Will Florida ever strike a deal on workers’ comp?

Workers’ compensation is broken in Florida. Putting it back together will be a difficult, time-consuming and potentially fruitless task for legislators next year. In recent months, courts have issued a series of rulings that have served to dismantle the state’s workers’ compensation law, which had its last major overhaul back in 2003. [Source: Governing]

See also:
» Workers comp rate hike ruling gives trial lawyers reason to cheer

Florida Trend Exclusive

Sea change at SeaWorld

A new management team is rebuilding on ground that has shifted dramatically beneath SeaWorld over the past decade. Can the iconic attraction succeed without killer whale shows? Access full story.

Florida trade leaders balk at Trump's NAFTA talk

Some people involved with Florida's international trade efforts hope President-elect Donald Trump's campaign threat to ditch the North American Free Trade Agreement is mostly bluster. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]

New Florida website allows parents to compare schools, find 'best' one

Florida parents searching for a school for their child can use a new state website that aims to making comparing campuses and finding "the best educational match" easier. Full story from the Florida Department of Education, here. Also visit the new site: FloridaStudentsAchieve.org.

Scientists gathering next week in West Palm to discuss, educate about stem cell therapies

Scientists, clinicians and patients from South Florida and around the world will gather next week in West Palm Beach to discuss advances in stem cell science that potentially could cure disease, help people age better and live longer, and keep certain animals from becoming extinct. [Source: South Florida Sun-Sentinel]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Miami neighborhood gets a high-tech makeover [Wall Street Journal]
A pair of private developers are looking to build a technology and cultural hub in a faded manufacturing neighborhood in Miami.
» See also: Magic City, a tech innovation district, coming to Little Haiti

› Time to gas up, Florida: Prices at the pump could jump 10 to 15 cents soon [Tampa Bay Times]
Crude futures surged Wednesday after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries agreed to reduce its output by more than 1 million barrels a day. The cut, intended to curb a global glut of oil, could be significant enough to push oil supplies below demand sooner than expected.

› SolarCity reveals expansion plans for Florida, including new jobs [Orlando Business Journal]
A California-based solar company that recently was acquired by electric car company Tesla for $2 billion, revealed plans to better offer its services in Florida — a move that will create hundreds and later thousands of jobs in the state.

› Virtual reality's presence continues to grow at Orlando simulation conference [Orlando Sentinel]
Virtual reality’s presence at a defense industry conference in Orlando has grown from year to year. Once relegated to a corner of the International/Interservice Training and Simulation Education Conference’s showroom, virtual and augmented reality is now scattered across the room.

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› JetBlue launches Havana service from Orlando International [Orlando Sentinel]
The first commercial flight from Orlando International Airport to Havana in more than 55 years lifted off this week, as JetBlue launched a new daily flight.

› Sarasota-based Sun Hydraulics triples credit line to $300 million [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
Sun Hydraulics Corp. has tripled its credit agreement with lenders to $300 million. The manufacturer of screw-in hydraulic cartridge valves and manifolds said the new credit agreement amends the previous $100 million revolving credit line that it entered into last July.

› Hurricane-hunter planes, staff moving from MacDill to Lakeland [Tampa Bay Times]
After more than two decades at MacDill Air Force Base, the hurricane hunting airplanes known as Kermit and Miss Piggy are moving to Lakeland.

› American Dream Miami pitches itself as Miami’s version of Disney World [Miami Herald]
The backers of a plan to bring America’s largest mall to Northwest Miami-Dade touted the project as a second chance to give Miami the kind of tourist attraction it lost when Disney opted to build its theme park in Orlando more than 40 years ago.