The sea level did, in fact, rise faster in the southeast U.S.

For people in the southeastern United States, and especially in Florida, who feel that annoying tidal flooding has sneaked up on them in recent years, it turns out to be true. Now UF scientists think they know the rapid increase is happening: Two large-scale atmospheric patterns had intersected to push up the water off the Southeast coast, causing a “hot spot” of sea-level rise. From 2011 to 2015, the sea level along the southeastern American coastline rose six times faster than the long-term rate of global increase. Read the story from UF, "East Coast's rapidly rising seas explained." Also read more at the New York Times.

Your turn:
» Is sea level rise affecting your Florida community? (quick poll)

Florida Trend Exclusive
Cardiac care: Know the facts; check your risk factors

In November 2016, the Florida Department of Health launched a pilot program aimed at implementing new prevention strategies in places deemed most at risk of heart disease. The state department analyzed rates of heart disease, smoking, cholesterol, high blood pressure and other risk factors in each of the state’s 67 counties. Seventeen counties were identified as most at risk. Those counties were encouraged to adopt prevention strategies aimed at controlling blood pressure and hypertension, or entering into community partnerships. Read the full story, "Target: Heart Disease."

Also in this series:

» Risk factors for heart disease
» What do you know about heart disease?
» See Florida Trend's entire series: Cardiac Care in Florida

US expels 2 Cuban diplomats after incidents in Cuba

The two-year-old U.S. diplomatic relationship with Cuba was roiled Wednesday by what U.S. officials believe was a string of bizarre attacks on a group of American diplomats in Havana with a covert sonic weapon that left the victims with severe hearing loss. [Source: AP]

Gov. Scott: Florida's consumer confidence and housing market continue to strengthen

Governor Rick Scott announced that Florida’s strong economic and job growth are continuing to fuel Florida’s consumer confidence and housing market. Florida’s consumer confidence climbed to 97.7 in July, the second-highest it has been in 15 years, and home prices rose by $20,000 across the state over year in June. Full news release here.

Florida Matters: The state of Florida tourism

Tourism brought in an estimated $109 billion a year to Florida at last count. So what’s ahead for tourism? How does the marketing agency prove its worth? And how popular is Florida among domestic and international tourists? [Source: WUSF]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Miami-Dade looks at buying rail lines from CSX Corp. for transit [Miami Today]
Miami-Dade’s business leaders should look again at a proposal to have the county buy 35 miles of rail line from the CSX Corp. for new commuter service, County Commission Chairman Esteban Bovo Jr. says.

› Kennedy Space Center tech firm to lay off nearly 400 workers [Orlando Business Journal]
A Maryland-based tech firm is laying off 388 workers at its Kennedy Space Center location. Abacus Technology Corp. notified the state on Aug. 4 that it will lay off the workers on Sept. 30.

Florida's Movers & Influencers See some of Florida's top executive moves, board appointments, civic accomplishments, and more at Florida Trend's Movers & Influencers. Each profile appears in three places: in a weekly eNewsletter, online at FloridaTrend.com and in a monthly print issue of Florida Trend. Read more here.

› St. Pete-based Newport Organization buys Mass. seafood company [News Release]
St. Petersburg-based Newport Organization has acquired frozen seafood company Crocker & Winsor Seafoods, Newport announced Monday. Newport is the parent company of Newport International.

› Fast-growing Instacart comes to Gainesville [Gainesville Sun]
The on-demand economy continues to roll into Gainesville, with grocery delivery behemoth Instacart offering its services starting Thursday. The grocery-delivery service began about five years ago and has been in Florida for two.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Private jet charter company opens office at Palm Beach airport [South Florida Business Journal]
San Francisco-based XOJET, which serves over 7,000 clients worldwide and has completed over 200,000 flights over the past decade, said that Palm Beach is the company’s most visited airport in Florida.

› Miami’s city manager is shopping his résumé [Miami Herald]
In a sign that turnover is once again coming for an often turbulent city government, City Manager Daniel Alfonso has for the last several weeks quietly shopped his résumé to city and county governments around the country.

› Orlando Becomes Latest U.S. City To Establish 100% Renewables Goal [Solar Industry]
On Tuesday, the Orlando, Fla., city commission unanimously approved a resolution establishing a goal to transition Orlando to 100% clean and renewable energy by 2050.

› Another Florida bank sells, to a surprising buyer [Tampa Bay Business Journal]
Lake Michigan Credit Union has signed a definitive agreement to buy Encore Bank, a Naples-based financial institution with a branch in Sun City Center.