Florida ranks 11th on CNBC’s top states for business

Florida typically scores top ranks in surveys and lists of business-friendliness, but a new CNBC analysis slots the Sunshine State 11th among top states to do business — a respectable showing but not among the upper echelon the state occupies in other rankings. CNBC's analysis takes into consideration more than just tax and regulation policies, weighting 10 categories — workforce (16%); infrastructure (15%); cost of doing business (14%); economy (13%); life, health and inclusion (13%); technology and innovation (10%); business friendliness (8%); education (7%); access to capital (2%); cost of living (2%). [Source: Florida Politics]

Food bank double-whammy: Rising inflation, demand hit Central Florida charities

Fuel for refrigerated trucks, utility bills for storage facilities and even the cost of purchasing discounted food have all risen sharply in recent months, even as surplus goods provided by the government and donations from grocery chains shrink. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

Immigrants are crucial to Tampa economy, local expert says

teve Maggi, the founder of SMA Lawfirm says many people don’t realize how crucial immigrants are to the Tampa economy: "Thirty percent of Tampa Bay businesses are owned by immigrants, but only 17% of Tampa Bay residents are immigrants, which means they’re highly entrepreneurial, and they’re creating hundreds of thousands of jobs with the businesses they set up." [Source: WFTS]

Santa Fe College proposes charter school that would open doors to health science, IT degrees

The charter school, Santa Fe College Academy of Science and Technology, is set to be funded through the Building Florida's Future program under Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration. School officials say they plan to open by August 2023 at 3000 NW 83rd St. in Gainesville, on the main campus of SF College. Applications to attend the school will go out in January 2023 and close in early March. [Source: Gainesville Sun]

Margaritaville cruise ship cleared to sail from Port of Palm Beach after 'no sail' order lifted

A cruise ship being held at the Port of Palm Beach this week under a "no sail" order received clearance to sail Friday morning after discrepancies found during a safety inspection were resolved, a U.S. Coast Guard spokesperson said. The Margaritaville at Sea Paradise ship was held at port Wednesday after a recent inspection by Port State Control officers "identified conditions which required the ship to stay in port until rectified due to the safety of crew and passengers," according to statement provided by the Coast Guard. [Source: Palm Beach Post]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Divers return to scalloping off Pasco’s coast [Bay News 9]
Scalloping season is back on Florida’s Sports Coast. The 10-day season started on Friday. Many boaters took to the coast of Pasco County this weekend to see what they could find.

› SpaceX launches latest batch of Starlink internet satellites from Florida [Florida Today]
SpaceX launched yet another batch of Starlink internet satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday, tying its previous annual launch record just seven months into the year.

› Duke Energy ignites Florida’s workforce with $697,000 in training, development grants [Duke Energy]
The Duke Energy Foundation and Duke Energy Florida have awarded grants to support a wide range of workforce training and development initiatives, as well as programs focused on attracting and retaining underrepresented and diverse workers. Of the 18 Florida-based organizations that received funding this year, many are among higher education institutions that provide career-focused curriculum and training opportunities for students to gain valuable skills and meet local workforce demands.

› Florida leads the way in coastal restoration with seagrass and clams [WFTV]
Florida is leading the way in restoring estuaries and coastal waterways by using seagrass and clams to help clean the environment. On June 5, the 2022-2023 budget was signed into law, securing funding that will lead the way in restoring estuaries and growing coastal economies.

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› South Florida foreclosures more than double [South Florida Business Journal]
Foreclosure filings soared 147% year over year in South Florida for the first half of 2022, according to Irvine, California-based property data company Attom. There were 5,303 foreclosure filings in the tri-county area in the first six months of the year. That’s a rate of one filing for every 498 homes, the 26th-highest foreclosure rate in the nation.

› 38 women’s soccer players benefit from Florida Citrus Sports’ NIL deal [Orlando Sentinel]
When Arsenal and Chelsea take to the field at Camping World Stadium on July 23 for the Florida Cup, soccer fans worldwide will be tuned in to check out the English Premier League rivals.

› Buying a hotel in a pandemic? St. Pete hotelier says it’s all part of the plan. [Tampa Bay Times]
After three decades on Wall Street, Tommy Del Zoppo traded in the Big Apple for the Sunshine State.

› Bridge Industrial buys 26 acres near Miami-Dade airport [South Florida Business Journal]
Bridge Industrial paid $15.6 million for a development site near Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport.