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Wednesday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida retailers expect a boost from Super Bowl spending
Retailers in Florida and across the nation can expect a boost as Americans get ready to watch the Super Bowl on Sunday as the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams ready to battle for the National Football League (NFL) championship. The Florida Retail Federation (FRF) noted on Tuesday that the average Florida family will spend $81.30 per person to watch the big game on Sunday, up slightly from last year. Around the nation, Americans will spend $14.8 billion, the second highest figure ever. See the announcement from the Florida Retail Federation and read more from Florida Daily.
Florida consumers’ confidence slips slightly
Overall, the monthly checkup on how Florida’s consumers feel about their finances and the economy was down slightly in January, according to a University of Florida study. The Florida consumer sentiment index fell three-tenths of a point to 97.8 in January from a revised figure of 98.1 in December and is down 3.5 points from a year ago. Read more from UF News and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Gov. DeSantis announces action against Airbnb
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday state agencies are now prohibited from conducting business with controversial home-sharing platform Airbnb. The decision to place AirBnb on Florida’s Scrutinized Companies List follows criticism from the state’s new governor regarding the company’s decision to not list rentals in the West Bank area of Israel. More from the Daily Business Review, WCTV, and the Miami Herald.
Should plastic bags and straws be banned from Florida businesses and stores?
A new proposal would ban stores and food service businesses from giving plastic carryout bags and plastic straws to customers. Instead, they would get bags and straws made from natural or certain synthetic materials. This would apply to restaurants, coffee shops, grocery stores, convenience stores, drug stores, liquor stores, movie theaters, and other businesses. More from Fox 4 and WPTV.
Female chefs in Florida are changing industry perceptions
Women remain underrepresented in leadership positions across industries and the culinary world is no different. In fact, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics females represent less than 20 percent of chefs and head chefs. Despite the challenges women face in professional kitchens, Florida chefs are, "changing the narrative.” [Source: WLRN]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› SpaceX's next Falcon Heavy launch from Kennedy Space Center could be as soon as March
SpaceX’s powerful Falcon Heavy rocket is ready for an encore — and that could come as soon as early March. In two filings with the Federal Communications Commission, the Elon Musk-led rocket company revealed it is targeting no earlier than March 7 for a second launch of its three booster, 27 engine Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center.
› Florida Cabinet chooses Jim Zingale as revenue chief
The Florida Cabinet confirmed Jim Zingale to lead the state’s Department of Revenue this morning. Zingale, 72, was Gov. Ron DeSantis' choice to lead the department, which is responsible for collecting taxes and managing the state’s child support program.
› FPL's parent company could be hurt by California's PG&E bankruptcy
The parent company for Florida Power & Light Co. could lose money because its solar projects in California may be tied up in the bankruptcy of Pacific Gas & Energy. While FPL ratepayers shouldn’t see an impact from parent NextEra Energy’s out-of-state solar investments, experts say regulators should watch carefully.
› Contractors boost payrolls but keep searching for workers in Sarasota-Manatee
Construction employment kept growing at the end of 2018 in the Sarasota-Manatee region, but payrolls still lag behind their peak levels. Contractors in the two-county metro area added 1,700 workers in December compared with December 2017, a 7 percent growth rate, the Associated General Contractors of America reported Tuesday.
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