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Friday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
H. Wayne Huizenga, billionaire entrepreneur and sports icon, dies at 80
Huizenga, who died Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, was the only entrepreneur ever to launch three Fortune 500 companies: Waste Management, Blockbuster Entertainment and AutoNation. As the original owner of the Florida Marlins and Florida Panthers, Huizenga was the father of both baseball and hockey in South Florida. More from Miami Herald and South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Related: Icon: Wayne Huizenga
Florida businesses created more than 25,000 private-sector jobs in February
Florida businesses created more than 25,000 private-sector jobs in February. Florida’s annual job growth rate of 2.2 percent continues to exceed the nation’s rate of 1.8 percent. Florida’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 3.9 percent in February 2018, unchanged from the January 2018 rate, but down 0.6 percentage point from a year ago. There were 398,000 jobless Floridians out of a labor force of 10,176,000. The U.S. unemployment rate was 4.1 percent in February. Full news release here.
Is Florida off the table for oil drilling? Public remarks confuse the question
Since declaring a deal with Gov. Rick Scott in January, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has been less than clear. "Florida did not get an exemption," Zinke said Thursday before the House Committee on Natural Resources, after being questioned by a California Democrat opposing any plans affecting her state. A couple of days before that, Zinke was before a Senate panel and stated that, "Florida is different" — only to moments later say, "Florida is still in the process." More from the Tampa Bay Times.
After Uber crash, Florida still welcomes free-range robot cars
Florida has been trying to lure self-driving cars to the state for testing on public roads, shaping laws that are much more lax than places like California and New York. The fatal accident this week in Arizona appears unlikely to change the state’s approach. State Senator Jeff Brandes (R-Pinellas), said in an interview this week he sees no reason to add tougher regulation to self-driving cars. More from Bloomberg.
South Florida congressman goes from A grade from NRA to proponent of gun control
Florida Congressman Brian Mast (R-18th District) had the coveted seal of approval — an “A” grade — plus campaign cash from the politically potent National Rifle Association when he was elected to Congress 17 months ago. Now, he’s being condemned by former supporters for what they see as a profound betrayal even as he’s heralded for his courage by one of the nation’s leading gun-control organizations. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
New Leader at NHC
Meet Ken Graham, next director of the National Hurricane Center
A career meteorologist who earned his chops along the busy Gulf Coast was named the new chief of the National Hurricane Center in Miami Thursday, filling a vacancy created when former director Rick Knabb departed just before last year’s brutal season. For the last decade, Graham has been the meteorologist-in-charge of the National Weather Service’s New Orleans and Baton Rouge office. Graham will assume his new post on April 1. More at the Miami Herald.
Parting Shot
Florida students enjoy their first snowball fight
Band members from the Oviedo High School in Orlando, Florida were in New York this week for their spring break. Many had never seen snow. The result? Check out this video from CBS:
In case you missed it:
