President Barack Obama on Monday night appeared to settle their last budget fight by reaching a tentative deal that would modestly increase spending over the next two years, cut some social programs, and raise the federal borrowing limit. Read more at the Tampa Bay Times, the AP, and USA Today.

Surprise: Florida and Texas excel in math and reading scores

When the Education Department releases its biennial scorecard of reading and math scores for all 50 states this week, Florida and Texas are likely to look pretty mediocre. According to the Urban Institute, these raw scores will almost certainly present a misleading picture. When the Urban Institute adjusted raw scores to account for student demographics, Texas jumped to third-highest in the national rankings, and Florida became fourth. [Source: New York Times]

» Read the full report: Breaking the Curve: Promises and pitfalls of using NAEP data to assess the state role in student achievement

Are millennials buying into American Dream?

Millennials are influencing key sectors of our economy — from consumer goods to automobiles and, yes, owning a home. The big question: Will this generation of folks born since 1980 or so embrace the “American Dream” of home ownership the way their parents and grandparents did? [Source: Florida Today]

Seminole Tribe sues the state despite progress in gaming talks

The Seminole Tribe of Florida broke its silence Monday and reported that "significant progress" is underway to renew its gaming compact with the state but, just in case, also filed a lawsuit in federal court to protect its rights under federal Indian gaming law. [Source: Miami Herald]

Threats to cloud data security remain a business concern

As threats to cloud data security continue to evolve, businesses must stay on their toes and incorporate front- and back-end processes to make sure their information is protected. [Source: Tech Target]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› I-Drive's latest tall attraction raises early lighting concerns [Orlando Sentinel]
International Drive has several tall attractions or buildings that light up the night sky. If the Orlando Eye, at 400 feet, is clearly at visible at night, what does that mean for a project almost twice as tall?

› Florida insurers' appeal, over assignment of benefits, rejected by court [Orlando Sentinel]
An appeals court Monday pointedly said it is up to state lawmakers — not the court system — to tackle a controversial issue in the insurance industry known as "assignment of benefits."

› Legal, public relations bills add up for port rail [Florida Today]
The cost of outside legal and public relations consultants is adding up for Port Canaveral, as it tries to establish a cargo rail link to the port.

› Rossi helps UF build an 'entrepreneurial university' [Gainesville Sun]
The student startup companies sprouting in downtown Gainesville and Innovation Square can be traced back to the seeds planted in the entrepreneurship program at the University of Florida.

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› Organic farm takes root at Easter Seals of Southwest Florida [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
It would be all too easy to go overboard on the gardening metaphors. Growing, blossoming, blooming — but the students at Easter Seals of Southwest Florida are doing just that.

› Opinion: Ex-Im Bank is vital to Florida’s economy [Miami Herald]
Economists agreed that as we recovered from the Great Recession, Florida had to do more than just recover the jobs lost after the market crashed. Florida had to diversify its economy.

› Brazil tops international web searches for South Florida real estate [Virtual Strategy Magazine]
Brazil leads all global consumers searching online for South Florida real estate, according to new statistics from the MIAMI Association of REALTORS® (MIAMI), America’s largest local Realtor group.

› Broward to consider plan for warehouse development [South Florida Business Journal]
The Broward County Commission will consider a proposal for new warehouses in Dania Beach at its Oct. 27 meeting.