Decision to back off Florida drilling plan makes waves

Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke’s decision late Tuesday to remove all of Florida from the agency’s new offshore oil-and-gas leasing plan is immediately roiling the politics — and may complicate the legal future — of the sweeping proposal. Zinke called the state "obviously unique" and credited Gov. Rick Scott with voicing opposition to the plan in front of the Trump administration. But leaders in several other coastal states had made similar arguments, and they were not happy with the announcement Tuesday. More from Axios, the Tampa Bay Times, NPR, and NBC News.

See also:
» From Gov. Scott's office: Florida leaders applaud Governor Scott's fight to protect Florida's coastline
» Another GOP governor seeks exclusion from drilling proposal
» Gov. Rick Scott's full flop on oil drilling
» Opinion: On oil drilling, Scott’s environmental epiphany is welcome
» Sen. Bill Nelson's statement from yesterday on oil drilling

Florida Trend Exclusive
Editor's page: An admirable public servant steps aside

Like many accomplished people, USF’s Susan MacManus describes her career in terms of good mentors, good luck and coincidences that put her at the right place at the right time. Now 70, MacManus is retiring from teaching this year after 45-plus years in the classroom, 30 years of those at USF in Tampa as a distinguished professor in the Department of Government and International Affairs. Full column from Executive Editor Mark Howard is here.

Boat owners see insurance premiums rise after Hurricane Irma

Hundreds of boats across the state of Florida were damage by Hurricane Irma, and now, boat owners are dealing with damage to their insurance policies. While Tom Zsak, captain and owner of Top Shot Sport Fishing, said he won't know for sure if his provider will raise his rates until it is time to renew in April, other boat owners said theirs has already risen. [Source: WPLG]

Magic Leap leads Florida's venture capital raise in 4th quarter, 2nd only to Lyft nationwide

Plantation-based tech startup Magic Leap, which in December announced its first product, led 2017 and fourth-quarter venture capital financing in Florida with investments of $502 million, according to the quarterly MoneyTree Report released Wednesday. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

Florida wants to remove virus-excreting wild monkeys

Wildlife managers in Florida say they want to remove roaming monkeys from the state in light of a new study published Wednesday that finds some of the animals are excreting a virus that can be dangerous to humans. [Source: AP]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida appeals court orders release of Uber info [My Panhandle]
Rejecting arguments that the information is a trade secret, a South Florida appeals court Wednesday ordered Broward County to release records that show the number of passengers picked up by Uber drivers at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.

› Ethical advocacy in law firms [Sponsored Report]
From the ethics reform that brought gift bans to the new state House rules that require disclosure of all lobbyist activities, at Tripp Scott’s government affairs division, TSE, the day-to-day has had to adapt, but the firm’s guiding principles have remained the same.

› Florida lost more children to drowning than any state — Here’s how to change that [Miami Herald]
According to figures released by the USA Swimming Foundation on Tuesday, Florida again leads the nation as the state with the most child drownings in 2017. The drownings last year involved children 15 and younger, with 80 percent involving children under the age of 5.

› AutoNation CEO Mike Jackson appointed chair of Atlanta Fed [Press Release]
Mike Jackson, CEO of Fort Lauderdale-based AutoNation Inc., has been appointed chair of the branch. Jackson served on the board of directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta's Miami Branch and chaired the branch's board in 2013.

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› South Florida midsize law firms find room for fee options [Daily Business Review]
The buzz about alternative fee arrangements has gotten louder in recent years, and many midsize law firms in South Florida have carved out space for something other than the straight billable hour.

› Florida Realtors unveils Session priorities [Florida Politics]
The state’s largest professional trade association, Florida Realtors, wants to secure more opportunities for vacation rentals, affordable housing, and business growth, while also resolving issues impacting property insurance.

› Puerto Rico businesspeople tout economic clout [Orlando Sentinel]
Two local events Friday will underscore the rise of Puerto Rican influence and economic clout in Central Florida. The Hispanic Chamber has been offering free membership to Puerto Rican evacuees.

› Miami-based Boats Group's chairman steps down [South Florida Business Journal]
Boats Group, which attracts over 65 million people annually to its online marketplaces such as Boat Trader, YachtWorld and Boats.com, recently relocated to downtown Miami from Norfolk, Virginia.