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Wednesday's Afternoon Update

Florida Sen. Jack Latvala enters governor's race

Sen. Jack Latvala Sen. Jack Latvala

Republican Senator Jack Latvala announced his entry into the 2018 Florida governor's race Wednesday morning in Hialeah, Florida. He kicked off his campaign with a moment of silence for the victims in Charlottesville, Virginia. Then the candidate said, “Let’s go ahead and announce it - I am running for governor.” Latvala becomes the second major Republican to get in the race after Florida Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam entered the race in May. More from the AP.

See also:
» Editorial: Latvala's voice elevates governor's race

resignation letter

Citrus grower David Evans (left) inspects the damage to a grove in Florida together with Dr. Dennis Warkentin from Bayer. Story here.

Bayer joins battle against citrus greening disease

Florida's battered citrus industry is gaining a new partner in its decade-long fight against a disease ravaging the state's groves: the German pharmaceutical and chemical giant Bayer AG. The company plans to partner with the Florida non-profit Citrus Research and Development Foundation. See the news release from Bayer, here. Also read more at MarketWatch and the Wall Street Journal.

UF denies white nationalist Richard Spencer's request to speak on campus

Citing "serious concerns for campus safety," University of Florida leaders have denied white nationalist Richard Spencer's application to speak on campus in Gainesville next month. See the letter from UF President Kent Fuchs, here. Also read more at the Gainesville Sun and the Tampa Bay Times.

See also:
» Opinion: Unite against hateful speech

Boca Raton philanthropist donates $2 million to Cleveland Clinic Florida

Boca Raton philanthropist has donated $2 million to Cleveland Clinic Florida’s orthopedic surgery department. Jeff Levitetz, founder and chairman of Purity Wholesale Grocers, made the donation through the Levitetz Family Foundation, which he heads. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Trump renews criticism of Amazon while the company prepares to hire thousands in Jacksonville

President Donald Trump is renewing his attacks on e-commerce giant Amazon, and he says the company is “doing great damage to tax paying retailers.” The two new Amazon fulfillment centers being built in Jacksonville are expected to employ more than 2,500 people and ship hundreds of thousands of boxes every day. More from the Florida Times-Union.

Company Profile
Burr & Forman on the rise

floridaThe guiding principle of Burr & Forman is that results matter. Serving clients as trusted business advisers for more than a century in the Southeast, the law firm is distinguished by exceptional services honoring a long tradition of visionary leadership. Read the story here. [Sponsored report]

Florida Trend Exclusive
Everybody's watching

florida originalsFrom Florida Trend's "Best Companies To Work For In Florida" comes a profile of Forcura, #13 on the Small Companies list. The story begins:

Mounted on the wall of Forcura’s office lobby are three large video screens displaying charts and graphs. The Jacksonville-based health-care technology company uses the TV dashboards to share real-time information with employees about how it’s doing. » Read the profile in full, here..