Despite Zika and hurricanes, Florida lures record number of tourists

Tourists continue to visit Florida in record numbers during a year that saw two hurricanes hit the state and federal officials warn away pregnant women from Miami due to the Zika virus. Florida Gov. Rick Scott will announce Monday that 85 million tourists visited the state during the first nine months of 2016. [Source: AP]

UPDATE (9:45 a.m.)
Gov. Scott issues news release about record tourism numbers
“Today, I am proud to announce that Florida continues to set record breaking success by already welcoming 85 million visitors this year -  the most visitors over the first nine months in our state’s history.  We are also at a record high of over 1.2 million Floridians employed in our tourism industry and on pace to reach our goal of 115 million tourists by the end of the year." Read more here.

Florida restaurants tap into demand for Thanksgiving service

A growing number of mainstream independent and chain restaurants say Turkey Day is becoming a major dining out holiday. A look at why people are skipping eating at home on Thanksgiving and how restaurants are capitalizing. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Your turn:
» This Thanksgiving, will you dine at home or go out? (quick poll)

Florida’s contenders for top spots in Trump administration

Resumes from Floridians eager to join President-elect Donald Trump’s burgeoning administration are flooding the inboxes of leaders of his campaign in the state, now informally deputized to screen and recommend potential hires. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

3 top Florida tax breaks you don't want to miss

The phrase "Florida tax breaks" may sound silly to any resident of the state. After all, Florida doesn't have a state income tax. But there are three big tax breaks related to Florida's sales tax you might be able to take advantage of. [Source: FOX Business]

Pot business hazy over impacts from legalized medical marijuana in Florida

While over 70 percent of Florida voters approved constitutional Amendment 2 on Nov. 8 to legalize medicinal marijuana, the economic impact of the measure will remain hazy for at least months if not years [Source: Florida Times-Union]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› No newsroom, no salary, no matter for scrappy UCF journalists [Orlando Sentinel]
After 48 years, the UCF student newspaper was shutting down, a business decision made by its owner Gannett, a news media company. But in the following weeks, many of the college journalists who worked at the weekly paper united to form an online news site known as the Central Florida Focus.

› Hollywood company makes house calls to treat wounds [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Hollywood-based Woundtech makes house calls to heal wounds. These personal visits, combined with the latest in mobile technology, are bringing a different approach to wound care, experts say.

› South Florida’s tech salaries going up but not enough [Miami Herald]
About half of employers said IT salaries are going up in South Florida but nearly half of professionals believed they would have to pursue new career opportunities in Silicon Valley and cities including Boston, New York and Austin to gain higher earnings.

› UF ranks third nationally for licensing its technologies [Florida Trend]
The University of Florida is ranked third in the nation for licenses and options executed on technologies developed at the university level, a measure of how successful its ideas are in the marketplace.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Sen. Nelson wants probe into Florida's use of driver records [AP]
Sen. Bill Nelson wants a federal investigation of how Florida uses the personal information of its 15 million licensed drivers. The Florida Democrat wrote U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch on Friday asking her to probe whether the state is selling information for marketing purposes.

› Office Depot North American president leaving company [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Mark Cosby, president of Office Depot's North American operations, will leave the Boca Raton-based company "to pursue other opportunities," the company said Friday in a filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

› Trump White House could boost Tampa defense industry, experts say [Tampa Bay Times]
No matter the details, few communities have as much at stake in Trump's military agenda as the Tampa Bay region, where the defense industry's impact is estimated at $16 billion a year across seven area counties.

› Sarasota philanthropist Ted Weiller dies at 85 [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Ted Weiller was known for living quietly and giving large. When he and his wife, Jean, moved to Sarasota in 1991, he immediately became involved in the community, providing financial support, advice and guidance to numerous arts and human services organizations.