Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Friday's Daily Pulse

Internet tax ruling could be major for Florida

A U.S. Supreme Court decision expanding the ability of states to pull in tax dollars from online purchases could have a significant impact in Florida. In a 5-4 ruling Thursday, the nation’s highest court upheld a South Dakota law that allowed the state to apply its sales tax to major online retailers, even if they had no physical presence in the state. More from the Orlando Sentinel and the Gainesville Sun.

See also:
» Florida retailers cheer Supreme Court online sales tax decision
» Editorial: With Supreme Court ruling, Florida should collect sales tax from online retailers
» Your turn:
Should Florida collect sales tax from all online retailers? (quick poll)

2.4 million Floridians expected to travel for Fourth of July

Summer has officially started and so have summer travel plans. About 2.4 million Floridians are expected to travel for the Fourth of July holiday weekend, up 6.3 percent from last year, according to AAA, The Auto Club Group. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

See also:
» Nearly 47 million Americans will be traveling for Independence Day holiday -- and Orlando is #1 domestic travel destination

Florida ranks low in women’s labor force participation

Working women in Florida

According to The Institute for Women’s Policy Research, the state is ranked 48th out of 51, including the District of Colombia, in women’s labor force participation, at 53.7 percent. The demographic that had the hardest time finding a new job after the Great Recession hit in 2008 was women over 50. See the reports: "The Status of Women in Florida by County: Employment & Earnings," and also "The Economic Status of Women in Florida." Also read more at WUFT

Strong demand, low inventory continues to bolster Florida’s home sales market

Despite higher interest rates, the Florida housing market posted strong numbers in May with higher sales, median prices and even new listings as compared to a year earlier. The latest residential sales statistics released by trade group Florida Realtors indicated sales of single-family homes statewide totaled 28,071 in May, up 0.8% as compared to May 2017. See the news release from Florida Realtors and read more at Globe St.

Billionaires, bankers and a Ukrainian oligarch: See who’s funding Florida’s campaigns for governor

From national advocacy groups to hedge fund managers to local real estate tycoons, lots of big donors have placed their bets in the race for Florida governor. But not all of them are household names — in fact, several large contributors donated from their company accounts so their names did not initially appear on campaign finance documents. [Source: Times/Herald]

See also:
» Campaign donations in Florida governor’s race hit $80 million

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Orlando International Airport to scan faces of U.S. citizens, raising privacy concerns
Florida's busiest airport is becoming the first in the nation to require a face scan of passengers on all arriving and departing international flights, including U.S. citizens, according to officials there.

› Bond ratings, new projects signal positive financial outlook for Hallandale Beach
The financial profile of the city of Hallandale Beach has received a lift from Fitch Ratings, which recently affirmed its high grades for the local government’s general obligation bonds and capital improvement revenue bonds.

› Downtown Miami residents want to block Formula One and kick out Ultra Music Festival
An attorney representing 11 downtown residents sent a cease-and-desist letter to City Hall on Wednesday demanding the city halt negotiations to bring Formula One to Miami in 2019 and stop hosting other "mega-events" in Bayfront Park, such as Ultra Music Festival and Rolling Loud Festival.

› Tampa company brings on-demand home-service app to Orlando
An app built in Tampa that has become available in Orlando hopes to connect home-improvement gurus with those who need a little bit of work done. Homee, an on-demand service that provides access to electricians, plumbers and other professionals, has expanded its GPS-based platform to Central Florida.

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› Guitar-shaped hotel tower nears top-off at Seminole Hard Rock in Hollywood
The Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in Hollywood has announced it is less than three weeks away from topping off its new guitar-shaped hotel — a 450-foot tower that has become visible for miles around South Florida.

› Disney workers find peace with yoga at Cinderella Castle
They arrived before the sunrise Thursday, their yoga mats in hand as they headed toward the Cinderella Castle, three hours before Disney’s Magic Kingdom opened. The world’s busiest theme park briefly became a yoga studio as more than 1,000 Disney employees took a free, 45-minute class as part of the company’s wellness program.

› Florida-based fast-casual Mexican restaurant expanding
3 Pepper Burrito Co., a fast-casual Mexican food restaurant founded in Cape Coral, plans to open its first Sarasota location later year. Currently, 3 Pepper Burrito has one restaurant in Cape Coral and three in Fort Myers, another on the way.

› Are Florida's hurricane shelters safe enough to protect evacuees during a big storm?
If a deadly hurricane threatens Florida this year, just over a third of the state’s counties would not have adequate shelter space considered safe enough for storms that intensify to a strong Category 4 or an even more dangerous Category 5, according to state estimates. See the full document from Florida's State Emergency Response Team (SERT): "2018 Statewide Emergency Shelter Plan."