Florida's disposable workers: Companies profit from undocumented laborers, dump them after injuries

Some Florida businesses profit from the labor of unauthorized immigrants after accepting phony identification when hiring them, and then the employers or their insurers report them after a work injury for using false documents, a yearlong Naples Daily News investigation found.

Health insurance sign-up deadline extended in Florida

Floridians have two extra weeks to sign up for health insurance through the Affordable Care Act. The Trump administration shortened the enrollment period this year by six weeks. It was supposed to end Friday, but federal authorities granted Florida an extension due to the busy hurricane season. [Source: AP]

Florida Trend Profile
Naked truth

After graduating from law school, Luke Lirot returned to Clearwater, his hometown. While working for a local real estate attorney, he met Joe Redner, owner of Tampa’s most renowned strip club, Mons Venus. In 1990, Lirot started his own law firm specializing in cases that involve the adult entertainment industry. Read the "Of Counsel" profile here.

USF Sarasota-Manatee gets new regional chancellor

Karen Holbrook, executive vice president of the University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee and a senior advisor to USF System President Judy Genshaft, has been named the new regional chancellor of USFSM. Full news release here. Also read more at the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.

Florida reemployment tax rate to remain at its lowest

Gov. Rick Scott announced that Florida businesses will continue to pay the lowest possible rate for reemployment taxes next year for the third year in a row. The minimum tax rate will remain at $7.00 per employee in 2018. See the news release from Gov. Scott, here. Also read more at the Space Coast Daily.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Trio of Florida locations among Dr. Beach’s top 10 best beaches in America for 2017 [Tampa Bay Times]
Three beaches in Florida made it on a highly coveted list of the top 10 in America this year, ranked by Dr. Stephen Leatherman, a.k.a. “Dr. Beach.” Siesta Beach in Sarasota took the No. 1 spot while Grayton Beach State Park in the Panhandle came in at No 4. Caladesi Island State Park in Pinellas County landed at No. 7.

› Innovation, Collaboration, Transformation at Tampa General Hospital [Sponsored Report]
Tampa General Hospital's time-honored values lead to world class care with a positive economic impact on the Tampa Bay area. [Sponsored report]

› Orlando International Airport expects 3 million passengers this holiday [Orlando Sentinel]
The holiday season is expected to be a busy travel time at the Orlando International Airport. Airport officials expect nearly 3 million passengers — up 7 percent from the same time last year — for the winter holiday travel season. Also read more at the Orlando Sentinel.

› Could electric buses play a role in making South Florida more resilient? [WLRN]
More than 600 local policymakers and activists are set to share ideas on regional challenges at the Southeast Florida Climate Leadership Summit in Fort Lauderdale. And sea level rise and traffic are likely to be major topics of conversation.

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› Florida Frontiers: Small town of Palatka has a long history [Florida Today]
The small town of Palatka, Florida, is about 60 miles south of Jacksonville, 45 miles east of Gainesville, and 29 miles southwest of St. Augustine. It’s the home of St. Johns River State College and the Florida School of the Arts, headquarters of the St. Johns Water Management District, and the site of Ravine Gardens State Park.

› Hurricane Irma debris cleanup close to finished in South Florida [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
After three months, South Florida is just about finished cleaning up the mess Hurricane Irma left. Cities are making the final passes through neighborhoods, picking up the last piles of debris from the storm that struck South Florida on Sept. 10.

› Tampa Bay is above average in minority homeownership [Tampa Bay Times]
Tampa Bay ranks 22nd among the nation’s 45 largest metro areas in the percentage of minority homeowners. According to Abodo, an online apartment marketplace, 46.2 percent of minorities in the bay area own their homes, which have an average value of $169,700.

› Florida: Fewer Cubans registering for government assistance [AP]
Florida officials say the number of Cubans registering for government assistance dropped dramatically after a longstanding migration policy ended in January.