Blake Masters Receives Endorsement from Leading Small Business Advocacy Organization

Trump-endorsed Arizona Senate nominee Blake Masters received another big-ticket endorsement Thursday, this time from the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), the national leading small business advocacy group.

“Blake Masters has experience working in the business community and will be a strong supporter of Arizona’s small businesses in the U.S. Senate,” said Chad Heinrich, NFIB Arizona State Director. “His top priority in Congress will be to get the economy back on track and to create a pro-small business environment. He has also expressed an interest in improving workforce training, which will help small businesses immensely as they continue to manage a worker shortage. We are proud to endorse Blake Masters today and look forward to working with him.”

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Florida Ports See Increase in Cargo, Cruise Lines Still Recovering

According to an industry report, cargo handled by Florida ports was up over 100% in 2021 when compared to 2020.

The Florida Ports Council released the 2021-2022 Seaport Mission Plan on Wednesday which provides detailed information related to Florida’s 15 seaports.

The report notes that, from a total tonnage perspective, year-over-year two-way, inbound and outbound cargo, rose 118.3% in 2021 compared to 2020.

Florida seaports are an important contributor to the state’s economy. Currently, Florida seaports generate nearly 900,000 direct and indirect jobs and contribute $117.6 billion in economic value to the state through cargo and cruise activities.

The report notes that, due to West Coast labor issues and lingering global supply-chain issues, “a re-alignment of global trade routes is clearly underway, and Florida ports are strategically positioned to take maximum advantage of this opportunity.”

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New U.S. Solar Panel Installations Set to Crater Thanks to Inflation, Supply Chain Issues

Solar panel installations are set to decrease in 2022 off of major supply chain issues and rising prices caused by inflation, according to an industry report.

New utility or large-scale industrial solar installations are expected to experience a decline of 14% year-over-year in 2022, the report published Thursday by the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Wood Mackenzie showed. Utility-scale solar projects saw an average price increase of 18% over the last year.

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U.S. Economic Growth Slowed to Two Percent in Third Quarter as Supply Chain Worsens

The U.S. economy grew at a 2% rate in the third quarter of 2021 as supply chain issues and the delta variant slowed gains.

The U.S. gross domestic product (GDP), a measure of net services and goods produced, grew at a 2% rate during the third quarter of 2021, the slowest gain of the pandemic era, the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) reported Thursday.

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