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Monday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida lawmakers enter last stretch of special session
Florida legislators today begin the final week of their three-week special session that was required because they could not settle differences on health care and pass a budget in the regular session that ended April 30. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
See also:
» Weekend budget talks advance on health care, hometown pork
» Florida legislators reach deal on conservation money
Florida Trend Exclusive
Jacksonville's leaders want more clout in Tallahassee
During the 2008 election cycle, six freshmen lawmakers from the Jacksonville area entered the Florida Legislature, creating a prime opportunity to and give northeast Florida its first House Speaker in more than two decades. Jacksonville blew it. Access full story.
Florida's blueberry crop sees a sweet harvest season
Ideal growing conditions this year likely resulted in record production for Florida's young blueberry industry. The Florida blueberry industry, which began in the early 1990s, was built on hitting that sweet spot in a marketing window generally lasting from the last weeks of March to the first week of April. More from the AP.
Opinion: Florida the new high-tech frontier
Silicon Valley is synonymous with global technology, but could Florida be the next frontier? A new high-tech hub being developed outside Orlando will thrust the Sunshine State into the global advanced manufacturing industry, and promises high-skill jobs, new capital and the influence of a multibillion dollar industry. [Source: Florida Today]
How theme parks like Disney World have left the middle class behind
Ballooning costs have not slowed the mouse-eared masses flooding into the world's busiest theme park. Disney's main attraction hosted a record 19 million visitors last year, a number nearly as large as the population of New York state. But rising prices have changed the character of Big Mouse's family-friendly empire in unavoidably glitzy ways. [Source: Washington Post]
› Prognosis grim for Florida health care if Supreme Court ruling goes awry
There is no official plan. There is no time to execute one, even if there were a plan. And, perhaps most importantly, there appears to be no political leadership in Florida to act if the Supreme Court rules this month that more than 6 million Americans, including about 1.3 million Florida residents, can no longer receive federal subsidies that help pay for their health.
› Subsidies put Miami Worldcenter under a microscope
Stretching 10 city blocks of luxury condos, apartments and high-end shops, the nation’s second-largest urban development is perhaps rivaled in size only by its polarizing reputation.
› Teachers remain wary even as Florida eases its stance on evaluations
In their effort to tie teachers' job evaluations to student performance, Florida lawmakers acknowledge they initially went too far. This spring, comfortable that the idea of increased accountability for teachers had taken hold, the Legislature eased up.
› Florida officials ponder hunting at state parks
To generate more money for the state, Florida's popular state parks could see more than just timber harvesting and cattle-grazing added to the bird-watching, camping, canoeing, kayaking and hiking activities allowed now.
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