Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Friday's Daily Pulse

Florida's cost for losing lawsuits keeps growing

Florida's price tag for losing legal battles — which has included courtroom fights over drug testing, voting rights and gay marriage — continues to grow. under Gov. Rick Scott. Since Scott took office the state has paid at least $19 million to cover expenses and fees for opposing lawyers. [Source: AP]

Florida Ports Council announces security conference

As a major entry point to the country, seaports are targets for potential unauthorized access, sabotage activities, terrorist threats, piracy, cargo theft and smuggling. It is vital that ports are given critical infrastructure and utilize proven port security and surveillance strategies and technologies. Read more information from the Florida Ports Council or Logistics Management.

Private insurers cautiously dip toes into Florida flood market waters

Florida’s efforts in establishing a private flood insurance market have been hailed as a model by many other states looking to buff up their flood insurance offerings. But some insurance companies are still standing on the sidelines of Florida’s flood market pool, saying it’s not a risk they are ready to write. [Source: Insurance Journal]

Related:
» Homeowners trapped by repeated flooding under troubled flood insurance program

Florida tomato group asks for greater protections against Mexico

While U.S. tomato production declined from 40% from 2000 to 2016, Mexican tomato volume grew by 166% in the same period. Years ago, Mexico competed with U.S. tomatoes from December to March, while now the competition from Mexican tomatoes is year-round. Reggie Brown, executive vice president of the Florida Tomato Exchange, said “We are basically an industry under assault.” Brown was speaking at a July 26 hearing on the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement. Full story here. Also, read Brown's remarks to the House Committee on Agriculture, here.

Regulators to grapple with Florida Power & Light nuclear plans

With Florida Power & Light saying it expects to “pause” the project, state regulators next month will wade into a dispute about how to handle the utility's long-discussed plans to add two nuclear reactors in Miami-Dade County. [Source: WPTV]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Lakeland leaders debate business recruitment tactics
Lacking a clear consensus on incentives and subsidies to recruit business into Lakeland, the City Commission asked the city administration to put specifics on paper to start the debate.

Gov. Scott at Modernizing Medicine

Gov. Rick Scott and staff from Modernizing Medicine gathered to celebrate the announcement that the Boca Raton-based electronic medical records and data company will be expanding in South Florida. Story here.

› Modernizing Medicine announces more than 800 new jobs in Boca Raton
Modernizing Medicine, the medical records firm that is already one of the fastest-growing tech companies in South Florida, announced an expansion Thursday that will create more than 800 new jobs in Boca Raton. Also read more at the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

› UCF, HCA get green light to build hospital in Lake Nona
Dr. Deborah German’s dream of having a teaching hospital for her medical school is now a reality. On Thursday, the medical school confirmed that the state has given the 100-bed medical and surgical hospital plan its final approval.

› Jacksonville Tourism Development Council tightens marketing contract, holds off on moving on visitor centers
The Jacksonville Tourism Development Council moved closer to finalizing a contract for a marketing program designed to attract more visitors to Duval County.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Orlando gas prices jump in middle of summer-travel season
Central Florida’s yo-yoing gasoline prices have snapped back up 11 cents during the last week after falling to seasonal lows in early July.

› Superior Uniform Group reports $65.6 million in sales for second quarter
Superior Uniform Group Inc. reported sales of $65.6 million in net sales for the second quarter, up a percentage point from the same quarter last year, the Seminole-based company reported Thursday. Also read more at the Tampa Bay Times.

› UPS to hire 1,600 part-time employees in Jacksonville for holidays
UPS plans to fill 1,600 part-time, seasonal jobs in the next few months to staff its Westside facility over the holidays. The positions will be for all four shifts, and the company hopes to have all the new employees on the job and trained by Nov. 1.

› New Opa-locka boss says he wasn’t a witness in kickback case. Records say otherwise.
Ed Brown, the newly appointed city manager in Opa-locka, vehemently denies he was ever involved in a government kickback case more than a decade ago that led to convictions of a commissioner, an unregistered lobbyist, a city engineer and a public works contractor.