Thursday's Afternoon Update
Applications for U.S. unemployment aid rise to 6-month high
The number of people seeking unemployment benefits rose last week to the highest level since July, though applications remained at historically low levels. Weekly applications for unemployment aid rose 10,000 to a seasonally adjusted 293,000. More from the AP.
Lean times force citrus department staff, program cuts
The Citrus Department mission is to market the state’s citrus products, primarily orange juice. Its revenue comes mostly from a tax on commercial citrus growers based on their annual harvest. More from the Lakeland Ledger.
New Space Coast tourism campaign to push beach nostalgia
A major theme of the Space Coast Office of Tourism's $3.88 million marketing campaign for the current year will be the beach vibe of decades past, and how tourists can recapture those memories today. More from Florida Today.
Staples, Office Depot to extend merger agreement
Staples and Office Depot announced they will waive their merger agreement termination date of Feb. 4 and extend it to May 16. An FTC lawsuit opposing the merger is set to go to trial on May 10. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Climate change could cost jobs in South Florida, says White House adviser
South Florida business and political leaders must work together to protect the local economy from flooding and climate change, a White House adviser told a room of about 50 people including Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine at a meeting in Brickell. More from the Miami Herald.
Out of the Box
Yoga Classes and Craft Breweries Team Up
Call it detox and retox: Around the country, yogis are jumping up from savasana and hopping onto a barstool as yoga classes are making their way into breweries. While the teaching is traditional, the classes tend to attract newbies, especially men.
» More from the AP.
Around the State
The Softer Side of 3-D Printing
Until recently, 3-D printers could only manufacture solid objects because of the way they work — they create objects by precisely overlapping thin layers of plastic on top of each other. Thomas Angelini, an assistant professor in the University of Florida’s mechanical and aerospace engineering department, has found a way for the printers to make soft, pliable objects.