Afternoon Pulse

The Sunshine State’s beautiful sandy beaches aren’t just one of the biggest money-makers in the state’s tourism industry, they’re also the first line of defense against storm surges and flooding caused by tropical storms and hurricanes.

Last school year marked a more than 10-year low for Florida’s kindergarten and seventh-grade students completing all doses of required immunizations, according to a recent report from the state Department of Health.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency has determined that Florida’s antiquated water quality standards do not go far enough in protecting its citizens — particularly those who consume fish — from pollutants and adverse health effects.

Less than a week after the official end to the hurricane season, a rare December tropical disturbance popped in the Central Atlantic.

TheEstero-based company will pay approximately $168 million by the end of the year to settle the majority of the lawsuits brought by some of its customers who were wrongly accused of stealing cars they had rented.