Good Morning! On this day in 2023, the NHL All-Star Game in Sunrise saw the Atlantic beat the Central 7-5 in the four-team, 3-on-3 tournament. The MVP was Florida Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk.
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Today’s sponsor is Energous, offering an investment opportunity in the energy sector.
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DeSantis’ Budget Calls for Shift in Priorities
Gov. Ron DeSantis released a 2025-26 budget proposal he named “Focus on Fiscal Responsibility,” targeting $3 billion in savings from the current budget.
The requested $115.6 billion budget would eliminate 741 government jobs to “operate a lean and streamlined government,” he said.
Elsewhere, he calls for big raises for police and firefighters: 20% for entry-level sworn law enforcement officers, 25% for veteran sworn law enforcement officers, and 25% for state firefighters.
A proposed “Second Amendment Summer” sales tax holiday would run from Memorial Day to July 4 and apply to “ammunition, firearms, and related accessories.”
State Economy to Grow 2.5% to 3%
Florida’s economic growth is outpacing the nation’s growth rate, a report by the Florida Chamber of Commerce says. You can see the report here.
Key sectors such as technology, health care, and construction are expected to keep leading the state’s GDP growth, projected to be 2.5% to 3% this year.
“If Florida was a stock, we’d be investing as much as we could,”chamber President Mark Wilson says. “We create about one out of every 14 new jobs in the United States. Businesses are moving from high-tax, high-crime states to Florida.”
Inflation and housing affordability remain a challenge, but Florida’s ability to adapt and innovate will drive its long-term success, the chamber said in the report.
Business Leader to be Knighted
Nick Iarossi, co-founder of Tallahassee-based Capital City Consulting, will be knighted during a ceremony on April 3 at St. Agnes Church in Naples.
The Royal Order of Francis I, established by the Royal House of Bourbon two centuries ago, will honor Iarossi and four others. Past inductees include Frankie Valli and Mario Andretti.
Iarossi is one of the state’s top lobbyists, with his firm routinely ranking among the top five in state-level revenues.
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Time’s Running Out to Be Early on this Tech Investment
With such a tech-friendly new administration, 2025 is shaping up to be a year of innovations. One of those could be wireless power—power that acts like a Wi-Fi signal—from Energous.
It has the potential to save billions of dollars in inventory losses for retailers and manufacturers. That’s why Energous is already working with a Fortune 10 multinational retailer and part of the AWS Partner Network. Their patented solution provides 2X the power and better visibility than the competition.
1 unregistered convertible preferred share (convertible into 2 Nasdaq: WATT common shares)
3 warrants to purchase additional shares at a fixed price
Their patented technology literally transmits power to devices through the air, eliminating the need for cables and batteries and providing a constant, reliable energy source for IoT devices that track and deliver data in real-time.
It’s such a powerful innovation, that it earned “IoT Innovation of the Year” honors. And they have a $650 market opportunity ahead.
➤ Central Florida: A group pushing to bring a Major League Baseball team to the Orlando area hired Hall of Famer Barry Larkin as its MLB ambassador and invited the Tampa Bay Rays to switch cities. (See Video)
➤ Tallahassee: Gov. Ron DeSantis will likely name state Rep. Mike Caruso, R-Palm Beach County, as lieutenant governor in the coming days, succeeding Jeanette Nuñez, who is expected to be named president of Florida International University. (More)
➤ State: Florida’s education department will comply with a new federal directive to allow immigration enforcement at schools. (More)
➤ Key Biscayne:The village will raise most roads 6 to 12 inches to keep them above the reach of flood waters. (More)
➤ Parkland: David Hogg, 24, a survivor of the 2018 massacre at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, became the first member of Gen Z elected as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. (See Photo)
➤Lee County: FDOT will accelerate the first phase of the Little Pine Island Bridge project, with completion expected by spring. (See Details)
➤ Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler nixed a potential trade to the Golden State Warriors, leaving the Phoenix Suns as the lone team reportedly making a serious run at him. (More)
➤ Olympic gold medalistNoah Lyles held a sign that said “Tyreek could never” after winning a 60-meter sprint, referencing Miami Dolphins player Tyreek Hill’s challenge to race him. (More)
➤A Lim Kimof South Korea won the LPGA season opener at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions 2025 on Sunday in Orlando. (More)
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➤ Gas prices have dropped an average of 15 cents statewide and 17 cents in Miami since last week, with several North Florida areas now averaging less than $3 a gallon. (More)
➤ Lockheed Martin will add 300 jobs and a manufacturing plant in Titusville after winning a $383 million Navy missile contract. (More)
➤ Pinnacle Financial Partners is building its Jacksonville team through hiring “by invitation only” after expanding into the area in January 2024. (More)
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Charge Up Your Portfolio with this Tech Investment
What if a technology could charge IoT devices wirelessly, just like we connect devices to Wi-Fi? One company is helping make this a reality for enterprises as we speak. Their patented wireless power network technology eliminates cables and battery replacements by sending energy through the air.
Between retail, manufacturing, and logistics industries, this company is looking at $650 billion in market potential. But what they’ve created could also revolutionize fields like health care, transportation, and the food industry — any company using trackers or sensors to collect data to gain real-time visibility into the movement of its assets.
They’ve already been recognized as the “IoT Innovation of the Year” and landed a contract with a Fortune 10 multinational retailer, opening them up to 4,700 U.S. retail locations. Learn how to become an Energous shareholder today.
This is a paid advertisement for Energous’ Regulation A offering. Please read the offering circular at invest.energous.com for additional information on the company and the risks factors to the offering.
➤ The medical jet that crashed in Philadelphia on Friday was at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport hours before the fatal flight. (See Video)
➤ Captiva-based The Bubble Room, an iconic restaurant closed since Hurricane Ian, plans to reopen between March 1 and April 30. (See Photos)
➤ A program by Embark MGAand Security First Insurance offers owners of newly constructed homes a way to save an average of 20% to 30% on insurance. (See Details)
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