Thursday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 10/1/2015

Manufacturing barely expands as global economy slows

U.S. manufacturers expanded at their slowest pace in two years last month, held back by faltering global growth and cutbacks in oil and gas drilling. New orders and production both fell sharply and a measure of hiring also declined, though all three still showed growth. More at the AP, Bloomberg, and Business Insider.

Knight Cities Challenge to fund ideas to improve cities

Now in its second year, the national challenge is an initiative of the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to attract and fund ideas that will help Miami or one of the 25 other communities where Knight invests. More at the Miami Herald.

Wellington inventor leaves 'Shark Tank' with $200,000

If you feel you need three hands to feed the baby, inventor Martin Hill has something for you. The Wellington father came up The Beebo, an over-the-shoulder baby-bottle holder that leaves Mom's or Dad's hands free while cradling the child. More at the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Florida to begin spraying Asian fruit flies near Miami

The state had hoped to control the outbreak, the largest ever recorded in Florida, by trapping male flies. But with the number of captured flies climbing to 161 and a quarantine zone expanding to 97-square miles, officials decided deploy their strongest weapon. More at the Bradenton Herald and the AP.

Commentary: College student debt is weighing on economy

Student debt has skyrocketed to almost $1.2 trillion as college costs have increased. Combine that with the difficulty graduates have had finding well-paying jobs and even a myopic sailor could see the iceberg ahead. Warning flags are all around. More at the Florida Times-Union.

Technology
Entrepreneur Podcasts

In fact, according to the Pew Research Center, at the end of 2014 there were 22,000 actively hosted podcasts. This begs the question, of the 22,000, which ones should you skip and which ones should you quickly subscribe to? Inc. has compiled a list of the top 10 business podcasts of 2015.

MANUFACTURING
Oil Men

Operating from a 20-acre facility at the Tampa port, Amalie Oil blended and sold more than $200 million worth of motor oils and industrial lubricants last year. It ranks among Florida Trend’s top 200 privately owned companies in the state. For all its heft, however, Amalie hasn’t had much of a profile in Tampa — or anywhere else, for that matter.