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Tourism is a cornerstone of both Florida’s and America’s economy. In Florida alone, visitor spending exceeds $100 billion annually and supports roughly one in every ten jobs statewide, making it one of the state’s largest industries. The ripple effect extends far beyond hotels and attractions, fueling restaurants, retail, transportation, construction, real estate, and public tax revenues that help fund infrastructure and services. Nationally, tourism contributes hundreds of billions to U.S. GDP each year and serves as a key indicator of consumer confidence and economic momentum. When travel demand rises or falls, it signals broader shifts in spending behavior, business investment, and workforce stability , which is why tourism remains a critical economic beat for journalists. Peter Ricci is Clinical Associate Professor & Director, Hospitality Management Programs at Florida Atlantic University. He is a hospitality industry veteran with over 20 years of managerial experience in segments including: food service, lodging, incentive travel, and destination marketing and is considered an expert in food service, lodging, incentive travel, and destination marketing. View his profile Peter offers research-based insight into visitor trends, workforce dynamics, and destination strategy. His expertise helps media connect travel patterns to economic impact, providing clear analysis of how tourism shapes Florida’s economy and influences broader industry trends across the United States. Recent media coverage: South Florida Sun Sentinel Peter Ricci, director of the hospitality and tourism management program at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business, cited the openings of the 801-room Omni Hotel next to the county convention center in Fort Lauderdale, the revamped Pier Sixty-Six Resort nearby and a variety of high-profile events as reasons for promising visitor traffic this year. “South Florida should expect to have a relatively strong 2026 with major events in the area [PGA Tournament, Formula 1, et al] and the Southern White House of Mar-a-Lago enhancing higher average daily rates in The Palm Beaches,” he said by email. “Broward is perfectly positioned to capture demand both to its south and north and I expect that hotels and restaurants will have a good year ahead,” he added. Newsweek "The tariffs, staffing shortage, perception of it being difficult to emigrate to the USA, and any possible anti-USA sentiment all go into the 'ingredients of the soup' as I call it," Peter Ricci, Director of Florida Atlantic University's Hospitality and Tourism program, told Newsweek. South Florida Sun Sentinel This is actually a complicated process behind the scenes, said Peter Ricci, director of the hospitality and tourism management program at Florida Atlantic University in Boca Raton. “Restaurant profit margins are slim, so training and development are often not a part of the process,” he said. “Also, one must recognize that restaurant front-of-house roles are somewhat high-turnover compared to other industries. With higher turnover, there is less likelihood for development of training, knowledge of all the systems (which can lead to dissatisfaction among guests), and a ‘new face’ every time regular guests return to the venue.” The Daytona Beach News-Journal When asked if Florida is experiencing a "restaurant apocalypse," Ricci said, "I don't see that as the case. I don't see it like a disaster, but I have seen more (restaurant) closures the past six months. The reasons include operating costs that are higher than ever in an industry with low (profit) margins to begin with." "Closures are being driven by rising rent, rising costs of labor, rising costs of goods (food, glassware, supplies, cleaning services, deep cleaning surcharges, et al.), and changing consumer habits." Orlando Sentinel Peter Ricci, director of the hospitality and management program at Florida Atlantic University’s College of Business, said he has not heard of hoteliers suddenly losing foreign nationals from their staff. But it’s the confusion that is perplexing many. “I hear frustration and confusion of what changes will occur on a regular basis for owners, operators and managers,” Ricci said. “It’s more of the unknown that’s disconcerting than, ‘I’m now worried about losing workers in my hotel or restaurant.’”

Ocean Tomo Releases 2025 Intangible Asset Market Value Study Results

Global consulting firm J.S. Held announces the release of the Ocean Tomo Intangible Asset Market Value (IAMV) study. With this release, the study now reflects a panel of 50 years of data in the US market and 20 years of data in foreign markets. The study examines the components of market value, specifically the role of intangible assets, across a range of global indexes. IAMV is shown as of calendar year end by subtracting net tangible asset value from market capitalization. Commenting on the Components of S&P 500® Market Value, economic expert and study author Matthew Johnson observes, “the composition of corporate value has undergone a fundamental transformation over the past five decades.” In 1975, tangible assets—property, plant, equipment, inventory, and other physical capital—represented 83% of the market value of companies comprising the S&P 500 index, with intangible assets accounting for only 17%. By the end of 2025, this relationship had completely inverted: intangible assets now constitute approximately 92% of S&P 500 market capitalization, while tangible assets have been reduced to a mere 8%. Johnson adds, “This 75 percentage point shift represents what Ocean Tomo has defined as ‘economic inversion’— a wholesale transformation in the nature of value creation whereby economic worth has migrated from what can be ‘touched’ to what can be ‘thought’." The magnitude and implications of this transformation are comparable to the Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries. Just as the Industrial Revolution fundamentally restructured economic activity from agrarian and craft-based production to mechanized manufacturing, the intangible revolution has redefined the sources and measurement of corporate value in the 21st century. Ocean Tomo Co-founder and J.S. Held Chief Intellectual Property Officer, James E. Malackowski observes, “While the Industrial Revolution required a century to unfold fully, the intangible revolution has occurred within a single human lifespan, with particularly rapid acceleration occurring in the 1985-2005 period when intangible asset market value increased from 32% to 79%—a remarkable 47 percentage point surge in just two decades.” The 2020-2025 period deserves special attention: S&P 500 IAMV remained stable at approximately 90% despite the Federal Reserve implementing the most aggressive monetary tightening cycle in four decades. Dr. Nikki Tavasoli, PhD, shares, “Traditional financial theory predicts that intangible-intensive firms should be highly sensitive to interest rate changes due to their long-duration cash flows and limited collateral value.” She adds, “The observed stability challenges this prediction and requires explanation, which we address in a forthcoming paper.” In 2005, the IAMV study was expanded beyond the S&P 500 to explore the components of value in several key international markets. Stock market indexes from Europe, China, Japan, and South Korea were selected and analyzed to determine the comparable role of intangible assets. To learn more about the 2025 Intangible Asset Market Value Study, please visit: Media Contact Kristi L. Stathis, J.S. Held 1 786 833 4864 Kristi.Stathis@JSHeld.com JSHeld.com

Julian Ku Analyzes International Law in Recent Media

Hofstra Law Professor Julian G. Ku has been featured in multiple news outlets, providing expert legal analysis on global issues and interpretations of international law. In a Newsweek article on China’s cancellation of flights to Japan, Prof. Ku provided commentary on how political pressures could play into fractious China-Japan relations. Prof. Ku also spoke with Dutch daily newspaper Trouw about China’s evolving vision of international law, explaining how Chinese leaders emphasize state sovereignty while downplaying human rights norms — a perspective that resonates in parts of the Global South. In Trouw, he described this selective approach as part of China’s broader effort to reshape the narrative around the postwar legal order. The Maurice A. Deane Distinguished Professor of Constitutional Law at Hofstra Law and Faculty Director of International Programs, Prof. Ku teaches and writes on international and constitutional law.

Jesse Jackson: The Activist Who Turned Protest into Political Power

Few figures bridge the worlds of street-level activism and presidential politics like Jesse Jackson. For more than six decades, he has stood at the center of America’s ongoing struggle for racial justice, economic fairness, and political inclusion. His legacy isn’t just historical, it continues to shape today’s debates about voting rights, coalition politics, economic equity, and the power of grassroots organizing. From Civil Rights Foot Soldier to National Leader Jesse Jackson rose to national prominence as a close associate of Martin Luther King Jr., working with the Southern Christian Leadership Conference during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. He was present in Memphis in 1968 during King’s assassination, a moment that profoundly shaped his path forward. After King’s death, Jackson focused on translating civil rights gains into economic opportunity, founding Operation PUSH (People United to Save Humanity), later merging it into the Rainbow PUSH Coalition. His central message: political rights mean little without economic power. The 1984 & 1988 Presidential Campaigns In 1984 and again in 1988, Jackson ran for the Democratic presidential nomination — becoming one of the first Black Americans to mount a serious, nationwide campaign for the presidency. His 1988 campaign was especially historic: He won 11 primaries and caucuses. He finished second in the Democratic race. He built what he called a “Rainbow Coalition” — uniting Black voters, Latinos, labor groups, farmers, progressives, and working-class Americans. Jackson expanded voter registration efforts and brought millions of new voters into the political process, laying groundwork for future candidates, including Barack Obama. Coalition Politics Before It Was a Buzzword Long before diversity became corporate language, Jackson was preaching multiracial, multi-class political alliances. His philosophy emphasized: Economic justice alongside civil rights Voting access and political representation Corporate accountability International human rights engagement He also engaged in diplomatic efforts abroad, including negotiating the release of American hostages in conflict zones — demonstrating how civil rights leaders could operate on the global stage. Controversies and Complexity Jackson’s career was not without controversy. Critics pointed to past inflammatory remarks and political missteps. Yet even his detractors acknowledge his role in permanently expanding the boundaries of American politics. He forced national conversations about race, poverty, and representation — and shifted the Democratic Party’s platform toward broader inclusion. A Legacy That Endures Today’s conversations about: Structural inequality Voter suppression Grassroots political mobilization Multiracial coalition building … all carry echoes of Jackson’s work. Whether viewed as a trailblazer, a bridge between eras, or a polarizing figure, Jesse Jackson helped redefine what political participation looks like in America. Connected with an expert Find more experts here: www.expertfile.com

Surprising finding could pave way for universal cancer vaccine

An experimental mRNA vaccine boosted the tumor-fighting effects of immunotherapy in a mouse-model study, bringing researchers one step closer to their goal of developing a universal vaccine to “wake up” the immune system against cancer. Published today in Nature Biomedical Engineering, the University of Florida study showed that like a one-two punch, pairing the test vaccine with common anticancer drugs called immune checkpoint inhibitors triggered a strong antitumor response in laboratory mice. A surprising element, researchers said, was that they achieved the promising results not by attacking a specific target protein expressed in the tumor, but by simply revving up the immune system — spurring it to respond as if fighting a virus. They did this by stimulating the expression of a protein called PD-L1 inside of tumors, making them more receptive to treatment. The research was supported by multiple federal agencies and foundations, including the National Institutes of Health. Senior author Elias Sayour, M.D., Ph.D., a UF Health pediatric oncologist and the Stop Children's Cancer/Bonnie R. Freeman Professor for Pediatric Oncology Research, said the results reveal a potential future treatment path — an alternative to surgery, radiation and chemotherapy — with broad implications for battling many types of treatment-resistant tumors. “This paper describes a very unexpected and exciting observation: that even a vaccine not specific to any particular tumor or virus — so long as it is an mRNA vaccine — could lead to tumor-specific effects,” said Sayour, principal investigator at the RNA Engineering Laboratory within UF’s Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy. “This finding is a proof of concept that these vaccines potentially could be commercialized as universal cancer vaccines to sensitize the immune system against a patient’s individual tumor,” said Sayour, a McKnight Brain Institute investigator and co-leader of a program in immuno-oncology and microbiome research. Until now, there have been two main ideas in cancer-vaccine development: To find a specific target expressed in many people with cancer, or to tailor a vaccine that is specific to targets expressed within a patient's own cancer. “This study suggests a third emerging paradigm,” said Duane Mitchell, M.D., Ph.D., a co-author of the paper. “What we found is by using a vaccine designed not to target cancer specifically but rather to stimulate a strong immunologic response, we could elicit a very strong anticancer reaction. And so this has significant potential to be broadly used across cancer patients — even possibly leading us to an off-the-shelf cancer vaccine.” For more than eight years, Sayour has pioneered high-tech anticancer vaccines by combining lipid nanoparticles and mRNA. Short for messenger RNA, mRNA is found inside every cell — including tumor cells — and serves as a blueprint for protein production. This new study builds upon a breakthrough last year by Sayour’s lab: In a first-ever human clinical trial, an mRNA vaccine quickly reprogrammed the immune system to attack glioblastoma, an aggressive brain tumor with a dismal prognosis. Among the most impressive findings in the four-patient trial was how quickly the new method — which used a “specific” or personalized vaccine made using a patient’s own tumor cells — spurred a vigorous immune-system response to reject the tumor. In the latest study, Sayour’s research team adapted their technology to test a “generalized” mRNA vaccine — meaning it was not aimed at a specific virus or mutated cells of cancer but engineered simply to prompt a strong immune system response. The mRNA formulation was made similarly to the COVID-19 vaccines, rooted in similar technology, but wasn’t aimed directly at the well-known spike protein of COVID. In mouse models of melanoma, the team saw promising results in normally treatment-resistant tumors when combining the mRNA formulation with a common immunotherapy drug called a PD-1 inhibitor, a type of monoclonal antibody that attempts to “educate” the immune system that a tumor is foreign, said Sayour, a professor in UF’s Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Pediatrics in the UF College of Medicine. Taking the research a step further, in mouse models of skin, bone and brain cancers, the investigators found beneficial effects when testing a different mRNA formulation as a solo treatment. In some models, the tumors were eliminated entirely. Sayour and colleagues observed that using an mRNA vaccine to activate immune responses seemingly unrelated to cancer could prompt T cells that weren’t working before to actually multiply and kill the cancer if the response spurred by the vaccine is strong enough. Taken together, the study’s implications are striking, said Mitchell, who directs the UF Clinical and Translational Science Institute and co-directs UF’s Preston A. Wells Jr. Center for Brain Tumor Therapy. “It could potentially be a universal way of waking up a patient’s own immune response to cancer,” Mitchell said. “And that would be profound if generalizable to human studies.” The results, he said, show potential for a universal cancer vaccine that could activate the immune system and prime it to work in tandem with checkpoint inhibitor drugs to seize upon cancer — or in some cases, even work on its own to kill cancer. Now, the research team is working to improve current formulations and move to human clinical trials as rapidly as possible. While the experimental mRNA vaccine at this point is in early preclinical testing — in mice not humans — information about available nonrelated human clinical trials at UF Health can be viewed here.

23andMe’s Bankruptcy Exposes Fragility of How Genetic Data is Utilized Beyond Fee-For-Service, Says Villanova Law Professor

When individuals sign up for direct-to-consumer genetic testing, the extent to which they ever think about their genetic data is likely in the context of the service for which they paid: information on predisposition to a genetic illness, or confirmation of an ethnic background, for example. But that data doesn’t just sit on a shelf, and while the most mainstream concern for such services is the privacy of your data, there is also the question of what else the companies do with it, and how. Ana Santos Rutschman, SJD, LLM, professor and faculty director of the Health Innovation Lab at Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law, is particularly interested in the latter. In June 2025, she co-authored an amicus brief centered on data protection and patient’s interests amid genetic testing company 23andMe’s bankruptcy proceedings. In December, many of those same co-authors published a paper in Nature Genetics, highlighting 23andMe’s bankruptcy as “an inflection point for the direct-to-consumer genetics market,” especially as it pertains to the broader corporate use of individuals’ scientific data. The reason? “How that data is used all depends on the policies of the individual companies,” she said. Genetic Testing Companies Use Your Data For More Than The Services You Pay For Those who utilize genetic testing companies—for any reason—are likely also consenting, often unknowingly, to other unrelated items. This includes acknowledgment of information related to how your data might be further used or monetized. “Most people don't think about secondary and tertiary uses of their data,” said Professor Rutschman. “[What they consent to] is displayed on the website somewhere, but it’s not easily understandable and accessible. It’s fine print.” Such companies often operate beyond the traditional “fee for a service” relationship with consumers. Yes, they will give you the information you paid for—finding out whether you have German ancestry or are predisposed to certain genetic disease—but instead of that genetic data just being stored somewhere, it’s often sold for research purposes. Today, in the age of AI big data, that might look something like this: The company puts your data in a box with parameters, along with thousands of others. Perhaps they are then able to observe a pattern that, until all that data was compiled, was previously unknown. They come up with a diagnostic or a medicine and patent it. That patent is licensed to somebody else, and the company makes money on the product. The use of that data for scientific purposes—even ones that turn a profit— is not problematic in itself, says Professor Rutschman. “Some people may even choose a company that allows scientific research over one that doesn’t. Many people may not care, but some will. The uses are not common knowledge, and that is worrisome. The public should be well-informed about what’s happening.” Deeper problems may arise when they aren’t informed of those potential uses of their data. Professor Rutschman cited the infamous Henrietta Lacks case, in which Lacks’ cells were, and continue to be, one of the most valuable cell lines in cancer research. Neither Lacks nor her family were paid for the widespread use of her genetic material until a settlement was reached long after her death. “When you have biologics involved, a concern is that if you have something potentially valuable, you may not see any money from it.” Bankruptcy Can Cause Policy Upheaval To understand the role bankruptcy can play in all of this, one needs to refer back to the power of individual company policy in this space. There are no external laws that dictate how these companies can further monetize their data, says Professor Rutschman, as long as they don’t violate other laws, such as privacy laws. That means that when a company like 23andMe goes bankrupt, as was the case in 2025, new ownership could enact completely different corporate policies for use of their property. In their specific case, the company was essentially bought back by 23andMe founder and CEO Anne Wojcicki’s non-profit, all but ensuring policies would remain the same. But that is exactly why Professor Rutschman and others are highlighting this specific case. “Bankruptcy is bad in the sense that there's a lot of uncertainty,” she said. “In this instance, the person coming in was the person who was there before, so the policy is likely to continue. But that's very rare. There are a roster of companies with access to biological materials. 23andMe is a good example of something not going horribly wrong, but with the understanding that it absolutely could.” Ways in which that could happen could be new ownership undermining the original intent of the data use by cessation of the company’s previous policies, or charging exorbitant prices to other entities to use that data for scientific research. “Because there is no law, these new owners can essentially do as they please with their proprietary data, unless they do something incredibly careless that amounts to the level of illegal,” Professor Rutschman said. “And that is concerning.” Onus Falls to Companies to Enact Safeguards To ensure a worst-case scenario for such companies does not unfold in a bankruptcy situation, Professor Rutschman points to a number of safeguards they could enact to protect their original commitments, ensure equitable access to data for scientific research and promote fair trade. One of which is implementing a company policy stating that commitments from a previous iteration of the company need to be honored if ownership is transferred. Those could include, as the authors recommend, policies “honoring original research-oriented commitments under which the data were collected,” as well as not “enclosing the dataset for exclusive commercial use.” She also highlights the need for Fair, Reasonable, and Non-Discriminatory (FRAND) voluntary licensing commitments, which are inherently more science and market friendly. “Companies in many sectors have committed to this approach, and we are saying it should apply in this space as well. You’ll charge your royalty, but it can’t be a billion dollars for a data set, nor would it be done by exclusively selling to one entity. You can get that billion dollars by selling to 15, 50 or 100 companies, and from a scientific research perspective, that’s what we want. Otherwise, you have a monopoly or duopoly. “There are a lot of different models that can be used, but ultimately what we are arguing is leaving this unaddressed is a really bad idea. It leaves everything exposed, and something bad is more likely to happen.”

Covering the Economy? FAU has the ideal expert to help with your questions and stories

The economy isn’t just a headline, it’s the story behind nearly every headline. From grocery bills and mortgage rates to job growth, small business confidence, and federal policy decisions, economic forces shape daily life for Americans in ways that are immediate and deeply personal. For journalists, that makes the economy a constant, high-stakes beat. Audiences want clear answers: Why are prices rising? Are we headed for a slowdown? What does the Fed’s next move mean for my community? The challenge is cutting through jargon and partisan spin to deliver insight that’s accurate, grounded, and understandable. That’s where William Luther, Ph.D., stands out. A respected economist and Associate Professor at Florida Atlantic University, Luther brings serious academic credibility, but explains economic trends in plain language that resonates beyond the classroom. His expertise in monetary policy, inflation, unemployment, cryptocurrency, and economic growth makes him a valuable resource for breaking news, enterprise stories, and long-form analysis alike. Whether reporters are covering Florida’s housing market, national interest rate decisions, or the future of digital currency, Luther offers thoughtful, balanced analysis that helps audiences understand not just what’s happening, but why it matters. William Luther, Ph.D., is an expert in monetary economics and macroeconomics. He is an associate professor of economics at Florida Atlantic University, director of the American Institute for Economic Research’s Sound Money Project, and an adjunct scholar with the Cato Institute’s Center for Monetary and Financial Alternatives. The Social Science Research Network currently ranks him in the top five percent of business authors.  View his profile Recent media coverage: ABC News Others downplayed the likelihood of a meaningful loss of Fed independence, since news of the DOJ investigation of Powell drew a rare degree of Republican opposition. Powell holds only a single vote on the 12-member board responsible for setting interest rates, they said. “Anytime we’re changing institutions, we should have some concern,” William Luther, a professor of economics at Florida Atlantic University, told ABC News. “At the same time, we should recognize the institutional safeguards we have are pretty strong.” Newsweek William Luther, associate professor of economics at Florida Atlantic University, said that the immediate net financial loss to those in Florida, and all Americans, appears to be "very, very large." Luther added Florida should expect a short-term "sharp contraction" in real estate and tourism, both vital sectors for the state's economy. NPR At the moment, the economy is performing very well. It wasn't performing very well not too long ago, both because of the pandemic, which reduced our ability to produce goods and services quite significantly, and then, as a result of some of the policy responses to that pandemic, we had very high inflation. NBC Will Luther, an economics associate professor at Florida Atlantic University, acknowledged the concerns among students. "Absolutely, there are students very much concerned with whether or not they will be able to get a job when they finish here. The good news is that they will. The bad news is it's a little harder right now than it was, say, two years ago," Luther said. Fox Nation FAU's William Luther joins Fox Nation's Deep Dive, hosted by the Wall Street Journal's Mary Anastasia O'Grady, to discuss the economic impact of cryptocurrencies. Video courtesy of Fox Nation's Deep Dive.

Brian Levine, M.D., Named Chief Academic Officer and Intellectual Property Administrator

ChristianaCare announced Feb. 12 the promotion of Brian Levine, M.D., to chief academic officer, along with his appointment as intellectual property administrator. He will also continue in his role as designated institutional official. As chief academic officer and leader of ChristianaCare’s Department of Academic Affairs, Levine oversees 38 residency and fellowship programs encompassing 315 residents and fellows, along with the education and training of students across the continuum of medical education. He leads the continued growth and strengthening of ChristianaCare’s undergraduate and graduate medical education infrastructure, ensuring that ChristianaCare continues to prepare physicians to care for our community well into the future. In addition, Levine oversees physician assistant education and allied health educational programming, supporting workforce development and long-term community health needs. As the largest academic medical center between Philadelphia and Baltimore, ChristianaCare has been a hub of academic excellence for over a century. ChristianaCare is one of the largest community-based teaching hospital systems in the United States. ChristianaCare also serves as the Delaware Branch Campus for Sidney Kimmel Medical College and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. This unique program allows medical students to complete their third and fourth years of clinical rotations exclusively at ChristianaCare, providing a clear pathway to launch their medical careers in Delaware. Each year, 55 students participate in the Branch Campus program, with many continuing into ChristianaCare’s highly sought-after residency programs and remaining in Delaware to serve local communities. ChristianaCare is a destination of choice for medical students and residents because of its strong patient-centered culture, reputation for excellence, and diversity of clinical experiences that include urban and suburban campuses with a wide range of pathologies. In his newly expanded role as intellectual property administrator, Levine manages and enforces ChristianaCare’s intellectual property policy, ensuring fair and consistent application in alignment with applicable laws and regulations. He also leads the multidisciplinary committee responsible for guiding organizational decisions related to intellectual property valuation, commercialization strategies and revenue distribution. Levine brings deep experience in academic medicine, health system education and scholarly publishing to these responsibilities. An emergency physician, he led the development of widely used clinical reference guides published by the Emergency Medicine Residents’ Association. These pocket-sized tools — covering topics such as antibiotic stewardship, orthopedic injury management, and EKG interpretation — are used by thousands of emergency medicine residents worldwide. Levine has held leadership roles at ChristianaCare for nearly two decades. Since 2018, he has served as associate chief academic officer and designated institutional official. Previously, he was program director of the Emergency Medicine Residency program from 2012 to 2018 and associate program director from 2006 to 2012. Levine is a clinical professor of Emergency Medicine at Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University and previously served as associate medical director for the LifeNet aeromedical transport program. He earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine and completed his emergency medicine residency at ChristianaCare.