Florida's 2015 GDP growth ranked third in nation

Florida’s gross domestic product, or overall economic output, grew 3.1 percent in 2015, beating the national growth rate of 2.4 percent -- the third-fastest rate among all large states. Gov. Rick Scott said, "Florida’s impressive GDP growth outpaced the nation in 2015, including beating large states like California and Texas in the last quarter." Full statement from Gov. Scott is here. Also read more at the Orlando Sentinel.

Florida Supreme Court puts rulings on death penalty and gambling on hold, takes summer break

The Florida Supreme Court released its final round of rulings for the summer Thursday and issued a rare clarification of its workers' compensation decision of last month, but it also left unresolved two of the most controversial issues to come before the court this year: the death penalty and expansion of slot machines. [Source: Times/Herald]

No contest: Beauty is big business in Florida

The world of pageantry may not be what you think it is. Yes, it’s hair, makeup, gowns and beautiful women. But it’s also a business. The economic impact of pageants in the Miss USA System at all levels in the state is quite impressive. [Source: Forward Florida]

Global player in nanotech boosts Osceola high-tech effort

Osceola County’s growing effort to become a hub for high-tech jobs is getting a big boost, with a global player in micro-electronics and nanotechnology opening a new office near Kissimmee with potentially more than 100 jobs. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

UF researchers develop a way to stop ransomware

Ransomware – what hackers use to encrypt your computer files and demand money in exchange for freeing those contents – is an exploding global problem with few solutions, but a team of University of Florida researchers says it has developed a way to stop it dead in its tracks. Full story from UF news is here.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› State’s largest credit union names CEO [Florida Trend]
Suncoast Credit Union, the largest credit union in Florida, named Kevin Johnson its next president and CEO, effective in October.

› Florida reports biggest single-day jump in Zika cases to date [Vice News]
Florida health officials reported a record number of new Zika virus cases in the state on Wednesday: 11 in a single day. They're travel-related cases, meaning people caught the virus elsewhere and were diagnosed in Florida.

› USF graduation and retention rates garner national recognition [Florida Trend]
The University of South Florida ranks as the nation’s top performer in “Overall Student Success” among public research and doctoral universities in the 2016 Eduventures Student Success Ratings.

› Do you feel richer? If you live in the Miami area, you should [Miami Herald]
Personal income in the Miami metro area jumped 4.2 percent in 2014, marking the largest increase since 2009, according to data released Thursday by the U.S Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Sea turtles are breaking records, and season isn't half over [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Sea turtle nesting season isn't quite halfway over and already it is breaking records in Southwest Florida. Mote Marine Laboratory has confirmed 2,638 nests so far, only two months into the season.

› National retailer aims to hire hundreds in South Florida [South Florida Business Journal]
JCPenney is bulking up its South Florida workforce in preparation for the back-to-school season. The Plano, Texas-based department store chain says it aims to hire 350 workers throughout the Miami-Dade County area.

› Fort Lauderdale Company Wants to Bring 3D Printers to Mars [Broward Palm Beach New Times]
If Grant Sadowski had his way, The Martian wouldn’t have been nominated for best picture of 2016. Because at the beginning of Act 2, Matt Damon wouldn’t have had to MacGyver trinkets for his survival on the red planet. Instead, he’d be taking it easy, sipping on margaritas out of a 3D-printed margarita maker.

› Jacksonville Plant Nursery Fighting To Grow 'Charlotte's Web' Marijuana [WJCT]
More than two years after lawmakers legalized a limited type of medical marijuana, an administrative law judge heard arguments in a dispute about whether a Northeast Florida nursery should receive one of the highly sought-after licenses to grow, process and distribute the non-euphoric pot.