Friday's Daily Pulse

Session on verge of collapse as Florida GOP leaders feud

A three-day special session aimed at providing more money for public schools is on the verge of collapsing. Senate President Joe Negron said Thursday the Senate was not going to approve a budget deal unless House Republicans and Gov. Rick Scott agreed to back top Senate priorities. The session is scheduled to end today (Friday), but after two days the divide appears to have been spurred on by Gov. Rick Scott's decision to veto more than $400 million in projects, including tens of millions in programs for the state's 12 public universities. More from the AP, the Times/Herald, and the Orlando Sentinel.

World-class cancer care close to home

Founded in 1984, Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute is the largest independent privately-held medical oncology/hematology practice in the U.S. With more than 200 physicians, 150 nurse practitioners and physician assistants, Florida Cancer Specialists is committed to providing world-class cancer care in community-based settings. [Sponsored Report]

Publix stays atop Florida company rankings on latest Fortune 500 list of largest corporations

Seventeen publicly traded companies headquartered in Florida made this year's Fortune 500 list, including Lakeland's Publix Super Markets — the state's largest on the list at No. 85. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

See also:
» Publix to expand online delivery service
» Publix moves up Fortune 500 list, Darden down

The state of Florida's seagrass

In a recent report on changes in the state’s seagrass coverage from scientists guided by the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute (FWRI), The Seagrass Integrated Mapping and Monitoring Program details mixed results. [Source: Florida Sportsman]

Florida’s chief fraud fighter moves on: Atwater recalls successes, frustrations with industry

As Florida’s CFO, a position he has held since 2011, Jeff Atwater has worked closely with the insurance industry. Now, as he prepares to step down as chief financial officer at the end of the year, Atwater recalls his successes and frustrations with the insurance industry. In the story from Insurance Journal, Atwater was asked what had surprised him the most about the insurance industry:

Atwater: What has surprised me … is the magnitude of the fraud that exists in the marketplace across virtually every line of insurance that is available to Floridians, personally and in a commercial nature. That has been an eye opener. I was aware of fraud, just not aware of how many really organized crime rings there were designed specifically to exploit opportunity.

Your turn:
» Have you personally encountered insurance fraud - either at your workplace or at your home? (quick poll)

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Harris Corp. maritime tracking system now operational [Florida Today]
Harris Corp. announced its first four maritime vessel tracking receivers are operational. The company said the operational receivers are the beginning of the "of the only global, persistent, real-time Automatic Identification System ship-tracking capability.

› Biotest sells U.S. therapy business, Boca Raton headquarters to ADMA Biologics [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Biotest Pharmaceuticals has sold its U.S. therapy business, which includes its Boca Raton headquarters and plasma production center, to ADMA Biologics of Ramsey, N.J.

› Port Canaveral moves forward on building bigger, better cruise terminal [Orlando Sentinel]
Citing interest from cruise lines in bringing more ships to Port Canaveral, the port’s governing body approved more than $1.2 million in funds to begin work on replacing Cruise Terminal 3.

› Refining the Florida Keys [New York Times]
The islands that hook southwesterly from mainland Florida are circumscribed in terms of growth not just by water and available land, but also by density regulations related to hurricane evacuations. Given those restrictions, several new resorts and a string of refurbished ones are proving that the Keys have nowhere to go but upscale.

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