Monday's Daily Pulse

Posted 4/18/2016

Updated 8 yearss ago

Making a push to raise Florida's pay

Florida is among the 29 states and Washington, D.C., that has a minimum wage set above the federal level. It is a result of a 2004 constitutional amendment that requires Florida to annually adjust its wage based on an inflation index. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Lakeland Ledger.

Florida Trend Exclusive
Avoid a fracas with collaborative divorce

Last July, five years after launching his practice, divorce attorney Adam Cordover decided he was finished going to court. He converted his firm to a litigation-free practice focused on what’s known as collaborative law — in which a couple agrees to settle their differences outside the courtroom through negotiation. Access full story.

Americans prefer low prices to items 'Made in the USA'

The vast majority of Americans say they prefer lower prices instead of paying a premium for items labeled "Made in the U.S.A.," even if it means those cheaper items are made abroad, according to an Associated Press-GfK poll. [Source: AP]

Florida’s losing "medical refugees" over marijuana laws

Medical refugees are leaving Florida for states where medical marijuana products are readily available, like Colorado. And, for Florida doctors who have taken the certification course to prescribe medical cannabis, some are left waiting while others are finding ways to circumvent the law. [Source: WUFT]

Boat dealers still feeling the wind at their backs

Life has returned to the marine industry, which, like so many others, saw the Great Recession suck the wind from its sails. But interest and buyers have since eagerly returned to the sea. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Boca Raton's Jarden completes merger with Newell Rubbermaid [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
The transaction creates a $16 billion global consumer goods company, which has been renamed Newell Brands and will be based in Atlanta. Brands include Paper Mate, Sharpie, Coleman, Oster, Sunbeam, Foodsaver, Mr. Coffee and Rubbermaid.

› Fintech startups take root in South Florida [Miami Herald]
Wall Street may be the center of U.S. finance, but when it comes to the technology that makes the money flow, South Florida quickly is becoming a player.

› FWC drawing up options for second Florida black bear hunt [Naples Daily News]
Florida wildlife officials are drawing up options for a second black bear hunt this fall with a vote looming by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

› As other space companies grow, ULA cuts [Orlando Sentinel]
Multiple news outlets have reported that space company United Launch Alliance, or ULA, is planning to cut hundreds of jobs. That's a big contrast to the growth of space companies locally.

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› South Florida cities among worst for affordable housing [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
Residents in six South Florida cities face some of the toughest housing burdens in the country, a new report shows.

› Orlando-area hotels double as art galleries [Orlando Sentinel]
Some hotels in Central Florida are no longer just a place to sleep. Several are doubling as art galleries, offering guests a way to satiate any need for a little culture before bedtime.

› Quietly, FIU students and professors resume long-banned travel to Cuba [Miami Herald]
The trip to Cuba is called “A Revolutionary Perspective on Education.” It promises stunning museum collections, conversations with college professors and plenty of free time to wander the streets of Old Havana. For seven days, Florida International University will help lead the tour for educators, even offering a small federal subsidy to help pay for the trip.

› Are older homes and poor schools dampening Tampa Bay's market for luxury real estate? [Tampa Bay Times]
Florida boasts some of the nation's priciest homes, but luxury real estate in the Tampa Bay area remains a bargain compared to elsewhere in the state, a new survey shows.