Jobless Rate Falls to 8.3 Percent
The jobless rate in the U.S. fell to 8.3 percent in January, a decline of 0.2 percent from the month before and the lowest level in three years, the Labor Department said Friday.
State to Crack Down on Scam Artists
The Senate’s attempt to fix the state’s no-fault automobile insurance market passed its first hurdle Thursday with backers conceding the final product may be much different as the bill proceeds to the floor. The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee by unanimous vote approved a measure, SB 1860, that the bill’s sponsor said could reduce costs of personal injury protection insurance up to $125 million a year by reducing fraud, more closely regulating providers and limiting the kinds of treatment available to victims following a crash.
Insurance Fraud Bill Passes House Committee
A bill backers say is needed to stop fraud and lower costs in the state’s no-fault automobile insurance market passed another test Wednesday but not before it became evident that issues such as capping attorney fees, requiring doctors to testify under oath and limiting initial access to emergency rooms is splitting Republican members, a fracturing that could easily scuttle the bill.
Infrastructure Trust Fund “Raid” Draws Fire
Advocates for infrastructure and transportation spending were expectedly unhappy Thursday with the House’s announcement that it will target trust funds to the tune of more than $210 million in the transportation and economic development part of the budget alone, hoping to steer the money to other needs.
Bill to Shut Down Internet Cafés Moves Ahead
With critics likening them to storefront casinos, a House panel Tuesday approved a proposal to ban Internet cafés that have opened in shopping centers across the state in recent years.
Thousands of Stores Likely to Close in 2012
Low consumer confidence and continued economic uncertainty are likely to bring about 5,000 store closings in 2012 , according to Michael S. Wiener, president and CEO of Excess Space Retail Services Inc., a national consulting and advisory firm specializing in disposition and lease restructuring. And Wiener says, this does not include closings related to bankruptcies and liquidations.
Obama Disappoints on Minimum Wage, Breaks Promise
President Obama, back in 2008, prior to being inaugurated, pledged to raise the federal minimum wage to $9.50 an hour by the end of 2011, in an effort to fight poverty and help “make work pay for all Americans,” as he put it then.
Better Late Than Never: Obama Announces Youth Jobs Plan
With young people facing record unemployment in the United States and his $1.5 billion youth jobs plan stuck in Congress, President Obama on Thursday announced the White House and private sector employers have committed to creating 180,000 low-income youth employment opportunities in the summer of 2012.
Did Daniel Webster Help Kill the only non-defense Tech Program?
Countries that are serious about moving along the high tech spectrum, have a strategy to do so. For example, Japan, Germany and China have a systematic approach to developing, acquiring and manufacturing advanced technology to build major industries.
UF: Floridians A Little More Upbeat
Floridians’ confidence rose to 69 in December, up three points from last month, reflecting a cautious optimism in the economy, according to a recent University of Florida (UF) survey.
