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Thursday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida Trend Exclusive
The state of banking in Florida
Stephen A. LeMay is an associate professor at the University of West Florida’s College of Business. He teaches both graduate and undergraduate courses in finance, marketing, banking and computer literacy and supply chain logistics. He spoke to FLORIDA TREND about the state’s banking and finance industries. [Source: Florida Trend]
Florida COVID-19 cases are rising
After weeks of seeing a decrease in the number of COVID-19 cases in the state, Florida is once again experiencing a rise in cases. Looking at the latest CDC data, Florida reported 2,565 new cases of COVID-19 to the federal government yesterday. This is the first time since February 25 that the state has reported more than 2,500 cases in a day. The 7-day average for new cases is now up to 1,961 cases a day. Following the winter omicron surge, the 7-day average had bottomed out on March 21, at 1,127 cases a day. [Source: WJXT]
New machine could help harvest strawberries as industry sees decline in labor
The number of laborers willing to work in strawberry fields has been on the decline for years. The industry was ripe for innovation, and machines could soon mimic human hands to harvest the berries. At Wish Farms in Plant City, the dwindling labor force has been affecting the business for close to a decade. "He's probably losing 25% of his crop each year just because of shortage of labor. So we've been working for the last seven or eight years trying to figure out how to pick strawberries automatically," said Joe McGee, Executive Chairman and CEO of Harvest CROO Robotics. [Source: WTVT]
What you need to know about Florida’s meningitis outbreak
So far this year Florida has confirmed 21 cases of meningococcal disease, far outpacing annual averages, said state health officials, who are encouraging high-risk groups — including gay and bisexual men, people with HIV and college students — to get vaccinated against the often severe and sometimes deadly illness. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida officials warn to not touch fuzzy caterpillars making annual appearance
Florida can be dangerous in many ways, but from mid-April to early May, health officials warn people in the state to avoid touching a fuzzy caterpillar. The white-marked tussock moth caterpillar can cause skin irritation if touched. It has been reported to be issues at Florida day-care centers and elementary schools in the state in the past, according to a report from Donald W. Hall and Lyle Buss with the Entomology and Nematology Department at the University of Florida. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Citizens Insurance adds 25,000 policies
The state-backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. added more than 25,000 policies in March, as private insurers continued to shed policies and raise rates. Citizens had 817,926 policies as of March 31, up from 792,616 at the end of February, according to data posted on the Citizens website. Citizens, which was created as an insurer of last resort, has seen massive growth during the past two years amid financial problems in the private insurance market.
› ‘Both icon and iconoclast’ attorney William ‘Bill’ Sheppard dies
Jacksonville attorney William “Bill” Sheppard died at home April 9 at age 80 after a long illness. A partner at Sheppard, White, Kachergus, DeMaggio & Wilkison, Sheppard built a reputation as a champion of civil rights over his legal career that spanned more than 50 years.
› Miami-Dade County may get third-party cryptocurrency payments
The Miami-Dade Cryptocurrency Task Force, created in April last year to explore the feasibility of the county accepting cryptocurrencies, delivered its report and is recommending allowing indirect acceptance of payment to the county in bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies through a licensed third-party payment processor. Existing regulations prohibit the county from directly accepting cryptocurrency as payment.
› Hertz announces first-ever profit-sharing plan to benefit thousands of employees
Hertz has announced its first-ever employee profit-sharing plan. Dubbed "Sharing in Our Success," the plan will reward employees locally and globally for helping the rental car firm achieve set targets for profitability and customer service. The new program will supplement, not replace, the performance and incentive plans Hertz Global Holdings already has in place.
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