Florida Chamber: Childhood poverty dips but work remains
The Florida Chamber Foundation’s Florida Prosperity Initiative has released its latest “State of Childhood Poverty in Florida” report, showing incremental progress toward its long-term goal of cutting childhood poverty in half by 2030. According to the report, 711,576 children in Florida are living in poverty, representing 16.5% of the state’s youth population. Rates are highest among the youngest Floridians, with 18% of children under age 5 living in poverty. Despite those figures, the report points to measurable improvement over time. More from Florida Politics.
Jacksonville commercial real estate enters transitional phase as interest rates reshape development
Jacksonville’s commercial real estate market is entering a more measured phase after several years of rapid change. That was the consensus from a March 24 CREW Jacksonville panel of local industry leaders who described a market shaped by higher interest rates, normalized supply and shifting demand across asset classes. Panelists said that balance has emerged as new construction has slowed and newly delivered projects continue to be absorbed into the market. More from the Jacksonville Business Journal.
Florida company's IData will guide the NASA Artemis II Orion spacecraft
As NASA gears up for the historic Artemis II mission, a Florida-based aerospace technology company is transforming how astronauts interact with critical flight data, including real-time displays in Orion’s cockpit. This company is known as ENSCO, and it has had a presence on the Space Coast since the 1980s. ENSCO has been working with the Air Force, the category which now falls under the Space Force, since 1988. More from Florida Today.
Zoox to begin testing robotaxi service in Miami
Apparently, robotaxis are flocking to Miami, too. Zoox announced its plans today to begin testing its purpose-built robotaxis with riders in Miami and Austin, as well as expanding service in San Francisco and Las Vegas. “This expansion marks a significant step forward for Zoox and is driven by the insights from our early deployments,” said Zoox CEO Aicha Evans. More from Refresh Miami.
Southwest Florida's top 100 employers led by health care, schools
Florida Gulf Coast University’s Regional Economic Research Institute revealed Southwest Florida’s top 100 employers, with private-nonprofit health care system Lee Health leading the way, followed by the School District of Lee County and Lakeland-based grocery chain Publix. The top 100 represents about 161,000 employees in Lee, Collier, Charlotte, Hendry and Glades counties, or 25% of the five-county area’s workforce of nearly 632,700. More from Gulfshore Business.
Event
Orlando Boat Show returns this weekend with 600 boats
Aspiring and experienced boaters alike will congregate at the Orange County Convention Center this weekend as the Orlando Boat Show floats into Central Florida once again. Watercraft enthusiasts of all backgrounds can browse a selection of 600 boats from 90 manufacturers at the event March 27-29. While a variety of vessels and on-site seminars are dedicated to fishing, the sport only captures one segment of a large industry.
» More from the Orlando Sentinel.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Power and water
Data centers used about 4.4% of all U.S. electricity in 2023, the U.S. Department of Energy says, anticipating that figure could balloon to 12% in the next three years as AI’s use increases. Here’s why: A ChatGPT query can use nearly 10 times the electricity as a regular Google search. OpenAI says the bot receives 2.5 million prompts per day. That helps explain why tech giants believe they can’t build data centers fast enough.
» Read more from Florida Trend.