The Sunshine Economy

The battle between Gov. DeSantis and Disney CEO Bob Chapek is a rare public display of big business and hard knuckle politics.

The child care industry is pivotal for parents being able to work and for children's early learning. It struggles to compete for workers.

The Russian war in Ukraine has brought focus — again — to sources of energy. Climate activist Bill McKibben talks about how he hopes the war will reshape the developed world's relationship with fossil fuels.

Delaney Reynolds and Bill McKibben are from different generations and live on opposite ends of the East Coast. Both have committed themselves toward fighting climate change and rallying politicians and people, while increasingly focusing on finance.

WLRN has been following three businesses for more than a year as the regional economy recovers from COVID-19.

The unemployment rate has plunged while the inflation rate has soared, hurting consumer confidence.

COVID-19 cost them one business, but Jamila and Akino West used their pandemic pivot to reinvest and reinvent their entrepreneurial ambitions.

War has broken out in Eastern Europe. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is felt here with higher gasoline prices, but it also impacts countries with close ties to South Florida.

First it was the virus, now small firms are dealing with new challenges like inflation and finding workers.

The latest Tallahassee Takeover podcast from WLRN News explores the building friction over business and local rules. The battle over booze in Miami Beach may be its first test.

Virgin Voyages hopes to stand out in the cruise ship business with its rock-and-roll attitude and adults-only cruises even as the CDC still advises travelers to avoid cruising because of COVID.

The escalating unaffordability of housing for local workers threatens competitiveness and quality of life, and worries housing experts.

After years of shrinking, the state taxpayer-backed property insurance company Citizens has been growing as private insurers lose money in Florida.

The second year of COVID-19 could cost $50 million for health insurance company AvMed.

A Miami company has attracted big investors and is reshaping the restaurant industry.

How inflation is affecting South Florida businesses from furniture to food, new cars to even Tonka toy trucks.

Florida Republican lawmakers said employees need protections against being fired for not getting vaccinated. Democrats called it political theater casting doubt on COVID-19 vaccines.

The demand for home health care has increased even while the supply of workers has been squeezed thanks to how most of the care is paid for.

Norwegian Cruise Line requires all its passengers and crew to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and has been fighting in court to continue its mandate.

Parts of Florida consistently rank as some of the most unaffordable places to live with the combination of low incomes and high housing costs.

Thousands of people have dropped out of the job market even as the economy continues rebounding. From hotels to health care, companies are looking to hire.

COVID-19 has highlighted how older Americans are cared for, the special vulnerabilities they face, and the challenges families have to confront when making caregiving decisions.

Medical products maker Demetech moved into masks early during the pandemic, but now is left holding millions of them.

The South Florida economy has been growing, but it remains far from its pre-pandemic condition. Meantime, the virus continues spreading.

A billion-dollar deal for five South Florida hospitals brings a new operator to the region. Steward Health Care is the largest physician-owned hospital network in the country and bought several facilities in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

Jorge Pérez built Related Group into one of the leading condominium and apartment developers in the region, reshaping the South Florida skyline — especially along the waterfront. Now his two oldest sons have taken over the day-to-day running of the company after the Surfside collapse and during a pandemic.

The job market is strong in South Florida. Offices are reopening and COVID-19 vaccines are available. So what pandemic policies are companies putting in place?

It’s a multi-billion dollar question for the South Florida economy — when will cruise ships set sail again with passengers? PortMiami's boss says: "We're ready."

For months the Sunshine Economy has been following three businesswomen navigating the pandemic economy. The baker, banker, and cleaner have been growing in their optimism even as each of them have had trouble finding new employees.

In 2015, the Sunshine Economy asked a group of Miami technology leaders to imagine what the industry could look like in 2030. Six years, a global pandemic and one viral tweet later, the five people are even more convinced that Miami’s tech movement has arrived now.

COVID-19 shut down South Florida’s arts economy. Performances, concerts and productions came to a stop for artists and behind-the-scene workers. But, slowly, the curtain is rising again.

"Florida is a very important place for French investors," said France's Ambassador to the U.S. Philippe Étienne, during a visit for the launch of a French crew member from Kennedy Space Center to the International Space Station.

It has been more than a year since a cruise ship sailed from the U.S. with paying passengers. So when does Royal Caribbean International hope to be able to shove off from South Florida ports?

Ten days into the new school year the Miami-Dade County Public School Board voted to stop using troubled virtual classroom software from K12. The CEO responds to critics.

Sheng Guo was among the first people in South Florida to experience the impact of COVID-19. He grew up near Wuhan, China, where the virus started. He lives in Weston now, but his parents and grandmother still live close to Wuhan. Guo is an economics instructor at FIU.

The new normal is here. Florida began a full phase one reopening with restaurant dining rooms, shopping malls and hotels reopening with limitations on Monday.

Shipmonk was used to hiring people fast to fill jobs in its expanding Fort Lauderdale wareshouse. Since COVID-19 hit, the company has been telling some job applicants to show up for their first day of work without even an interview.

Pilar Guzman Zavala and Bill Feinberg own very different companies, but both have been hit by COVID-19. Dozens of employees between them have been brought back thanks to emergency borrowing programs instituted to help companies keep people employed.

When drive-through COVID-19 testing was first offered in Broward County, one of the first was at Cleveland Clinic Florida in Weston. That was five weeks ago.

Stimulus payments are going out. Small businesses have applied for emergency loans.

The economic consequences of efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19 are becoming clear. A half million people in Florida have filed for unemployment in just three weeks. And that’s just the people who were captured by the government data. There are others who have been turned back by the state unemployment website and its failures.

Jack McCabe is scared.

Fifty percent unemployment?

The sounds bounced off walls in empty restaurant dining rooms and cafes.

Some beaches have closed. Cruise ships are docked. Airlines have grounded some planes. Disney and Universal in Orlando are closed. Local attractions are shut down. Theaters are dark. Hotel reservations are cancelled. Restaurants and bars are closing early.

Florida’s large population of senior citizens and people without health insurance make the state vulnerable to the threat posed by an outbreak of COVID-19. The number of cases in the state remain relatively small, but it has been growing as testing for the virus has grown.

Jay Foreman is no stranger to China and the global supply chain. He runs Basic Fun, based in Boca Raton. It imports toys like My Little Pony Classic and Pound Puppies from China. A dozen Basic Fun employees work in China and 65 work in Hong Kong.

The quiet season is about half over. The time between Nov. 30 and June 1 is usually quiet in the tropics. The six months between June and November is hurricane season in the Atlantic Ocean. And the last few seasons have been reminders about the threats posed to Florida.

Michelle Zambrana feels like she is chasing the Miami lifestyle, but can't quite catch it. She and her husband, Oscar Rosenberg, recently had their second child right after Rosenberg lost his job at the bank where he worked 15 years.

The “'Hamilton' Bump” is not a dance move during the blockbuster musical. It is a financial move driven by the hugely successful show.

Daniel Wallach says he is not a sports gambler and hasn't been for decades.

Great Abaco Island remains beautiful but scarred. It is scarred from the seemingly endless hours of winds and water from Hurricane Dorian in September. Its economy is quiet — quieted by the worst storm spawned from warm Atlantic waters ever to hit the Bahamas. And its residents are few. Thousands forced off the island because they have no homes any longer.

Being in an autonomous vehicle can be a lot of work.

Randolph Watts has had tough times. He was a drug addict. He spent time in jail. But he’s been sober for more than 20 years and has had a steady job for the past decade at a deli in North Miami Beach. He considers himself "blessed."

Tomas Esson's giant paintings will not be at Art Basel Miami Beach this year, yet he's hopeful this could be his break out year. "I have been close to that breaking point, but I never have made that crossover yet. So maybe this is my time. I am ready," he said.

Florida's economy is booming by most economic metrics. The unemployment rate is near a record low. Over 125 million tourists will visit the state this year. And property values are still growing, even though the pace has slowed.

The story of South Florida’s economy is more than statistics. Behind the well-known data on income disparity, housing affordability, and low average pay are the voices of people grappling with its adversities and those thriving from its opportunities. These stories are from people who are struggling to make ends meet, and the experiences of others enjoying prosperity. These are personal portraits of real people sharing the role money plays in their lives in South Florida.

“I have become the water and sewer system,” said Kevin Lynskey. “Apparently, I am the water and sewer system.”

The list of names reads like a busy rest stop on the Turnpike.

Ask any consumer — good credit goes a long way.

A yellow line on the floor in one of Andres Ochoa's warehouses is the difference between struggling with higher costs and competing for new customers.

"If you're a full time student, about $2,400 a year."

Arnold Donald says he planned to be in federal court on June third in Miami. That was the date of a hearing in front of a judge overseeing the probation of the company he leads -- Carnival Corporation.

Arnold Donald admits there were gaps in how the world's largest cruise ship operator followed environmental rules.

Kim Rivers' dad was a Jacksonville Sheriff's deputy while she was growing up. For a time, he was working with an undercover narcotics unit.

Business from cannabis is growing fast in Florida; some of it regulated tightly, and some of it without rules. But all of it comes with cash that the banking industry is reluctant to touch.

Florida lawmakers have finished their work for the year. The 60-day legislative session had to have a few extra hours on Saturday for them to okay a $91.1 billion state budget.

For several years, South Florida has been working on its technology credentials. Tech incubators, accelerators, pitch competitions and other efforts have worked to nurture and grow the technology industry, especially tech start-ups.

Mike Jackson used to shovel horse manure for one dollar a stall. He wound up leading a company selling over half a million new and used cars and trucks a year.

Republicans and Democrats in Tallahassee are in agreement on at least one thing as they forge a state budget that will total around $90 billion: Florida's economy is doing well.

After two and a half years of work, a comprehensive report on how to better prepare Miami for all kinds of threats -- economic, health and especially climate risks -- is expected to be released by the end of May.

The Miami Marlins is one of the least-liked teams in Major League Baseball. More than $1 billion in public money will have been spent for their new stadium by the time all the loans are paid. The team's management hasn't been shy about getting rid of top players. It's been 15 years since a playoff appearance, and the Marlins have ranked near the lowest in attendance for six years.

Lake Okeechobee may be a natural feature of the Florida landscape, but politics also come into play when it comes to it.

Eduardo Padrón's first role at Miami Dade College was student. In August, he will resign from the role he has played for the past 24 years -- president of the school.

Odilon Almeida was 25 when he first walked into a Western Union. He was working for Colgate Palmolive in Toronto and wanted to send money to his nephew back in Brazil for his birthday.

A year after the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, Robert Runcie says he wants to make Broward County Public Schools the safest in the nation.

In the year since their daughters were murdered at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland on Feb. 14, 2018, Lori Alhadeff and Ryan Petty have taken on public roles.

Familiar battlelines are being drawn over the biggest pieces Florida's state budget -- healthcare and education.

City National Bank of Florida was one of the most prolific lenders of government rescue money during the pandemic.

One year after the pandemic took hold of the economy, shutting down the hospitality industry and costing thousands of jobs, these business owners are fighting their way back. And in some cases, the future looks brighter now.

The state government pushed local school districts to reopen classrooms last fall sooner than elected school board members thought was safe. Some see it as the state standing up for parent choice, while others interpreted it as the state undermining local decision-making.

More than a million public school students in Florida are going to school through a screen. That may cost them and the U.S. economy in the decades to come.

During this special Class of COVID-19 edition of The Sunshine Economy, superintendents of South Florida school districts detail how they're trying to find thousands of students who aren't going to school — and what the consequences will be if they don't.

With the state facing a budget crunch thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, what has been the impact of the virus on the finances of local colleges and universities? Can schools keep tuition in check?

Star chef Marcus Samuelsson was determined to open a new restaurant in South Florida, even during a recession.

Millions of cruise ship passengers have been missing from PortMiami during the pandemic, but parts of the port are busier than ever.

After more than 25 years, Cuba is doing away with its dual currency system and getting rid of the Cuban Convertible Peso. What does the change mean for Cubans and for Cuban-Americans trying to help family and friends on the island?

The global search for COVID-19 vaccines has included South Florida as drug companies use clinical research companies here to find, manage, and follow local volunteers.

COVID-19 vaccines may be coming, but there remains big demand for personal protective equipment like masks, especially N95 masks. South Florida manufacturer Demetech has pivoted during the pandemic to compete in the global mask market.

Since September, the Sunshine Economy has been following how a baker, banker and bartender have been finding their way through the pandemic economy for themselves and their businesses.

For months, since the pandemic started, South Florida has been ranked one of the most food insecure areas of the country. About a half million people report sometimes or often not having enough to eat, and most of them report losing income, according to U.S. Census Bureau surveys.

The clock has been ticking for months on whether or not Congress will find a compromise on another round of federal government stimulus spending, and whether or not local governments could see some direct help.

As the battle against COVID-19 wears on, what’s the new normal? How could the pandemic reshape work and wages? How could it influence health care and the tourism industry?

The political rhetoric this election is red hot and often downright rude. But is there a business cost from incivility? Research shows rudeness is contagious. What is the effect on commerce?

Don Peebles' real estate career in South Florida began because of racial tension and economic inclusion 25 years ago – a theme that has emerged again in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing. Peebles wants to diversify his industry as he's optimistic about the post-pandemic recovery.

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic on the need for more economic stimulus from the federal government, the uneven rebound, and a more vocal central bank on race and the economy.

The American job market went from one of the strongest into a deep recession in a matter of a couple of weeks this spring. Tens of millions of the country’s youngest workers were just getting started.

Winter can’t come fast enough for South Florida’s hotels. The industry is struggling with fewer people traveling. Demand remains low in most places with tourism and business travel still way down.

Tens of thousands of jobs have been lost, restaurants have closed permanently while others struggle to get by on a fraction of their business as they slowly and partially reopen. How can the industry bounce back?