economy

Does The Governor Deserve Credit For The Economy?

Elaine Chen — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

On The Florida Roundup, we take a special look at the economy.

Employment, tourism and real estate numbers suggest a recovery. We’ll examine whether Gov. Rick Scott’s “it’s working” motto is actually working -- for him.

What You Should Know From This Week's South Florida News: Dueling Governors And Dolphins Stadium

Elaine Chen — Fri, 29 Mar 2013 16:00:00 +0000

On The Florida Roundup, here are some of the items on our rundown:

Humidity Will Worsen With Climate Change And With It, Worker Productivity

Tricia Woolfenden — Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:31:27 +0000

Anyone who has tried to tend a garden or walk the dog in the height of a South Florida summer understands the energy-zapping qualities of a heat and humidity combo. A recently released study reports that climate change will mean an increase in those sticky, sweaty days.

Why Good People Can’t Get Jobs

Joseph Cooper, Bonnie Berman and Paul Leary — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 18:00:00 +0000

02/26/13 - Tuesday's Topical Currents is with human resource expert and Wharton Business School professor Peter Cappelli. Conventional wisdom says that our educational system fails the economy . . .

Economic Disaster

Joseph Cooper, Bonnie Berman and Paul Leary — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 18:00:00 +0000

02/19/13 - Tuesday's Topical Currents is with Princeton University economics professor and Wall Street Journal columnist Alan Blinder. How did the worst economic disaster in post-war American history occur? The US financial system, he says, was far too complex and unregulated for the public good. Blinder has written AFTER THE MUSIC STOPPED: The Financial Crisis, the Response and the Work Ahead. Links http://www.princeton.edu/~blinder/

A Lull Until New Year's? Not So These Days

Linton Weeks — Wed, 26 Dec 2012 16:17:00 +0000

Time was, the stretch following Christmas Day until New Year's Day was a quiet, sleepy spot on the American calendar. The six-day span hung like a lazy hammock between the holidays.

Not anymore.

Nowadays, the WAC — Week After Christmas — is busy and abuzzing. All around the country, Americans continue to celebrate — Kwanzaa, the Christmas afterglow and the coming New Year.

It's a mashup week that morphs from cozy fires to fireworks, from prayer books to party hats, from holly berries to hangovers.

Drop In Consumer Confidence Doesn't Keep Floridians From Spending

Gina Jordan — Thu, 29 Nov 2012 17:15:42 +0000

Consumer confidence in Florida dropped this month, but retailers were busy over the Thanksgiving/Black Friday weekend.

The National Retail Federation says more people went shopping on Black Friday this year than ever before.

University of Central Florida Economist Sean Snaith says shoppers may just be more budget conscious and eager to take advantage of big sales.

NEWSCAST: Black Friday Draws Thousands Out On Thanksgiving

Arianna Prothero — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 11:50:27 +0000

Hitting the malls on Thanksgiving night is becoming more common in South Florida. Stores are offering more than sales to entice shoppers away from the dinner table.

Details from WLRN-Miami Herald News.

It's Legal To Sell Marijuana In Washington. But Try Telling That To A Bank.

editor — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 16:31:38 +0000

Voters in Washington and Colorado just approved measures legalizing marijuana for recreational use. But businesses that want to sell marijuana in those states will face a problem: No bank wants to do business with them.

I called several banks in Washington. I called a local credit union, a tiny bank in the San Juan islands. Everybody said basically the same thing. Even if selling marijuana is legal under state law, it's still illegal under federal law.

One In Five Floridians On Food Stamps

Kenny Malone — Thu, 15 Nov 2012 19:53:35 +0000

One in five Floridians - about 3.6 million - is receiving food stamp benefits and the number is rising in South Florida, according to new data released by the state..

Florida Jobs Numbers Improve Slightly

WLRN MIAMI HERALD NEWS — Fri, 19 Oct 2012 15:32:07 +0000

The September jobs numbers are out for Florida and the news is somewhat better statewide. Seasonally adjusted, unemployment dropped to 8.7 percent which is down 0.1 percentage point from August.

Analyst: Rick Scott Begins Unofficial Reelection Bid With Focus On Teachers

Gina Jordan — Wed, 17 Oct 2012 22:15:31 +0000

Gov. Rick Scott is trying to appease educators.

They didn’t like it when he chopped $1.3 billion in education funding from the state budget.

They liked it even less when he called for an expansion of charter schools and other alternatives to traditional public schools.

So, while most people are focused on the November ballot, USF Political Scientist Seth McKee says Scott appears to be ramping up his 2014 reelection campaign by extending an olive branch to teachers.

Florida Leads The U.S. In Foreclosures

Marva Hinton — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 21:02:49 +0000

Florida is number one when it comes to foreclosures. This is the first time since 2005 that Florida has held the top spot.

The rankings for September are based on figures released Thursday by RealtyTrac.

Within the state, Broward County has the highest percentage of homes going through the foreclosure process.

Michael Grunwald & The New New Deal

Paul Leary — Mon, 01 Oct 2012 17:00:00 +0000

10/01/12 - Monday’s Topical Currents is with Time Magazine Senior Correspondent Michael Grunwald, who’s chronicled the events and reactions surrounding the 2009 federal stimulus package, which reached 700-billion-dollars. In

America’s Cheapest Family & The Money Smart System

Paul Leary — Tue, 25 Sep 2012 17:00:00 +0000

09/25/12 - Tuesday's Topical Currents is with Steve and Annette Economides, known as America’s Cheapest Family. They’ve made saving money—and still living well—an art form. They plan carefully and only grocery shop once a month.

Palm Beach County’s Middle Class Still Waiting For Promised “Workforce Housing”

Christine DiMattei — Thu, 20 Sep 2012 01:13:18 +0000

A controversial agreement between Palm Beach County and developers is finally producing reduced-price homes for low- to middle-income families.

It’s just not happening fast enough.

Does The Word "Beach" Make South Florida Cities Cooler?

Christine DiMattei — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 10:40:48 +0000

Some South Florida cities were born beaches -- others just kind of decided to become beaches.

In recent years, several cities have attempted to raise their profiles and attract tourists by tacking a "Beach" onto the end of their names.

Letter From Key West: A Different Air

Frank Deford — Thu, 10 Mar 2011 20:57:04 +0000

Journalist Frank Deford’s stories have appeared in Sports Illustrated, HBO Real Sports and NPR. He and his wife spend every winter in Key West, where Deford says he breathes in the island’s different air.

It’s very possible to dismiss Key West, as the British say, as just too much by half. I mean, you arrive at the airport and it says WELCOME TO THE CONCH REPUBLIC – and everybody is quick to let you know that Key West really isn’t Florida … which is to say: it’s too good for Florida, or, for that matter, too good for any mere state of the union.