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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida House leaders threaten budget battle over Medicaid expansion
The gloves are off inside the Capitol over Medicaid expansion. House leaders are adamant they aren't about to back off, even it means that the two chambers won't come to an agreement by the scheduled end of the legislative session. Read more from the Tampa Bay Times and the Naples Daily News.
Legislative Roundup:
» 5 things to watch today in Tallahassee
» Curbs on Florida school testing passed by Florida Senate
» Florida House panel allows adoption agencies to discriminate
» Lawmakers pan critics as video tax-credit plan advances
Florida business owners optimistic about growth, but still not hiring
The majority of small and middle-market business owners in the Sunshine State are optimistic about their company’s future over the next six months, but hiring remains on hold, indicates a report released Thursday. More from the South Florida Business Journal and the Orlando Business Journal.
Florida Trend Exclusive
Florida dining: Southern surge
Southern cooking has surged into fashion in the past five years, as brewpubs and others celebrated pork and BBQ as suitable accompaniments. Today, dozens of uptown chefs are marching across Florida plundering Southern farmhouses and diners for much more than pork fat and grits. Access full story.
Tourist season coming to end ... or is it?
A brutal northern winter has extended Southwest Florida’s banner tourist season, softening what is usually a jarring Eastertime transition with the departure of part-time residents and tourists. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Florida among the best states for doctors
Florida ranks 16th in the United States among the best states for physicians to practice in the profession, according to a new poll by WalletHub. [Source: Jacksonville Business Journal]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Wine company plans to grow business in new Florida markets
Wine Decadence is cornering the direct sales market with its new business model of in-home wine dealing that offers organized tastings for local businesses and aspiring wine connoisseurs.
› Work to start on downtown Orlando's Creative Village
Even with new uncertainties about state funding for a downtown UCF campus, work is set to start as soon as this month on Orlando's long-envisioned Creative Village project.
› 560,000 acres of trees in north Florida going on market
The largest contiguous parcel of undeveloped private land east of the Mississippi River, a vast swath of forest in northern Florida, is going on the market and is expected to bring $1 billion or more when it is sold this year.
› Waterproof drone makes a splash on Kickstarter
A Coral Springs company’s water-loving drone has made a crowd-funding splash with fans on Kickstarter. With about six days still to go on Thursday, Urban Drones has raised more than $218,000 for its new product — and surpassed its original fund-raising goal by $200,000.
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