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Tuesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
After big year for organized labor nationally, will Florida become more fertile ground for unions?
Union leaders, advocates for organized labor, and official statistics all agree: Florida is not a bastion of powerful labor unions, unlike northern industrial states like Illinois, Michigan and Pennsylvania where unionized workforces are far more prevalent. Still, support for labor unions in Florida is higher than some might expect, said Kevin Wagner, a political scientist at Florida Atlantic University, an assessment based on results of a poll of Florida voters that asked about unions. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
Coffee growing in Treasure Coast field could change global industry
Oranges, sugarcane and strawberries are crops synonymous with Florida agriculture. Could coffee be next? While Florida isn’t likely to export coffee anytime soon, it could export groundbreaking research to the rest of the world — some of it being conducted on the Treasure Coast — to improve the global coffee industry. More from the Gainesville Sun.
In 2024, Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves entering 'execution mindset'
Pensacola Mayor D.C. Reeves said he's entering 2024 with a focus on executing the numerous projects he began or inherited in 2023. "We've got a lot of irons in the fire, and that's a big testament to our staff," Reeves said. "We've got those irons in the fire, now it's time to execute on those. Half the fun is, is getting the grant money or getting a big project that can be transformational for the city. And the other half is seeing it through." More from the Pensacola News Journal.
Shopping for a new home? Buyers in Miami-Dade County may have a change of luck in 2024
Homebuyers and renters are in luck. Real estate experts predict you can expect better deals in South Florida in 2024. Thanks to a slowdown in home sales and a growing supply of residences — especially high-rises — it’ll be a good time to rent or buy, the forecasters say. Prices will lower slightly, but it won’t be a free for all. The market will be just slightly better than in 2023. More from the Miami Herald.
Orlando Museum of Art lawsuit: 19 months to trial and $500,000?
Orlando Museum of Art’s lawsuit against former director Aaron De Groft and the owners of the purported Basquiat artwork seized by the FBI in 2022 might not come to trial until the summer of 2025 and could cost the museum another half million dollars — or more — on top of untold thousands already spent. A court filing from the end of 2023 lays out how the case could proceed, while shedding light on several new wrinkles in the lawsuit, filed by the museum in Orange County circuit court in August. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Business Profile
Gainesville-based wound care business has plans to provide services throughout the nation
Helping others and providing accessibility to care for her patients is what Shirley Collins cherishes the most about her profession. Collins is the founder of Vision Mobile Wound Care Services LLC, which provides holistic and professional nursing wound care consulting and services. Founded in 2019 by Collins, a certified wound care specialist, VMWCS specializes its treatments based on the diagnosis of each patient, she said.
» More from the Gainesville Sun.
Transportation Trends
With Miami to Orlando route complete, what's ahead for Brightline?
It took the better part of a decade to make it happen, but high-speed Brightline trains are whisking passengers daily from Miami to Orlando, adding a travel option that vacationers and business commuters over the years rarely thought possible. Now, the Miami-based company is turning its attention to a variety of next steps — ranging from helping Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties eventually install commuter service in their regions, and to expanding the regional rail line from Orlando to Tampa on the Gulf Coast.
» Read more from South Florida Sun-Sentinel.
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