Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Friday's Daily Pulse

The complicated business of evaluating tax incentives

States give out billions to businesses and corporations each year in tax breaks to keep them within their borders. But tracking how these tax incentives are spent -- and whether they even work -- has been an incredibly tricky business. [Source: Governing]

Senate committee kills fracking bill, but measure could return

Amid growing public opposition to the controversial practice of fracking for oil and gas, a divided Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday rejected a bill to regulate and authorize the technique in Florida beginning in 2017. [Source: Times/Herald]

Legislative Roundup:
» South Florida projects still alive as Legislature negotiates state budget
» Florida Senate panel signs off on possible fix to death penalty
» Florida insurance customers could get additional protections
» Bill targeting Israel boycotts heads to Gov. Scott
» Uber compromise possible in Legislature; would pre-empt local rules

Medical marijuana Is growing In Florida

Marijuana is legally growing in Florida. After receiving approval from the Florida Department of Health last week, it’s official: Alpha Foliage, Inc. of Homestead is the first licensed nursery to legally plant marijuana for medical use in Florida. [Source: WUFT]

See also:
» Medical marijuana bill sent back to committee
» Florida family moving to Colorado for medical marijuana laws

The new voter pool in Florida: Puerto Ricans

More than a quarter-million Puerto Ricans have moved to the mainland U.S. since 2008, an exodus driven by the island’s faltering economy. About a third have settled in Florida, where there are now more than 1 million Puerto Rican-born residents. [Source: Bloomberg]

Energy (cyber) security in a digital economy

Today, a new energy-related security concern is dominating boardroom discussions. Due to increasingly connected infrastructures and industrial control systems â"? intelligent pipelines, smart grids, digital plants and smart oil fields, it is the risk of increased cyber threats. [Source: Forbes]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida has more than 6,200 manatees in latest count
Wildlife officials say this year’s count is on par with last year’s count of more than 6,000 manatees. The counts this year and last year are the only two times on record when Florida’s manatee population exceeded 6,000.

› Security changes mark end of era at Pensacola Navy base
For nearly 15 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks and more than eight years since the mass shooting at Fort Hood in Texas, Pensacola Naval Air Station has remained an unusually open U.S. military base - until now.

› FTC: Sale won't fix competitive issues with Staples, Office Depot merger
The Federal Trade Commission says Staples and Office Depot's proposed sale of $550 million in commercial contracts to Illinois wholesaler Essendant "would not fix anything."

› SeaWorld acknowledges company employees posed as animal activists to spy on opponents
SeaWorld Chief Executive Officer Joel Manby acknowledged Thursday morning that company employees posed as animal rights activists in an attempt to spy on opponents.

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› Businesses can't collect tips to share among workers, court says
Businesses cannot collect tips given to waiters, casino dealers or other service employees to share with support staff such as dishwashers even if the tipped employees are receiving minimum wage, a federal appeals court ruled this week.

› How does HSN plan to change course to reach 'distracted' shoppers?
Listen to CEO Mindy Grossman and other executives at St. Petersburg's HSN and it is great time for the all-things-shopping business. Yet it is also a tough time to engage shoppers.

› UF/IFAS study: Hand sanitizer, antifreeze can preserve DNA for citizen scientists
A few simple products, such as hand sanitizer and antifreeze, can preserve DNA in samples collected by lay people for scientific research, a new University of Florida study shows.

› Disney World's first employee dies
Phil Smith was just a few years out of law school when he started working for a mysterious entity acquiring land for what would become the world's most popular theme-park resort.