Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

Wednesday's Daily Pulse

State gets $7 billion revenue bump

Economists added more than $7 billion to the state’s general-revenue forecast for the current fiscal year and next fiscal year, despite concerns about housing struggles, lingering inflation and a “mild” recession. The forecast, completed late Monday, will give lawmakers more money to play with as they piece together a budget for the 2023-2024 fiscal year, which will start in July. General revenue plays a critical role in funding programs such as education, health care and prisons. [Source: News Service of Florida]

Pythons, invasive and hungry, are making their way north in Florida

So much for all the efforts to slow the proliferation of Burmese pythons in the Florida Everglades over the last two decades, including with paid contractors, trained volunteers and an annual hunt that has drawn participants from as far as Latvia: The giant snakes have been making their way north, reaching West Palm Beach and Fort Myers and threatening ever-larger stretches of the ecosystem. [Source: New York Times]

Bank collapse has some Florida business owners on edge

Silicon Valley Bank in California collapsed on Friday forcing the United States federal government to step in and guarantee that customers get their deposits back, making it the biggest U.S. bank failure since the global financial crisis in 2008. The billions invested in the bank include funds from major companies such as Etsy, which is an online marketplace with millions of sellers. [Source: News 4 Jax]

Record Florida temperatures help keep tomato supply plentiful

Florida continues to have ample supplies of tomatoes thanks in part to warmer temperatures in the state -- the end of February saw record temperatures throughout parts of Florida. At the same time, Mexico has started its season short and for now, a sizeable amount of supply is staying in areas such as Mexico City due to the high demand for tomatoes in that region. [Source: Fresh Plaza]

Audit finds Florida's foster care system didn't properly report missing children

An audit recently released by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Inspector General gave the state of Florida low marks for its stewardship of children in its foster care system. The OIG audit found that state agencies were failing to properly report missing foster care children in accordance with federal law and some didn’t report them missing at all. [Source: The Center Square]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida homeowners are in the dark about flood insurance, expert says
After the back-to-back named storms last year left billions of dollars in flood losses across Florida, one organization is warning that major reforms are needed to government regulations and flood insurance, especially inland as climate change makes storms wetter and more powerful. As of January, FEMA, which administers the National Flood Insurance Program, has paid out more than $2 billion of a projected $5.3 billion in flood claims from Hurricane Ian, according to the agency.

› Big push to train workers for lucrative jobs in Miami’s growing technology arena
Christopher Matthews is one of more than 100 Miami Dade students, and among countless others in South Florida, looking and hoping to find satisfying, good-paying jobs provided by the explosive growth in Miami’s technology and finance sectors. The AI class he’s taking is part of an expanding tech curriculum the college is offering thanks to securing $15 million early last year in private and public funding.

› Gasparilla Film Fest brings celebrities and movies to Tampa
The Gasparilla International Film Festival is back for its 16th year with nearly 75 independent movies being screened throughout Tampa from March 23-26. There are feature films and short films. There are documentary films and narrative films. There are films made in Tampa and films shot internationally. And there will be celebrities and filmmakers in attendance. Lots of them.

› Renting still better than buying a home in Palm Beach County but the gap is narrowing
The gap between whether it’s fiscally better to rent or buy is narrowing in South Florida, but experts say signing a lease still holds an economic advantage over signing a mortgage. Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties came in 62nd in a report on the nation's top 100 housing markets in which the higher the ranking, the more equal the monetary benefits are between renting and buying.

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› Women drive trend of co-working spaces as Murray Hill shop opens for remote work
More and more women are demanding a seat at the table — and they're willing to make their own offices to get it. Co-working environments were on the rise before the COVID-19 pandemic shut down many offices in the U.S. Now that more employees work from home, these spaces are seeing a resurgence in interest driven mostly by women.

› Florida Fish and Wildlife offers alligator safety tips
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is offering alligator safety tips after attacks in recent weeks. Warmer temperatures mean residents will spot more gators active and visible, according to a press release from the FWC. The first thing to do if you witness an alligator is to keep stay a safe distance away. The FWC said it could force alligators to associate people with food availability. FWC also recommends swimming in designated areas during daylight hours, as gators are most active between dusk and dawn.

› Mayo Clinic adding $60.3 million patient tower addition
Mayo Clinic in Florida can start construction on a five-story tower expansion at its 4500 San Pablo Road campus in Jacksonville. The city issued a permit March 13 for The Robins & Morton Group of Orlando to build the shell construction at a cost of almost $60.3 million. The project will add 250,000 square feet of tower space and increase the building from eight floors to 13.

› Miami Beach liquor cutoff can take effect, judge says. Will Story nightclub survive?
Miami Beach can impose a partial 2 a.m. alcohol curfew in the South of Fifth neighborhood, a Miami-Dade Circuit Court judge said Tuesday, handing a victory to the city in a ruling that affects one of the area’s biggest nightclubs. Judge Reemberto Diaz issued the decree after hearing two days of testimony on Story nightclub’s challenge of an ordinance passed last month by the Miami Beach City Commission. The ordinance will force some South of Fifth businesses that are currently allowed to sell alcohol until 5 a.m. to move their cutoffs to 2 a.m.