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Friday's Daily Pulse
What you need to know about Florida today
Port expansion could draw billions, create jobs
Attempts by Florida's seaports to dramatically expand their multi-billion-dollar traffic in cargo and cruiseships will get a powerful boost Friday when President Barack Obama swoops into PortMiami to hail it as a national model for creating jobs and stoking the economy. The president will focus on a Miami port tunnel project — which he will call a great example of a public-private partnership — but the reverberations will be felt at Port Everglades, the Port of Palm Beach, Port Canaveral and 11 other deep-water ports in Florida. More from the South Florida Sun-Sentinel and the AP.
Panel backs health coverage for part-time workers
A Florida House panel has approved a measure to offer health insurance to the state's part-time employees and their family members as part of the federal health overhaul. The panel could have decided Thursday to cap part-time employees to working 30 hours per week or chosen not to provide any health coverage. [Source: AP]
Equine herpes outbreak still causing economic distress
The financial fallout due to the recent outbreak of equine herpes virus (EHV-1) at the HITS showgrounds in February continues, though most of the quarantines are over. Not only was the HITS showgrounds at Post Time Farm in Blitchton quarantined, nine other farms in Marion County got caught up in the outbreak. [Source: Ocala Star Banner]
Budget cuts could slow commercial space progress
The head of NASA says federal spending cuts could eventually slow progress on commercial efforts to fly to space. NASA Administrator Charles Bolden sounded the warning Thursday two days after SpaceX's Dragon capsule returned from a supply run to the International Space Station with a splashdown in the Pacific. [Source: AP]
Businesses protest using tax-break dollars to benefit motorists
Senate budget chief Joe Negron's push to end a 25-year-old tax break for insurers is drawing the ire of business groups and major political contributors put in the unusual position of defending their tax advantages before a Republican-controlled Legislature. [Source: Orlando Sentinel]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Orange tax collector offers health stipend to gay workers
Orange County Tax Collector Scott Randolph said today he would offer up to a $1,300 stipend to any of his employees with a same-sex partner who suffers a tax hit on health benefits because they can't legally marry.
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In June, Florida Trend will feature Florida Trend readers will discover what drives the economy, who lives and works in Tallahassee and much more. More than 250,000 people read Florida Trend, and another 80,000 visit FloridaTrend.com each month.
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› Florida led the nation in foreclosures in 2012
For the year ended in February, 95,177 foreclosures were completed in Florida – more than in any other state, according to CoreLogic. And there are a lot more to come: 9.9 percent of the mortgaged homes in Florida are in some stage of the foreclosure process, marking the highest foreclosure inventory of any state.
› Venice Performing Arts Center expected to have major impact
The Performing Arts Center costs $15 million, with the city of Venice paying half the costs through sales taxes. It is one of the final pieces in the $91 million reconstruction of Venice High School. Because of the school location, the symphony hopes to expand its appeal to teenage musicians and audiences.
› Magic want to buy property for entertainment district
The Orlando Magic notified Orlando officials Thursday of its intent to buy city-owned property across the street from the Amway Center to build a $100 million sports-and-entertainment complex.
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