Friday's Daily Pulse
Manufacturing jobs pay more than others in Florida
Manufacturing workers in Florida make an average of $3,786 more per year than other employees, according to a report released Thursday. The average was for a manufacturing job is $18 an hour, compared with $16.17 for other jobs. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
CFO Jeff Atwater, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam call for investigation into FDLE firing
Two Cabinet members on Thursday called for an outside investigation to learn the truth behind Florida Gov. Rick Scott's forced ouster of the state's top law enforcement official and claims of political interference by Scott's office. Putnam and Atwater, both Republicans like Scott, said a third party could independently investigate allegations made by former Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Gerald Bailey. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Related:
» From Governor Scott’s Press Office: An FAQ on FDLE (a PDF document)
» Attorney General Pam Bondi joins Cabinet scrutiny of Gov. Rick Scott's actions in FDLE firing
 The high-rise portion of the Fontainbleau (left) was positioned to shade the pool at the Eden Roc (far right). More. [Photo: Daniel Portnoy] |
Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida Originals: The ‘Spite Wall' between the Fontainebleau and the Eden Roc
Fontainebleau developer Ben Novack took his dissatisfaction with former business partner and developer of the Eden Roc hotel to extremes, positioning the Fontainebleau’s 1962 addition to shade the pool at the Eden Roc. Access full story.
Florida offers the fewest weeks of jobless benefits
Florida has just replaced North Carolina as the state offering the fewest weeks of unemployment benefits in the country. Based on a formula tied to its declining unemployment rate, Florida cut back its maximum unemployment benefits from 16 weeks to 14 weeks effective Jan. 15. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Survey: Americans keep some purchases secret from spouses
Just in time for Valentine's Day: A survey by CreditCards.com shows that about 7 million Americans have hidden a bank or credit card account from their spouse or significant other. It's not the only deep dark secret, either. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Sweden pitches for tourism from South Florida [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Travel is a two-way street, and just as South Florida seeks to lure more Scandinavians, so too does Scandinavia aim to attract more visitors from South Florida.
› Gulf Power, military bringing large-scale solar power [Pensacola News-Journal]
Gulf Power is partnering with the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force to build solar energy farms at three different facilities across Northwest Florida.
» See also: Gulf Power, military propose state's largest network of solar power plants
› Jacksonville's economy making gains, but hasn't recovered yet [Jacksonville Business Journal]
Jacksonville hasn't completely recovered from the Great Recession, but it's improving, according to a new report by the Brookings Institute.
› Dade OKs $10M for planned movie studio [Miami Herald]
Miami-Dade commissioners approved a $10 million subsidy for a developer to build what was described as one of the largest movie studios outside of California, the second government-backed production facility in the Miami area.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Raymond James' recruiting bump will boost next quarter [Reuters]
Independent broker-dealer Raymond James Financial Inc's recruiting drive has paid off, landing 71 net new advisers, as it sets the stage for a bounce in the second quarter, according to Raymond James Chief Executive Officer Paul Reilly.
› Orlando Health joins network to share patient records electronically [Orlando Sentinel]
Orlando Health has started participating in Florida's Health Information Exchange, joining more than 50 other nonprofit hospitals that are already in the network.
› Gov. Rick Scott wants to stop taxing college textbooks [AP]
College students could be getting a break on the cost of their textbooks. The Scott administration estimates the tax break could save a fulltime student as much as $60 a year. The tax break is expected to cost more than $41 million.
› Pinellas proposes spending $1 million to improve behavior at five schools [Tampa Bay Times]
Pinellas County school officials want to spend $1 million to teach classroom management techniques to teachers and administrators at struggling St. Petersburg elementary schools.