Thursday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 1/3/2019

Tourism numbers on track to break records in Florida

Florida continues to attract visitors to its beaches, national parks, and other attractions. The number of visitors coming to Florida steadily climbs each year. And the first nine months of 2018 saw more travelers than ever before, according to Visit Florida. More from WTXL.

Florida No. 14 in ranking of states most affected by federal government shutdown

Florida ranks No. 14 in a new analysis of states most affected by the ongoing partial shutdown of the federal government published by WalletHub. The website created the rankings by looking at the number of federal jobs in each state, the amount of federal contract dollars the states receive, access to national parks and more. See the findings from Wallethub and read more from Sarasota Magazine.

Orlando-area rents rising faster than any other big city

Home and apartment rents in Metro Orlando are rising faster than any other major city in the country, according to a report released Thursday by Zillow. Average rents in Central Florida grew to $1,472 in November, a 4.4 percent increase over the last year. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Opinion: With Florida’s high HIV infection rate, the state should become a leader in prevention

Florida can reduce the rate of new HIV infections by preventing them in high-risk populations. Pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP) offers a solution. Fortunately, the Florida Department of Health started offering PrEP for free across the state in 2018. In 2019, we must connect individuals at risk of HIV infection with this service. More from the Miami Herald.

A Publix with an Instacart hub and other retail trends we can expect in 2019

Retail isn't dying, but it's going through one heck of a never-ending transformation. The last year of retail innovation has brought Florida shoppers an explosion of online ordering, pickup and delivery options, including Whole Foods groceries through Prime Now. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Legal Business
Legal battle between Mini Doughnut Factory founders and investors shuts down shops

Some of Tampa Bay's cutest pastries are off the market, as a legal battle rages in Hillsborough County Circuit Court over the future of the Mini Doughnut Factory. The doughnut company with shops in Tampa and St. Pete is being sued by its lead investor, who says its founders breached a contract in addition to owing him nearly $1 million.

» More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Florida 500
Heiko Dobrikow

Heiko Dobrikow says, “The tourism industry is the No.1 industry for the state of Florida, and I love the fact anybody can work themselves up from an hourly position to an executive position in just a few years."