Wednesday's Daily Pulse

Posted 9/10/2014

Updated 10 yearss ago

Hurricane season enters active phase

A relatively slow hurricane season could start to ramp up as the halfway point arrives Wednesday, but forecasters still expect an average or below average number of storms. More at the Sarasota Herald Tribune, the Miami Herald, and Tampa Bay Newspapers.

Florida Trend Exclusive
Disney places its bets

Disney’s spending on campaigns has risen from just over $700,000 during the 2008 election cycle to almost $4 million during 2012, making it one of the most politically generous businesses in the state. Access full story.

U.S. takes halting steps to plug infrastructure funding gap

The Obama administration on Tuesday announced a series of measures to help shore up crumbling U.S. infrastructure, including half a billion dollars in loans for the electric grid. U.S. Treasury Secretary Jacob J. Lew said failing to improve the nation’s infrastructure could lead to job losses and higher prices. More from Reuters and Bloomberg Businessweek.

Most businesses are far from social

Social business isn’t just a good idea; it is a necessity in almost any industry. Social Selling has become crucial because people buy online. They tend to start and finish their journey online using content and influence as their guide [Source: Forbes]

The best and worst cities for Hispanic entrepreneurs

For Hispanics who’ve successfully integrated into American society, they also have managed to contribute significantly to the economy. Their collective impact is reflected in the growing quantity of Hispanic-owned businesses in the country, which stood at 3.1 million in 2013. [Source: WalletHub]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida boasts richest members of Congress [Tampa Bay Business Journal]
It pays to hold high office. Florida has four of the top 50 richest members of Congress, according to recently released financial data.

› Florida leads nation in cash home sales [Miami Herald]
Cash is still king in Florida’s housing market. Florida ranked No. 1 in the nation in cash home sales in June, totaling 51 percent of all the state’s closings, according to CoreLogic.

› Florida critical for bird species’ future [Tallahassee Democrat]
As global warming threatens the survival of nearly half the bird species in North America, Florida will play an increasingly important role in conserving them, a new study by scientists with the National Audubon Society show finds.

› Meet the drone company in your backyard [Jacksonville Business Journal]
There is a nationwide frenzy about drones — and a local company is benefiting from it. "Anything with the word 'drone' piques interest," said Felicia Hess, CEO of Drone Aviation Holding Corp.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› Fort Lauderdale metro job market 'healthy,' new survey says [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Employers in the Fort-Lauderdale-Miami metro market are expected to hire at an upbeat pace during the fourth quarter of the year, according to a new survey released Tuesday by the Manpower staffing firm.

› Bauer finds stronger banks in South Florida [South Florida Business Journal]
South Florida banks are getting stronger, according to Bauer Financial, which boosted its star ratings for seven local banks.

› UF top Florida school in annual U.S. News rankings (again) [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
The University of Florida is once again the state's top-ranked public university, according to the annual rankings by U.S. News & World Report. The Gainesville school earned a Top 50 spot on the "national universities" list and even a higher place on the "top public schools" list.
» See also: Florida universities ranked among best in country

› Darden urges shareholder support for its director plan [Orlando Sentinel]
Orlando-based Darden Restaurant urged shareholders Tuesday to vote for its slate of board of directors and again blasted hedge fund Starboard Value for its attempted takeover of the company.