Buy now, pay later? Florida has a problem with credit card delinquency
Florida is known for its beaches, palm trees and sunshine. But a new study shows that the state is known for a darker cloud: credit card delinquency. Using 2025 data through June, finance company WalletHub ranked the 50 states in terms of credit card delinquency — and Florida came in last. The research didn’t indicate why Florida fared so poorly. Getting behind on credit card payments can negatively affect a person’s credit score, and that can matter even more with a busy holiday shopping season upon us. [Source: Tampa Bay Times]
Florida’s hurricane season was unusually quiet. What happened?
This season was not without oddities. No hurricanes struck the U.S. for the first time in a decade, and a prolonged lull during peak season meant only five hurricanes formed — but the ones that did were exceptionally strong. Over the season, 13 named storms formed, of which five became hurricanes and four became major hurricanes. Three reached Category 5 strength — second only to 2005. An average hurricane season has 14 named storms, including seven hurricanes and three major hurricanes. More from the Tampa Bay Times and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
State lists hundreds of books removed in 2024-25 school year
About 400 books were "removed or discontinued" from Florida public schools in the 2024-25 school year by school boards across the state, according to a report by the Florida Department of Education – down from roughly 700 the year before. No books were removed or discontinued in 56 of Florida's 67 counties, or almost 84%. More than half of the books that were removed were in Clay County, southwest of Jacksonville. More from the Palm Beach Post and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune.
Robotics, AI the answer to dwindling labor population, UF researcher says
Artificial intelligence and robots have potential to boost agricultural production — and their possibilities are only beginning, a University of Florida researcher told the Florida Senate last week. UF broke ground this month on the Center for Applied Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture at the Gulf Coast Research and Education Center in Hillsborough County. According to Nathan Boyd, a professor at UF studying weed science and associate director of the center, artificial intelligence will provide a 35% boost to agricultural production, including in Florida, by 2030. [Source: Florida Phoenix]
Florida lawmakers propose mandatory human review for claim denials
Florida lawmakers aim to restrict automated claims decisions, with a bill requiring human professionals to make all claim denials. House Bill 527, sponsored by Rep. Hillary Cassel and filed on November 24, 2025, would require that every claim denial in the state be made by a qualified human professional, not a computer system acting alone. The legislation is proposed to take effect on July 1, 2026. The bill imposes a clear requirement: automated tools can assist in the claims process, but they cannot be the sole basis for denying a claim. [Source: Insurance Business Magazine]
ALSO AROUND FLORIDA:
› Small industrial properties outpace bigger facilities in Tampa Bay region
Maybe small, when it comes to warehouses and industrial properties, isn’t too bad after all. Big facilities, in leases and sales, normally grab the headlines and attention. Consider the state of Florida’s recent announcement that Chick-fil-A is building a $150 million supply and distribution center in Polk County. Yet several new commercial real estate reports say small facilities, around 10,000 square feet or smaller, in Tampa Bay and the I-4 corridor are hot.
› Sinking towers reveal limits of what we know about building on barrier islands
Unseen forces are at work under the gleaming towers lining barrier islands like Sunny Isles Beach. Drilling from adjacent construction can displace soil and shake buildings. Higher tides and rising seas can push water higher than in the past. Already, underground parking garages are being flooded with corrosive puddles. Deeper down, out-dated stormwater drainage systems could be weakening the already porous limestone bedrock South Florida is built on. They’re some of the factors that might play roles in the unexpected sinking measured in some of Miami-Dade’s coastal high-rises over the last few decades.
› Orlando Museum of Art to open largest U.S. David LaChapelle exhibit
A retrospective of the work of acclaimed photographer-director David LaChapelle is coming to Orlando Museum of Art in the new year. And it will include a world-premiere creation the museum describes as “monumental.” Titled “David LaChapelle: As the World Turns,” the exhibition will open Jan. 31 and contain pieces of art “from early religious figurative works, fashion editorials and celebrity portraiture to allegorical compositions exploring spirituality, environmental fragility and transcendence,” according to the museum’s announcement.
› With an assist from tech, could Miami Beach become a healthier and happier ‘Blue Zone’?
Miami Beach Commissioner Tanya Bhatt wants to make her city a Blue Zones Project, which is a community well-being improvement initiative. “Blue Zones are all about however many years you have, to make sure you live them as well as you can,” she said. “Living better, living longer, living a more connected life with purpose.”
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› In the woods of east Orange, a nonprofit offers hope to the hidden homeless
Deep in the forest behind a convenience store in eastern Orange County, Stacy, a former restaurant manager, has a roof over her head. It’s made of corrugated metal, sitting propped on some panels and served as a drug den for its prior residents. She and her two dogs, Tank and Suge Daddy, are protected by a fence with a locked gate. The encampment was well-known to workers at United Global Outreach in Bithlo, which sends teams of workers into the woods of east Orange daily.
› As Florida doubles down on its support of space discovery, FIU takes a lead
Outer space may be infinite, but the moment for FIU to lead is here and now. Under the leadership of its new president, the university stands at the forefront of a new era of policy leadership at a time of historically high space exploration. The next frontier isn’t just about rockets and satellites,. Questions have been raised about governance, security and the policies that will determine who controls activity and benefits from increased investment.
› Jacksonville’s first-ever outdoor ice skating rink officially opens downtown for the holiday season
The day has come. Jacksonville’s first-ever outdoor ice skating rink opened Friday morning in downtown Jacksonville, near the Riverside Arts Market. The holiday attraction, named JAX Artist Walk on Ice, made its debut at 10 a.m. at the Artist Walk Skatepark. Jocelyn Jones, the venue manager of Ice Rink Events, said ice skating in Florida doesn’t happen often. “Holiday magic,” Jones said. “You don’t get cold and ice in Florida often.”
› Tampa hotels launch Plates with Purpose to fight food insecurity
Mainsail Lodging & Development is launching a new initiative called “Plates with Purpose” to help families facing food insecurity during the holidays. From Dec. 2 to Dec. 9, restaurants inside five Mainsail hotels will donate the equivalent of up to five meals for every entrée sold. The meals will go directly to food bank partners in each city. The initiative comes as food banks report high demand, reduced supplies and rising food prices.