Spending divides lawmakers as budget battle intensifies

Hospitals, higher education and hometown spending are all focal points of disagreement after Senate and House panels approved rival state budgets Wednesday. The two sides' spending plans are at least $2 billion apart, and their priorities differ, as they often do. They all must be resolved before lawmakers can end the 2017 session by May 5. More from the Times/Herald and Flagler Live.

Majority of voters in Florida favor Medicaid expansion

As the White House and House Republicans continue to discuss plans to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, a new survey of more than 7,000 registered voters in eight states, including Florida, finds growing public support for the health law’s Medicaid expansion option. More at the Miami Herald and Florida Trend.

Visit Florida hires new chief financial officer

A former assistant state audit supervisor for the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor is the new chief financial officer for Visit Florida, the state tourism promotions agency that Gov. Rick Scott and House Speaker Richard Corcoran have been publicly sparring over. [Source: Sarasota Herald-Tribune]

It looks like a berry good year for Florida blueberry farmers

Blueberries are like comedy. It's all about timing. Scientists have worked with Florida growers for decades developing varieties that will ripen right when there isn't competition. This year, they appear to have nailed it. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

Florida town has a shady reputation for fueling America's illegal drug trade

Drug groups quietly turned Florida’s fastest-growing suburb into a money laundering haven that has empowered the largest criminal organizations in the Americas to hide their illicit profits and dominate the narcotics trade in the United States. [Source: WTSP]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› If you want to change to Florida’s Constitution, go to public hearing at FIU [Times/Herald]
The powerful panel that has the ability to update Florida’s foundational legal document will be in Miami on Thursday and wants to hear from you.

› Metrics are squeezing Miami-Dade’s hotel industry [Miami Today]
Negative totals in three key performance metrics are squeezing Miami-Dade’s hotel industry, the most recent data from STR reveal.

› Jacksonville’s Fanatics Inc. to acquire Majestic sports apparel company [Florida Times-Union]
Jacksonville-based Fanatics Inc. sports merchandise and apparel company continues to grow its assets with the acquisition of another sports retail business this week.

› Eight UF programs ranked top 10 in the world [UF News]
The University of Florida’s entomology department is the best in the world, and a host of other UF programs rank in the top 10 globally from among more than 26,000 degree-granting institutions of higher education, according to the 2017 Center for World University Rankings.

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› Bradenton among worst for bank failures in Florida [Bradenton Herald]
Georgia has the most bank failures in the nation with 93, followed by Florida with 75 and Illinois with 67. Combined, the three states accounted for 42.7 percent of the 550 bank failures recorded by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. between October 2000 and March 2017.

› Canadian medical marijuana firm expands in U.S., buys Florida distributor [Tampa Bay Times]
As Florida lawmakers grow closer to establishing the parameters for an expanded medical marijuana industry, one of the state's seven licensed cultivators and distributors appears to be cashing out.

› 'Winter White House' a winning brand for Trump's business [AP]
No doubt Florida's oceanfront Mar-a-Lago resort is an impressive site for a summit between the presidents of the U.S. and China. And it's a pretty nice business advertisement, too, for the owner of the luxurious, members-only private property.

› Miami's fight against rising seas [BBC]
Just down the coast from Donald Trump's weekend retreat, the residents and businesses of south Florida are experiencing regular episodes of water in the streets. In the battle against rising seas, the region – which has more to lose than almost anywhere else in the world – is becoming ground zero.