Things To Do In SW Florida

No new stores that sell certain pets will be allowed to open in Manatee County and existing pet sellers and breeders will face stricter regulations under new rules passed unanimously Tuesday by county leaders.

Supporters of the ban say that pet sales for profit lead to the mistreatment of animals and discourage adoption of shelter dogs and cats.

Despite extensive debate and concerns from some commissioners over parts of the ban, the board voted 7-0 in favor.

Several commissioners said the new ban has flaws but argued it’s a starting place to address concerns about animal welfare.

Commissioner Amanda Ballard compared it to the county regulating “sexually-oriented businesses” like strip clubs. Commissioner Jason Bearden questioned whether a retail pet sale ban was constitutional.

Mike Beltran, a former state representative and Tampa-based attorney, spoke during public comment on behalf of Petland. Two of the three stores that sell cats and dogs in Manatee are Petland franchises. “This is a compromise, which we appreciate,” Beltran said. read more

By MATT OTT, AP Business Writer

WASHINGTON (AP) — Filings for U.S. unemployment benefits rose to their highest level in eight months last week but remain historically low despite growing uncertainty about how tariffs could impact the broader economy.

New applications for jobless benefits rose by 8,000 to 247,000 for the week ending May 31, the Labor Department said Thursday. That’s the most since early October. Analysts had forecast 237,000 new applications.

Weekly applications for jobless benefits are considered representative of U.S. layoffs and have mostly bounced around a historically healthy range between 200,000 and 250,000 since COVID-19 throttled the economy five years ago, wiping out millions of jobs.

In reporting their latest earnings, many companies have either lowered their sales and profit expectations for 2025 or not issued guidance at all, often citing President Donald Trump’s dizzying rollout of tariff announcements.

Though Trump has paused or dialed down many of his tariff threats, concerns remain that a tariff-induced global economic slowdown could upend what’s been a robust U.S. labor market. read more

Hospitality

Dimitrios Bessis was promoted to vice president of operations at Rentyl Resorts.

Real estate

Katie N. Nguyen, one of CrossMarc Service’s commercial real estate brokers based in Winter Park, was elected vice president for the Southeast Chapter of Vietnamese National Association of Real Estate Professionals.

Lauren Endsley has joined Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Southeast Orlando, as a sales advisor.

Donna Fremont has joined Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Port Orange, as a sales advisor.

Leslie Heimer has joined Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Southwest Orlando, as a sales advisor.

Doug Heise has joined Premier Sotheby’s International Realty, Southeast Orlando, as a sales advisor.

Submit professional appointments, management-level promotions and significant awards for individuals, along with photos as .jpg attachments, to peopleonmove@orlandosentinel.com.

By MICHELLE CHAPMAN, AP Business Writer

Procter & Gamble will cut up to 7,000 jobs over the next two years as the maker of Tide detergent and Pampers diapers implements a restructuring program at a time when tariffs are raising costs for American companies and consumers are growing anxious about the economy.

The job cuts, announced at the Deutsche Bank Consumer Conference in Paris on Thursday, make up approximately 6% of the company’s global workforce, or about 15% of its nonmanufacturing positions, said Chief Financial Officer Andre Schulten.

“This restructuring program is an important step toward ensuring our ability to deliver our long-term algorithm over the coming two to three years,” Schulten said. “It does not, however, remove the near-term challenges that we currently face.”

Procter & Gamble, based in Cincinnati, had approximately 108,000 employees worldwide in June 2024.

The cuts are part of a broader restructuring program. Procter & Gamble will also end sales of some of its products in certain markets. Procter & Gamble said it will provide more details about that in July. read more

By ANNE M. PETERSON, Associated Press

The Sports Bra, the nation’s first sports bar dedicated to women’s sports, is expanding to four new locations in Boston, Indianapolis, Las Vegas and St. Louis.

The original Sports Bra, which opened in Portland, Oregon, in April 2022, was the brainchild of entrepreneur Jenny Nguyen, who wanted to create a space that celebrated women and girls in sports.

Other women’s-centered sports bars have sprung up across the country since then, including The 99ers Sports Bar in Denver, Rough & Tumble in Seattle and Title 9 Sports Grill in Phoenix.

“The first four franchises of The Sports Bra will join our OG Portland location to become the ‘Starting Five.’ Together, we’re serving fans nationwide who are hungry for spaces that not only champion women’s sports, but create a community where everyone feels like they belong. There is no better moment than this to open these places,” said Nguyen, the Sports Bra’s CEO.

Last year Reddit co-founder Alexis Ohanian’s 776 Foundation invested in The Sports Bra with the intention of expanding through franchising. Potential investors were invited to apply for franchises in October. read more