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Post-Pandemic Workplace Fallout

By: Rick Alaniz, Alaniz Law & Associates Continued Layoffs Over the past eight weeks or so we have seen millions of employees furloughed or laid off as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across our country. Job losses occurred in almost all industries, including employers big and small. The hospitality industry had 83% of employers conducting layoffs […]

New Loan Forgiveness Information For Paycheck Protection Program

The Treasury Department finally released long-awaited details on loan forgiveness for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), releasing two interim final rules on Friday evening before Memorial Day Weekend. The rules address requirements for loan forgiveness as well as outlining PPP loan review procedures and related borrower and lender responsibilities. Of interest is the loan forgiveness […]

tHRIve With HRI

The Horticultural Research Institute has created a new web-based series featuring key research findings that help environmental horticulture businesses grow. The series is called tHRIve and aims to do just that: help the industry flourish. These web-based offerings cover research that is directly funded by HRI as well as federally funded research. New content will be added […]

House Passes Bill To Provide Flexibility On PPP Loans

The House passed a bill last week that would provide elements of flexibility for loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), addressing some of the key complaints with the program since inception. The appropriately named Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act passed by an overwhelming margin, 417 to 1. The legislation modifies numerous provisions concerning PPP Loans to […]

USDA Announces Finalized Biotech Regulations

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue announced the modernization of regulations that govern plant biotechnology advancements. The final rule, titled Sustainable, Ecological, Consistent, Uniform, Responsible, Efficient (SECURE), marks the first major amendment to plant biotech regulations in over thirty years. The SECURE rule touts an end to duplicative and antiquated processes and the advancement of […]

Outreach For Greenhouse Production & Crapemyrtle Bark Scale Managment

A number of new, online outreach materials to help our industry are available, making it easier than ever to learn something new every day. UFL Online Greenhouse Training University of Florida Extension launched a new YouTube channel featuring short videos to aid greenhouse producers. Topics are based on research projects at the University of Florida and their […]

AmericanHort, HRI Urge Ralstonia “Select Agent” Delisting

On May 15, AmericanHort and our Horticultural Research Institute foundation submitted official comments to USDA’s Animal & Plant Health Inspection Service urging that Ralstonia solanacearum Race 3 Biovar 2 be removed from the federal “select agent” list. The list includes biological agents and toxins determined to have the potential to pose a severe threat to both human and animal […]

Department Of Labor Opens Dialogue With Employers

The Wage and Hour Division of the Department of Labor is hosting a national online forum where employers and workers can share ideas about the challenges they face as the nation moves toward reopening business and positioning the economy for a strong rebound. Topics include: reopening businesses commuting safely working safely accommodating members of vulnerable […]

New Coalition Seeks to Lift Up Importance of Immigrants

In the face of rising politicization of immigrants and immigration resulting from the COVID-19 crisis, a new coalition known as #AllOfUS has launched. #AllOfUS seeks to make the case that immigrants are critical to COVID-19 recovery efforts. Coalition leadership ranges from the National Association of Evangelicals and the Southern Baptist Convention, to the National Immigration Forum, to […]