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Wednesday's Afternoon Update

Flooding risks could devalue Florida real estate

Flooding due to climate change-related sea level rising, the erosion of natural barriers and long-periods of rain pose substantial economic risks to Florida, particularly to the value of South Florida real estate, according to two new reports released last week. Based on past trends, losses from flooding in Florida could devalue vulnerable homes by $30 billion to $80 billion, or about 15% to 35%, by 2050, according to a report from McKinsey Global Institute. More from WPEC and FOX Business.

Miami-Dade targets five 2020 transportation milestones

Work to improve mobility in Miami-Dade is ongoing, and according to Transportation Director Alice Bravo, travelers here can already expect the county to reach five major milestones before the year is over. “First things first, we’ll be completing the delivery of all the new railcars for Metrorail by spring,” she said. “By then, we’ll have received the next 120 CNG buses [the county bought, which will] bring us to 420. More than half our Metrobus fleet will be new, with more to come." More from Miami Today.

Made In Space expands facilities, moves headquarters to Florida

Made In Space is moving its corporate headquarters from Mountain View, California, to Jacksonville, Florida. The company founded in Mountain View in 2010 established a presence in Jacksonville in 2015 and a partnership with Space Florida in 2017. Since then, Space Florida has provided financing to help the commercial space startup expand operations in the Sunshine State. More from Space News.

Coworking spaces, Amazon drop-offs, karaoke rooms and interactive gyms becoming the norm at luxury Orlando apartments

Apartment amenities have advanced far beyond a swimming pool or a gym with a treadmill and a couple of weights. Tenants want to live someplace with coworking spaces and karaoke rooms, high-tech fitness centers, keyless front doors and on-site coffee shops, according to a report in Growthspotter. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Florida lawmakers want same privacy as cops and judges, but why?

Senate Bill 832 would give lawmakers and Cabinet members the same level of secrecy granted to police officers and judges, making their home addresses, telephone numbers and dates of birth private. But while threats made against cops and judges are an occupational hazard, lawmakers supporting the bill offered no evidence that they needed the same protections. More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Amaya's story: Why she trusted Nemours Children's for personalized care

Nemours Children’s Health System has one of the nation’s most respected pediatric orthopedic programs and is a national leader in the non-operative management of scoliosis. One of our specialties is treating congenital scoliosis, which occurs when something goes wrong with the way some of the vertebrae developed while a baby was in the womb. [Sponsored report]

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Innovation
Orlando Health employee invents pen sanitizer

Todd Roberts first got the idea for CleanBlock a decade ago, when he was waiting to sign in at his doctor’s office. After years of prototypes, tests and failures, finally last year CleanBlock went on sale for $23.99. Orlando Health, which helped Roberts take his product to market, is  planning to install it across its facilities this year.

» More from the Orlando Sentinel.

 

Sports Business
Taxpayers are spending millions to host Super Bowl 54. What are they getting in return?

floridaFor the next two weeks, South Florida will be an even more intense entertainment mecca than it usually is, and there would seem to be plenty of opportunities for businesses to take advantage of the Feb. 2 match-up. Although Miami’s Super Bowl host committee has not released an official economic-impact estimate, if last year’s game in Atlanta is any indication, the estimate could come in north of $500 million.

» Read more from the Miami Herald.