March 28, 2024

Friday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 5/12/2023

Florida jobless claims hold steady

The number of first-time unemployment claims showed little change last week, as concerns about the labor force continue. The U.S. Department of Labor on Thursday released a report that estimated 5,604 initial unemployment claims were filed in Florida during the week that ended May 6, six fewer than during the previous week. Meanwhile, an estimated 264,000 claims were filed nationally last week, up from 242,000 during the week that ended April 29. More from the News Service of Florida.

Thousands of Floridians to get checks in the mail from TurboTax 'free' settlement

If you were one of the millions of Americans who qualified for the federally supported free tax filing service but were tricked into using TurboTax's "free, free, free" service instead, you could be receiving part of the $141 million settlement between the company behind TurboTax, California-based Intuit, and all 50 states from a class-action lawsuit last year. More from the Daytona Beach News Journal.

Tallahassee Community College is adding three new bachelor degree programs

Tallahassee Community College is adding three new degree programs for careers in high-demand fields. The programs were approved by the State Board of Education in March. The move comes after Flagler College, a private institution based in St. Augustine, decided to close the three satellite programs it offered on the TCC campus. More from WFSU.

Oceania Vista cruise ship christened ahead of fall Florida arrival

Oceania Vista, the first new ship in more than a decade for Oceania Cruises, and one set to make its way to Florida this fall, got smacked with a bottle of champagne this week during a christening ceremony that featured celebrity chef and ship godmother Giada De Laurentiis and entertainer Harry Connick Jr. The two celebrities were on hand along with executives from Oceania Cruises and its parent company Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. in Valletta, Malta on Tuesday to welcome what is planned to be the first of two vessels in the line’s new Allura class, and the first since ship since 2012’s Oceania Riviera. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

‘Terrible record-keeping’: This town wants to know how it spent millions of dollars

How does a city plow through millions of dollars and not know how? The town of Pembroke Park said it needs to find out, and commissioners will be asked to approve a six-figure contract with a forensic accounting firm as early as this month. Town officials said they took out a $2.3 million loan from the federal U.S. Department of Agriculture in January 2009 for “the acquisition, construction and erection of extensions and improvements to the sewer system.” More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Business Beat

Business Beat - Week of May 12th

Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video news brief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.

 

Florida Dining
Which Florida restaurants earned Michelin stars for 2023? See who made the guide

Four more Florida restaurants have earned stars in the 2023 Michelin Guide, including one in Miami Beach and three in Tampa. At a ceremony at loanDepot Park in Miami on Thursday night, Michelin awarded a star to The Tambourine Room by Tristan Brandt at the Carillon Miami Wellness Beach Resort in Miami Beach, which serves French cuisine with Asian influences; Koya, a small Japanese spot in Tampa; the Florida-forward Lilac at the Tampa Edition hotel; and Italian restaurant Rocca in Tampa.

» Read more from the Miami Herald and the Tampa Bay Times.

Tags: Daily Pulse, Afternoon Pulse

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Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices
Bitter-to-swallow cocoa costs force chocolate shops to raise prices

Central Floirda chocolate shops are left with a bitter taste as cocoa prices hit an all-time high earlier this week.

Video Picks | Viewpoints@FloridaTrend

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