Thursday's Afternoon Update

What you need to know about Florida today

| 6/8/2017

Florida medical records case goes to the U.S. Supreme Court

Arguing that a Florida Supreme Court ruling “undermines” a federal patient-safety law, a Jacksonville hospital system is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a legal battle about the disclosure of medical records. More from WLRN.

Study links pesticide used to fight Zika in Florida to health impacts in Chinese babies

The pesticide widely used to fight Zika-carrying mosquitoes in Florida and across the nation has been linked to deficits in motor functions in Chinese babies, according to a new study. More from the Miami Herald.

Flooding causes major Florida outlet mall to remain closed for second day

Sawgrass Mills, the major outlet mall located north of Miami, is closed for a second day due to flooding from heavy rainfall. Some areas got up to 11 inches (28 centimeters) of rain between Monday and Wednesday. More from the AP and WSVN.

Franchises applaud Labor’s rollback of ‘joint employer’ guidance

Franchise companies, including many restaurants in the Orlando area, are applauding a move by the Trump Administration’s Department of Labor on Wednesday that could reduce lawsuits against franchisors. More from the Orlando Sentinel.

Miami business leaders propose solutions to traffic and housing affordability

Transportation and affordable housing, two of the region’s most pressing problems, were at the forefront of Wednesday’s Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce 2017 Goals Conference, as elected officials from both Miami-Dade County and the City of Miami committed to prioritizing a proposed link in the county’s southern corridor. More from the Miami Herald.

Profile
Jim Kern

Jim Kern started the Florida Trail four decades ago; he's still waiting for the Legislature finish it. The Florida Trail is one of only 11 federally designated scenic hiking trails in the United States. It attracts 355,000 people every year, according to a University of Florida study. It is also the only warm-weather winter trail in the United States.

» More from the Tampa Bay Times.

Around the State
Hop To It

After returning from a trip to England, Brian Pearson learned that hops couldn’t be grown in Florida — the days were too hot, humid and full of pests and disease. That struck Pearson, a professor at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences whose doctorate is in environmental horticulture, as a challenge. He ordered a few plants and started growing.