Florida reports more Zika cases as CDC says virus increased birth defects

On the heels of a new study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showing that Zika has increased the rate of birth defects in the United States, Florida health officials on Thursday reported three more cases of the virus that were locally acquired. Two of the infections dated to October 2016 and one was found in 2017. So far in 2017, Florida confirmed 13 cases of Zika, including four pregnant women. [Source: Miami Herald]

See also:
» Nervous system birth defects 20 times likelier for Zika-hit mothers, study finds
» Zika may be spread by 35 species of mosquitoes, researchers say
» Zika? It hasn't gone away, but some travelers are shrugging

Washington, Tallahassee hold keys to healthcare costs

Healthcare costs are predicted to rise this year, but it’s not known yet whether it will be a slight or dramatic increase. “What will happen with healthcare costs is not unrelated to what happens in Washington and in Tallahassee,” said Linda Quick, former president of the South Florida Hospital & Healthcare Association. [Source: Miami Today]

How the Strawberry Festival used shrewd Southern charm to become Florida's second-largest fair

With no booze, tobacco or other vices, the Florida Strawberry Festival may be a quaint piece of Americana. But it's also the second-most attended fair in the state, outpacing the Florida State Fair and bigger metropolitan festivals. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida Supreme Court upholds ban on openly carrying guns

The Florida Supreme Court says there's nothing wrong with a state law that bans openly carrying handguns. In a 4-2 decision Thursday, the court rejected a claim that the law is unconstitutional because it restricts the federally protected right to bear arms. [Source: AP] From the state Supreme Court's ruling:

We hold that section 790.053 does not unconstitutionally infringe on the Second Amendment right to bear arms, as interpreted by the United States Supreme Court in Heller and McDonald, or the Florida Constitution's freestanding right to bear arms subject to the Legislature's authority to regulate the use and manner of doing so. Because section 790.053 regulates only one manner of bearing arms and does not impair the exercise of the fundamental right to bear arms, we approve the Fourth District's well-reasoned decision in Norman upholding the constitutionality of section 790.053 under intermediate scrutiny. It is so ordered.

Your turn:
» Florida has a ban in place against citizens openly carrying firearms. Your thoughts on "open carry"? (quick poll)

Alarm grows among business leaders over prejudgment interest bills

Business leaders and tort reform advocates are watching the progress of the bills with some alarm, arguing it is another hit against the business community in a state that already has “one of the worst legal climates of all the states.” [Source: Florida Business Daily]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› Tanker flips at Florida's Port Everglades, spilling fuel [AP]
Authorities in Florida are cleaning up after a tanker truck loaded with gasoline and diesel fuel flipped over at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale.

› Broward-based Chewy.com has seen fantastic growth. But can it keep up the pace? [Miami Herald]
The leading online purveyor of pet food and supplies almost never was. That’s because the founders of Broward-based Chewy.com originally planned to go into the online jewelry business.

› Large hotels planned for construction will break Orlando's current growth plan [Orlando Sentinel]
The nine hotels expected to open in Metro Orlando this year will have an average of 144 rooms, reflecting current industry trends that favor small-to-midsize hotels.

› Initial approval given for Lakewood Ranch biomedical research park [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
The developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch received initial approval Thursday for "CORE at Lakewood Ranch," a proposed biomedical research park that could collaborate with other institutions in the master-planned community.

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› Sarasota is the best place to live in Florida, U.S. News says [Sarasota Herald-Tribune]
In its 100 Best Places to Live in the USA, U.S. News & World Report placed the Sarasota metro area No. 21, ahead of any other place in Florida.

› Orange County tourist tax collection up [Orlando Sentinel]
Orange County’s tourist development tax collection was up in January, starting 2017 off on a high note after a sluggish 2016.

Are Your Executives Making News? Make sure your personnel promotions, board appointments and civic accomplishments get the coverage they deserve with a listing in Florida Trend’s new weekly Movers & Influencers eNewsletter. Learn How Here.

› Florida bill would block bear hunts, address habitat [WPTV]
Black bears couldn't be hunted in Florida for a decade, while at least $1 million would be set aside so more people could purchase bear-resistant trash containers, under a measure filed in the Senate.

› Publix will invest nearly $2B in real estate and technology [Tampa Bay Business Journal]
In 2017, Publix forecasts it will spend $1.85 billion, primarily on opening new stores. But expenditures will also be for remodeling existing stores, new or enhanced information technology hardware and applications and acquiring shopping centers.