U.S. welfare flows to Cuba

Cuban immigrants are cashing in on U.S. welfare and returning to the island, making a mockery of the decades-old premise that they are refugees fleeing persecution at home. Some stay for months at a time — and the U.S. government keeps paying. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

See also:
» Cubans retire to Florida – with help from U.S. taxpayers
» Florida politicians protect special status for Cubans

Mosaic to pay $2 billion over mishandling of hazardous waste

Mosaic Fertilizer, the world's largest phosphate mining company, has agreed to pay nearly $2 billion to settle a federal lawsuit over hazardous waste and to clean up its operations at six Florida sites and two in Louisiana. Despite the mishandling of the waste, Debra Waters, Mosaic's director of environmental regulatory affairs in Florida, said the company has seen no change in the area's groundwater, which EPA officials said was correct.  More at the Tampa Bay Times and the Florida Times-Union.

Statement from Mosaic:
» Mosaic Fertilizer, LLC Reaches Regulatory Settlement In Florida And Louisiana

The political significance of the Gig Economy

In recent history, most social safety nets -- like retirement savings, disability insurance, unemployment benefits -- have been tied to traditional jobs. As fewer people work traditional jobs, new evidence supports the case that freelancers are a legitimate -- and growing -- political constituency. Read more from Fast Company.

See also:
» Gig Economy Is Growing, But Not Growing Up

Hurricane Joaquin batters Bahamas; storm could threaten U.S.

Hurricane Joaquin hammered islands in the central Bahamas with torrential rains that flooded homes, and forecasters warned that the “extremely dangerous” Category 4 storm could grow even stronger as it roared on a path that could take it near the U.S. East Coast. More at the AP, the Weather Channel, and CNN.

Florida small businesses more optimistic

Looking ahead over the next six months, 85 percent of business owners in Florida are optimistic about their companies’ prospects, up from 83 percent in the April, according to PNC Financial Services Group, which has been conducting the biannual survey since 2003. [Source: Naples Daily News]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida universities switch retirement plan provider [Orlando Sentinel]
If you work at one of the 12 campuses under the State University System of Florida, you'll soon have a new company handling your retirement plans.

› Four more insurers aim to nab Citizens customers in clearinghouse [Palm Beach Post]
By early 2016, four more insurers are set to join 14 others in a clearinghouse that boots renewing customers out of state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp., if a private carrier offers coverage for the same price or less.

› Orlando City owner Flávio Augusto da Silva sets sights on Cristiano Ronaldo [Orlando Sentinel]
Orlando City owner Flávio Augusto da Silva likes to set lofty goals for his franchise. This one may be a little too far up there. Augusto da Silva told Spanish newspaper Marca that the club would like to sign Real Madrid superstar Cristiano Ronaldo for next season.

› Realtor associations propose a marriage [Business Observer]
The boards of the Cape Coral Association of Realtors and the Realtor Association of Greater Fort Myers and the Beach agreed to unite into a single association linking the two areas of Lee County.

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› NextEra CEO: Energy storage will replace gas peakers post-2020 [Utility Dive]
NextEra Energy wants to be the biggest and most profitable renewable energy company in the United States, CEO Jim Robo told the Power & Gas Leaders Conference earlier this week.

› Daughter's decade-long push to build Cade Museum becomes reality [Gainesville Sun]
The Cade Museum is the legacy that Phoebe Cade Miles has built for her father, Dr. Robert Cade, the kidney specialist at the University of Florida who led the team that invented Gatorade.

› Sarasota hits nearly $300M in building permits [Business Observer]
The City of Sarasota set a record for building permits in the 2014-2015 fiscal year, with 8,402 applications. It’s the first time the city surpassed 8,000 permits in one year, according to a release.

› Jacksonville's Laura Street named one of the top-5 streets in the nation [Florida Times-Union]
Laura Street, at least five blocks of it in the heart of downtown, has been named one of the best streets in the United States. One of the best five streets.