Tuesday's Daily Pulse

Posted 6/7/2016

Updated 8 yearss ago

Tropical Storm Colin moves off Southeast coast, leaves minimal damage in Florida

Tropical Storm Colin spawned heavy rains across much of Florida on Monday but did not cause widespread damage. The severe weather threat to Florida has diminished significantly as Tropical Storm Colin moves off Georgia coast. More from ABC News, the Orlando Sentinel, CNN, and the Weather Channel.

U.S. set to approve first commercial moon mission

The US government, in a first, is preparing to approve a private commercial space mission beyond the Earth's orbit. The expected decision would set precedents for how the US government would ensure that private ventures comply with international space treaties. More from the Wall Street Journal and Phys.org.

Publix, Darden make Fortune 500

Lakeland-based Publix moved into the 100 biggest companies with revenues of $32.6 billion in 2015. Publix continued to charge ahead by growing revenues 5.9 percent in 2015. The company also brought in nearly $2 billion in profits. More from the Tampa Bay Business Journal, the Orlando Sentinel, and the Lakeland Ledger.

Are retailers to blame for rapid rise in Florida gas prices?

Florida’s average gasoline price rose 11 cents a gallon this past week, the largest increase in the nation. Gasoline retailers could be the culprit, AAA said Monday. As Tropical Storm Colin rolled across the Gulf of Mexico to make landfall Monday, the potential for gas prices to jump higher increased. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

So far, Florida's bank profits are strong

Profits jumped at Florida's financial institutions to start the year. The state's 154 banks and thrifts earned a combined $315 million in the first quarter, up 33.5 percent from 2015. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Looking for work? Florida launches app for job-seekers [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Florida has launched a new app designed to give job-seekers mobile access to openings across the state. The Employ Florida mobile app is available for free on Google Play for Android and in the Apple App Store.

› In tight spot, Baltimore police turn to Orlando tech company [Orlando Sentinel]
An Orlando company has been tapped to help out after a highly publicized police brutality case in Baltimore because of its software, which can tell a supervisor whether an employee has read company policies or not.

› Florida’s flagship university opens a food pantry for needy students [Washington Post]
The Field and Fork Pantry is part of a program to build a healthy, sustainable food culture at UF. The program also has a farm where students learn to grow their own food, learn about our food system, and help those in need.

› South Florida company breaks silence on $4.3 billion deal [South Florida Business Journal]
Juno Beach-based NextEra Energy and Hawaiian Electric Industries Inc. over the weekend broke their silence on their $4.3 billion merger after deal's termination deadline passed.

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› Florida Supreme Court takes up gambling, death penalty, open carry [WFSU]
The Florida Supreme Court will take up several cases that could reshape gambling, the death penalty and open carry laws in the state. Justices will hear oral arguments this week, starting Tuesday.

› Commentary: Florida’s imperiled coral reefs reflect a global issue [Naples Daily News]
It turns out that coral reefs are very sensitive to changes in temperature. Just a few degrees warmer is enough to trigger a bleaching event. As our oceans warm, we are losing living coral reefs across the planet at alarming rates.

› SpaceX moves fourth reusable Falcon 9 through Port [Orlando Sentinel]
Moving a used SpaceX rocket around Cape Canaveral is almost becoming routine -- and that is a big step in SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s quest to lower the cost of launches.

› The one thing a summer-tripping driver doesn’t want to hear [Miami Herald]
Gas prices across South Florida unexpectedly spiked last week as prices rose across the southern United States. Despite the spike, prices are still much lower than they were this time last year.