Bush allies expected to back Rubio amid fears over a Trump nomination

The demise of Jeb Bush's presidential campaign left many of his most loyal supporters depressed and anxious as they grappled with the growing likelihood that their party will nominate Donald Trump for president. Many or most of Bush's prominent supporters across Florida are expected to move to fellow Floridian Sen. Marco Rubio. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Miami Herald.

See also:
» The long unraveling of Jeb Bush’s presidential campaign
» With Bush's exit, a chapter in American politics closes
» End of a dynasty? Bush bows out
Your turn:
» Do you think that a Trump nomination is inevitable? (Quick poll)

Florida facing global competitive challenges

Florida will add 6 million new residents by 2030, and the state will need 2 million new jobs to accommodate that growth. But the state could fall behind in the increasingly competitive global economy unless it starts preparing now. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

Record number of Americans apply to be astronauts

About 18,300 individuals applied for the agency’s 2017 astronaut class since the application process opened on Dec. 14, far exceeding the 8,000 who applied in 1978. NASA will select between eight and 14 people for their class of 2017, a process that will likely take 18 months. More from PBS, WPXI, and NASA.

How being a woman can ding your credit score

Women have less debt than men. But despite their lower debt loads, they still have lower credit scores. Why the disparity? It may all come down to the fact that men still make more money, on average, than women do. [Source: Washington Post]

Florida may get another $327 million to help struggling homeowners

Struggling Florida homeowners got some good news Friday: The state is eligible to get up to $327 million in additional federal Hardest Hit Funds to help reduce foreclosures and stabilize communities slammed by the housing bust. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Legislators speculate on great Floridian for Capitol statue [Ocala Star-Banner]
A proposal to remove a statue of a Confederate leader at the National Statuary Hall is generating speculation among Florida legislators about whose image should replace it.

› Hispanic business owners on the rise in Southwest Florida [Naples Daily News]
Businesses owned by minorities, particularly Hispanics, grew at a much higher pace than the rest and made for most of the increase in the number of businesses in Collier and Lee counties between 2007 and 2012.

› Invasive lizards threaten Florida's natural species in the Everglades [NPR]
There's a new, invasive species threatening Florida wildlife in the Everglades. It's the Argentine black and white tegu, which can grow to more than five feet and has teeth.

› Daytona 500 fans gain new tech, apps at speedway [Orlando Sentinel]
Race fans at the Daytona 500 won't have to miss the action on the track, even if they need a bathroom break, now that 1,400 television screens have been installed throughout Daytona International Speedway.

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› Velocity USA's small crew turns out top-notch bike rims [Florida Times-Union]
It’s a nondescript building on a narrow side street in Riverside, the same kind of generic metal building that fills light industrial areas all over town.

› Title loans trap Florida consumers in debt, critics say [Orlando Sentinel]
Consumer advocates rejoiced when Gov. Jeb Bush in 2000 signed a law that imposed restrictions on car-title lenders. But in the past few years, companies have found a way to skirt the rules and are again taking advantage of some of Florida's most vulnerable residents.

› Public weighs in on manatees' 'endangered' status [Tampa Bay Times]
A dispute more than a decade in the making over whether Florida's manatees should still be considered "endangered" continued Saturday in a hotel ballroom in Orlando.

› Aerospace company moving operations to Manatee, creating 84 jobs [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
The French company that bought Eaton Corp.'s Manatee County 125,000-square-foot plant is moving aerospace operations from New Jersey to the region, eventually creating an expected 84 jobs.