U.S. Supreme Court rejects Florida workers comp case

The U.S. Supreme Court has declined to take up a case that raised questions about the constitutionality of Florida’s workers’ compensation insurance system. Its inaction leaves intact a 1st District Court of Appeal ruling that found “provisions of state workers’ compensation law to be valid.” More from CBS Miami and Florida Politics.

State to Sanford Burnham: Give money back

State officials are demanding Sanford Burnham Prebys return funds it received as part of a 2006 economic development deal, the latest step in a downward spiral of a major economic development project designed to bring high-paying jobs to the Orlando area. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

» See the letter demanding $77.6 million in damages from the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity to Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, Inc., here.
» Florida TaxWatch applauds DEO call for refund from Sanford Burnham

A look at the state of medical tourism

An interview with Dr. Rafael A. Rosado-Ortiz, Chair/Assistant Professor in the Department of Health Care Management at Saint Leo University. The interview begins:

Q: Is medical tourism becoming a trend and why?

A: Medical tourism is becoming an emerging trend inside and outside the United States due to the following factors: cost of treatments and procedures, level of expertise of the medical providers, and level of care and customer service offered by the medical tourism organizations supplying these services.

» Read the Q&A

Mermaids raise awareness about issues affecting Florida springs

The push to keep Florida’s springs flowing clean got a new ally this weekend from an unusual source: Mermaids. It wasn’t the actual legendary creatures, but rather human members of the worldwide mermaid community, or “mercommunity.” [Source: Gainesville Sun]

Florida researchers: Athletes have coaches, why not teachers?

NFL quarterback Tom Brady has a coach. So does tennis superstar Serena Williams. Same goes for many of America’s most successful CEOs. So why not teachers? Scholars at the University of Florida’s College of Education and two nonprofit educational organizations are recommending just that. Full story from UF News, here.

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Economist predicts another tough year for citrus grower profits in Florida [Lakeland Ledger]
For the second consecutive year, most Florida citrus growers will have a difficult time making a profit if current market conditions hold — a big if.

› Tampa venture capital firm promotes two, invests $5 million [Business Observer]
Tampa-based Ballast Point Ventures has promoted a pair of employees to high-level positions and invested $5 million into an Alabama technology firm.

› 16 Polk County students getting hands-on business lesson [Florida Business Daily]
This school year, 16 Polk County students are learning directly from local business leaders through the Lakeland Area Chamber of Commerce’s second annual Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA! Polk) as they shape their own business ideas.

› Lawsuit seeks to block new Universal Orlando theme parks [Orlando Sentinel]
NBCUniversal is facing a new lawsuit attempting to block any new theme parks on 475 acres the company acquired in the Orlando area last year.

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› Seismic testing still a possibility along Florida's East Coast [St. Augustine Record]
Offshore drilling along the Atlantic Coast may be on hold for the next five years, but that hasn’t freed St. Augustine and hundreds of other coastal communities from the immediate possibility of seismic testing.

› Drop in demand, crude prices nudge gas prices lower in Florida, nation [South Florida Sun-Sentinel]
The normal drop in gasoline demand that accompanies shorter days and cooler temperatures nudged gasoline prices down a cent or two last week nationally and in much of Florida,.

› Miami real estate likely to be increasingly attractive to buyers from China [Miami Herald]
China was the source in aggregate of at least $350 billion in U.S. real estate holdings and investments by the end of 2015, according to a 2016 report by Asia Society.

› MobilexUSA adding 50 jobs in expansion of Clearwater operations [Tampa Bay Times]
MobilexUSA is adding nearly 50 jobs following an expansion of its Clearwater headquarters and call center operations. The company describes itself as the largest provider of portable X-ray and laboratory services to nursing homes and homebound patients in the country.