Life and politics from the Sunshine State's best city

Tag archive

Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services - page 3

Bills would protect Florida consumers from credit card skimmers, data thieves

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Bills that would require gas stations to protect customers from credit card skimmers and increase criminal penalties for data thieves were filed Thursday. The bills were announced by Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam, whose department is responsible for inspecting pumps at the state’s 8,000 gas stations. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services inspectors have found 150 credit card skimmers, small devices that capture the credit or debit card information of consumers, in the past year. “We estimate that $1,000 is stolen…

Keep Reading

You might be interested in

Don’t throw the daily sports fantasy baby out with the bathwater

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

You cannot turn on the television without seeing an ad for daily fantasy sports players DraftKings or FanDuel. That’s because the interest in daily fantasy sports is at stratospheric levels. Fantasy sports is as popular as Buffalo wings and cold beer. A report in Fortune shows that 57 million North Americans are betting $465 a year on fantasy sports, making it a $27 billion business. DraftKings, based out of Boston, and FanDuel, operating from New York, are the largest single-day fantasy sports websites. Their websites work like this:…

Keep Reading

You might be interested in

Adam Putnam issues ‘agricultural state of emergency’ in Miami over fruit fly infestation

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services Adam Putnam declared Tuesday an Oriental Fruit Fly infestation in Miami-Dade County rises to the level of an agricultural emergency. “The Oriental Fruit Fly is one of the world’s most destructive pests and poses a significant threat to Florida’s $123 billion agriculture industry and the two million jobs it supports,” said Putnam in a statement. “Miami-Dade County’s agriculture industry is a $1.6 billion industry, and we will use every weapon in our arsenal that’s necessary to…

Keep Reading

You might be interested in

Florida to speed up concealed weapon licenses for active military, veterans

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Responding to the Chattanooga shootings that killed five service members, Florida is making it easier for veterans and active military to get concealed weapon licenses. Four U.S. Marines and a Navy petty officer were killed on July 16 when a man opened fire at two military facilities in Tennessee, before being shot and killed by police. Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam announced the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services will offer expedited Florida Concealed Weapon or Firearm License applications for current and…

Keep Reading

You might be interested in

Florida Forest Service’s Top 10 tips for safe July 4 fireworks

in Statewide/Top Headlines by

Summer’s biggest party kicks off this weekend, with Fourth of July parties, cookouts, barbecues and – most importantly – fireworks. Nationwide, about 230 people arrive in emergency rooms every day in July, a result of injuries from personal pyrotechnics, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. But injuries are not the only potential danger with fireworks. Since January, approximately 1,800 wildfires across Florida have burned more than 38,000 acres. For July 4, Agriculture Commissioner Adam Putnam and the Florida…

Keep Reading

You might be interested in

1 2 3
Go to Top