SHARE:
Wednesday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida’s nursing shortage eases
After experiencing one of the worst shortages in decades during the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Florida’s supply of nurses is finally rebounding more than three years later with vacancies 3% lower than the national rate. According to a 2023 survey released by the Florida Hospital Association in November, the state’s hospitals saw a 38% reduction in nurse turnover and vacancy rates. Recent data from the Florida Center for Nursing also projects the shortage of nurses will continue decreasing, with the gap between supply and demand closing significantly by 2030. More from Miami Today.
See which proposed Florida bills are expected to affect Orlando businesses
Florida lawmakers have kicked off the 2024 legislative session — which runs Jan. 9-March 8 — with several bills that may affect Orlando area businesses if passed. Topics that already have been tied to Legislature include bills seeking to reverse the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District that governs the land encompassing Walt Disney World and more, as well as for transportation like Brightline intercity passenger rail and housing affordability. More from the Orlando Business Journal.
Downtown Tallahassee expects boom as Florida Legislative Session starts; businesses eye year-round vibrancy
More people, more traffic, and more business are what you can expect in Downtown Tallahassee right now. The Florida Legislative Session has started but business owners and other neighbors in Downtown want to move past this area being busy only in the legislative session. More from WTXL.
Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas set for Miami arrival today
The world’s largest cruise ship is pulling into its home port of Miami on Wednesday as Royal Caribbean’s Icon of the Seas arrives to Florida. The 250,800-gross-ton, 1,198-foot-long, 20-deck vessel that is the first in a new class of for the cruise line has been making its way from Europe since December, most recently spending a day in the Bahamas at Royal’s private island Castaway Cay for a crew party on Monday while choosing to delay its Florida arrival to wait out Tuesday’s storms. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Central Florida cultural groups tout their economic clout as new arts-impact report released
Arts leaders and supporters banded together Tuesday to celebrate the impact the local cultural sector has on Central Florida’s economy. Speaker Randy Cohen characterized the arts this way: “Not just food for the soul, [they’re] putting food on the table.” Cohen is vice president of research for the national advocacy organization Americans for the Arts, which presented its 6th Arts & Economic Prosperity report, a survey of arts organizations and audience members undertaken every five years. More from the Orlando Sentinel.
| Trend Mention |
|
Florida Health Care
Early warning system
AdventHealth is using genetic testing to catch some cancers earlier, at more treatable stages. Test results can also be valuable to children and other family members, who may not know they have the same dangerous genetic variant, says Amanda Caceres, oncology genetic counseling manager at AdventHealth Central Florida Division.
» More from Florida Trend.
Tech Trends
Game on
Kyle Morrand grew up in the Miami area surrounded by technology — his mother even taught coding at his school — but he was much more interested in music and drumming. At the University of Central Florida, he became enthralled with game design, making it his major in 2013 and “went down a rabbit hole with all these different ideas.” That led the then 21-year-old to start a game design business in 2014, and as he did contract work for companies in virtual reality and augmented reality (AR) technologies, he realized he “just liked helping people.”
» Read more from Florida Trend.
In case you missed it:
