FPL consultant says a rolling blackout likely next year without rate hike
A consultant hired by Florida Power & Light warned that without adding battery storage capacity included in its request to hike rates by roughly $9 billion, customers are highly likely to experience a rolling blackout next year. The extraordinary prediction was included in a 288-page filing part of a batch of paperwork the utility submitted last week to bolster its rate case before state regulators. The $9 billion request filed by Florida Power & Light, the nation’s largest utility, is believed to be the largest rate hike request in American history. More from the Tampa Bay Times.
Map shows where Florida house prices are dropping fastest
The Sunshine State is experiencing some of the steepest price drops in the country as inventory surges while buyers are kept to the sidelines by historically high mortgage rates, rising homeowners association (HOA) fees and growing home insurance premiums. The median sale price of a typical Florida single-family home was $415,000 in May, down 2.7 percent from a year earlier, the latest data released by Florida Realtors showed. Prices were still rising in the rest of the country, even if at a much slower pace than in previous years. More from Newsweek.
Who is Blaise Ingoglia? DeSantis picks new Florida CFO
After months without anyone in the position, Gov. Ron DeSantis has finally named his new Chief Financial Officer: close ally, businessman and professional poker player Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, R-Spring Hill. Ingoglia, 54, owns homebuilding company Hartland Homes and listed his net worth at $28.3 million on his most recent financial disclosure. He served as chair of the Republican Party of Florida in 2015–19 and later helped run a DeSantis political committee when the governor ran for the GOP nomination for president in 2024. More from the Tallahassee Democrat.
Orange County appeals in rent control fight
Orange County has gone to the Florida Supreme Court after an appeals court ruled last month that the industry group Florida Realtors and the Florida Apartment Association can seek attorney fees from the county after a battle about a rent-control measure. Orange County filed a notice last week that is a first step in asking the Supreme Court to take up the issue, according to documents posted Tuesday on the Supreme Court website. More from the News Service of Florida.
‘The toughest summer we’ve seen’: How will Miami restaurants survive a brutal season?
With the blistering heat, the daily threat of late afternoon thunderstorms and a distinct lack of tourists, summer in Miami has long been the nemesis of the restaurant industry. But according to many local chefs and restaurateurs, the summer of 2025 is shaping up to be the worst. More from the Miami Herald.
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Public Health
Flesh-eating bacteria claims 4 lives in Florida so far this year
Four lives have been lost in Florida due to a flesh-eating bacteria so far this year, the Florida Department of Health announced. The bacteria is known as Vibrio vulnificus and lives in warm seawater as they require salt to live. According to recent info from the Florida Department of Health, there have been four deaths out of the total 11 confirmed cases in the year 2025.
» More from NBC Miami.
Business Profile
Serving Seniors: A softer landing
After she sold the South Florida advertising agency she owned with her husband in 2023, Kendall Kennedy spent 18 months figuring out her next move. She knew she wanted an opportunity to give back, to help people, but wasn’t sure what avenue to take — until she learned that a Caring Transitions franchise, owned by a local family for a decade, was for sale in Jupiter.
» Read more from Florida Trend.