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Tuesday's Daily Pulse

After break, Supreme Court to tackle online travel taxes, workers' comp

The Florida Supreme Court began an annual summer break last week, taking a breather from its routine of issuing weekly opinions. But justices will face major issues when they return from the break — cases that could affect everything from utility rates to congressional districts. More from the Florida Times-Union and the Orlando Sentinel.


Gasoline prices could fall 20 cents

The price of gas in South Florida could drop another 20 cents per gallon by August, analysts predict. Gas prices typically slip as summer progresses, but they stayed higher longer this year because of violence in Iraq that raised concerns over disruptions to oil supplies there. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

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Building a fresh-produce gateway through South Florida ports

It used to be that blueberries, grapes and other perishables aboard ships from Peru and Uruguay steamed right by South Florida ports to Philadelphia. A new USDA pilot program allows some South American fruit to enter South Florida ports directly. [Source: Miami Herald]


The business cost of climate change

A new report attempts to quantify the probability of climate change risks for business leaders in their own language. It includes projections for changes in local, state and regional climate conditions across the United States and estimates the fiscal impact of those changes on key sectors of the economy. [Source: The Guardian]


How restaurants are learning tricks from the box office

Want a reservation at your favorite restaurant at 8 on a Saturday night? Pretty soon, it may not just be a matter of calling sufficiently far in advance to beat the rush. You’re likely to have to pay more for your meal. And, for the most sought-after tables at the best time slots, you may even have to pay a scalper. [Source: Miami Herald]


ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Craft beer company from Tampa snares deal with Carnival
Miami-based Carnival Cruise Lines entered into an exclusive agreement with craft beer Company Cigar City Brewing. The Tampa-based company's craft beer will be available on 13 Carnival ships sailing from five Florida ports beginning this week.

› Plans for oil wells near panther refuge scuttled
A Texas drilling company has abandoned plans for two exploratory oil wells near endangered panther habitat in southwest Florida.

› Disney executive named 2014 CEO of the Year
Bob Iger (Joe Burbank / July 14, 2014) The Walt Disney Company’s Bob Iger has been named 2014 CEO of the Year by a national business magazine. Chief Executive magazine picked Iger as the winner of its 29th annual award.

› Heico earns recognition from Forbes
Niche technology company Heico Corp. has been named to the Forbes list of “World’s 100 Most Innovative Growth Companies” for 2014. Heico, which has headquarters in Miami and Hollywood, said that it has earned nine awards in nine years from Forbes.


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› Walmart planned for endangered forest lands in South Florida
One of the world’s rarest forests, a section of Miami-Dade County’s last intact tracts of endangered pine rockland, is getting a new resident: a Walmart.

› Clash intensifies over travel to Cuba
Pressure from some Florida members of Congress is making it harder to travel to Cuba even as thousands of their constituents line up to fly to the forbidden island.

› Gainesville airport weathered the storm well
When Allan Penksa took charge of the Gainesville Regional Airport in 2007, he had weathered Hurricane Frances in 2004 as director of facilities and maintenance, but had no warning how severely airports would be hurt by the economic storms soon to come.

› Former Florida tourism booster now promoting U.S. as a destination
For nearly 30 years, Chris Thompson touted Florida as a tourist destination. He left Visit Florida in late 2012 to take on a larger task: promoting the entire United States to the rest of the world as president and CEO of Brand USA.