Gov. Scott to call for large cut in taxes and fees

Florida Gov. Rick Scott is going to push for a $500 million cut in taxes and fees during his re-election year. Shortly after he was inaugurated in 2011 Scott sought tax and fee cuts of $4 billion over a two-year period. But those deep tax cuts were rejected by the GOP-controlled Legislature that was struggling with a budget deficit. [Source: AP]

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT Ticket to ride on FECI's 'All Aboard Florida' For decades, fast passenger rail has been the stuff of presidential State of the Union wish lists and the dream of those who want to see Americans out of their cars and into mass transit. All Aboard Florida tickles those fancies and stokes the passions of free-market advocates as well. » Ticket to ride on FECI's 'All Aboard Florida'

Fort Lauderdale's Nipro aims to dominate diabetic market

Nipro, named Florida’s top manufacturer by the Florida Manufacturing Association in 2011, makes FDA-approved blood glucose monitors and testing strips that help diabetics monitor their glucose levels. The company recently acquired a manufacturing company in New Hampshire and Verner has further plans for acquisitions and innovations to expand its product line. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

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Florida says no thanks to $2.6M in federal bike path money

Florida wants to do bicycle paths its own way, so it's turning down $2.6 million in federal dollars for the second year in a row. "We want to have flexibility," said Ananth Prasad, secretary of the Florida Department of Transportation. Prasad says the federal money comes with too many strings. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

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» FRIDAY PREVIEW: Coming next week to FloridaTrend.com:

• Health Insurance Overhaul: Florida Blue credits the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, passed in 2010 with its expansion into the individual market.
• Florida's Health Care Insurance Exchange: The state has been working on a version of a health exchange for several years called Florida Health Choices.
• SmartBox: Cashless vending machines: Brandon Stallings launched SmartBox last year while living at his parents’ Jacksonville home.
• Unchained: New concepts in local dining: Florida restaurateurs create whole new dining experiences by starting small and trying new concepts.

» You'll find all these stories first on the Daily and Afternoon Pulse e-mails.

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Out of the Box Ready Set Mail Edward Meyer, Ripley Entertainment's vice president of exhibits and archives, is always on the lookout for oddities. But now the company is having items sent to its south Orlando headquarters in an unusual fashion: without packaging — no boxes, no envelopes, no mailing tube, no bubble wrap allowed. Last week, the U.S. Postal Service delivered a zucchini bearing only postage and an address. It's part of Ripley's Ready Set Mail contest, which runs through Sept. 11. » Full story from the Orlando Sentinel