Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Wednesday's Daily Pulse

The most -- and least -- expensive housing markets in Florida

The Coldwell Banker® Home Listing Report named Hastings the most affordable market in Florida, with an average listing price of $95,267 while Doral ranked as the most expensive market in the state, with an average listing price of $552,890. Read the full story here - includes charts on the top 5 most expensive, and the top 5 most affordable housing markets in the state.

Bill would make hemp legal for research in Florida

A proposed law would change the status of the plant in the state, opening the door to a potential multimillion-dollar industry. Hemp is used in a wide variety of products, including clothing, cosmetics, construction materials, jewelry, dog chews, birdseed and paper. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Florida Is the state with the 3rd-highest uninsured rate post-Obamacare

With the third open-enrollment period for health insurance upon us and 11.7 percent of the U.S. population still lacking coverage, the personal finance website WalletHub conducted an in-depth analysis of 2015’s States with the Highest & Lowest Uninsured Rates. More at Florida Trend and the Orlando Business Journal.

Florida's orange crop forecast continues to plummet

An already-dire forecast has grown more bitter for the state's signature crop. Florida's orange harvest forecast for the 2015-2016 growing season was adjusted down about 7.5 percent Tuesday from the initial prediction. [Source: WPTV]

Supporters rally across state and nation in Fight for $15

Across the nation, supporters of the Fight for $15 effort to raise the federal minimum wage organized a mass strike Tuesday of fast-food restaurants -- the industry blamed as the driving force behind low wages. More from the Orlando Sentinel and WPLG.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Port Canaveral signs contract for 16-acre auto terminal
A Delaware-based company has signed a lease to operate a 16-acre auto import/export facility at Port Canaveral. It’s part of ongoing expansion of the port, particularly in cargo operations.

› Lawmakers file bill to protect fantasy sports industry in Florida
A month after Nevada regulators declared daily fantasy sports games a form of gambling and ordered companies like DraftKings and FanDuel to cease operations, a pair of Florida legislators are trying to make the opposite argument.

› French IT company opens U.S.-Latin America office in Miami
The Beacon Council announced that Net Reviews, a France-based IT company opened an office at Venture Hive in downtown Miami to service the U.S. and Latin American markets.

› Taxpayers pay Pitbull, but how much is a secret
Florida tax money is paying global rap star Pitbull to promote the state as a tourist destination, but taxpayers aren't allowed to know what he's making for the gig.

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› Manatee impact fees could rise significantly
Proposed impact fees charged on new construction by Manatee County could significantly rise, especially if the county reinstates an impact fee for schools.

› Opko Health shares soar after better-than-expected earnings
The Miami-based company (NYSE: OPK) on Monday reported a third quarter profit of $128.2 million, a swing from a loss in the prior-year period. That broke down to 25 cents a share, more than a consensus of Wall Street analysts who follow the company had expected.

› Tampa businesses working to get into Cuba
Tuesday, dozens of Tampa Bay companies came together to learn how to get their products and services into the Island nation on the heels of new rules now in effect that ease U.S. travel, trade and business ventures in Cuba.

› Health Innovation Week spotlights biomedical field
This week marks the beginning of a celebratory and educational effort on the part of Southwest Florida economic developers to promote the region's growing biomedical field.