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Wednesday's Daily Pulse

Governor's race will also shape Fla. Supreme Court

Floridians voting in November's gubernatorial election will also be deciding the direction of the state Supreme Court for years to come. The Supreme Court's mandatory retirement age of 70 means four justices will have to retire by January 2019. [Source: AP]


Gulf oyster harvest has nose-dived since BP spill

Gulf Coast oyster harvests have declined dramatically in the four years since a BP PLC oil well blew wild in the nation's worst offshore oil disaster. Even after a modest rebound last year, thousands of acres of oyster beds where oil from the well washed ashore are producing less than a third of their pre-spill harvest. [Source: AP]


Featured on FloridaTrend.com:
Lisa Rinaman
Daytona/Volusia County community portrait includes the cities of Daytona Beach, DeBary, DeLand, Deltona, New Smyrna Beach and Ormond Beach.

Florida group meeting on growth strategies for defense industry

With downward pressure on Pentagon spending, the possibility of future rounds of automatic defense cuts and the looming end of combat operations in Afghanistan, the Florida Chamber is holding a meeting in Orlando to help figure out a way forward. [Source: TBO.com]


Kennedy Space Center's quiet rebirth slowly taking shape

Kennedy Space Center is relatively quiet these days, but there's a rebirth taking shape in the historic buildings and grounds. The new Orion and SLS programs, and renovations of buildings like the massive VAB, are transforming the space program and Central Florida. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]


Walmart wants to be your doctor's office

Walmart, the nation's largest retailer, has spent years trying to turn some of its millions of customers into patients. Now, the store is in the throes of its most aggressive push yet to become a one-stop shopping destination for medical care. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]


ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Florida set to implement Common Core
As children head back to school, more than 40 states, including Florida, will implement the Common Core standards. This will be the first time students all across the country will be learning from the same standards.

› Deadline to clear up health law eligibility nears
Nearly 100,000 Floridians who bought health insurance through the Affordable Care Act could have their taxpayer-subsidized coverage cancelled if they don't send citizenship and immigration documents to confirm their eligibility by Sept. 5.

› Osceola smart sensor consortium gets funding, hires new experts
University of Central Florida and Osceola County have made strides over the past few months on a proposal to build the Florida Center for Advanced Manufacturing Research in the Kissimmee area.

› Hialeah law firm accepts Bitcoin
Dieppa Law Firm, P.A., which specializes in bankruptcy, personal injury and traffic law as well as commercial, tax and real estate law, is among a handful of early adopters in South Florida to accept the new and somewhat controversial digital currency.


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› FPL wants customers to kick in $9 per month to help solar energy expansion
This might be case of sticking your money where the sun does shine - $9 that is. Florida's Public Service Commission voted 4-1 to allow Florida Power & Light Co. asking customers to kick in the $9 each month to support solar power.

› Jacksonville-based Fortegra Financial sold for $218 million
Fortegra Financial Corp., headquartered in Jacksonville, has been acquired by a New York investment firm for approximately $218 million in cash, the firms announced Tuesday.

› Florida has 3rd highest car ownership costs in U.S.
Ouch! Florida has the nation's third highest costs in owning a car, according to an analysis by the North Palm Beach-based Bankrate.com. The consumer website found only Wyoming and Louisiana had higher average car ownership costs of the 50 states than Florida's $2,516 a year average cost.

› Treasure hunter Odyssey Marine unveils quarterly loss, names CEO
Undersea treasure hunting company Odyssey Marine Exploration said Monday that Mark Gordon, currently president and chief operating officer, will assume the role of chief executive officer now held by Greg Stemm before the end of the year.