Monday’s Afternoon Update

Fed poised to weigh another rate cut

Lenders and analysts have been anticipating that the Federal Reserve will announce another quarter-point cut to the federal funds rate at their Oct. 28-29 meeting. Central bankers will make their decision with limited information, as official data like the September jobs report haven't been released amid the ongoing government shutdown. The average 30-year fixed mortgage rate fell four basis points to 6.04% APR in the week ending Oct. 23, according to rates provided to NerdWallet by Zillow. A basis point is one one-hundredth of a percentage point. More from Florida Realtors.

Florida moms of disabled children denied medical care pin hope on old lawsuit

When Caroline Hagan was approved for at-home nursing care, it was a blessing for her family. The Lithia girl was born with Down syndrome, a congenital heart disease, hypothyroidism and a severe pediatric feeding disorder. She takes 15 medications every day, either through a feeding tube or a spray dispenser, and needs constant care. In March, Medicaid administrators agreed with the girl’s doctor to increase her weekly in-home nursing schedule from 50 to 90 hours. One nurse accompanied her to school, while another took over at 3 p.m., allowing her mom, Alyssa Hagan, to work her full-time administrative job. But within three weeks, Sunshine Health, the company hired to run Florida’s program for medically fragile children, reversed its decision, saying the extra care wasn’t medically necessary. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Florida engineers test photonic AI chips in space

In a groundbreaking milestone for space-enabled semiconductor research, the University of Florida, in collaboration with NASA, MIT, Vanguard Automation, AIM Photonics and Germany’s Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute, launched a suite of photonic AI chips to the International Space Station aboard JAXA’s HTV-XI spacecraft this weekend. The mission is part of NASA’s MISSE, or Materials International Space Station Experiment, which tests how materials and devices perform when exposed to the harsh environment of low Earth orbit. More from UF News.

Opinion: Still thinking cybersecurity cautions are for big businesses? Think again.

October in Tallahassee is a season of football tailgates, fall festivals, and family gatherings. But while we enjoy the cooler weather and community spirit, there’s another season we can’t afford to ignore: Cybersecurity Awareness Month. As someone who works closely with business owners across North Florida and South Georgia, I often ask a simple but revealing question: “Who’s the weakest link in your office?” The answer, often, is everyone. Cybercriminals aren’t just targeting large corporations anymore. Increasingly, they’re setting their sights on small and mid-sized businesses, including those right here in Tallahassee. Why? Because we’re connected, we’re busy, and we often assume we’re too small to be a target. More from the Tallahassee Democrat.

Stephen Ross, Moishe Mana pursue tech-driven neighborhood transformations in South Florida

Two very different South Florida businessmen have a similar idea: attract technology startup companies to transform a neighborhood, setting the stage for development. The “Business Breakdown with Brian Bandell” podcast dives into the plans by Moishe Mana in downtown Miami and Stephen M. Ross in West Palm Beach, highlighting the stark contrast between Mana’s eccentric approach and Ross’s more traditional strategy. While Mana is the largest landowner in downtown Miami, his focus is more about renovating older buildings for technology tenants and enhancing the streetscape before he starts ground-up construction. More from the South Florida Business Journal.