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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Brightline beefs up safety after report it’s the deadliest
A passenger-rail service that crosses dozens of roadways as it zips riders from here to West Palm Beach is adding physical barriers and testing technologies like drones and infrared sensors in response to a growing number of fatalities along its corridor. The challenges for Brightline highlight a problem confronting railroads across the U.S. Though fatalities at grade crossings have steadily declined in the past 30 years, deaths due to suicides and trespassing are up. More from the Wall Street Journal
Fried backs cities, counties on gun law
As lawyers for Gov. Ron DeSantis and Attorney General Ashley Moody defend a state law dealing with local gun regulations, Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is backing cities and counties that argue the law is unconstitutional. Fried’s attorneys Tuesday filed a brief arguing that the 1st District Court of Appeal should uphold a circuit judge’s decision that sided with the cities and counties. More from WJXT.
Poll: Most Floridians like the idea of raising minimum wage to $15
On Dec. 19 the Florida Supreme Court decided that a constitutional amendment that would raise the state's minimum wage to $15 an hour could be placed on the November 2020 ballot. And while business groups and the state's tourism industry are expected to argue that such a pay hike could lead to the elimination of jobs, early polling suggests a solid majority of Floridians like the idea just fine. [Source: TCPalm]
Inventory concerns only blight on bright Sunshine State home/condo market
There were more single-family home and condo sales, more pending sales, declining inventories and higher median prices last month in Florida when compared to November 2018, according to Florida Realtors. November also marked the 95th month in a row that statewide median sales prices for both single-family homes and condo-townhouse properties rose year-over-year, the state’s largest Realtors group reports. [Source: The Center Square]
Is your child’s university tracking their phone? Probably
Short-range phone sensors and campuswide WiFi networks are empowering colleges across the United States to track hundreds of thousands of students more precisely than ever before. Dozens of schools now use such technology to monitor students’ academic performance, analyze their conduct or assess their mental health. [Source: Forbes]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Florida lawmakers seek to scuttle conservation appeal
The House, Senate and two state agencies asked the Florida Supreme Court this week to reject an appeal in a fight about how lawmakers carried out a 2014 constitutional amendment aimed at boosting land and water conservation.
› In 2019, the legal fight over opioids unraveled into confusion and infighting
Legal experts expected this to be the year we answered big questions about the liability that drug companies face for the deadly opioid epidemic and for their role in marketing high-risk prescription pain medications.
› North Port homebuilder’s bankruptcy leaves dozens of victims in the lurch
Elk Ridge Custom Homes, LLC, filed for bankruptcy. A Sarasota attorney says many of the dozens of victims likely won’t get their money back.
› New JU curriculum to help health care professionals tackle deadly medical errors
In January, Jacksonville University will launch two new online degree programs to help decrease medical errors.
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