Office Depot and Staples scrap merger

Office Depot and Staples terminated their planned merger on Tuesday, after a U.S. federal judge ruled to temporarily halt the deal pending a full regulatory review, citing antitrust concerns. Judge Emmet Sullivan of U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, said the agency had shown there was a "reasonable probability" that the merger would "substantially impair competition" for the sale of office supplies to large business customers. More from Reuters, the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Wall Street Journal, CNBC, the Washington Post, and Bloomberg.

Legal pot industry descends on Florida as voters consider medical marijuana

Medical cannabis in the nation’s third-most populous state could open up one of the biggest markets in the world, a potential cash cow for companies looking for innovative ways to produce the drug and a massive patient base for researchers. [Source: Miami Herald]

U.S. buyers go crazy for SUVs

So far this year, about 54 percent of U.S. vehicle sales have been trucks and SUVs. Just two years ago, cars ruled the market at 51 percent. While trucks and SUVs are expected to help the industry set a new annual sales record above 17.5 million vehicles this year, some experts are predicting a continued slowdown in sales of cars. More from the AP and NPR.

» Quick poll: What kind of vehicle do you drive?

Cargo business continues to grow at Florida ports

The cargo business is growing at Florida’s ports, according to a new report from the Florida Ports Council. The annual report, which uses 2015 data, shows that state ports moved more than 3.5 million containers than the year before and $49.5 billion of containerized cargo, a $300 million increase from 2014. [Source: Jacksonville Business Journal]

Fate of Florida's voucher program back before court

A Florida appeals court is wading back into a contentious legal battle over the state's largest private school voucher program. The hearing comes nearly a year after Circuit Judge George Reynolds ruled that the groups filing the lawsuit did not have a legal right to challenge the program. [Source: AP]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› iStart Jax switches name to iStart Valley to help startups reach beyond Jacksonville area [Florida Times-Union]
It’s been one of the first organizations to showcase Jacksonville area entrepreneurs. Now iStart Jax is going through a name change. It has switched its name to iStart Valley in hopes of having a broader appeal to area startup businesses and potential support partners.

› Lockheed CEO lands on list of well-paid female execs [Orlando Sentinel]
Men may dominate the list of CEOs of the top 100 companies in numbers. But the few women on the list get paid well, comparatively speaking, according a new study.

› Fort Lauderdale lawsuit has echoes of Sarasota boom [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Fort Lauderdale highrise developer Richard Zipes has sued The Kolter Group. If those names sound familiar to Southwest Florida residents, they should.

› 10 biggest issues facing Florida public companies [South Florida Business Journal]
Florida public companies are no different from other public companies — or are they? For one thing, most are in the “middle market” — mid- and small caps — and face many of the same challenges bigger companies face, but without the same resources.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Intertape reports rising revenues, $9.5 million profit [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Intertape Polymer Group Inc., the Canadian packaging company with its executive offices in Sarasota County, on Tuesday reported first-quarter net income of $9.5 million, down from the same quarter in 2015.

› Dolphins CEO: Stadium renovation project is ‘currently on schedule’ [Miami Herald]
The Dolphins are assuring both fans and tenants that their massive stadium renovation project is on track to be finished in time for their home exhibition opener on Aug. 25.

› Florida again leads nation in completed foreclosures [Orlando Business Journal]
The number of foreclosures may have decreased by almost 15 percent nationwide in March compared to the year-ago period, but Florida still managed to top all states in completed foreclosures for the month, a new report from CoreLogic shows.

› Palm Beach ag summit draws high attendance [The Packer]
The May 4 event was sold out and attracted 1,100 participants, which included growers and business people from throughout Florida, said Fabiola Brumley, summit chairwoman and Palm Beach County president of Bank of America Corp.