Florida insurance claims from Hurricanes Helene and Milton surpass $5B
The tab for insurance claims filed due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton has now exceeded $5 billion. The Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) reports a new total of $5.033 billion in claims as a result of Helene, which plowed into the Big Bend area on Sept. 26, and Milton, which hit the Gulf Coast on Oct. 9. The latest figure was released by the OIR this week, and it’s up over the Nov. 8 insurance claim sum. [Source: Florida Politics]
Florida to pay $725K in 'Stop WOKE' case
Florida has agreed to pay $725,000 in legal fees and costs for businesses that successfully challenged part of a 2022 law that Gov. Ron DeSantis dubbed the “Stop WOKE Act.” A court filing Tuesday said the state and the plaintiffs reached a settlement Nov. 4 on attorney fees and other legal costs. Chief U.S. District Judge Mark Walker quickly issued an order Tuesday directing the parties to comply with the settlement. [Source: News Service of Florida]
Deportation plan could target as many as 1.1 million people in Florida
With President-elect Donald Trump poised to declare a national emergency to clear the way for the mass deportation of undocumented migrants, Florida may face wholesale disruption in the coming year. Immigration experts say about 5% of Florida’s population – 1.1 million residents – are living here without legal permission. More from the Sarasota Herald-Tribune and the Tallahassee Democrat.
Leaks on the ISS and Space policy impacts on Florida
Under president-elect Donald Trump’s last term, the space agency benefited from funding key initiatives and policy directives. As we await his upcoming term, the Florida space industry could see major changes over these next four years. [Source: Central Florida Public Media]
Remote jobs: Meet South Florida's typical virtual worker
The average remote worker in South Florida is a college-educated millennial man working in a white collar career and earns about $59,000 a year. About 14% of the South's workforce is remote, similar to the national average. That also matches the Miami metro area, where about 14.6% of the region's more than three million employees are teleworkers. [Source: South Florida Business Journal]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› How did hurricanes change Tampa Bay’s job market?
Though thousands saw jobs vanish overnight in Tampa Bay, statewide unemployment numbers released this month suggest the region has avoided a large-scale employment crisis after two hurricanes roiled labor markets. Tampa Bay’s unemployment rate ticked up by just half a percentage point — from 3.3% to 3.8% — from October 2023 to 2024. Over that same period, the state’s unemployment rate remained the same, at 3.3%.
› Sunshine Corridor plans advance: Central Florida's $4B rail project
Local leaders want to start the next phase for the Sunshine Corridor, which would involve funding a study to iron out key details. John Tyler, District 5 secretary for the Florida Department of Transportation, said during a Nov. 19 meeting that FDOT wants to bring a path forward on a key study early next year to the Central Florida Commuter Rail Commission.
› Port Tampa Bay’s economic impact and jobs double
Florida’s largest and most cargo-diverse seaport, has a 34.6 billion dollar economic value on our region and supports more than 192,000 total jobs. A newly released economic impact report, published by Martin and Associates who are industry leaders in maritime research, showed the port more than doubled the jobs supported by port activity and nearly doubled the total economic value supported by the port in the region.
› Amazon to build state-of-the-art robotics distribution center in Fort Myers
Amazon has announced plans to build a state-of-the-art, multimillion-dollar robotics fulfillment center in Fort Myers. The retail behemoth officially shared the news Wednesday, via a news release. The news had already spread, breaking a day earlier, however, after Amazon's purchase of a more than 143-acre site for the project.
Go to page 2 for more stories ...
› Dermatology company opens Fort Lauderdale campus
SKNV officially will officially open a sprawling manufacturing campus in Fort Lauderdale on Wednesday afternoon with a grand opening ceremony that will be attended by Mayor Dean Trantalis. The company, a maker of prescription skin care medications, said it will hire 100 people at the 37,500-square-foot facility.
› Plan for vast new Miami airport on runway
A flight path is being cleared to build a major new airport in Miami-Dade County to handle mushrooming demand. A commission committee last week recommended ordering Mayor Daniella Levine Cava to detail within 90 days how to go about creating a vital airport to handle cargo, commercial passengers and general aviation.
› Camping World, Kia Center upgrades get final OK
Orange County commissioners gave the final signoff Tuesday to an agreement with the city of Orlando that commits $626 million in future tourist-tax revenues to upgrading Camping World Stadium and the Kia Center. “We’ve been on a 20-year journey to complete the original idea and vision for Camping World Stadium’s competitiveness and hopefully we’re there,” Florida Citrus Sports CEO Steve Hogan said before the board sealed the deal.
› Golisano gifts $85M to 41 Southwest Florida nonprofits
Philanthropist Tom Golisano presented $85 million in gifts to 41 different Southwest Florida nonprofits in five categories at a Nov. 19 event in Naples. About 150 representatives from organizations across the five categories — health, education, intellectual and developmental disabilities, community and animal welfare — were in the audience at arts venue Artis—Naples as Golisano made the presentations.