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Tuesday's Daily Pulse

Lawmakers, Governor weigh options after Stoneman Douglas shooting

A second gun-related bill has been postponed in the Florida Senate in the wake of last week’s mass shooting at a Parkland high school, as legislative leaders craft a multi-pronged response to the massacre and Gov. Rick Scott plans a series of workshops about school safety and ways to keep guns away from people struggling with mental illnesses. More from the Orlando Sentinel, the Miami Herald, and CNN.

See also:
» Florida mayors can be fined $5,000 if they enact stricter local rules on gun control
» After Florida school shooting, Russian ‘bot’ army pounced
» Scott hasn’t declared Senate candidacy, but his support of gun lobby draws attack ad
» Students head to Florida capital to press for gun law change
Your turn:
» Florida teens are leading national debate on gun control. Will this have any effect on legislation in the state this year? (quick poll)

Aluma mobile tower

Florida Trend Business Profile
Sending a signal: Aluma's mobile towers and antennas travel the world

Decades ago, an antenna salesman asked Vero Beach-based Aluma Tower, which made towers for ham radio operators and TV antennas, to mount a tower on his van so that he could show customers what the antenna atop it would do for their TV reception. That marked Aluma’s entry into the mobile tower business. Full story here (part of a business roundup for Southeast Florida).

50 years ago, Florida teachers walked off their jobs. Today’s union leaders are inspired

Some teachers left goodbye messages to their students on classroom blackboards. Others cleared their desks. It was Feb. 16, 1968, a Friday, and a sign of what was coming that Monday in Florida: the nation’s first statewide teachers strike. Among their concerns: low pay, poor funding, a lack of planning time, missing materials, and more. More than 25,000 educators participated, and most resigned — because strikes weren’t allowed. More from the Washington Post and the Tampa Bay Times.

Enjoy falling gas prices while you can

Gas prices across Florida fell for the 11th consecutive day on Monday, with more declines projected for the coming week. Now for the not-so-good news: AAA expects costs will increase by up to 30 cents per gallon between March and May as refineries conduct their seasonal maintenance and switch to a summer blend. See a news release from AAA, and read more at the Bradenton Herald.

See also:
» Check gas prices in your Florida neighborhood

Age limits and waiting periods for assault weapons? Florida legislators are considering it

After visits to Parkland left them horrified at the ease with which a gunman could kill 17 people in six minutes, Florida legislators in both the House and Senate are doing something they have resisted for years: drafting legislation to limit access to semi-automatic rifles. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]

ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:

› EA lands on dubious list of 'most hated companies'
The video game company Electronic Arts, which builds some of its major titles in Maitland, has landed on a dubious list of America’s most-hated companies. The fallout appears to stem from the company’s recent scuffle with gamers over in-game purchases.

› Tour Latino spurs Hispanic business growth in Florida
In a great example of how Hispanic organizations can use sports to gain attention —and funding—, Orlando-based business group Prospera has found success tapping into the cycling community via Tour Latino, which held its fifth annual event on Sunday.

› FWC releases new App to report fish, wildlife sightings
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has released a new App to make it easier for people to report fish and wildlife sightings. The “FWC Reporter App” also is intended to encourage residents and visitors to take an active role in conservation. Also read more at the Florida Times Union.

› Winn-Dixie parent company could close 200 stores
Bi-Lo LLC, a subsidiary of the same Jacksonville company that owns Winn-Dixie, could file for bankruptcy as soon as next month, according to a Bloomberg report.

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› Sting nets arrests of more than 20 ‘brazen’ unlicensed contractors in Pinellas
The unlicensed contractors answered calls to perform electrical, plumbing and other types of work at a home since Saturday. But the workers had no idea that Pinellas County Sheriff’s deputies posed as homeowners.

› Miami International Airport declared foreign trade zone
The US Department of Commerce has approved foreign trade zone (FTZ) operations on Miami International Airport’s (MIA) entire 3,230-acre lot. MIA is operated by the Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD).

› ‘Record Man’ follows Sarasota producer’s music career
Florida music history just got a lot more colorful, thanks to Bill DeYoung’s biography “Phil Gernhard, Record Man.” Never heard of Gernhard? Join the club. What you have heard is the remarkable range of pop songs, novelty records and country stars that the Sarasota man helped produce and promote during a one-of-a-kind music career.

› Why does Florida keep getting sinkholes?
Florida is no stranger to sinkholes, and the Sunshine State has been plagued by them before. Resorts and other homes have been swallowed in the past. About 20 percent of the U.S. is susceptible to sinkholes.