March 29, 2024

Tuesday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 7/3/2018

Florida consumer confidence drops across-the-board in June

Floridians have turned more pessimistic, especially about where the national economy is headed this year. Overall, consumer sentiment statewide fell 1.9 points in June to 98.3 from a revised figure of 100.2 in May, according to the monthly index released Tuesday by the University of Florida. For the first time in nearly two years, all five components that make up the index declined. More from the Tampa Bay Times and UF News.

'Citrus preference' spurs medical marijuana license dispute

An orchid grower and investors spent nearly $800,000 to purchase property in Pinellas County they believed would give them a leg up in obtaining a highly sought-after medical marijuana license. But one of the owners says the business would have been better off keeping the cash, due to what his lawyers are calling a faulty rule proposed by state health officials. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Deerfield Beach early learning franchise company acquired by private equity

Deerfield Beach-based early education franchise company The Learning Experience has been acquired by the private equity group, Golden Gate Capital. The Learning Experience, which offers early education programs as well as before- and after-school care, has more than 220 locations across 22 states. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Hotel tax revenue keeps growing in Orange County

Orange County collected more hotel tax revenue in May compared with the same month a year earlier, officials announced Monday. The 6 percent tax on hotels, motels and short-term rentals generated about $21.5 million, up 4.3 percent from May 2017. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Florida Forest Service reminds revelers to use fireworks responsibly

The Forest Service encourages Floridians to use fireworks responsibly while celebrating this Fourth of July. Since January, 1,564 wildfires have burned approximately 89,307 acres throughout Florida. More from the Tallahassee Democrat.

Out of the Box
Chicken of the trees: Eating South Florida's iguanas

 While many people view South Florida’s invasive iguana population as an annoyance at best and a pandemic at worst, Ishmeal Asson sees something else: lunch. In South Florida, Asson is hardly alone in his taste for cooked iguana. He has more than a dozen friends who eat the animal, and they frequently hunt them using nets, snares and traps.

» More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and WFTS.

 

Profile
Stanley Tate

floridaIf you went to college on the Florida Prepaid Plan or are counting on it to educate your own children, you can thank Stanley Tate. For more than 70 years, Tate, now 90, has helped shape South Florida and the world beyond. The walls of his modest 1970s office in North Miami are a testament to a life of influence.

» Read more from the Miami Herald.

Tags: Daily Pulse, Afternoon Pulse

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Florida Trend Video Pick

Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices

Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

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