Thursday's Daily Pulse

› International pilot shortage has South Florida flight schools buzzing [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Once-struggling South Florida flight schools are seeing the largest influx of foreign students since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks, the result of a severe shortage of airline pilots worldwide.

› Sands pulls back its Miami casino bid, criticizes Disney, Genting [Miami Today]
When Malaysia's Genting Group took the lead in the push to bring mega-casinos to Miami, Las Vegas Sands Corp. was in the background, planning and waiting. Now, Las Vegas Sands is preparing to wait until next year.

› Visitors keep spending in Universal theme parks [Orlando Sentinel]
Travelers aren't yet showing any signs of chocolate frog fatigue. Comcast Corp. said Wednesday that sales at NBCUniversal theme parks rose 4 percent during the final three months of 2011, propelled by higher per-guest spending at Universal Orlando and Universal Studios Hollywood.

› Premium cocktails back in vogue [Miami Herald]
Time to belly up to the bar for a martini or a Manhattan. Go ahead and splurge — make it with Grey Goose or Crown Royal. The economy may not have rebounded enough to justify a luxury car or exotic vacation, but the affordable luxury of a super-premium cocktail is back in vogue in Miami and across the country.

› Obama putting $232M in 'Glades [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
President Barack Obama's proposed budget on Monday called for spending $232 million on the Everglades in the next fiscal year, a sign that the massive restoration work in South Florida remains a high priority even when federal money is tight.