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Friday's Afternoon Update
What you need to know about Florida today
Florida likely to gain three congressional seats
The Golden State is on the cusp of losing some of its shine — at least when it comes to representation in the U.S. Congress. And California’s loss will be Florida’s gain. The prediction comes from the American Redistricting Project, which analyzed 2030 state population projections released late last year by the U.S. Census Bureau. ARP is an arm of the Alexandria, Virginia-based Fair Lines America Foundation, a nonpartisan nonprofit dedicated to educating the public on American redistricting. More from the Business Observer.
Insurance reform in Florida: Waiting for relief
Insurance reforms enacted by the state Legislature in the past few years are expected to help Florida’s policyholders see reduced costs and better access to coverage. In the rewriting of Florida’s insurance regulations, the response to annual homeowners insurance premiums as much as doubling in three years and an equally rapid decrease in insurance provider options for consumers, lawmakers approved comprehensive changes. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Will curbing social media help kids’ mental health? Florida may try.
Amid rising teen anxiety and suicides, Florida lawmakers are moving ahead with a solution: Stop them from using social media. But while the rate of teen anxiety and depression has risen along with the prevalence of social media, there is little data indicating that one is causing the other, researchers say. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Workers’ comp insurance premiums decrease in 2024
While the cost trend for almost all forms of insurance continues on the upswing, business owners in Florida received some good news entering 2024. Florida Insurance Commissioner Michael Yaworsky issued a final order in November granting approval to the National Council on Compensation Insurance for a statewide workers’ compensation insurance rate decrease of 15.1% for new and renewal policies effective in Florida as of Jan. 1. More from the Jacksonville Daily Record.
Florida school district pulls over 1,600 books for review to possibly be banned — including dictionaries
A Florida school district has pulled over 1,600 books from its library shelves for review — including Webster’s Dictionary for Students — to ensure they comply with the state’s new sex education law that prohibits books describing sexual content. The Escambia County Public School District, in the Florida Panhandle, pulled five dictionaries, eight encyclopedias and “The Guinness Book of World Records. More from NBC News and Axios.
Business Beat - Week of January 12th
Get top news-to-know with Florida Trend's headline-focused video news brief, hosted by digital content specialist Aimée Alexander.
Event
ZORA! Festival returns with food-centric fun
Now in its 35th year, Eatonville’s ZORA! Festival is a seasoned operation. It’s little wonder, though, as along the journey, they’ve added plenty of seasoning. In particular when it comes to food-related programming. This year, two ticketed experiences — very different in nature — are on tap to connect festivalgoers to Zora Neale Hurston and her works and food-related research.
» Read more from the Orlando Sentinel.
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