South Florida’s 2C Media soars with promos, reality television shows
South Florida’s 2C Media, already the king of TV promos, reaches higher with a reality show about Miami International Airport. Chris Sloan knew, right from the beginning, that he was not destined for fame and glory. Other little kids who dream of growing up to be in television might cup their hands into pretend microphones […]
Genting downscales in Miami as it seeks to expand its global brand
Malaysian casino giant Genting says it will move forward with more modest plans for its downtown Miami site. Globally, the company is seeking to expand. Miami Mayor Tomas Regalado hasn’t seen them. Neither has Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez. Nearly six months after the Genting Group failed to get legislative approval for a massive destination casino […]
South Florida among top areas for loan modifications
South Florida ranks among the top metro areas in the number of mortgage modifications, an indication that lenders are making progress in addressing the region’s housing debacle, industry observers say. Lenders have approved 46,032 trial or permanent modifications in Palm Beach, Broward and Miami-Dade counties since the Home Affordable Modification Program started in 2009. The […]
Retailers report tepid sales for June
Shoppers, worried about jobs and the overall economy, pulled back on spending in June, resulting in tepid sales for many retailers. The results raise concerns about Americans’ ability to spend during the back-to-school season, which is the second-biggest shopping period of the year and starts later this month. As merchants reported their sales early Thursday, […]
Apple Stores get their turn under NY Times’ investigative spotlight
A just-published Times report on pay and conditions at Apple Stores has at least one news outlet wondering if recent Apple activity around salary increases was meant as a kind of preemptive strike. Was recent Apple activity around raises at its retail stores a preemptive strike against a just-published New York Times article? That’s what […]
Single women earning more money, degrees
Single South Florida women are outperforming single men, new studies show. They are getting better educations. They are buying twice as many homes. And they are out-earning their male counterparts. Michelle Friedman, 28, exemplifies the new breed. The senior account executive at a public relations firm already has received several promotions after graduating with honors […]
Dutch bank hit with record fine for passing money through U.S. financial entities on behalf of Cuban and Iranian clients
In the largest fine ever assessed against a financial institution for violating U.S. sanctions on Cuba and Iran, Netherlands-based ING Bank will pay $619 million to the U.S. government, the Justice Department announced Tuesday. ING agreed to pay the fine for secretly moving more than $2 billion through U.S. financial institutions in 20,000 transactions from […]
Consumer confidence rebounds in Florida
Consumers felt better about the economy in May, probably thanks to a decline in both gas prices and unemployment, according to a University of Florida survey. As economic prognosticators get more anxious, Floridians feel more optimistic. Consumer confidence improved across the state this month, the University of Florida reported Tuesday, even as a national survey […]
Florida swindlers’ $77 million cow pasture
Just before fleeing the country, Victor and Natalia Wolf launched a national project that wiped out investors of millions — leaving nothing but cattle and sage brush behind During a lavish party for hundreds of guests, North Miami Beach developers Victor and Natalia Wolf unveiled their most ambitious project: a new city in the heart […]
Charge your cellphone — for a fee
GoCharge is spreading its network of cellphone charging stations across South Florida, targeting the area for the next phase of its expansion. Ever run out of battery life on your cellphone just when you need it most? GoCharge wants to be your go-to place to get your smartphone charged — for a fee. The network […]
South Florida is marked down for companies looking for a new home
A corporate relocation study gives South Florida high marks in terms of affordability. Low taxes and depressed real estate prices help. The recession hammered South Florida’s housing and labor markets more than most, leaving at least one bright side amid the damage. Companies now find the region a cheaper place to do business. Thanks largely […]
LightSquared Files For Chapter 11
Wireless Internet provider LightSquared has filed for Chapter 11 protection. LightSquared, the ambitious 4G wireless venture recently poised to bring lightning-fast Internet to the masses, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection earlier today. Government tests found that LightSquared’s signals interfered with GPS reception, a setback LightSquared was never able to recover from. In an official […]
For Toyota, JPMorgan, And State Farm, Arizona Is The Silicon Valley Of Data Security
In the Phoenix metro area, sprawling data centers and fraud-prevention companies bloom like the cacti and agaves of a growing tech ecosphere. In the desert, only the hardiest plants and animals survive. They develop spines and foul smells to ward off water thieves, and poisons to cut down competition. They hunker down, specialize, and waste […]
Florida: No. 2 in best states to do business
Florida is No. 2 as the “best state to do business.” Gov. Rick Scott probably won’t like that, but Florida did improve from last year. The state rose one spot from 2011 to take the No. 2 ranking in Chief Executive magazine’s annual Best & Worst States survey of chief executives, released Wednesday. Texas was […]
Fort Lauderdale-New York among the few routes fliers will find summer deals
In a summer travel season with mostly higher airfares, the Fort Lauderdale to New York route will be one of the few that will cost less this year than last. Travel between Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International and New York often ranks among the busiest routes in the nation, and 17.2 percent of the airport’s flights are […]
S. Florida independent jewelers see rise in sales
South Florida area independent jewelry stores are rebounding after weathering several rough years of slow sales. Cutler Altier, owner of Altier Jewelers in Boca Raton, said he expects more ofMother’s Day this year, hopefully marking another year of growth for his 52-year-old company. South Florida jewelers say they have fared better than some other areas […]
Mall could drastically alter South Beach entryway
Developer Crescent Heights will unveil proposed designs Thursday for a large outlet mall and residential complex that could drastically alter the entryway into South Beach. Three firms competing for a contract to design the project around the site of the abandoned South Shore Hospital just north of the MacArthur Causeway will present their visions at […]
Florida tops in delinquent mortgage loans
Florida has more delinquent mortgage loans backed by Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae than any other state, according to a new report. The Sunshine State had 292,000 delinquent loans by the government-sponsored agencies as of Dec. 31. Of those,166,000 have been late on payments for at least a year. California, the largest state, in contrast, […]
Florida Sets Records For Jobless Claims In 2010
The Great Recession has taken a large toll on the Florida workforce, even after the recession technically ended. According to new numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employers in Florida held 1,231 mass layoffs in 2010 that ended up with 88,776 workers filing for unemployment insurance. While the numbers for 2010 were high, it […]
Affordable fares keep Fort Lauderdale a top Spring Break destination
Fort Lauderdale may no longer be the Spring Break mecca for college students it was in the 1980s, but the destination is still wooing travelers during the peak March-to-April travel season. Fort Lauderdale recently ranked No. 4 among the 10 most desired Spring Break destinations, behind Orlando, Las Vegas and New York, in a review […]