Friday's Daily Pulse

Posted 1/2/2015

Updated 9 yearss ago

Gay marriage cleared to begin January 6 throughout Florida

All of Florida's 67 counties are cleared to comply with a federal judge's ruling and issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples starting next week. U.S. District Judge Robert Hinkle of Florida's Northern District in Tallahassee says that Florida's county court clerks have a legal duty to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. The state's attorney general Pam Bondi said, "This office has sought to minimize confusion and uncertainty, and we are glad the Court has provided additional guidance. My office will not stand in the way as clerks of court determine how to proceed." [Source: CBS News and News 13]

Appeals court upholds Florida nuclear cost law

An appeals court rejected a constitutional challenge to a controversial 2006 law that has allowed Duke Energy Florida and Florida Power & Light to collect hundreds of millions of dollars from customers for nuclear-power projects. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida's growth is ramping up

An influx of residents to Florida is expected to accelerate in 2015, with the state's growth machine reaching full speed again after the Great Recession. Florida's population is expected to grow by roughly 280,000 people next year, more than double the net increase from just three years ago. [Source: Sarasota Herald Tribune]

Federal judge rules Florida deprived kids of medical care

U.S. Circuit Judge Adalberto Jordan declared Florida’s healthcare system for needy and disabled children to be in violation of several federal laws. Jordan said lawmakers had for years set the state’s Medicaid budget at an artificially low level, causing pediatricians and other specialists for children to opt out of the insurance program for the needy. [Source: Tampa Bay Times/Miami Herald]

Jeb Bush resigns from board seats, possibly edging closer to presidential run

Former Gov. Jeb Bush of Florida has resigned from each of his corporate and nonprofit board positions, the latest indication that he is moving toward starting a presidential campaign. Mr. Bush, a Republican, gave up positions at an online education firm and his post on the board of Michael R. Bloomberg’s philanthropic foundation. Last month, he severed ties with Barclays bank, Tenet Healthcare and Rayonier. [Source: New York Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Chinese investors buy Miami site for $74.7 million [Miami Herald]
An affiliate of China Communications Construction Company U.S. International purchased a block-size site in the red-hot Brickell neighborhood for $74.7 million, in its first major bet on Miami. Plans for what will be built on the 2.4-acre site at 1430 S. Miami Avenue aren’t yet complete.

› Tax relief in 2015: Florida's hurricane tax ends [Bradenton Herald]
Floridians will experience lower insurance taxes for the first time in nearly a decade. All insurance policies in the state of Florida, including home insurance, auto insurance and business insurance, will no longer be forced to pay the Florida Catastrophe Fund Emergency Assessment, known as Florida's hurricane tax.

› Every Rose has its thorn: Florida State two-year win streak comes to an end [Florida Times-Union]
It was over before the setting sun’s shadows completed the climb up the nearby San Gabriel Mountains and turned the lights out on Florida State’s season — and the longest winning streak in college football in a decade.

› The secret lives of professionals [Ocala Star-Banner]
From rockers to zombie slayers, locals wear many hats outside of the office. Doctors, teachers and youth counselors have seemingly incompatible other lives once they punch out for the day. And they wouldn't have it any other way.

Go to page 2 for more stories ...

› UWF's entrepreneurial effort is a work in progress [Pensacola News-Journal]
With the steel framework for the first building project by the University of West Florida's Business Enterprises Inc. now rising at the school's East Campus entrance, 2015 looms as a challenging year. The new streams of income that UWF sought when forming BEI in 2011 still aren't flowing, but the fledgling organization's brain trust asserts that it's learning the ropes.

› 2015 arrives and so do Florida babies [South Florida Sun Sentinel]
It was barely 2015 when babies were being born around South Florida. The tri-county (Palm Beach, Broward, Dade) area's first baby was born at the stroke of midnight at Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami. Addison Davila was officially born at 12 a.m. to parents Arielle Larken and Daniel Davila, of Miami. Moms in Broward and Palm Beach counties both ushered in babies at 12:07 a.m.

› GM recalls 92K trucks, SUVs for ignition lock defect [AP]
General Motors is recalling 92,221 full-size trucks and SUVs for a defect in ignition lock systems that can cause safety problems in hot conditions. Thursday's recall covers certain 2011-2012-models and certain 2007-2014-models that were repaired with defective parts.

› Column: Dave Barry's Year in Review - 2014 [Miami Herald]
The writer takes a month-by-month look at the entire year, with jabs at the polar vortex, normalizing relations with Cuba, elections, the Secret Service, and much more.